Canon EOS 700D Digital Camera
The Canon EOS 700D is the company's latest addition to its novice-oriented 'Rebel' series. With more than two decades of continuous success in its film and digital incarnations, these little SLRs have been improved and refined to the point that Canon's biggest challenge seems to be finding new ways to distinguish its updated models. Place the new EOS 700D alongside its predecessor the EOS 650D and the differences are so minimal to be of little real importance.
Canon EOS 700D key features
- 18MP APS-C 'Hybrid CMOS' sensor
- Phase detection AF from imaging sensor for Live View and Video
- Continuous autofocus in movie mode with subject tracking
- 14-bit DIGIC 5 processor
- ISO 100-12800 standard, 25600 expanded
- 5 fps continuous shooting
- 9 point AF system, all sensors cross type, central sensor F2.8 (from 60D)
- 63 zone iFCL metering
- 1080p30 video recording with built-in stereo mics
- 1.04m dot 3:2 touch-sensitive vari-angle ClearView II LCD (capacitive type, multi-touch support)
The 700D's headline specifications - 18MP CMOS sensor, 9-point AF sensor, 3:2 flip-out 1.04m dot screen are all familiar from the EOS 600D / Rebel T3i. Look a bit closer, however, and improvements have been made in each of these areas, with an eye both to more seasoned users who demand SLR performance and compact camera upgraders who want a familiar feeling interface.
It is largely because of the rise of large sensor mirrorless models that in today's market an entry-level DSLR must offer more than just high image quality to entice compact camera upgraders. In the age of YouTube, quick and easy access to video recording capability is a must. And for users that are far more familiar with composing via an LCD screen than a viewfinder, live view performance is of no small concern. Of course the camera must still offer users a path to a more traditional DSLR-like experience, without which, they would be hard pressed to resist the temptation of a physically smaller 'mirrorless' camera.
The EOS 650D was Canon's attempt to meet these challenges head on, with features aimed at improving its live view and video performance, which have been carried into the EOS 700D. One of the most noteworthy of these is the ability to offer continuous AF tracking while recording movies.
This is made possible by Canon's 'Hybrid CMOS' sensor that includes pixels dedicated to phase detection autofocus. The Hybrid AF system uses these to quickly set the lens to roughly the correct distance, then uses contrast detection AF to fine-tune focus. In theory, this should provide faster and more certain focusing for live view and video shooting compared to Canon models which rely on CDAF alone. You can read a more detailed explanation of this technology and see it in action on the AF performance page of the EOS 650D review.
The EOS 700D also features a touchscreen. This is of the capacitive (contact sensitive) rather than resistive (pressure sensitive) type, behaving like that of a typical smartphone. In Live View and Movie modes the screen can be used to specify the point of focus and (optionally) release the shutter. It also supports iPhone-like multi-touch and gestures. The rear screen has been redesigned with no air gap between the display and cover glass in an attempt to reduce reflections and improve visibility in bright light. There's also an anti-smudge coating which aims to reduce the impact of its newfound touch-sensitivity.
Other features of note
The EOS 700D uses Canon's DIGIC 5 processor (as seen in the S100 and G1 X compacts), which allows it to shoot at a maximum ISO sensitivity of 12,800 (25,600 extended), and allows lens-specific corrections for chromatic aberration and vignetting in the camera's JPEG processing. The 'conventional' autofocus system for eye-level shooting is borrowed from the EOS 60D, and uses nine focus points which are now all cross-type, with the center point offering additional accuracy with fast lenses.
The camera also has a built-in stereo microphone to provide sound for video, while retaining an external microphone input. The 'HDR Backlight' and 'Handheld Night Scene', modes combine multiple exposures to give a final processed image. A four-exposure 'Multi Shot Noise Reduction' setting is also available in the PASM modes.