Best Canon DSLR for Video? — Canon SL2 VS. T7i VS. 80D
– Trying to decide between the Canon SL2, T7i and 80D? Well in this video, I'm
gonna be breaking down the pros and cons and
features of all of them. Coming up. (upbeat music) Hey what's up, Sean
here, with Think Media. Bringing you the best tips and tools for building your influence
with online video. And on this channel, we do
a lot of strategy videos, as well as tech gear
reviews, just like this one. So if you're new here,
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And hey, at any point during the video check out show notes and links in the YouTube description below. I'll list out all of the
specs of these cameras, as well as anything else I
forget to mention in the video. Let's jump into the comparison. So I wanted to shoot this video because I get the question a lot asking Sean which camera should I buy, what's really the difference? And I wanted to dive into it specifically with these three models.
Now one thing to mention is that all three of these are solid cameras and they have different
strengths and weaknesses. First and foremost, it's important to note that the Canon SL2 at the
time of shooting this video comes in at $599 here in the US aka the 200D internationally and that is with the kit lens. The T7i is the 800D internationally and comes in at $799, so $200 more. And then the 80D comes in
at the time of shooting this video at $1,049
with the same kit lens that's on the other cameras.
And so of course check out current prices in the YouTube description below but there's definitely a price gap here. So now let's break down these
similarities and differences. So the first thing to note is that all three of these cameras actually have the same sensor. It's a 24.2 megapixel APS-C sensor and that pretty much means that depending on a few of the other factors you can get the same video and photo quality more or less out of each of these.
However there are some differences and we will get into those. You also have a flip screen on all three. So each of these is
great for YouTube content whether you want to be vlogging or whether you want to
even just be shooting in a home office or a bedroom or anywhere, be able to see yourself,
tap the screen for autofocus all those types of things. Amazing on all three. Additionally they each have
Wi-Fi, NFC and Bluetooth and so if you want to
grab photos or images off the camera when you're on the go, post those on social media, you can do that on all three.
And they also all have
Dual Pixel Autofocus which is a big deal because in the past the autofocus is so
good for tracking faces for, especially in video mode. One of the most popular features that helps Canon stand out is the fact that that
autofocus is so amazing. And one of the impressive things though is that they put Dual
Pixel Autofocus in the SL2. So for being a budget camera, it's really kind of paired up with the others in that regard. Now speaking of video, these cameras actually have a lot of things in common. One of which is they all shoot 60 frames a second in video mode. Which means you can do 50% slow-motion if you edit your footage
in 30 frames a second and even slower than that if you edit in 24 frames a second.
And they also all have time-lapse modes so this is something that YouTubers and vloggers, of course, love because you can just set the camera up, adjust the settings a little bit and then create a beautiful time-lapse. All right, so those were
the some of the similarities that all three cameras have in common but now let's jump into
some of the differences. Now the Canon SL2 and T7i
are actually very similar and we won't go too deep into that because I shot a whole video just comparing those two. So we'll link that up on the YouTube card as well as in the description below.
But one of the big differences that we start to note between these two and the Canon 80D is actually the battery and so these two actually
have the E17 battery and the 80D introduces the E6 battery. Which is what Canon uses
in their more pro line and you actually get about
a 60% longer battery life with the Canon 80D. Now one of the strengths that the T7i and the 80D have in common is they both have 45 points of autofocus, so they're both great
photography cameras as well. Now the SL2 can shoot great photos, you have the same sensor but it only has 9 points of autofocus and so it's not gonna be as good for wildlife, for soccer
games, for movement but if you want to track your subject and really make sure you
dial in that awesome shot these two are gonna be a lot stronger.
And speaking of photography, the T7i and the 80D definitely
have some advantages. While they have different and higher performing metering modes they also have those points of autofocus and as we go across these cameras how many frames of photography they can shoot per second goes up. So the SL2 is at five frames a second, the T7i is at six frames, and the Canon 80D is at seven frames. So why is the Canon
80D $450 more expensive than the SL2 and $250 more
expensive than the T7i? Well there are a few things and mainly where it comes
in, is build quality. One of the things that
you get with the Canon 80D is a weather sealed body. You also have a much robust
heavier build quality which actually might be
something that is a downside if you want to use the camera for vlogging and carrying it around a lot you might not want a
little bit of extra weight that comes with the 80D.
But the build quality doesn't stop there the Canon 80D also has this
top viewable screen here something that you could
definitely live without if you're just shooting YouTube videos but it is a nice feature so that you don't have to always get down and look at your screen for your settings but you can just glance at them when you need to make some adjustments. And if you're using this for
pro photography or whatnot having things like that an off/on button a lot more functionality with
the dials and the wheels. This is meant to be put
to work in a pro video or pro photography situation. And then it definitely also has some standout video features.
Now all three of these
cameras have a mic input jack but the 80D adds a headphone jack as well which is a great feature and it also has a higher or less compressed video format when it comes to recording videos. So the first two, they all do 60 frames and they all do what
Canon calls IPB footage but they have a less compressed version in 80D called All-I. So again, the 80D is more of a pro video, if you want to use it
for some video production and even pro photography type of a camera but I would say that these two are more targeted at consumers but also prosumers, right? You maybe want to save some money but still create great content. Then that's sort of where
the T7i and SL2 live, whereas the 80D is definitely
targeting future advancement maybe even if you started with it it's something that
you could take with you and scale as you learn
more advanced skills and techniques with photo and video.
