Canon EOS Rebel SL1 vs Canon EOS 7D

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D
      66
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      68
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      Disclosure: We earn money from the affiliate links to products associated with content in this article.

      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS Rebel SL1 and the Canon EOS 7D, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1 was introduced in July 2013 and Canon EOS 7D was introduced in November 2009. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1 Highlights

      • 18.0 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 12,800 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points (9 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 1,040k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 4.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash

      Canon EOS 7D Highlights

      • 18.0 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 6,400 Native ISO
      • 19 Focus Points
      • 3.0" 920k dot Fixed Screen
      • Optical (pentaprism) Viewfinder
      • 8.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      • Wheather Sealed Body
      Table of Contents
      1. Overview
      2. Pros and Cons
      3. Advantage of Canon EOS Rebel SL1
      4. Advantage of Canon EOS 7D
      5. Common Strengths and Weaknesses
      6. Screen and Viewfinder
      7. Sensor
      8. Photography Features
      9. Connectivity, Battery and Storage
      10. Other Features
      11. Physical Parameters
      12. For Different Types of Photography
      13. Evaluations
      14. Specifications  

      Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

      Pros and Cons

      In this section we present pros and cons of Canon EOS Rebel SL1 and Canon EOS 7D.

      PROS

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Light - 407 g (0.90 lb / 14.36 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Video Capture
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 380 shots
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth


      And here are some specifications which fall into average criteria and are neither in PROs nor in CONs category:

      AVERAGE

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      •   Sensor Resolution - 18.0 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   -0.5 EV Min AF Detection
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 63
      •   Sensor Resolution - 18.0 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   19 Focus Points
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 66
      •   Weight - 860 g (1.90 lb / 30.34 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots

      Advantage of Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon Rebel SL1
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS Rebel SL1 over Canon EOS 7D.

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1 vs Canon EOS 7D
      Higher Native ISO 12,800 vs 6,400
      Higher Boosted ISO 25,600 vs 12,800
      More Powerful Processor DIGIC 5 vs Dual DIGIC 4
      Touch-to-Focus vs
      Center Autofocus vs
      Tracking Autofocus vs
      Touch Screen vs
      Higher Resolution Screen 1,040k dot vs 920k dot
      Speaker Mono vs
      Lighter 407 g (0.90 lb / 14.36 oz) vs 860 g (1.90 lb / 30.34 oz)

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS Rebel SL1.

      Canon Rebel SL2
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon Rebel T1i
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      APS-C

      15.1 MP

      Nikon D5300
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon Rebel SL3
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      24.1 MP

      Nikon D40X
      Image cannot be found

      APS-C

      10.2 MP

      Fujifilm GFX 100 II
      Image cannot be found

      Medium Format

      102 MP

      Nikon D70
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      APS-C

      6.1 MP

      Canon Rebel
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      APS-C

      6 MP

      Nikon D50
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      APS-C

      6.1 MP

      Fujifilm X-H2
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      APS-C

      40.2 MP

      Canon 30D
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      APS-C

      8.2 MP

      Pentax K-5 IIs
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      APS-C

      16.3 MP

      Advantage of Canon EOS 7D

      Canon 7D
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      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS 7D over Canon EOS Rebel SL1.

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1 vs Canon EOS 7D
      More Focus Points 9 vs 19
      Top LCD Screen vs
      Higher Viewfinder Coverage 95% vs 100%
      Higher Viewfinder Magnification (35mm equivalent) 0.55x vs 0.63x
      Higher Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) 1/4000 sec vs 1/8000 sec
      Higher Max Continuous Shooting 4.0 fps vs 8.0 fps
      Higher Flash Sync Speed 1/200 sec vs 1/250 sec
      Higher DxO Low Light ISO 843 vs 854
      Higher DxO Color Depth 21.8 vs 22.0
      Higher DxO Dynamic Range 11.3 vs 11.7
      Higher DxO Overall Score 63 vs 66
      Environmental Sealing vs
      Longer Battery Life 380 shots vs 800 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS 7D.

