Canon EOS Rebel SL3 vs Canon EOS Rebel SL2

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      Overview

      In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS Rebel SL3 and the Canon EOS Rebel SL2, 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 SL3 was introduced in April 2019 and Canon EOS Rebel SL2 was introduced in June 2017. Let us first list highlights of the models.

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3 Highlights

      • 24.1 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 25,600 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points (9 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 1,040k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 5.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 3840 x 2160 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      • Built-In Wi-Fi

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2 Highlights

      • 24.2 MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
      • 100 - 25,600 Native ISO
      • 9 Focus Points (9 Cross-type)
      • 3.0" 1,040k dot Fully Articulated Screen
      • Optical (pentamirror) Viewfinder
      • 5.0 fps Continuous Shooting
      • 1920 x 1080 Video Shooting
      • 30 min Video Recording Limit
      • Built-in Flash
      • Built-In Wi-Fi

      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 SL3 and Canon EOS Rebel SL2.

      PROS

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Digital Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Light - 449 g (0.99 lb / 15.84 oz)
      •   Long Battery Life - 1070 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      •   Cheap
      •   Video Capture
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Built-in Flash
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   HDMI Output
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Built-In Bluetooth
      •   Light - 453 g (1.00 lb / 15.98 oz)
      •   Orientation Sensor

      CONS

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      •   9 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing


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

      AVERAGE

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      •   Sensor Resolution - 24.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   -4 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 - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   Sensor Resolution - 24.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   -2 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 - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79
      •   Battery Life - 650 shots

      Advantage of Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS Rebel SL3 over Canon EOS Rebel SL2.

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3 vs Canon EOS Rebel SL2
      More Powerful Processor DIGIC 8 vs DIGIC 7
      Lower Min AF Detection -4 EV vs -2 EV
      Digital Image Stabilization vs
      Higher Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080
      Lighter 449 g (0.99 lb / 15.84 oz) vs 453 g (1.00 lb / 15.98 oz)
      Longer Battery Life 1070 shots vs 650 shots

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS Rebel SL3.

      Advantage of Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS Rebel SL2 over Canon EOS Rebel SL3.

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3 vs Canon EOS Rebel SL2
      Cheaper $599 (body only), $749 (w/18-55mm F4-5.6 lens) vs $549 (body only), $699 (w/18-55mm F4-5.6 lens)
      Higher Sensor Resolution 24.1 Megapixel vs 24.2 Megapixel
      Average Metering vs

      Check out other cameras which are frequently compared to Canon EOS Rebel SL2.

      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 SL3 Canon EOS Rebel SL2
        Cheap$599 (body only), $749 (w/18-55mm F4-5.6 lens)$549 (body only), $699 (w/18-55mm F4-5.6 lens)
        Video Capture
        Touch-to-Focus
        Face Detection
        Live View Autofocus
        Screen TypeFully ArticulatedFully Articulated
        Touch Screen
        Built-in Flash
        Webcam Functionality
        HDMI Output Mini Mini
        Built-In Wi-Fi
        Built-In Bluetooth
        Light449 g (0.99 lb / 15.84 oz)453 g (1.00 lb / 15.98 oz)
        Orientation Sensor
      WEAKNESSES Canon EOS Rebel SL3 Canon EOS Rebel SL2
        Few Focus Points99
        Few Cross-type Focus Points11
        No Image Stabilization
        Low Video Recording Limit30 min30 min
        No Headphone Output
        No Built-in GPS
        No Environmental Sealing

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Screen

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3 and Canon EOS Rebel SL2 have 3.0" Fully Articulated screens with 1,040k dot resolution. Fully articulated screen makes cameras selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. 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.

      Image cannot be displayed Image cannot be displayed

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3 and Canon EOS Rebel SL2 with Fully Articulated screen


      Viewfinder

      Cameras have built-in Optical (pentamirror) viewfinders. They both have 95% coverage and 0.87x (0.54x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

      Sensor

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3 features a 24.1 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 SL2 features a 24.2 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 - 25,600 and expands to 100 - 51,200 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 SL3 is equipped with DIGIC 8 processor and can take pictures up to 6000 x 4000 resolution. Canon EOS Rebel SL2 is equipped with DIGIC 7 processor and can take pictures up to 6000 x 4000 resolution.


      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 SL3 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS Rebel SL2 nothing can be done. On Canon EOS Rebel SL2 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS Rebel SL3 nothing can be done.

      Connectivity, Battery and Storage

      Built-in Wi-Fi

      Cameras have 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

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3 and Canon EOS Rebel SL2 have 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 SL3 has a Mini HDMI and Canon EOS Rebel SL2 has a Mini HDMI connector for video signal output.


