Nikon D800 vs Canon SL2

Nikon D800 advantages over Canon SL2

• Larger sensor
  35mm vs APS-C
  More sensor area. Bigger is (generally) better.
• Bigger pixels
  ~ 4.88 vs 3.72 microns
  Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
• Fast startup
  ~0.30 vs 0.6 sec
  Faster startup lets you catch the moment
• 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.

  D800 test data on DxO Mark SL2 test data on DxO Mark
  2,853 vs 1,041 iso
  Take photos in low light with less noise
• 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

  900 vs 650 shots
  Capture more photos
• Top deck display
  Yes vs No
  Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
• More cross-type AF points
  15 vs 1
  Cross-type AF points improve autofocus performance
• Pentaprism viewfinder
  Pentaprism vs Pentamirror
  Much better viewfinder picture fidelity
• More viewfinder magnification
  0.70x vs 0.54x
  Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
• More pixels
  36.3 vs 24.2 megapixels
  Higher resolution photos
• Dual card slots
  Yes vs No
  Gives you more storage flexibility
• More AF points
  51 vs 9
  More AF points improve autofocus
• Headphone jack
  Yes vs No
  Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
• Bigger JPEG buffer
  54 vs 22 shots
  Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
• Bigger RAW buffer
  18 vs 5 shots
  Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
• Faster shutter
  1/8000 vs 1/4000 sec
  Shoot wide open in bright light