As the Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网 System range continues to grow, there is more choice at all levels, from the pro powerhouse 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网3 to the beginner-friendly 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网50. In the mid-range there are a number of models all with outstanding performance but slightly different feature sets, aimed at slightly different users. Head-to-head, how do they compare?
Here, Canon Europe Product Marketing Specialist Tibor Sz?vetes and Product Marketing Manager John Maurice guide you through the similarities and differences between the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 and the closest mid-range 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网 System models, the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 and the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P.
KIT
澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 vs 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 vs 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P: which Canon mirrorless camera is the best choice for the needs of serious photography enthusiasts?
Sensor size: APS-C vs full-frame
Both the Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 and the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P feature full-frame sensors, while the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 has a smaller APS-C sensor, which captures a narrower view of the image projected by the lens. You can read all about the differences between APS-C and full-frame in our in-depth article, but what advantage does the smaller sensor of the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 offer?
John: "Resolution and reach. In wildlife and sports photography, there are often situations where you need to shoot over long distances. So, you'll benefit from the telephoto reach that an APS-C sensor provides. The 32.5MP resolution in the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 also gives you extra cropping potential."
Tibor: "The 24.2MP 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 and 26.2MP 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P obviously have lower resolutions than the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7, but their full-frame sensors are beneficial for low-light photography, both in indoor settings such as weddings or corporate events and for shooting nightscapes, twilight seascapes and so on."
John: "A full-frame camera like the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 is going to give better low-light performance than the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7. The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 has a wide native ISO range of 100-102,400, for example, whereas the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 goes up to only ISO 32,000 and the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P up to ISO 40,000. The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 also needs less light to focus."
Tibor: "There's also the benefit of more creative control over the depth of field with the full-frame 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 and 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P. Portrait photographers often prefer working with full frame because it's easier to achieve a very narrow depth of field. Portraiture often happens indoors, and you'll get a better dynamic range and lower noise out of the full-frame sensor in the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 than the APS-C sensor of the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7."
Do you own Canon kit?
Size, design and controls
The Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8, 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 and 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P are all more compact than their DSLR counterparts. All three cameras feature a familiar EOS control layout, including an array of customisable buttons and a vari-angle touchscreen. If you're upgrading from an EOS DSLR, you'll feel right at home. However, there are a few subtle differences in the feel and handling of each camera.
John: "The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 weighs 612g with card and battery, whereas the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P is only 485g with a card and battery. They're all quite lightweight cameras, though, and when they're on your shoulder or with a lens added, you won't feel much of a difference between them, but if you compare them to the DSLR-plus-lens alternative you really do start to notice the change."
Tibor: "At just 461g, the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 is even more lightweight. In fact, as we speak, it's the lightest full-frame camera that Canon has ever made. The weight difference between the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 and the other two cameras is largely down to the battery. The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 uses LP-E6 type batteries, whereas the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 and 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P use LP-E17 batteries, which are a lot smaller and lighter – although LP-E6 battery life is longer than that of LP-E17 batteries."
John: "In terms of body design, both the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 and 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 feature a dedicated stills-to-video switch, which is really handy if you're a hybrid shooter. This is not available on the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P, which has an older generation body."
Tibor: "With the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7, you get dual card slots – a pro-level feature that the other two cameras don't have – and the new thumb dial, which is a scroll wheel combined with the AF controller. This enables you to make adjustments very quickly."
Video capabilities
Video performance is one of the key strengths of the Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8, making it a better choice in some situations than the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 or 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P.
With no 30-minute clip limit, the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 and the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 let you record for longer. The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 offers higher frame rates too, with the option to shoot Full HD at 180fps for super-slow-motion playback at the standard 25/30fps. The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 shoots up to 120fps Full HD, while the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P shoots up to 60fps Full HD.
John: "The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 gives you the option of 4K 60p, plus a 4K Crop mode, which is handy for filming wild animals and sports that you can't get close to, and a 4K 30p Fine mode. This oversamples the 7K sensor output for better quality."
Tibor: "With the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8, you also have the ability to record very high quality oversampled 4K 60p from the camera's 6K sensor data. The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7's 4K Fine mode sounds better, but that 7K output is coming from a smaller sensor. The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8's full-frame sensor is going to provide more of an artistic look and give better results in low-light conditions, so if you're shooting video where these aspects are important, then the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 is the better choice."
John: "While the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P doesn't have the advanced video features of the other two cameras, it does deliver 4K footage, albeit cropped, or Full HD at 60p. It has a more basic video capability but will suit casual video making."