      Battery

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3 and Canon EOS Rebel SL2 come with LP-E17 battery pack with battery life of 1070 shots on Canon EOS Rebel SL3 and with battery life of 650 shots on Canon EOS Rebel SL2.


      External Storage Slots

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

      Other Features

      Shutter

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3 has Electronic shutter and Mechanical Focal Plane shutter. Canon EOS Rebel SL2 has Electronically-controlled focal-plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/4000 sec on Canon EOS Rebel SL3, and up to 1/4000 sec on Canon EOS Rebel SL2. Cameras can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps.


      Focusing

      Both cameras have Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 9 (1 cross-type) focusing points. and Canon EOS Rebel SL3 having from -4 to +18 EV detection range and Canon EOS Rebel SL2 having from -2 to +18 EV detection range.


      Exposure

      Both cameras' exposure metering 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 both models.


      Flash

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

      Physical Parameters

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3 and Canon EOS Rebel SL2 bodies have the same dimensions of 122 x 93 x 70 mm (4.8 x 3.66 x 2.76"). Canon EOS Rebel SL3 weighs 449 g (0.99 lb / 15.84 oz) and Canon EOS Rebel SL2 weighs 453 g (1.00 lb / 15.98 oz).

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      122 mm

      93 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      122 mm

      93 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      93 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      93 mm

      Image cannot be displayed


      70 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      70 mm

      Image cannot be displayed

      Size comparisons of Canon EOS Rebel SL3 and Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3 and Canon EOS Rebel SL2 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 SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      GOOD
      71
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      GOOD
      75
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing

      Sports Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      GOOD
      74
      •   25,600 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 - 5.0 fps
      •   Long Battery Life - 1070 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      GOOD
      73
      •   25,600 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 - 5.0 fps
      •   Battery Life - 650 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Wildlife Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      AVERAGE
      67
      •   25,600 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 - 5.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Long Battery Life - 1070 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor
      AVERAGE
      67
      •   25,600 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 - 5.0 fps
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Battery Life - 650 shots
      •   Orientation Sensor

      Portrait Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      GOOD
      82
      •   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
      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

      Street Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      GOOD
      84
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 449 g (0.99 lb / 15.84 oz)
      EXCELLENT
      85
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 453 g (1.00 lb / 15.98 oz)

      Travel Photography

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      GOOD
      83
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 449 g (0.99 lb / 15.84 oz)
      •   Long Battery Life - 1070 shots
      GOOD
      82
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Fully Articulated 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 - 453 g (1.00 lb / 15.98 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 650 shots

      Evaluations

      We evaluate Canon EOS Rebel SL3 and Canon EOS Rebel SL2 and give both of them the score of 73 out of 100. 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 SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      OVERALL
      73
      OVERALL
      73

      Sensor

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      AVERAGE
      62
      •   Sensor Resolution - 24.1 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   Sensor Resolution - 24.2 Megapixel
      •   100 Lowest Native ISO
      •   25,600 Highest Native ISO
      •   DxO Overall Score - 79

      Photo

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      AVERAGE
      69
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec
      AVERAGE
      69
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Max Shutter Speed (Mechanical or 1st Curtain) - 1/4000 sec
      •   Max Continuous Shooting - 5.0 fps
      •   Max Flash Sync Speed - 1/200 sec

      Video

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      POOR
      48
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   High Video Resolution - 3840 x 2160
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   Low Video Recording Limit
      BAD
      32
      •   No Image Stabilization
      •   Low Video Resolution - 1920 x 1080
      •   Webcam Functionality
      •   Low Video Recording Limit

      Focusing

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      EXCELLENT
      87
      •   -4 EV Min AF Detection
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus
      EXCELLENT
      87
      •   -2 EV Min AF Detection
      •   9 Focus Points
      •   1 Cross-type Focus Points
      •   Touch-to-Focus
      •   Face Detection
      •   Live View Autofocus

      Screen and Viewfinder

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      EXCELLENT
      88
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot
      EXCELLENT
      88
      •   Fully Articulated Screen
      •   Touch Screen
      •   Screen Size - 3.0"
      •   Screen Resolution - 1,040k dot

      Connectivity

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      EXCELLENT
      92
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Built-In Bluetooth
      EXCELLENT
      92
      •   HDMI Output
      •   No Headphone Output
      •   No Built-in GPS
      •   Built-In Wi-Fi
      •   Built-In Bluetooth

      Battery, Storage and Physical

      Canon EOS Rebel SL3

      Canon EOS Rebel SL2

      POOR
      49
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 449 g (0.99 lb / 15.84 oz)
      •   Long Battery Life - 1070 shots
      POOR
      44
      •   No Environmental Sealing
      •   Light - 453 g (1.00 lb / 15.98 oz)
      •   Battery Life - 650 shots


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

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