Hi guys, today we’re doing a comparison of two cameras whose reviews have been popular on my YouTube channel. That is the Canon 77D, and the Canon 7D Mark II.
We’re going to compare specs, photos, discuss what they’re good for, what they’re not so good for, and which one you should buy, if any.
So you know, the B-roll of the Canon 77D has been shot on a different 77D, with an 18-55mm kit lens. The B-roll of the 7D Mark II has been shot on a Canon R5, with an RF 15-35mm f2.8 L lens. You can find reviews of these on the website as well.
And now, let’s begin.
What you get
Like with most other DSLRs, the 77D and 7D mk II are usually sold without a lens. In the box you’ll usually find the camera body, a battery, a charger, and maybe a camera strap. The reason for this is that you might want to buy a different lens with it, as opposed to the 18-55mm kit lens that most people start out with.
Whilst the 18-55mm is indeed a good lens to start off with, both these cameras are compatible with the EF/EF-S mount system. As a result, you can basically use most of Canon’s lenses, from a nearly inexhaustible list.
Size & Build
Now, let’s have a look at the size & build of both cameras. The 77D measures 131 x 100 x 76mm, and weighs in at only 540g, or 19oz, including battery. The 7D Mark II on the other hand measures 149 x 112 x 78 mm, and weighs in at a whopping 910g, or 32oz.
Now, is the fact that the Mark II is heavier a bad thing? I personally don’t think so, as I feel like a larger, heavier camera, feels more ‘pro’ in my hands. Do bear in mind that I am a rather large man, and I lift weights regularly, so my perception of the camera’s weight will be affected by that.
If you’d prefer a smaller camera, the 77D clearly wins out in this case, as it’s nearly half the weight, and a bit smaller in therms of size.
Image Quality
When it comes to sensors, both cameras have CMOS sensors of similar size, though the 7D mk II only offers around 20 Megapixels, whilst the Canon 77D offers about 24 Megapixels. This is to be expected, given that the 7D Mark II is about 3 years older.
Whilst a nearly 20% difference sounds like quite a bit, chances are you’re not really going to notice the difference under most circumstances. The 77D technically wins out on that, but I would argue that this would make no difference to most users.
Given that the 77D is a newer camera, it also sports the Digic 7, which should, in theory, give you less noise when shooting in low light, compared to the older Digic 6 on the 7D Mark II. With that in mind, the Mark II does have 2 separate Digic 6 processors. Even though this should improve shooting performance, I’m not sure if it makes any difference in therms of noise.
Autofocus
When it comes to Autofocus, the 7D mk II takes the upper hand, with 65 cross-type focus points, as opposed to the 77D’s 45 points. They both have Dual-Pixel Autofocus though, so that’s great.
The Mark II also has the advantage when it comes to shooting sports, as it can do 10fps continuous shooting, as opposed to the 77D’s 6fps. In addition to that, its mechanical shutter can do 1/8000s of a second, compared to the 1/4000s of a second that the 77D can do, allowing you to capture faster moving subjects.
Even though the 77D has the upper hand generally when it comes to image quality, I’ll show you some photos I’ve taken with both cameras. I’ll argue that you won’t see any striking differences, when accounting for the fact that the images were shot in different locations, under different lighting conditions, etc.
Display
When it comes to a display, both cameras come with a 3″ screen on the back, though in the case of the 77D, it is articulated, and touch sensitive. The 7D mk II on the other hand has a fixed screen, and it is not touch sensitive either.
If you want to vlog, this fact alone would most likely disqualify the 7D Mark II.
In terms of a top display, both also have one. Different photographers dispute whether you really need those or not, but both cameras have them, and I think they look really cool, especially the one on the 7D Mark II.
In fact, this is one of the few complaints I have when it comes to my much more expensive Canon R5. If you look at the top display, it’s square, and feels kind of cramped. That makes sense, because of the design of the camera, but still, a part of me wishes I could have that massive top LCD on the R5 as well.