      Canon 7D II
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      APS-C

      20.2 MP

      Fujifilm X-H2S
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      APS-C

      26.16 MP

      Sony SLT-A65
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      APS-C

      24.3 MP

      Nikon D3300
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Sigma SD1 Merrill
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      APS-C

      15 MP

      Sigma sd Quattro
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      APS-C

      29 MP

      Canon 1D IV
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      APS-H

      16.1 MP

      Canon Rebel T6s
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      APS-C

      24.2 MP

      Canon 5DS R
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      Full Frame

      50.6 MP

      Canon 1Ds III
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      Full Frame

      21.1 MP

      Olympus OM-D E-M10
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      Micro Four Thirds

      16.1 MP

      Nikon D3100
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      APS-C

      14 MP

      Common Strengths and Weaknesses

      We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

      STRENGTHS Canon EOS Rebel SL1 Canon EOS 7D
        Video Capture
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        Built-in Flash
        HDMI Output Mini Mini
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Canon EOS Rebel SL1 Canon EOS 7D
        Timelapse Recording
        No Image Stabilization
        Screen TypeFixedFixed
        Low Video Resolution1920 x 10801920 x 1080
        Low Video Recording Limit30 min30 min
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Built-In Wi-Fi Eye-Fi Connection possible
        No Built-In Bluetooth

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1 and Canon EOS 7D have 3.0" Fixed screens with 1,040k dot and 920k dot resolutions respectively. Canon EOS Rebel SL1 also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.


      Viewfinder

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1 has a built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinderCanon EOS 7D has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. Canon EOS Rebel SL1 has 95% coverage with 0.87x (0.55x 35mm equivalent) magnification and Canon EOS 7D has 100% coverage with 1x (0.63x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1 features a 18.0 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.3 x 14.9 mm and a total area of 332.3 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 12,800 and expands to 100 - 25,600 in boosted mode. Canon EOS 7D features a 18.0 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 22.3 x 14.9 mm and a total area of 222 mm2. Its native ISO range is 100 - 6,400 and expands to 100 - 12,800 in boosted mode.


      Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

      Sensor size chart
      Sensor Dimensions Area Aspect Ratio Crop Factor
      Image cannot be displayedMedium Format44 x 33 mm1452 mm24:30.79x
      Image cannot be displayedFull Frame36 x 24 mm864 mm23:21x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-H27 x 18 mm486 mm23:21.3x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C23.6 x 15.6 mm368.2 mm23:21.5x
      Image cannot be displayedAPS-C (Canon)22.3 x 14.9 mm332.3 mm23:21.6x
      Image cannot be displayedMicro Four Thirds17.4 x 13 mm226.2 mm24:32x
      Image cannot be displayed1-inch13.2 x 8.8 mm116.2 mm23:22.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/1.7-inch7.44 x 5.58 mm41.5 mm24:34.7x
      Image cannot be displayed1/2.3-inch6.17 x 4.55 mm28.1 mm24:35.6x

      Photography Features

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1 is equipped with DIGIC 5 processor and can take pictures up to 5184 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 5184 x 2912, 4608 x 3456,3456 x 3456, 3456 x 2304, 3456 x 1944, 3072 x 2304, 2592 x 1728, 2592 x 1456, 2304 x 1728, 2304 x 2304, 1920 x 1280, 1920 x 1080, 1728 x 1728, 1696 x 1280, 1280 x 1280, 720 x 480, 720 x 400, 640 x 480, 480 x 480 with 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 aspect ratios. Canon EOS 7D is equipped with Dual DIGIC 4 processor and can take pictures up to 5184 x 3456 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 5184 x 3456, 3888 x 2592, 3456 x 2304, 2592 x 1728 with 3:2 aspect ratios.


      Lens Mount

      Cameras have Canon EF/EF-S lens mount. Due to their APS-C sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1.6x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.6.


