Nikon D5300 vs Canon T5i - Differences Explained Simply

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My Bullet points touch on what matters. Do not get stuck on numbers - the difference in focus points 39 vs 11 or the megapixels 24 vs 18. Both sound like a big difference but in day to day, real world use they do not matter.

Nikon D5300 Strengths

  • Excellent image quality- very sharp when using a good lens
  • Excellent Auto and flash setting - nice consistent exposure
  • GPS and Wifi built in.  See Weaknesses of the D5300.
  • A great number of scenes, filters, effects and robust HDR. This includes "fun features" like selective coloring and miniature video mode - Watch my video introducing the fun features of the D5200 & D5300 (they are the same in this respect)
  • Can shoot 1080P at 60fps - if you want to do slow mo this allows for full HD at 1/2 speed (30fps)

Suggestion - Buy the 35mm f/1.8 with the D5300 and you have the most portable package with excellent low light quality. You do sacrifice some convenience but gain incredible sharpness, quality and the ability to create those images with blurred background.  More lens recommendations for the Nikon D5300Nikon D5300 Weaknesses

  • User interface is cluttered and at times overwhelming
  • No Touchscreen - this can make menu navigation clunky and it does make changing focus in live view tedious
  • Live view focus is slower and no silent lenses available for auto focus during video
  • No focus motor which means there are some lenses that won't auto focus with your camera. There are plenty of lenses that will auto focus but it does make shopping for lenses a little more confusing and it is easier to end up with lenses that are manual focus only.
  • Slight greenish tint to many images indoors
  • GPS is quirky and if you are not careful you can completely drain your battery
  • Aperture changes in live view are at times blocked - you need to exit live view to change aperture
  • Sold with the 18-55 (newly redesigned but still not great) lens - SOFT.  Buy with 18-104 or review my lens recommendations above.

Watch my complete review of the Nikon D5300Buy the D5300 From Amazon | B&H | Adorama

Canon T5i (700D) Strengths

  • User friendly with a responsive and excellent touchscreen
  • Sold with 18-55 STM or 18-135 STM, both are very good starter lenses
  • Live view focus is faster and with STM lens it is smooth and silent making for easy video capture
  • Live view exposure simulation is quirk free - it just works and is excellent for learning- you can change aperture during live view
  • Wireless flash control
  • Less lens confusion, all current Canon lenses will auto focus with the T5i and a greater number of deals and savings on Canon lenses - more sales, rebates and refurbished store.
  • Canon colors are warmer and tend to look better(to me) right out of the box

Canon T5i weaknesses

Full Canon T5i (700D) ReviewBuy the Canon T5i (700) from Amazon | B&H | Adorama

Final Word - As an all around photo and video machine I really like the T5i - it provides that smooth and silent auto focus for video, is very user friendly while offering very good image quality and provides room to grow as a photographer.

The D5300 provides excellent image quality at the expense of user friendliness but does provide some power if you go digging through the menu. It also has to be given high marks for excellent auto pics- just point and shoot. Avoid the 18-55. The 18-140 is fine but if you are thinking about buying this camera and not planning on also purchasing the 35mm f/1.8 you are missing out.

Considering spending $1000+ on the Nikon D5300? Also consider the Canon 70D which is about the same price and offers all the benefits of the Canon - see my D5300 review for more comparison.

Still have questions not answered by the post or video?  Leave a comment below or find me on Facebook.

Canon 70D Review vs Canon T5i (700D) Review & Differences Explained

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Full Text Review of the Canon 70D below video

My time and energy on this site and answering your questions is supported by folks like you buying the 70D through these links. It costs you nothing extra and provides me a small percentage of the sale.  Buy the Canon 70D from Amazon

Discussion separated into three areas- body, features and performance,

Body/Styling 70D vs T5i(700D)

  • 700D smaller, lighter about ½ LB less - which works out to about 30% lighter

  • 70D feels more solid in the hand - slightly more to grip and deeper

  • 70D offers pentaprism viewfinder which is bigger and brighter than the pentamirror in the 700D

  • Top LCD lets you see various camera settings at a glance plus top row of buttons provides for quick changes and two dials gives you access to shutter speed and aperture in Manual mode.  700D shares dial for shutter speed and aperture and extra button press to switch between function

  • Custom mode on dial to save and return to commonly used settings

  • Auto modes all accessed through SCN on the dial, cleaner more professional dial options

  • Dedicated back auto focus button

  • Bigger battery gives more than 2x battery life over the 700D

Features of the 70D vs T5i (700D)

  • 19 cross type focus points and dedicate AF mode button with quick selection between modes and point selecting vs 9 cross type points on 700D

  • 70D offers dual pixel focusing in live view - fast, accurate and rarely makes mistakes. Using with touchscreen for very impressive almost cinematographic results.  700D autofocus is capable but in live view it isn’t impressive, slower and more likely to hunt for focus. 700D needs STM lens for smooth focusing, 70D is smooth with virtually all modern lenses. STM still useful for that silent autofocus.