Control
In terms of buttons and all that great stuff, there’s nothing particularly noteworthy about either, except for the fact that the 7D MII has a wheel on the back, which allows you to easily navigate through your photos. It also has some buttons on the left hand side, which had to be moved on the 77D, as that is where the screen hinge is.
All in all, if you’ve held a Canon camera before, everything is more or less where it should be.
Storage
In terms of storage, the 7D Mark II clearly wins out, as it has two card slots, instead of only one, like the 77D. The Mark II has an SD card slot, and a Compact Flash, or UDMA slot.
The advantage of this is that photos and videos can be saved to both cards, thus giving you a backup in case one of them fails. If you shoot professionally, a dual card slot will save you a lot of anxiety when doing jobs.
Battery Life
The batteries on both cameras are rated for around 600 photos each. Given that the batteries might be a few years old at this point, as you’re likely to buy either of these cameras used, that number will likely be lower.
Having a few extra batteries is the easiest solution to this problem.
Longevity
The shutter count on the 7D mark II is rated at 200,000, whilst on the 77D it’s 100,000. Given that the Mark II is older by a few years, the lower number on the 77D no longer looks so bad.
To clarify, the shutter count, or maximum number of actuations, is how many photos you can take, before the shutter theoretically fails.
When buying a camera second hand, it’s always best to check what the shutter count is, and to double check once you have the camera in your hands.
If an online seller refuses to tell you what the number is, or claims they don’t know, the number is probably close to the maximum, so it’s best to just look elsewhere.
The 7D mark II also has the added advantage of having some environmental sealing. I wouldn’t use it in the rain, but theoretically at least, it can withstand more of the elements than the 77D can.
Video
In terms of video, they both have Dual Pixel AF, and can both shoot at 1080p, at a maximum of 60fps.
Like all good cameras today, Canon has included plenty of video features in the EOS 77D. On paper they’re basically identical when it comes to video, but given that the 77D is newer, I’d give it the edge when it comes to that.
The 77D technically also has a further advantage when it comes to video, and that is in-body digital image stabilisation. I’d personally never touch that, as the camera has to crop the image, in order to stabilise the footage, and once it’s done that, you’ll lose some of the quality.
You’re always going to be better off just filming shakier footage, and then stabilising it in Premiere, or whatever you use for editing, as you’ll always have the original footage, and software stabilisation is always getting better.
Obviously, all the footage of the 77D that you’ve seen in the video above has been shot on a 77D, so you know it can do a good job.
To be fair, I’ll also include some footage shot on the 7D Mark II. Just bear in mind that this was shot on a 75-300mm lens, with no in-lens stabilisation, and freehand, so the footage is bound to be a bit shaky.
Versatility
In terms of versatility, both of these cameras are absolute workhorses, even though I’d give the 77D an edge when it comes to video.
You can use them for portrait photography, events, video, and even sports, though the 7D Mark II takes the edge there, due to the slightly faster continuous shooting capability.
Conclusion
In conclusion, which one should you buy? These two cameras are relatively similar, each having its own advantages.
If you want to shoot mainly video, especially if you want to vlog, I’d get the 77D, even though it only has one card slot. If you want to shoot photos professionally, with a bit of video here and there, the 7D Mark II is the better option, precisely because of the dual card slot.
Either camera is good if you both want to buy a mid-level DSLR, or if you want to upgrade from an entry-level camera, like a Rebel series.
If you’re willing to spend more money, have a look at my review of the Canon R, or even the Canon R5, if money is no object.
If you’d like to purchase any of the items I’ve mentioned in this article, or see how much they cost in your country, I have a link down below where you can view them.
Thank you for reading my comparison review between the Canon 7D Mark II vs. 77D. I invite you to have a look at some of my other articles. We have something for everyone, whether you’re interested in audio, or cameras and lenses. Alternatively, if you prefer video reviews, feel free to have a look at my YouTube channel.
Product Links
Down below you will find all of the items I talked about in this article.
