Canon SL2 Comparison Review

The Canon EOS Rebel SL2 (called Canon 200D in some regions) is a DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) camera that was revealed to the public in June 2017 and is equipped with an APS-C sensor. It offers a resolution of 24 megapixel.

Is the Canon SL2 a good camera? The SL2 has a Camera Elo of 2377. This rating puts the SL2 among the top 20 percent of all digital single lens reflex cameras. In terms of its sensor size category (APS cameras), the SL2 ranks among the top 30 percent. Based on its within category standings, the camera earns a 4.5-star performance rating.

Read on to find out more about the camera's size, sensor, features, reception by expert reviewers, and how it compares to other digital cameras.

Body comparison with a credit card

An illustration of the physical dimensions of the Canon SL2 vis-à-vis a credit card is provided in the side-by-side display below. Three consecutive views from the front, the top, and the rear side are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the Canon SL2 alongside a set of similar cameras. If you want to review a particular camera pair side-by-side, just move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon SL2	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	EUR 599	ebay.com
2.		Canon 77D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	540 g	600	n	Feb 2017	EUR 899	ebay.com
3.		Canon M5	116 mm	89 mm	61 mm	427 g	295	n	Sep 2016	EUR 1 129	ebay.com
4.		Canon M6	112 mm	68 mm	45 mm	390 g	295	n	Feb 2017	EUR 799	ebay.com
5.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	EUR 479	ebay.com
6.		Canon SL1	117 mm	91 mm	69 mm	407 g	380	n	Mar 2013	EUR 499	ebay.com
7.		Canon SL3	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	EUR 549	amazon.com
8.		Canon T6	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	485 g	500	n	Mar 2016	EUR 449	ebay.com
9.		Canon T6s	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	565 g	440	n	Feb 2015	EUR 749	ebay.com
10.		Canon T7	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	EUR 499	amazon.com
11.		Canon T7i	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	532 g	600	n	Feb 2017	EUR 849	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

The listed prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The Canon SL2 was launched in the US market at a price of $549. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Check SL2 offers at
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Sensor comparison with a 35mm slide

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

The Canon SL2 features an APS-C sensor and has a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.6. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the Canon SL2 among the medium-sized sensor cameras that aim to strike a balance between image quality and portability.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for most cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of alternatives.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon SL2	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
2.		Canon 77D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.3	971	78
3.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262	77
4.		Canon M6	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.6	1317	78
5.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
6.		Canon SL1	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.8	11.3	843	63
7.		Canon SL3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
8.		Canon T6	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.0	11.7	781	66
9.		Canon T6s	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	12.0	915	70
10.		Canon T7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
11.		Canon T7i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.7	13.1	1586	80
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. The SL2 indeed provides movie recording capabilities. The highest resolution format that the SL2 can use is 1080/60p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. For example, the SL2 has an optical viewfinder that provides a field of view of 95% and a magnification of 0.54x. The tables below summarize some of the other core capabilities of the Canon SL2 in connection with corresponding information for a sample of similar cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon SL2	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
2.		Canon 77D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon M5	2360	n	3.2 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon M6	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
6.		Canon SL1	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.9/s	Y	n
7.		Canon SL3	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon T6	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon T6s	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon T7	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon T7i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

The LCD screen on the Canon EOS Rebel SL2 is flexibly attached to the body. In particular, the LCD is hinged on the side and can be flipped out for odd-angle shots in both portrait and landscape orientation. Also, this fully articulated, swivel type of LCD attachment is often appreciated by videographers for its flexibility. Moreover, v-loggers like the design because the screen can be turned to be front-facing.

One convenient feature of the SL2 is the presence of an on-board flash. While this built-in flash is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light to brighten deep shadow areas.

Connection comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS Rebel SL2 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
2.		Canon 77D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
3.		Canon M5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
4.		Canon M6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
5.		Canon M100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Canon SL1	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
7.		Canon SL3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Canon T6	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Canon T6s	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
10.		Canon T7	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Canon T7i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y

It is notable that the SL2 has a microphone port. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Further information on the features and operation of the SL2 can be found in the free online Canon SL2 Manual or on the Canon support site.

Expert reviews

While the specs-based evaluation of cameras is instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the handling experience and imaging performance when actually working with the SL2. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]).

Review Scores

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon SL2	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	EUR 599	ebay.com
2.		Canon 77D	4.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	EUR 899	ebay.com
3.		Canon M5	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2016	EUR 1 129	ebay.com
4.		Canon M6	..	..	..	80/100	4/5	4/5	Feb 2017	EUR 799	ebay.com
5.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	EUR 479	ebay.com
6.		Canon SL1	4/5	+	..	78/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2013	EUR 499	ebay.com
7.		Canon SL3	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	EUR 549	amazon.com
8.		Canon T6	4/5	o	4/5	73/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2016	EUR 449	ebay.com
9.		Canon T6s	5/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	EUR 749	ebay.com
10.		Canon T7	..	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	EUR 499	amazon.com
11.		Canon T7i	4.5/5	..	3.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	EUR 849	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Check SL2 offers at
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Camera to camera comparisons

In case you are interested in seeing how this camera compares to another one, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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