Canon 80D vs Nikon D7200

If you’re considering either the Canon EOS 80D or the Nikon D7200 here is our simple guide to help you make a decision.

Canon EOS 80D

The 80D, just like its predecessor the 70D, is an enthusiast-level DSLR. With a new 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor it gives Canon’s Dual Pixel on-sensor phase which means it can detect autofocus system, just like 70D.

Other than that, Canon EOS 80D’s advantage is in being a cross-type with a new 45-point hybrid AF system. This is definitely an improvement from the 19-point AF system in the 70D, but it still isn’t on the same level with 45-point coverage that more 7D Mark II has.

Nikon D7200

The Nikon D7100 represents one of the most popular DSLRs in the previous couple of years since it was presented back in February 2013. Even though it isn’t a radical update by any means, it still includes some critical components such as a bigger buffer, enhanced to autofocus execution in low light, 60p video, Wi-Fi with NFC, and increased battery life by 15%.

The D7200 is one of Nikon’s top APS-C cameras as it is the main DX-format camera in the actual lineup of the company that’s backing up autofocus on screwdriver lenses.

These cameras compete in a crowded class with Canon EOS 7D Mark II, Pentax K-3, and Sony SLT-A77 II DSLRs but also with Fujifilm X-T1, Olympus OM-D E-M5 II, Samsung NX1, and Sony Alpha 7II mirrorless cameras.

Check price of the Canon 80D on Amazon.

Check price of the Nikon D7200 on Amazon.

Canon EOS 80D vs Nikon D7200 Spec Comparison

Product

Canon Digital SLR Camera Body [EOS 80D] with 24.2 Megapixel (APS-C) CMOS Sensor and Dual Pixel CMOS AF - Black

Image

Sensor

24 MP APS-C

Shutter Speed

1/8000s

ISO

100 - 25600

AF Points

45

White Balance Presets

9

Continuous Shooting

7 fps

LCD Screen

3.0 in fully articulated

Viewfinder

Optical/LCD

Video Resolution

1920 x 1080 MPEG-4, H.264

Built In Flash

Available Lenses

282

Microphone Port

Dimensions

139 x 105 x 79 mm

Weight

25.75 oz

Battery Life

960 shots

Price

Check price on Amazon

Product

Canon Digital SLR Camera Body [EOS 80D] with 24.2 Megapixel (APS-C) CMOS Sensor and Dual Pixel CMOS AF - Black

Image

Sensor

24 MP APS-C

Shutter Speed

1/8000s

ISO

100 - 25600

AF Points

45

White Balance Presets

9

Continuous Shooting

7 fps

LCD Screen

3.0 in fully articulated

Viewfinder

Optical/LCD

Video Resolution

1920 x 1080 MPEG-4, H.264

Built In Flash

Available Lenses

282

Microphone Port

Dimensions

139 x 105 x 79 mm

Weight

25.75 oz

Battery Life

960 shots

Price

Check price on Amazon

Sensor

The size of the sensor can tell us a lot about the quality of the camera. The bigger the sensor is, the better the image quality generally is. Here we have a case of two cameras with a large sensor that can take 24 MP high-resolution photos. Both cameras are equal here.

ISO

Both the 80D and the D7200 have the same ISO range at a maximum of 25600.

Even though this is the case, it is important to mention that while Canon EOS 80D starts to show some noise around 1136, Nikon D7200 can go up to ISO1333 and make some usable images.

With this, we can conclude that the win goes, without the doubt to Nikon D7200.

White Balance Presets

When shooting an object light conditions affect its color. When shooting in different types of light, the easiest way to compensate is to use White Balance Presets.

More presets provide more flexibility.

The Canon’s white balance presets include:

• Auto
• Daylight
• Shade
• Cloudy
• Tungsten Light
• White Fluorescent Light
• Flash,
• Custom
• Color Temperature setting.

White balance presets for the D7200 include:

• 2 Auto setting
• Cloudy
• Direct Sunlight
• Flash
• 7 Fluorescent settings
• Incandescent
• Preset Manual
• Shade

The Nikon’s 15 presets beats the 80D’s 9 presets. Based on this category the D7200 wins.

AF Points

AF points provide flexibility in deciding which part of the scene we want to focus on.

The Nikon D7200 has an advantage over Canon EOS 80D with its 51 AF points against 41 AF points.

LCD Screen

The comparison here is pretty close, depending on what features you are looking for. The D7200 has a larger screen at 3.2-inches and a resolution of 1229k dots

The Canon’s screen is slightly lower resolution with a 3.0-inch screen and 1040k dots. But it is fully articulated, compared to Nikon’s fixed screen.

It’s hard to declare a winner here. The added flexibility of the 80D’s screen probably makes up for it’s slightly lower resolution. Slight win to the Canon.

Video Resolution

With both cameras having the same resolution of 1920 x 1080 it seems there is no difference between Canon EOS 80D and Nikon D7200 in this area.