Autofocus and subject tracking
The Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 offers the most advanced autofocus of the three cameras, as it inherits the next-generation intelligent subject tracking of the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II.
John: "The more deep learning progresses, the more subjects it can detect reliably. The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 offers the latest version of subject detection. Unlike the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7, the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 can detect and track trains, planes and horses, as well as people, cars, motorbikes, cats, dogs and birds."
Tibor: "The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 also gains the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II's auto subject detection option, which will analyse the scene and try to recognise whether the subject is a person, an animal or a vehicle. It will then attempt to focus on the relevant part of the subject."
John: "Compared with the Dual Pixel CMOS AF II of the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 and 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7, the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P's Dual Pixel CMOS AF system isn't as sophisticated. It still offers eye detection, just not to the same level as the other two. The camera isn't really built for shooting fast subjects, though."
RAW burst and pre-capture
Comparing shooting speed head-to-head, the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 beats the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 and the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P. It's able to shoot at up to 40fps with its electronic shutter, compared to the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7's 30fps and the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P's 5fps. In addition, the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 and 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 both have a 30fps RAW Burst mode with pre-capture. This enables the camera to start capturing RAW files when you half-press the shutter button and then, when you fully press it, save the images in the buffer at that moment – up to half a second's worth of shots. This is ideal for photographing unpredictable subjects.
Comparing only the top burst speeds of the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8, 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 and 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P doesn't tell you the full story, though.
Tibor: "Although the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 can hit 40fps continuous shooting with the electronic shutter, it reaches 6fps with the electronic 1st-curtain shutter. The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7's electronic shutter is slower than the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8's, but the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 can achieve 15fps with the mechanical shutter. When you're panning the camera or taking pictures where there is high-speed movement – the classic example is capturing the swing of a golf club – then you might notice a 'rolling shutter' effect with an electronic shutter, so you might want to switch back to mechanical – and if you do, the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 is faster than the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8."
John: "Having said that, the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 is designed to minimise rolling shutter – the same as the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II. That makes it trickier to decide which camera is right for you, because you've really got to consider your shooting requirements and whether rolling shutter will actually be a problem for you. It's likely to arise only in extreme situations such as in very fast-moving motorsports where the movement is parallel to the photographer, or if you're shooting in artificial light, where the light can produce a strobing effect. It's not going to be noticeable when you're shooting common types of motion, such as a dancer spinning around or a dog jumping to catch a ball in the air, for example."
Tibor: "The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P is slower, but it's not designed for speed. It's a small, lightweight and affordable option for people who enjoy shooting landscapes or portraits or want to record their travels with a good camera."
澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 first shoot: Paris full-frame challenge
All three cameras can make use of lenses equipped with an optical Image Stabilizer (IS) to counteract camera shake and capture sharper images. The high-speed RF lens mount enables movement information from the camera sensor and the lens to be combined for even more effective shake correction.
The Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8, 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 and 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P also all offer 5-axis Movie Digital IS. This produces a more stable image when recording video. If an IS lens is being used, then the digital and optical IS systems can be combined for even steadier footage.
The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7, however, goes a step further.
John: "The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 is the only camera of the three to have an In-Body Image Stabilizer (IBIS), which works in a coordinated way with lens IS and Movie Digital IS to give really smooth results when filming handheld."
Tibor: "Realistically, the combination of optical IS and Movie Digital IS could be enough for careful panning and handheld filming, while the addition of IBIS could allow you to shoot video as you walk carefully with the camera, although it's not quite going to match the pro solution of using a gimbal. IBIS can also make a big difference when you're shooting stills without a tripod, providing up to 8-stops of stabilisation with selected lenses."
Which is the mid-range 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网 System camera for you?
The affordable 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网P is a great companion for those taking their first steps into the world of full-frame photography, and ideal for photography enthusiasts who want a small, light and intuitive full-frame mirrorless camera for travel or general landscape and portrait shooting.
The high-speed 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7 meets the needs of wildlife and sports photographers in particular, with its APS-C sensor giving lenses greater reach when you can't get closer to capture elusive animals and action on the playing field. Sports and wildlife photographers on location will also benefit from pro features such as dual card slots, IBIS and autoexposure in Burst mode, which will all help you bring home that unrepeatable shot.
The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网8 is an ideal hybrid camera for content creators who want video capabilities as much as photo, with pro-level video features and the next-generation intelligent AF introduced in the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II. For capturing landscapes, portraits and events, it offers the depth of field, wider angle of view and low-light performance benefits of a full-frame sensor, as well as continuous shooting at a blazing 40fps with electronic shutter.
Find out more about the mirrorless Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网 System and all the outstanding cameras in the range.
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