Features
Handling
Performance
Verdict
Specification
The Canon EOS 700D is this year's update to the Canon EOS 650D and features a number of updates to the 650D, whilst retaining the touchscreen and Hybrid AF designed to give continuous AF during video recording, stereo microphones, 5fps continuous shooting, built in HDR creation as well as the DIGIC 5 processor enabling high ISO settings. Updates include a new finish designed for better durability, a redesigned mode dial, creative filter preview, improved live view refresh rate, and additional grid overlays.
Canon EOS 700D Features
We are testing the Canon EOS 700D with the new Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM kit lens, that was also announced at the same time as the 700D, and is slightly larger than the lens it replaces. This is the third new STM lens, the STM lenses are designed to provide quiet STM focusing when shooting movies.
Key Features
- 18.2 megapixel APS-C Hybrid CMOS sensor
- Canon EOS-F lens mount
- Hybrid AF system, 9-point cross-type
- 3 inch 1040k dot touch-screen
- 5fps continuous shooting
- Full HD video with stereo microphones, manual controls
- Continuous AF available in video
- Integrated Speedlite transmitter
- 360 degree mode dial
- Preview creative filters before shooting
- ISO100-25600
- 440 shot battery life
- HDR combines 3 shots
- DIGIC 5 processor
Canon EOS 700D Handling
New mode dial goes all the way round, as well as having a new textured body.
Handling - The Canon EOS 700D feels well built with solid textured plastics and large rubber areas for a good hold. There is a rubber covering on the left of the camera body to give your left hand added grip. The new finish on the plastics gives the camera a rugged feel, and even though the camera is not weather sealed the x00D range of Canon camera's have been known to last many years. The new 18-55mm STM kit lens has a large rubber grip, as well as a textured front ring for manual focus.
There are a large number of external controls, giving good access to common settings and options including ISO, WB, Drive, AF, Colour, Exposure and others. It's easy to access the video mode as it's on the On/Off switch. There is also an eye-detection sensor above the viewfinder, this automatically switches off the touch screen when the camera is held up to your face. The memory card compartment is easy to access, as it's on the side. On the other side is the external mic socket, remote, A/V out / Digital, HDMI, Flash button and depth-of-field preview button.
Menus – Canon has a logical and well laid out menu system, allowing you to change additional settings and options, however I found I rarely had to enter the menus as the large number of buttons on the camera meant I was able to change settings quickly without entering the menus. The menus are colour coded, with the shooting menus red, playback menus are blue, setup amber, and "my menu" is green. The "my menu" allows you to customise the options onto one page, so that you can quickly access your favourite settings. The menu system is easy to use and can be navigated easily and quickly using the touch screen. The menus also feature built in help, and quicker access to options can be found by using the Q button on the back, and then setting options on the rear screen.
The 700D has improved live view with a 60fps refresh speed compared to 30fps on the 650D, as well as additional view options for grid display and aspect ratio.
Battery life - Battery life is rated at 440 shots according to CIPA test results. This is good, although the battery indicator doesn't go down as you would expect, instead it suddenly goes to empty when the battery is nearly flat.
Speed - We took a number of shots to test the camera's responsiveness, from switch on to first photo, shot to shot, focusing speed etc. We take a number of shots and then use the average to ensure accurate and consistent tests, making it easy to compare with other cameras.
| Canon EOS 700D | Canon EOS 650D | |
| Shutter Response (Live View) | 0.05 (0.05) | <0.05 (0.05) |
| Wide - Focus / Shutter Response (Live View) | 0.2 (0.9**) | 0.2 (1.3) |
| Full zoom - Focus / Shutter Response (Live) | 0.15 (1.1**) | 0.15 (1.4-1.8) |
| Switch on Time to Taking a Photo | 0.7 | 0.4 |
| Shot to Shot without Flash | 0.4 | 0.4 |
| Shot to Shot with Flash | 0.5 | 0.5 |
| Continuous Shooting (shots before slow down) |
5fps (~/3 shots*) | 5fps (~/3 shots*) |
| Continuous Shooting - Flash | 2fps | 2fps |
| Continuous Shooting - RAW | 5fps (7 shots) | 5fps (7 shots) |
Shutter response is very quick whether using live view or standard shooting. Focus is extremely quick when using the standard method, however using live view is very slow, and roughly the same as the Canon EOS 650D, although quicker when using the "Quick mode". Switch on time, shot to shot (with or without flash) is excellent, and continuous shooting is very good giving 5fps, although it is slower with both distortion correction options switched on shooting at roughly 4fps.
*3 shots before slowdown (JPEG) with distortion correction switched on, there is no slowdown with distortion correction switched off.
** Quick mode enabled, this appears to switch live view off, use regular focusing and then switch back to live view, with the standard live view focus taking much longer to focus.
Canon EOS 700D Performance
Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.