Dimensions

Even though the differences are small, when you carry your camera around all day it kind of makes it a big deal. So, in this category, the win goes to Nikon D7200 even though it isn’t that much smaller.

Built-in Flash

Both having a built-in flash with a similar usable range of 12.0 m / 39.4 ft. It’s a tie in this category.

Available Lenses

There is a huge range of lenses available for both cameras.

The Canon EOS 80D is compatible with Canon EF and EF-S lenses. It’s not compatible with EF-M lenses. There are approximately 282 available lenses.

The D7200 is compatible with most AF NIKKOR and DX lenses. There are roughly 271 available lenses. If you shoot wildlife or sports, a telephoto lens is a must. Read more in our roundup of Nikon Telephoto lenses.

A close call but the win goes to Canon.

Microphone port

This is a great thing to have on a camera since it eliminates AF motor noise. Since both of our cameras feature microphone port, we can only say that it is a tie once again.

Continuous Shooting

When you want to catch an action it is very important to have a fast continuous shooting. Even though it’s not a big difference, Canon EOS 80D is still faster than Nikon D7200.

Here we have to make it a win for Canon EOS 80D with 7.0 fps against Nikon D7200’s 6.0 fps.

Battery Life

Maybe not crucial, but battery life is very important especially when you are far away from any power source. With this in mind, an obvious win goes to Nikon D7200 since it can make trough 1110 shots against Canon EOS 80D’s 960 shots without charging.

Shutter speed

Both cameras have the same maximum shutter speed of 1/8000s so it’s a tie in this category.

Weight

The weight of the camera is pretty important when you have to carry it around all day. Having a lighter camera can make it a lot easier for you to shoot photos, so in this category, our winner is Nikon D7200, although there is not a huge difference.

Viewfinder

Viewfinders are very important for photographers because they allow them to see exactly what the lens can see so they can make a shot. It’s great that both of these cameras have an optical viewfinder since it doesn’t require any power, unlike the electronic viewfinders.

Still, there is a slight difference between these two cameras. Even though they both have coverage of 100%, Canon EOS 80D’s magnification ratio goes up to 0.95x while Nikon D7200’s has a magnification of 0.94. A very narrow win for Canon EOS 80D.

Check out the 80D on Amazon.

Check out the D7200 on Amazon.

How good are these cameras for different types of photography?

When you’re deciding on a camera, you should consider what type of photography that camera is good for. Here is a simple list of photography types and a comparison of each camera.

Portrait photography

Both have a great resolution and a large sensor which makes them well suited for shooting portrait photos. They’re pretty comparable.

Street Photography

Having a large sensor that provides you excellent image quality and a shallow depth of field, this category also tells us that both of these cameras are great for street photography.

Sports Photography

Two important features in sports photography are continuous shooting and autofocus performance.

Even though in sports photography faster continuous shooting is usually better, both of these cameras perform well in sports photography.

The Nikon D7200 might have slightly slower continuous shooting, but it makes up for it by having 15 cross types focus sensors which are great in sports photography for being more sensitive to light and locking faster and more precise.

Daily Photography

Having large sensors and being waterproof makes these two cameras potentially good for daily photography. On the other hand, both being pretty heavy and large in size, they probably aren’t that good for this type of photography even though Nikon D7200 is slightly lighter and smaller.

Landscape Photography

The key specs here are sensor resolution/image quality, and environmental sealing.

Both have good specs in these categories important for landscape photography, so it’s a toss-up.

What people said about Canon EOS 80D and Nikon D7200

Canon EOS 80D User Feedback

Users were impressed with the 80D. Some positives:

• Autofocus performance
• Build Quality
• LCD
• Image Quality with Canon Lenses

As far as negatives, a few users have had autofocus failures and warranty issues. These problems seem to be limited to a small percentage of owners.

Read reviews of the Canon 80D on Amazon.

Nikon D7200 User Feedback

Reaction to the D7200 by users has been positive. Some of the pros are:

• Low Light capability
• Battery life
• Dual Card Slots
• Cost

A very small minority of users have reported autofocus issues with Tamron lenses.

Read reviews of the D7200 on Amazon.

Alternatives

Here are some alternatives in the 20-30 MP range from Sony, Samsung, Panasonic, and Olympus.

Conclusion

We reviewed all of the important features of both cameras except the price. Now, Canon EOS 80D is a bit pricier than Nikon D7200.

Other than that, after reviewing both of them we have to conclude that Nikon D7200 wins in most of the categories, and even though it’s a narrow win, we have to admit that it has better specs. Now the lower price is just a bonus.

Either way, both of the cameras are great so if you already own Canon EOS 80D you should feel great because you own an excellent camera. Since the differences are small between these two cameras whichever you chose to buy (or already own) should serve you greatly.

I hope this article was helpful to you. Now enjoy your camera and have fun clicking!