Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) Review

Canon announced the Rebel T7 (named EOS 2000D outside the United States) together with the EOS 4000D (Rebel T100) in February 2018. The cameras represent the most affordable entry into Canon’s APS-C SLR class. The photographer has to be prepared for some compromises in terms of equipment and perhaps also image quality. This review shows what the Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) does and does not do.

Brief assessment

Pros

• Lightweight housing
• Easy handling
• Good processing
• Good image quality up to ISO 1,600

Cons

• Housing with “plastic” feeling
• Very slow contrast AF
• Missing tracking AF in video mode
• Set lens with only moderate optical performance

Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) . [Photo: Canon]

Ergonomics and Workmanship

For this test report, we had a Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) in a set with the AF-S 18-55 mm 3.5-5.6 IS II. The very first touch of the camera showed where the journey would lead. The plastic feeling is clearly noticeable in the ready-to-use weight of about 670 grams (1,48 pounds) and the surface structure that feels fine in the hand, although with a “plastic” feeling.

For the sake of fairness, the cleanly glued handle rubber coating should be mentioned. The size of the handle is also well measured, so that the camera lies securely in the hand.

Beside the nicely direct shutter release with a pleasant pressure point, there is also a turning wheel, the on/off switch and the mode dial on the upper side of the camera.

In addition, the release switch for the flashgun is located within “reach”. With this button the built-in flash is electrically unlocked and pops out. In addition, a flash shoe is available. This can control original Canon TTL flashes, but flashes that are only triggered by the center contact cannot be used because the center contact is missing.

On the back of the camera are various printed function keys. The positioning of the buttons is successful and the photographer can quickly reach the respective function or navigate quickly through the function menus of the camera.

On the back is also the rigid 3″ LCD monitor. Although it has no touch function, the camera’s menus and settings are easy to navigate. It does not matter whether these are menu or recording settings.

Due to its design, the camera’s mirror viewfinder, which can be produced at low cost, is only suitable for spectacle wearers to a limited extent. However, it has a dioptre compensation system that compensates for visual defects of -2.5 to 0.5 diopters. So the photographer can possibly do without the glasses

. All relevant information about the recording is displayed in the viewfinder. However, the measuring fields of the phase AF system are permanently faded in and light up when they are activated. In addition, a contrast AF system operates in live view mode. While other manufacturers build quite fast contrast AF systems into entry-level cameras, Canon celebrates peace and quiet in live view.

The Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) takes a whopping 3.5 seconds at wide angle and about 4.2 seconds at telephoto from shutter release to focused image. With phase autofocus, it is only 0.5 seconds at wide angle and 0.63 seconds at telephoto.

The pure shutter release delay is about 0.1 seconds in Live View and 0.09 to 0.13 seconds in “viewfinder” mode (wide angle and telephoto). With these results the Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) is on a similar level as the somewhat older EOS 1200D.

The Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) uses a more robust metal bayonet, and the image sensor also has a higher resolution of 24 megapixels than both the 4000D and its predecessor, the 1300D, which both have to make do with 18 megapixels. The bayonet is surprisingly made of metal. [Photo: Canon]

The EF-S 18-55 mm 3.5-5.6 IS II is part of the tested set and represents the simplest stabilized zoom that Canon has in its program. Equipped with a plastic bayonet and an optical image stabilizer, it is quite ok at first sight.

From the performance point of view it is rather simple, but more about this in the section “Image quality”. The use of manual focusing is not recommended. This is initially due to the filigree-looking focus ring. Due to its small width alone, it is only sensibly grasped with two fingers.

What is really disturbing is the “sloppy” focusing mechanism, which in practice can only be precisely adjusted with great difficulty. In contrast, the zoom function of the lens is pleasantly direct, although it makes a lot of noise when moving.

The rubber coating of the handle of the Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) is cleanly glued and leaves a good impression. [Photo: Canon]

The left side houses a cheap looking plastic cover for the connectors. [Photo: Canon]

In addition to the camera weighing about 470 grams, the lens weighs about 190 grams. All in all, just about 660 grams. Another disadvantage is that the lens always makes the camera tilt forward, for example on a table. To align the camera then, either a tripod must be used or a compensation must be placed under the lens.

The Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) has the larger 7.5 cm screen and has printed buttons. The monitor is fixed and has no touch function. [Photo: Canon]

Equipment And Features

The assumption that Canon has also applied the technical constraints also to the photographic functions and features, is not correct. For the photo newcomer the Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) offers a scene mode automatic and scene mode programs.

While the automatic mode analyzes the subject and in most cases selects the correct shooting settings, the subject programs are clearly programmed for a type of subject such as sports or landscape photography. A “creative automation”, which is also available, allows the photographer certain freedom of action.

The user can choose, for example, whether the background should be blurred or sharp. He can also select whether an effect should be applied or not. All other settings such as ISO sensitivity, aperture and exposure time are then taken over by the camera.

On the top of the camera, the controls are bundled together on the right side to be “at hand”. [Photo: Canon]

Advanced photographers can select semi-automatic modes as well as a manual mode to gain more control over the image. The various modes are selected exclusively with the mode dial on the top of the camera.

The Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) does not have an HDR or panorama function, but it does have a bracketing function with three shots and an exposure distance of up to two EV.

The Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) , on the other hand, has a proper switch for switching on and off. This way the program selector wheel remains in the last used position. [Photo: Canon]

The Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) is available in a set with the EF-S 18-55 mm F3.5-5.6 IS II for just under 500 Euros. [Photo: Canon]

The tripod thread of the Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) is located in the optical axis and is made of metal. [Photo: Canon]

Instead of live special effects, the photographer can select so-called Picture Styles before the shot or create them completely by himself. Picture Styles are specifications for the camera’s internal image processor (DIGIC 4+).

They allow individual adjustments in sharpness, contrast, hue and color saturation. Note that only JPEG images are affected by the Picture Styles, raw data are not.

Playback mode also allows four different special effects to be applied to images, such as toy camera, blur and film grain, and miniature effect.

The small built-in flash pops up either automatically or manually and offers a guide number of 10 at ISO 100, and if the small flash is not enough, the camera also has a TTL hot shoe.

But beware, simple flash units without TTL contacts can no longer be triggered by the camera. This means that universal radio triggers for flash systems can no longer be used.

In video mode, the Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) focuses on tradition rather than innovation. The camera offers the photographer maximum FullHD video recording with 1,920 x 1,080 pixels and a frame rate of maximum 25 frames per second. Control options for exposure adjustment are also available.

Tracking autofocus is not available in video mode. For example, the photographer must activate the autofocus when taking a picture by tapping the shutter release button. Then the autofocus starts and slowly adjusts the focus. During this whole procedure, the sounds of the lens motor are of course recorded. In the case of the set lens, this is very disturbing. After all, the noise is then only present on one channel of the sound recording, because the camera has only one mono microphone.

Due to the lightweight housing, the camera always tilts onto the set lens. To prevent this, the camera must be placed on a tripod or the lens cap must be used to stabilize under the lens. [Photo:Canon]

However, the photographer does not have to do without a WLAN function. This allows the camera to be connected to a smart device.

Images can then be transmitted via app or the camera can be remotely controlled via a smart device including a live image. In addition, previously recorded geodata can be transferred to the images via WLAN. A real-time connection of camera and smart device for geotagging is not possible due to the missing Bluetooth function.

Image Quality

For this image quality part of the test report we rely on the test software to which we studied the Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D), as we usually do with all cameras.

The results on distortion, edge darkening and also on the drop in sharpness speak for themselves. While the drop in sharpness is limited in the mid-aperture range, higher aperture settings in the telephoto range show significant diffraction blur.

The edge dimming is highest in the wide angle, but is still difficult to detect. The distortion of the lens is barrel-shaped, visible at wide angle. This shape decreases with increasing focal length and is replaced by a slight pincushion distortion at telephoto.

The chromatic aberrations (color fringes) are slightly to strongly visible in the wide-angle and medium focal length range. The reason for this is that set lenses are rarely well corrected in this area. The maximum resolution of 57.8 line pairs per millimeter is achieved by the lens in wide angle at f-stop 8, while at higher f-stops diffraction prevents better resolution results.

With these results, the EF-S 18-55 mm 3.5-5.6 IS II fulfills the expectations one can have of a set lens. However, the camera’s sensor should achieve a much better image quality with a better lens.

The image noise is divided into different areas in our laboratory. The most important indicator is the signal-to-noise ratio. The higher this value, measured in decibels, the better. Up to almost ISO 400, the values are good and only from ISO 1,600 onward do they fall below the acceptable limit of 35 dB.

With texture sharpness, the camera starts in the lower ISO range with slightly over-sharpened images. The image processor intervenes here to a greater or lesser extent depending on the selected Picture Style.

From ISO 1,600, images become visibly blurred and lose detail. As expected, the nature of the image noise is unobtrusive and only becomes clearly visible in very high ISO settings.

Even the color noise, which is very quickly perceived as disturbing, is not a problem up to ISO 3.200, but after that it increases continuously and rapidly.

The battery and memory card compartment is located on the bottom of the camera. [Photo: Canon]

The input dynamic range of the Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) is high up to ISO 400 and then slowly decreases. The critical value is only reached at the end of the ISO “flagpole”. The tonal transfer is bulbous and raises the midtones, this behaviour is common for cameras whose images are intended for immediate use. The output tonal range is very good at ISO 100 and good up to ISO 1,600.

Color reproduction is common for a camera designed for “shoot-to-print”. Tones of the stomach are shifted towards red and yellow-green is also softened somewhat. In the cyan range the colors are almost untouched. By adjusting the colors, unnatural-looking color ranges such as those of landscapes and people are to be adapted. The average color deviation is rather small.

Conclusion

The Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) is clearly an entry-level camera aimed at photographers who don’t want to spend a lot of money and can do without state-of-the-art technology. The image quality is okay, even if the set lens has clear weaknesses. The equipment is extensive, although things like 4K video recording or HDR and panorama recording functions are missing. The really slow contrast autofocus is annoying, however, and makes taking photos and videos with Live View a test of patience. The camera can make up some ground with the WLAN functions, which it immediately loses again due to the lack of a hot shoe suitable for center contact. Beginners can certainly live with the camera and the missing functions. Newcomers with ambitions, however, will sooner or later be disappointed by the technology of the camera. It is clearly recommended to them to spend a little more money and buy a higher quality camera model.

Canon Rebel T7 (EOS 2000D) data sheet