Canon EOS Rebel T7/2000D Camera Review

The Canon Rebel T7 isn't the most compact, especially compared to mirrorless alternatives like the Canon EOS R50. However, it's still fairly portable overall and less bulky than full-frame DSLRs like the Canon EOS 6D Mark II.

The Canon Rebel T7 has a plastic exterior. While it doesn't feel as premium as pricier models like the Canon EOS Rebel T8i, it's solid overall. The buttons also provide decent physical feedback, though they can be slightly sluggish to respond to inputs. The camera also isn't weather-sealed.

• Canon EOS Rebel T7 body
• Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens
• Lens cap
• Rear lens cover
• Sensor cap
• Shoulder strap
• 1x LP-E10 battery
• Battery charger
• User manual

The camera feels decently comfortable in the hand, though the grip is a little on the smaller side for those with very large hands. The rubberized texture around the hand grip feels nice and secure, though, and the thumb rest is well-placed. The simple controls and single command dial are well-suited to novice users but make it harder to adjust settings on the fly when shooting in manual mode.

The optical viewfinder (OVF) is a good size, though the rubber eyecup around it can get a little uncomfortable after a while.

The camera uses a fixed screen, making it harder to take photos from waist level or shoot from different angles. It doesn't get overly bright, and its resolution doesn't provide the sharpest image to review your photos accurately. Unlike the Canon EOS Rebel SL3 or the Canon EOS Rebel T8i, there's also no touch capability, so you have to use the directional pad to navigate the menu and adjust the focus point.

The user interface is quite simple and easy to use. However, it's less intuitive than the menus on newer Canons like the Canon EOS Rebel T8i. For instance, not all settings are available at all times. You need to be in video mode to adjust video settings, and certain options are only accessible either in Live View mode or when shooting through the viewfinder.

Battery life isn't too bad on the Canon T7. It's CIPA-rated for approximately 600 shots on a full charge when shooting through the viewfinder with no flash, or 500 shots when using flash 50% of the time. Conversely, shooting in Live View, rather than through the viewfinder, drops that CIPA rating down to 260 shots with no flash or 240 shots when using flash 50% of the time. Based on the numbers, the T7 isn't nearly as good as Canon DSLRs with higher-capacity batteries, like the Canon EOS Rebel SL3, though it's better overall than most entry-level mirrorless cameras. However, CIPA ratings don't necessarily translate into real-world usage. Your mileage will vary depending on your shooting habits, settings, and environment.

The camera's video battery life isn't great. You'll get roughly an hour of continuous video recording in FHD, as the camera can't record in 4k. Video isn't this camera's forte, though, so this isn't too surprising.

The Canon Rebel T7 has a slow max burst rate and can only shoot at one speed, making it harder to capture sequential bursts of fast-moving subjects. It also has a very small photo buffer, especially if you're shooting in RAW format. If you max out the buffer, it also takes a little while to empty before you can start shooting again.

The Canon Rebel T7 has a pretty basic autofocus system. It includes a face detection feature that can detect and focus on faces in single shooting mode. However, it lacks the Dual Pixel Autofocus found on higher-end Canon DSLRs like the Canon EOS Rebel T7i or the Canon EOS Rebel T8i. That means there's no continuous tracking function that can actively track and maintain focus on moving subjects while shooting continuously.

While there's no algorithm-based tracking on this camera, it still has continuous autofocus (called 'AI Servo' on Canon cameras), which does well at keeping up with any subject underneath your chosen focus point. The camera is limited to a small cluster of focus points around the center of the frame, making it harder to shoot subjects off-center. If you keep your subject framed in the center, however, the camera does an excellent job of keeping the target in focus.

There's no in-body image stabilization on the T7, so you'll have to rely on optically stabilized lenses to get stable shots at slower shutter speeds. Still, the optical stabilization in Canon EF and EF-S lenses works quite well, allowing you to capture clear shots at slow shutter speeds. That said, stabilization performance can vary depending on your lens, its focal length, weight, and even the steadiness of your hands. We tested it using the Canon EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II lens.

The camera's dynamic range is okay. It can't capture a very wide array of detail in high-contrast scenes, so you'll lose some shadow or highlight detail in trickier lighting conditions.

The camera's sensor has a fairly high resolution, capturing decently sharp images, but you lose some finer details and textures. However, this is most apparent when cropping or pixel-peeping.

The noise handling is decent, considering the camera's class, though noise quickly becomes more apparent in trickier lighting conditions. The camera maxes out at ISO 6400, so its low light capability is limited compared to newer cameras with higher ISO settings. That means you'll have to rely on slower shutter speeds or faster lenses with wider apertures for really dim conditions.

The camera's video features are quite limited. It can only record video in full HD, without any extra or more advanced features like Log recording or even clean HDMI output.

This camera can't shoot 4k video. If you're looking for a similar Canon camera that can record in 4k, consider the mirrorless Canon EOS R100, but be aware that it can only record 4k with a significant crop.

Unfortunately, this camera doesn't include any high frame rate options for slow-motion or fast-action video. It can record 1080p video at up to 30 fps, so it's suitable for everyday video capture or more cinematic 24 fps video.

Internal recording is passable. Unfortunately, its maximum recording time is capped at 12 minutes, so you can't use the camera for longer continuous takes. Bit rates are also mediocre, meaning it can't capture a wide range of information for higher-quality videos.

The Canon Rebel T7 doesn't have an AF tracking mode in video, meaning it can't continuously track moving subjects as you record, though its face detection feature still works. That means it's best suited to talking head videos or videos where your subject stays in the same focal plane since you'll have to manually half-press the shutter to refocus whenever the subject moves. Using a more basic lens like the kit lens also results in very slow and noisy focusing, with a lot of pulsing and chasing, which isn't ideal for video recording.

The camera's video quality is poor overall. It especially struggles in low light, with very grainy footage and a significant loss of detail in the shadows.

Rolling shutter effect is fairly noticeable. It isn't terrible, but you'll see skewed vertical lines when panning the camera quickly.

The camera has a single SD card slot, rated for slower UHS-I cards. It's located on the bottom of the camera next to the battery compartment, so you can't easily switch out cards when using a tripod.

The camera's ports are limited. There's no mic input or headphone jack, though that isn't surprising given the camera's limited video capabilities. Otherwise, there's a Mini USB port for charging and file transfer and a Mini (Type C) HDMI port to connect to an external display. Unlike newer models, the camera doesn't support Bluetooth connectivity, though you can still wirelessly transfer photos to a phone over Wi-Fi.