  • 70D burst mode 7 fps with a big enough buffer for actually getting a serious burst.  Also offers a lower speed burst and quiet shutter mode at two speeds.  700D offers 5 frames per second with a smallish buffer, you really only get a 1-2 seconds of that burst rate, faster if shooting JPEG instead of RAW

  • HDR ( both have backlight control but 70D also offers a more robust HDR with control over the exposure latitude and style.

  • A pile of additional image features offered by the 70D- Multi exposure shot(additive or average), Bracketing at various exposure settings and select from 2-7 shots in sequence, raw image processing in camera - shoot only RAW but produce JPEG files in camera, ⅓ stop ISO, detailed control over AF tracking , Auto focus micro adjustments have returned to the 70D - REJOICE!, max shutter speed at 1/8000 second allows you to shoot at wider apertures under bright sun and multiple size raw files.

  • Additional Video features offered by the 70D same frame rates as 700D but offers high and low compression, digital zoom and time code settings for better sync between cameras

  • WIFI feature built into 70D - download images to mobile device or camera or activate live view and shoot remotely - no video and when connected to mobile device will only pass 1920 x 1080 images. T5i does not offer WIfi but you could use an Eye-Fi card to transfer files to mobile device or computer.

Performance/Results Canon 70D vs T5i (700D)

  • Day to day shots/video files - very little difference between these until the light levels drop cleaner files from the 70D at 1600 and above. Difference is noticeable but not huge

  • Slightly better on board flash exposure from the 70D.  700D still too bright though it can be adjusted.

  • Feature or performance - video focus tracking the 70D is excellent makes for easy camcorder like focusing - if you are a parent that wants one device that will capture both video and stills without lots of work on your part - the 70D is the camera to get.

Final Thoughts -Both these cameras are capable of producing excellent images and video. What you need to decide as you watch my review/read the points below - are you willing to carry around the extra weight and spend the extra cash for the additional features of the 70D (and there are loads of them!)  I will have more to say about the 70D soon and share more testing samples and video - for now check out the links below for additional helpful information.Additional Helpful Videos

Canon 70D Wifi Demo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LCKiJ1nOMFU

Canon 70D Digital Zoom Demo - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bmf877Ii1TA

Editing RAW files on G+ - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EJxb77Osqg0

Canon 70D SD Card and Buffer Test - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TuEtZb3ZNLA

Canon T5i vs 60D vs 70D

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How does the Canon T5i stack up against the 60D and 70D?

Pros of the 60D and 70D bodies

  • Top LCD screen and slightly more accessible button layout for quickly adjusting settings
  • Bigger slightly more robust body
  • Slightly Faster FPS with a little larger buffer, longer burst shooting
  • Faster Max shutter speed at 1/80000 of a second
  • Pentaprism viewfinder = brighter/larger
  • Longer battery life

Additionally the 70D offers (70D Pros)

  • A newly designed sensor - 22MP and better low light capabilities.
  • Camcorder like auto focus when used with any Canon lens - Silent AF during video if using 18-55 STM or 18-135 STM lens
  • WiFI for streaming live view or sharing images to smartphone/tablet
  • Micro focus adjustment - pro level feature that lets you align lenses and cameras for maximum sharpness
  • Multiple compression levels for H.264 video
  • Touchscreen

Canon T5i Pros-Over the 60D

  • Continuous Auto focus during video (silent when paired with new STM lenses 40mm or 18-135)
  • On board Stereo Mic
  • Newer Digic Processor = higher ISO capabilities & in camera HDR
  • Touch screen
  • Smaller - more easily portable

-Over the 70D

  • Smaller - more easily portable
  • Cheaper with 18-55 STM or 18-135 STM lens

 

