Canon 70D or Nikon D7100

reelandtrigger · May 2, 2015

I am completely new to photography and having a hard time deciding between these two units. I will mostly shoot landscape with some kids soccer.

With the dual pixel AF, sounds like the Canon will shoot video better, however, not sure how much video I will be shooting.

I know the body is not as important as the glass, however, I suppose if I am going to get started I need to start with the correct platform (being Canon or Nikon).

Anyway, I appreciate any insight from you guys...thanks so much in advance for taking the time...now back to reading reviews, lol.

reelandtrigger · May 2, 2015

Oh I did not see that Nikon has the D7200 out...hmm, that unit seems to be a decent upgrade from the D7100 in regards to buffer and now built in Wi-Fi.

RocketCowboy · May 2, 2015

Nikon's built in wifi is a joke, so I would not make decisions based on that unless you're sure the minimal functionality suites your needs.

I love my D7100. I started with the D5300 before that (for the wifi and GPS), but upgraded soon afterwards for the better controls on the D7100. There's not enough improvement on the D7200 over the D7100 to prompt me to upgrade, but if I were buying new again I think the D7200 is a great starting point.

I don't have any Canon experience though, so I don't have the opposite perspective to share.

reelandtrigger · May 2, 2015

Appreciate the response RC, I will continue with my research, at this point I think I am leaning towards the Nikon, however, we will see...lol.

jaomul · May 2, 2015

I have had a few canons and a nikon d7100. The nikon sensor has better dynamic range which is a good thing to have especially for landscape (many landscape shooters with new gen sensors say they don't need to use filters as much as before). I think in most respects most modern cameras are great, but having better dynamic range definetely helps some types of photography. However to not be totally one sided the 70d takes great photos and the swivel and touch screen is great

reelandtrigger · May 2, 2015

Thank you jaomul, I watched the following comparison video:

I was actually thinking he was going to choose the 7100 but actually chose the 70D.

The articulating screen and touch screen features do seem nice, however, in my eyes the 7100 did appear to take cleaner pictures.

Now I am back to being torn, lol.

jaomul · May 2, 2015

Dont be torn. Both fine cameras. 70d probably more enjoyable to use

fjrabon · May 3, 2015

I wouldn't worry about the difference in lens quality because for a crop sensor that really doesn't matter as much. I know that sounds backwards, but what I mean is that on APS-C you won't notice the differences in lens quality as much because APS-C only uses the center portion of the lens, so a truly amazing lens is mostly wasted. That isn't to say that lenses don't matter at all on APS-C, it's saying that what separates the great lenses from the average lenses for landscape is what the corners look like on full frame. I honestly think for APS-C, you should buy 90% third party lenses. Especially for landscape, where focus speed doesn't need to be the absolute fastest. For landscape, a good, lightweight, stable tripod may matter more for image quality than lenses. And although it's anathema to the mantra you see #onhere a body may actually matter more than a lens for landscape on an APS-C. For landscape you'll usually be shooting at f/5.6-f/11. Almost every modern lens is indifferntiable at those apertures on an APS-C camera.

I've never really cared about swivel screens anyway, so I'd definitely lean D7100/D7200. The increased dynamic range will mean you need to use HDR less, which is a huge benefit to image quality. The better high ISO performance will make for better photos of kids birthday parties.

DandL · May 3, 2015

A year ago I was going through the same process as you are now. The more I researched the 70D vs the D7100, the more undecided I got. I was leaning toward the D7100, but wasn't committed to it until I handled both the Canon and the Nikon. I really liked the feel of the D7100 and the control layout much better than the 70D. I liked the touch screen of the 70D, but more importantly, I wanted dual card slots. The 70D was better for video, but I wasn't interested in shooting video so that was a non-factor. For me, the pros of the Nikon outweighed the pros of the Canon.

The best advice I can give you is to compare them in person. Compare them side by side. Handle them. See which one fits your hand better and which one you prefer for control layout. Both are capable of taking beautiful images.

After shooting my D7100 for almost a year, I know I made the right choice.

Best of luck with your decision.

raventepes · May 3, 2015

First thing you're going to want to do is go play with both bodies. There's a world of difference in button placement, handling, and ergonomics. I'd just buy whichever you felt more comfortable on.

reelandtrigger · May 3, 2015

While I am still in the process of researching, I did want to take the time to come back and thank all of you for taking the time to provide feedback to me.

I have handled both bodies (70D and D7100) and truthfully not being experienced I really have no preference in regards to button placement. Not saying it is not important, just saying that because I am a noob it is really not something that can sway me either way. I am sure if I was a seasoned photographer, button placement would definitely be something that I would be like, "why the heck did they put this here!?"

Thanks again everyone, I am sure once I do make my decision you will see a ton of "How Do I..." threads, lol.

reelandtrigger · May 4, 2015

Well I settled on the Nikon D7200 along with a NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Lens as well as a Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Vibration Reduction Nikkor Lens.

I went back and forth a lot so I am hoping I made the right decision...guess we will see what happens once the goodies arrive.

Thanks again for the input!

DandL · May 6, 2015

reelandtrigger said:
Well I settled on the Nikon D7200 along with a NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Lens as well as a Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Vibration Reduction Nikkor Lens.

I went back and forth a lot so I am hoping I made the right decision...guess we will see what happens once the goodies arrive.

Thanks again for the input!

Congratulations! You made a great choice!

raventepes · May 8, 2015

That's pretty close to my travel kit. The only differences are that I use the D7100 and the 18-105 lens. It'll serve you well

ph0enix · May 8, 2015

reelandtrigger said:
Well I settled on the Nikon D7200 along with a NIKKOR 18-140mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR Lens as well as a Nikon 70-300mm f/4.5-5.6G ED-IF AF-S VR Vibration Reduction Nikkor Lens.

I went back and forth a lot so I am hoping I made the right decision...guess we will see what happens once the goodies arrive.

Thanks again for the input!

Congrats! I just got the D7200 also. It's a great improvement over my ageing D90. I also have the 70-300 VRII lens. It's one of the best bangs for the buck.