Now one quick note to
mention about the 80D is that because it's a
little bit of an older camera it actually has the Digic 6+ processor whereas the T7i and SL2
have the Digic 7 processor. Now a processor can influence things like how fast the camera operates but most of all it can
influence ISO performance and potentially low-light performance. However I don't even
think this is something to consider too much, because I don't see much of a difference in the final product of
the photo or the videos that come out of either camera but just something to put on your radar.
All right, so now let's jump into some video examples from
each of these cameras. Now here on Think Media, video is definitely our priority. There's lots of great YouTube channels that would focus more on
the photo performance. For us, we use photography
for social media but these cameras, we pick them up mainly for YouTube content, for
creating video content and so that is what we're
gonna be speaking to the most. All right, so for this
first series of examples we're gonna do the vlog test. So what would it look
like if you were vlogging with each of these cameras. Now across the board we're
using the 18-55 kit lens and the settings are matched
up on all of the cameras. So let's check it out. Okay, test number one
is with the Canon SL2. Now all of these tests are
gonna be with the same settings.
So we are at ISO 100, 125 shutter speed, because this is 60 frames a second video and then 5.6 on the aperture, just using the kit lens. And testing out this for vlogging. So this is the SL2, what do you think? All right now you are
seeing the Canon T7i. Now both the SL2 and the
T7i have similar weights. They weigh almost the exact same so they're good for vlogging. We're just holding it out here. And what I like about the kit lens, that we're shooting all these videos on, is it has built-in image stabilization. So while there is shake
because we're walking, it does smooth out the edges, you don't have any jitter. And also I love these Canon cameras because of the Dual Pixel Autofocus tracks our faces well
for vlogging on the go. And finally we have the
Canon 80D vlog test. Now again the video quality between these cameras is pretty similar 'cause it's the same sensor.
And we're using the same IPB mode that all of the cameras have in common. Now the 80D does have a higher video quality mode for pro video. But just for vlogging you'd probably shoot in something like this setting right here. Looks pretty good. All right, so then we just
did a standard video test and so here's the SL2. Again, the kit lens on all of the cameras. And this is my wife Sonya just kind of walking towards the camera and this is where we can see the power of the Dual Pixel Autofocus
tracking her as she's walking It's very cool. Then we tested out the Canon T7i and you're probably noticing but I'd love to hear
from you in the comments. Do these pictures look pretty similar? Is the video quality look similar to you? I definitely think so. But again, performing
great for video quality.
And then finally the Canon 80D is performing great as well, right? And so Sonya just walking. We're doing the Dual Pixel Autofocus, they all have touchscreen, and so all three cameras are definitely video powerhouses. And I would love to hear from you what you think about the
comparison of the footage. And then for our final test, we wanted to do a couple shots with that nice blurry background. So right now you're seeing the Canon SL2. And actually we put on the
50 millimeter, 1.8 lens. Now I really recommend this lens because at $125 here in the US it has incredible image quality for both video and for photos.
So then we put it on the T7i and again you can see that
nice blurry background. And what's also cool about these cameras is they are doing pretty well in this mixed light situation. There's a lot of bright light here as well as shadows. But we can definitely see the detail in each of these scenes. And then finally we put
the 50 millimeter, 1.8 on the Canon 80D.
And again, really great shot,
that nice blurry background aka the bouquet of this shot, looks great. And so I'd love to hear from you. What do you think about the differences or the similarities in the video quality? So which cameras should you choose? Well let's jump into a
few of my final thoughts. First and foremost the Canon
SL2 is the obvious winner when it comes to budget as it is the most affordable. It's also a great camera because it's nice, small, and portable. So if you want something
that's really versatile, that can be as small as
possible out of all three, maybe you use for vlogging and for creating YouTube content and it shoots great
video that's even on par with the other cameras in a lot of ways. However the weakness of the SL2 is definitely more advanced photography, the autofocus points and things like that. So if you were thinking more like: I want that middle choice, I want to shoot some video content but I also want photography performance, then the Canon T7i is a great choice.
Similar to the SL2, shoots great video but packs a lot more features in with 45 points of autofocus, you know, an extra frame per second when shooting burst mode in photo and a few other standout features. I also think that the Canon SL2 and T7i are great options for people just getting into photo or video. Each of them actually has a beginner mode that you can turn on or off. So if you're just getting started they're great cameras to learn on but you can also grow into them. These again are targeted
more at the consumer market but also the prosumer market. And each of these is a
camera you could grow into. But of course the final winner when it comes to pro photo and pro video is of course the 80D.
You have the weatherproof body, so it's meant to be put to
work, taken on the road, you can shoot in the rain a little bit, you've got the headphone jack, and not just the mic
jack of the first two, for monitoring your
audio when shooting video and then you also have
many more pro features when it comes to photography and that higher compression
rate, bit rate for video.
And so if you plan on not
just creating YouTube content, maybe of yourself in simple videos, but you plan on doing video production, you wanted to get into color grading, even making short films
and things like that, then the 80D is the obvious choice. The only downside being
it's the most expensive, and it's a little bit bulkier and a little bit heavier than the others. So each of them though,
in summation, is great. It just depends on what you need the most and what your budget is. But that brings us to
the question of the day and that is: What is your opinion when it comes to the
Canon SL2, T7i and 80D? Let me know in the comments section below.
And remember that some of
the best tips and insights come from you, the Think Media community. So definitely connect with everybody in the comment section. So thanks for checking out this video. Subscribe for more videos just like this. And if you want to check
out any of the other videos in our Canon camera review series just click or tap the screen right there. For another video from Think Media, just click or tap the screen right there. Until next time Think
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