Canon EOS 700D (Rebel T5i) Sample Photos
Sample Photos - Colour is excellent with good levels of saturation. Colour options let you change sharpness, contrast, saturation and colour tone. Flash performance is good with very little red-eye in portrait photos.
Canon EOS 700D (Rebel T5i) Lens test images
Lens Performance - Exposure is extremely reliable. Dynamic range is very good and can be expanded in a number of ways including the "Auto lighting optimizer" or the HDR mode which combines a number of shots, although a tripod is recommended for the best results.
Macro performance is impressive for a kit lens, with the lens focusing on subjects 25cm away from the camera, and good results are possible when using the full telephoto zoom, although for better results a macro lens is recommended.
Detail is good whether using the lens at the wide or telephoto end of the lens. Vignetting was noticeable in shots (more so at the wide-angle end), although the built in correction does a very good job compensating for it. Purple fringing is is low as is chromatic aberration (CA), although it is visible if you look at images full size, and the camera will correct these problems in camera.
Canon EOS 700D (Rebel T5i) ISO test images
ISO Noise Performance - ISO100 results, as expected, are very smooth, with very low levels of noise. ISO800 results are good although slight grain becomes visible. ISO1600 is when noise becomes slightly more noticeable. At ISO3200 the noise increases with slight colour loss. ISO6400 noise becomes more dominant with more noticeable colour loss.
Results from the 700D are very slightly better than the 650D at ISO3200, 6400 and above, although the difference is quite subtle. Above this, at ISO12800 noise increases again, however images may still be usable with further processing as detail is still reasonable. As expected ISO25600 images contain the most noise, and due to the loss of detail this setting is best avoided.
Canon EOS 700D (Rebel T5i) White-balance test images
White Balance Performance - Auto White Balance (AWB) performs reasonably well under tungsten lighting with a slightly warm result, and using the tungsten preset gives very similar performance. AWB performs better under fluorescent lighting with much more neutral colours and using the fluorescent preset gives very similar results.
Canon EOS 700D (Rebel T5i) Digital filters
Digital Filters - Creative Auto (CA) lets you choose a number of different effects as shown above, as well as set the background blur easily. Not all of the effects are available when shooting RAW, with additional creative filters available in JPEG or playback including: Grainy black and white, Soft focus, Fish-eye effect, Art bold effect, Water painting, Toy camera, and Miniature. You can now preview effects before shooting, as well as adjust the strength of the effect, when using live view.
Video - Video quality is good, with the camera recording full HD video at 25 or 24fps with adjustable microphone levels as well as wind filter / attenuator options or the option to switch off sound recording altogether. Video can be recorded at up to ISO12800 with stereo sound. As with the live view focus tests, when the camera is focusing during videos it can be slow for it to lock focus although with the STM lens the camera's microphones hardly picked up sound of the focus motor.
Value For Money
Priced at £619 RRP body only, the new 700D is introduced with a much lower RRP than the 650D, which was originally announced less than a year ago, with an RRP of £699, making the Canon EOS 700D very good value for money.
Similar specification models available include the Pentax K-30 (weather sealed), Nikon D5200 (24 megapixel), Sony Alpha A65 (GPS), and also it's predecessor the Canon EOS 600D, which is still an excellent camera and now even better value for money. Recently, if mirrorless camera manufacturers marketing is to be believed, then these Digital SLRs are also up against the "Digital SLM" particularly those with built in electronic viewfinders such as the 16 megapixel Panasonic Lumix G5, G6 (with Wi-Fi), and 20 megapixel Samsung NX20 (with Wi-Fi).
You'll also need to buy a memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.
Canon EOS 700D Verdict
The Canon EOS 700D, like the 650D before it, is an excellent Digital SLR capable of producing excellent images, with good exposure, multiple options, including HDR, handheld night shot, 5fps continuous shooting, DIGIC 5 processor, and the Q. menu lets you change settings and options quickly. The touchscreen implementation is very good, being easy to use, quick and responsive, as well as allowing precise selection of options in the menus, and the high resolution 3 inch screen with 1040k dots looks excellent.
The 700D has a small number of updates and improvements over the 650D, which has left us and a number of other people searching to find out about them. The updates are welcome, of course, however for anyone expecting any great differences between the 650D and the 700D will be disappointed. There is a very slight improvement in ISO performance from this new model, but if you already have a 650D, then there is very little reason to upgrade.
The 700D offers an improved finish and design, a new mode dial, improved live view with preview on creative filters, and new grid displays, as well as improved video options, which now let you use ISO12800. The new STM kit lens delivers very good results with quiet focus and good macro performance for a kit lens, although disappointingly there is still very slow live view focus, and the lens is larger than the model it replaces. If you are buying new, and have an older Canon EOS camera, or are looking for your first Digital SLR, then the Canon EOS 700D makes an excellent choice.
Canon EOS 700D Digital SLR Review: The Canon EOS 700D is a great Digital SLR that delivers excellent image quality along with high quality video.
The Canon EOS 700D is available from HarrisonCameras.