Nikon D5200 vs Canon SL1

Nikon D5200 advantages over Canon SL1

• Larger sensor
  APS-C vs APS-C
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Tilt-swivel screen
  Tilt-swivel vs none
  Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
• Better color depth

  Better color depth

  Color depth refers to the number of unique colors that a sensor can faithfully capture. Cameras with better color depth will demonstrate smoother transitions from one color to the next, and avoid "banding" in areas with subtle shading. (Blue skies are an example of where you might see color banding.)

  More color depth is generally better, but you'll struggle to notice a difference between two cameras with less than 1 bit of difference. Color depth above 22 bits is considered excellent.

  Want to learn more? Head over to our full glossary entry on color depth

  Color depth test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  D5200 test data on DxO Mark SL1 test data on DxO Mark
  24.2 vs 21.8 bits
  Capture richer, more accurate colors
• Higher effective ISO

  Higher effective ISO

  Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

  Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

  You can learn more at our glossary entry.

  Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  D5200 test data on DxO Mark SL1 test data on DxO Mark
  1,284 vs 843 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• More dynamic range

  More dynamic range

  Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

  Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

  Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.

  D5200 test data on DxO Mark SL1 test data on DxO Mark
  13.9 vs 11.3 evs
  Retain detail in highlight and shadows
• Longer stills battery life
  More info

  Longer stills battery life

  Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

  Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

  500 vs 380 shots
  Capture more photos
• More cross-type AF points
  9 vs 1
  Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
• More pixels
  24.1 vs 18.0 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• More AF points
  39 vs 9
  More AF points improve autofocus
• Faster JPEG shooting
  4.9 fps vs 3.9 fps
  Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  Unlimited vs 1140 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Faster RAW shooting
  5.0 fps vs 4.0 fps
  Faster RAW shooting in burst mode