Canon EOS Rebel SL2 vs Canon EOS Rebel SL1

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS Rebel SL2 and the Canon EOS Rebel SL1, 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 SL2 was introduced in June 2017 and Canon EOS Rebel SL1 was introduced in July 2013. Let us first list highlights of the models.

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.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS Rebel SL2 over Canon EOS Rebel SL1.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS Rebel SL1 over Canon EOS Rebel SL2.

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.

Screen

Canon EOS Rebel SL2 and Canon EOS Rebel SL1 have 3.0" screens with 1,040k dot resolution. Canon EOS Rebel SL2 has a Fully Articulated screen which makes it selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. Canon EOS Rebel SL1 has a Fixed screen Both models feature 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

Cameras have built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinders. They both have 95% coverage and 0.87x magnification.

Canon EOS Rebel SL2 features a 24.2 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 - 25,600 and expands to 100 - 51,200 in boosted mode. 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 222 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 12,800 and expands to 100 - 25,600 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
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	864 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

Canon EOS Rebel SL2 is equipped with DIGIC 7 processor and can take pictures up to 6000 x 4000 resolution. 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.

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 SL2 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS Rebel SL1 nothing can be done. On Canon EOS Rebel SL1 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS Rebel SL2 nothing can be done.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Canon EOS Rebel SL2

Canon EOS Rebel SL2 has a built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

Bluetooth on Canon EOS Rebel SL2

Canon EOS Rebel SL2 has a built-in Bluetooth which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.

NFC on Canon EOS Rebel SL2

Canon EOS Rebel SL2 has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) inputs for data transfer. Canon EOS Rebel SL2 has a Mini HDMI and Canon EOS Rebel SL1 has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Canon EOS Rebel SL2 comes with LP-E17 battery pack with battery life of 650 shots and Canon EOS Rebel SL1 comes with LP-E12 battery pack with battery life of 380 shots.

External Storage Slots

Cameras have a single SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) card slot.

Shutter

Canon EOS Rebel SL2 has Electronically-controlled focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Canon EOS Rebel SL2, and up to 1/4000 sec on Canon EOS Rebel SL1. Canon EOS Rebel SL2 can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps. Canon EOS Rebel SL1 can shoot continuously up to 4.0 fps.

Focusing

Both cameras have Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 9 (1 cross-type) focusing points. and Canon EOS Rebel SL2 having from -2 to +18 EV detection range and Canon EOS Rebel SL1 having from -0.5 to +18 EV detection range.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Canon EOS Rebel SL2 ranges from +1 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS Rebel SL2 and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS Rebel SL1.

Flash

Cameras have built-in flash with maximum range of 9.80 m at ISO 100 on Canon EOS Rebel SL2 and 9.40 m on Canon EOS Rebel SL1. They also accept external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on both cameras.

Canon EOS Rebel SL2 body has dimensions of 122 x 93 x 70 mm (4.8 x 3.66 x 2.76") and Canon EOS Rebel SL1 body has dimensions of 117 x 91 x 69 mm (4.61 x 3.58 x 2.72"). Canon EOS Rebel SL2 weighs 453 g (1.00 lb / 15.98 oz) and Canon EOS Rebel SL1 weighs 407 g (0.90 lb / 14.36 oz).

Canon EOS Rebel SL2

Canon EOS Rebel SL1

122 mm

93 mm

117 mm

91 mm

93 mm

91 mm

70 mm

69 mm