      No Image Stabilization

      The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Canon EOS Rebel SL1 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS 7D nothing can be done. On Canon EOS 7D it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS Rebel SL1 nothing can be done.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

      Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Canon EOS Rebel SL1 has a Mini HDMI and Canon EOS 7D has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1 comes with LP-E12 battery pack with battery life of 380 shots and Canon EOS 7D comes with LP-E6 battery pack with battery life of 800 shots.


      External Storage Slots

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1 has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot. Canon EOS 7D has a single CompactFlash (Type I/II, UDMA 7) card slot.

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Canon EOS 7D has Electronic shutter and Mechanical Focal Plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Canon EOS Rebel SL1, and up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS 7D. Canon EOS Rebel SL1 can shoot continuously up to 4.0 fps. Canon EOS 7D can shoot continuously up to 8.0 fps.


      Focusing

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1 has Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 9 (1 cross-type) focusing points and Canon EOS 7D has 19 focusing points. Canon EOS Rebel SL1 has detection range from -0.5 to +18 EV.


      Exposure

      Exposure meterings of Canon EOS 7D ranges from +1 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS Rebel SL1 and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 7D.


      Flash

      Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 9.40 m on Canon EOS Rebel SL1 and 12.00 m on Canon EOS 7D. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe to Canon EOS Rebel SL1 and via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal or Wireless Speedlite EX to Canon EOS 7D. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on Canon EOS Rebel SL1 and 1/250 sec on Canon EOS 7D.

      Physical Parameters

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1 body has dimensions of 117 x 91 x 69 mm (4.61 x 3.58 x 2.72") and Canon EOS 7D body has dimensions of 148 x 111 x 74 mm (5.83 x 4.37 x 2.91"). Canon EOS Rebel SL1 weighs 407 g (0.90 lb / 14.36 oz) and Canon EOS 7D weighs 860 g (1.90 lb / 30.34 oz).

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      117 mm

      91 mm

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      148 mm

      111 mm

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      91 mm

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      111 mm

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      69 mm

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      74 mm

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      Size comparisons of Canon EOS Rebel SL1 and Canon EOS 7D

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1 and Canon EOS 7D for Different Types of Photography

      We give scores to the cameras for six types of photography based on their features and specifications. Let us see how suitable they are for each type of photography.

      Landscape Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      GOOD
      74
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      80
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      GOOD
      72
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Short Battery Life - 380 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   19 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      AVERAGE
      65
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Short Battery Life - 380 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      63
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   19 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      GOOD
      83
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      80
      •   19 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Street Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      GOOD
      83
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 407 g (0.90 lb / 14.36 oz)
      GOOD
      78
      •   19 Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 860 g (1.90 lb / 30.34 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      GOOD
      81
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 407 g (0.90 lb / 14.36 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 380 shots
      GOOD
      77
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 860 g (1.90 lb / 30.34 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Canon EOS Rebel SL1 and Canon EOS 7D and give them scores of 66 and 68 out of 100 recpectively. We also give separate scores for 7 different categories according to the available features and specifications some of which are listed below. These evaluations are relative and may change each time a new camera is added to the database.


      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      OVERALL
      66
      OVERALL
      68

      Sensor

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   Sensor Resolution - 18.0 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   12,800 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 63
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Sensor Resolution - 18.0 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   6,400 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 66

      Photo

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      AVERAGE
      55
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 4.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Timelapse Recording
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/8000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 8.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/250 sec

      Video

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      BAD
      16
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      BAD
      16
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      EXCELLENT
      86
      •   -0.5 EV Min AF Detection
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      GOOD
      81
      •   19 Focus Points
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      GOOD
      81
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      GOOD
      73
      •   Fixed Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 920k dot

      Connectivity

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      GOOD
      75
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth
      GOOD
      75
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   No Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Canon EOS Rebel SL1

      Canon EOS 7D

      POOR
      42
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 407 g (0.90 lb / 14.36 oz)
      •   Short Battery Life - 380 shots
      AVERAGE
      68
      •   Environmental Sealing
      •   Weight - 860 g (1.90 lb / 30.34 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 800 shots


      For a full specification list please go to the specifications page:

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