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.
7D Mark II test data on DxO Mark FZ200 test data on DxO MarkMaximum 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.
7D Mark II test data on DxO Mark FZ200 test data on DxO MarkCameras 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
Max aperture f/2.8 across full 24x optical zoom range of Leica DC Vario-Elmarit-branded lens; Relatively sharp and detailed images for a superzoom camera; Full-res burst shooting at 12 frames per second; Advanced photographic capabilities (manual focusing/exposure controls, RAW image capture, etc.); Full HD video recording up to 60p.
Control scheme and menu layout frustrating to use, especially the over-reliance on the rear dial; Higher ISOs produce smudged and blurred images as noise reduction efforts increase; Tendency to clip highlights; EVF doesn't switch on automatically when you look through it.
Excellent image quality; High ISO performance improved over predecessor; Excellent burst speeds (up to 10fps); Significantly improved buffer depths; 65-pt AF system; Dual Pixel CMOS AF; Can focus down to f/8 (great for teleconverters); 1080/60p video; Headphone and mic jacks; Rugged build quality.
Autofocus speed (AF shutter lag) slower than 7D and 70D; Mediocre battery life for a pro DSLR; Dynamic range at low to moderate ISOs not as good as competitors; Phase-detect AF did not perform as well as expected in our low-light AF tests; No built-in Wi-Fi; No autofocus for 1080/60p video.