70D 70D Pro
  • A newly designed sensor - 22MP and better low light capabilities.
  • Camcorder like auto focus when used with any Canon lens - Silent AF during video if using 18-55 STM or 18-135 STM lens
  • WiFI for streaming live view or sharing images to smartphone/tablet
  • Micro focus adjustment - pro level feature that lets you align lenses and cameras for maximum sharpness
  • Multiple compression levels for H.264 video
  • Touchscreen
  • Top LCD screen and slightly more accessible button layout for quickly adjusting settings
  • Slightly Faster FPS with a little larger buffer, longer burst shooting
  • Faster Max shutter speed at 1/80000 of a second
  • Pentaprism viewfinder = brighter
  • Longer battery life

Price- Body Only $1199 | with 18-55 Lens | with 18-135 Lens $1549
60D Pro
  • Top LCD screen and slightly more accessible button layout for quickly adjusting settings
  • Slightly Faster FPS with a little larger buffer, longer burst shooting
  • Faster Max shutter speed at 1/80000 of a second
  • Pentaprism viewfinder = brighter
  • Longer battery life

Price- Body Only $599 | with 18-135 Lens 
T5i Pro
  • Continuous Auto focus during video (silent when paired with new STM lenses 40mm or 18-135)
  • On board Stereo Mic
  • Newer Digic Processor = higher ISO capabilities & in camera HDR
  • Touch screen
  • Smaller - more easily portable

Canon T5i (Best Prices on Amazon)

 The 60D has been out for almost four years, announced August 2010. The 70D began shipping at the beginning of September 2013. The T5i and 60D share the same sensor.  At low ISOs the image quality and noise levels should be virtually identical.  The 70D has a new 22MP sensor with improved low light capabilities. All cameras have articulated LCD screens of the same size but the T5i and 70D have touchscreens with the 70D being slightly improved, very little real world difference there.   Looking through the viewfinder the 60D/70D has pentaprism which means a brighter viewfinder, The 60D/70D also uses the larger LP-E6 batteries which effectively doubles battery life, 60D/70D gets nearly 1100 shots per battery, the T5i is around 500.  You also get higher FPS and shutter speed with the 60D/70D, 6fps/7fps and 1/8000 second versus 5.3 with the T5i and a larger buffer on the 60D/70D gives you a few more shots at those higher speeds. 60D/70D is a bit bigger and a bit more rugged with a top LCD screen. The 70D allows for micro focus adjustment - a pro level feature that lets you align lenses and cameras for maximum sharpness. 70D also has new dual pixel focus for camcorder like focus with any canon lens during video.  Silent focus if you use one of the STM lenses. 70D also has Wifi for connecting to live view via smartphone or tablet and accessing images for sharing.Summary - If you are getting paid to shoot you should consider the 60D or 70D, longer battery life, slightly more ergonomic design and button layout plus the top screen LCD allow you to shoot more efficiently.  The 70D is expensive but provides some of the best crop sensor images possible at this time and if you want camcorder like focus with the quality of a DSLR there is no better option than the 70D.  If you are a parent or amateur the smaller size of the T5i is a bonus, best camera is the one you will have with you most of the time and the STM lenses paired with the T5i do a decent job of auto focusing, just not quite as good as the new 70D. 

Best lenses for the Canon T4i/T5i and 70D

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What lens should I get for the Canon T5i?If you haven't bought your Canon T5i(700D) yet you need to decide if you want the 18-55 STM or the 18-135 STM lenses. Often the 55-250 is sold in a bundle with the 18-55 STM too.    This video should help you decide if the 18-55 or the 18-135 is best for you.The 18 - 135 STM lens is excellent and when purchased with the Canon T5i, a good value, that makes the T5i with 18 - 135 kit the an excellent value If you are the type that desires one lens to do most of your shooting.  If your budget is tight go ahead and get the 18-55 kit, the kit lens is fine to start with and as you shoot you will learn what is important to you and you can begin to look for lenses that will fill that gap.  Update: New video- Recommended lenses for Canon DSLRS.And spend some time learning about lenses and what all those acronyms mean.Q: Can I use L lenses on the Canon T5i?A: Yes - L lenses are Canons professional level lenses and are EF mount.  All EF and EF-S lenses work on the Canon T4i, T5i and 70D.Q: Can I use EF-M lenses on the Canon T4i, T5i and 70D?A: No - EF-M only fits on their small mirroless Canon EOS-M camera.  EF-M lenses will not fit on the DSLRS.