Canon Rebel SL2 vs Nikon D3400: Which Entry Level DSLR is The Better?

According to the test results from DxOMark, Nikon D3400 is by far the best entry level DSLR camera. This camera earned the score of 86 during the DxOMark test. Meet one of the D3400 competitors from Canon: 200D a.k.a Rebel SL2. Before releasing Rebel SL2 in 2017, Canon used to relies on 1300D to combat with Nikon D3400 in the entry level segment. The comparison between Nikon D3400 and Canon 1300D is actually less precise because Canon 1300D has a smaller sensor than Nikon D3400. Rebel SL2, on the other hand, has a comparable sensor with Nikon D3400. Rebel SL2 itself is the smallest DSLR camera from Canon. Even so, it is still heavier than Nikon D3400. One of the biggest differences between Canon Rebel SL2 and Nikon D3400 is the display. Canon Rebel SL2 is the winner on this section since it has higher screen resolution: 1040000 compared to 921000 belong to Nikon D3400. Also, the display of Canon Rebel SL2 features touch screen technology which is also articulated, while Nikon D3400 doesn't offer the same technology on its display. But before coming up with a decision which is the better between these two entry level DSLRs, let's make a deeper analysis toward them.

Specs comparison: Canon Rebel SL2 vs Nikon D3400

[table id=64 /] We have created the table above to makes it easier for you to compare the specs between Canon Rebel SL2 and Nikon D3400. Let's discuss them one by one. There are several sections where Canon Rebel SL2 is better than Nikon D3400. Conversely, there are also some areas where Nikon D3400 is better than its competitor from Canon. One of the sections where Rebel SL2 is better than D3400 is the ISO. Canon Rebel SL2 has the ISO range of 100 - 51200, while Nikon D3400 has only the ISO range of 100 - 25600. It's true that you are not going to use a high ISO all the time, but once you need to use a high ISO you know what about to happen if you use Nikon D3400. These two cameras have the same frame rates of 5.0. Meaning that they will capture the same amount of images on a single shutter press on the continuous shot mode. However, Nikon D3400 is --theoretically-- better than Canon Rebel SL2 to take the pictures of moving objects as it has more autofocus points -- 11 compared to 9. Other section where Nikon D3400 is better than Canon Rebel SL2 is the battery. If you are looking to use your camera for travelling, Nikon D3400 is more recommended since it has longer battery life. From fully charged, you can use Nikon D3400 to take about 1,200 images on a normal use. It's twice more than Canon Rebel SL2 which only capable of capturing about 650 images per charging.

Canon Rebel SL2	Nikon D3400
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As briefly mentioned above, Canon Rebel SL2 is one step ahead of Nikon D3400 on the display section. First, it has a tighter pixel density which also means a sharper image. Second, the Canon Rebel SL2 adopts a touch screen, articulated display. Something that is not offered by Nikon D3400. The matter of size, the screen of Canon Rebel SL2 and Nikon D3400 have the same size of 3-inch. An important thing if you love to use your camera to record videos. Be it Canon Rebel SL2 or Nikon D3400 has no capability of recording 4K videos. The maximum video resolution these cameras can record is 1920 x 1080 with the same frame rates of 60. Both Canon Rebel SL2 and Nikon D3400 offers Bluetooth for wireless communication with smartphone/tablet via Canon Camera Connect and Nikon's SnapBridge app. In addition to Bluetooth, Canon Rebel SL2 also offers Wi-Fi while Nikon D3400 doesn't offer one.

Sensor comparison: Canon Rebel SL2 vs Nikon D3400

Sensor should be the first aspect you take a look at if you want to buy a digital camera as it is the most vital component in a digital camera system. A larger sensor should be your priority. Both Canon Rebel SL2 and Nikon D3400 are entry level DSLRs that are aimed at beginners. Thus, the sensor of these cameras are not too large. Nikon D3400, however, has a larger sensor than Canon Rebel SL2 but the difference is not too significant. Even so, Canon Rebel SL2 is capable of generating photos with higher image resolution since it has more photo detectors (resolution). The sensor resolution of Canon Rebel SL2 is 25.5 MP while Nikon D3400 is 24.16 MP. The sensor of Canon Rebel SL2 has the crop factor of 1.6 while Nikon D3400 is 1.5. As usual, we have created the image below so you can compare the sensor size of Canon Rebel SL2 and Nikon D3400 more easily.

Body comparison: Canon Rebel SL2 vs Nikon D3400

As mentioned above, Rebel SL2 a.k.a EOS 200D is the smallest DSLR camera from Canon, along with its predecessor 100D. But still, the difference is not too significant to Nikon D3400. Rebel SL2 is even heavier than its competitor from Nikon. The images below show the body comparison between Canon Rebel SL2 and Nikon D3400.

Photo results comparison: Canon Rebel SL2 vs Nikon D3400

No matter how good the specs of a camera are. If it is not capable of generating good photos then nothing is matter. For an entry level DSLR camera, the photos generated by both Canon Rebel SL2 and Nikon D3400 are good enough. Take a look at the examples below to check the image quality generated by Canon Rebel SL2 and Nikon D3400. We know you are a busy person so we helped you to save you time by conducting an online research to find the examples of photos taken using both Canon Rebel SL2 and Nikon D3400. As usual, Pixabay is the first resource we referred to. We also added the EXIF data of each photo in order to allow you identify the lens used on each photo.

• Canon Rebel SL2

• Nikon D3400

Conclusion

Both Canon Rebel SL2 and Nikon D3400 are camera models to consider if you are looking to a buy an entry level DSLR camera. The two come with the similar specs and features. If we refer to the test results of DxOMark then the winner is clear: Nikon D3400. This camera earned the score of 86 while Canon Rebel SL2 earned only 79. Nikon D3400 is by far the entry level DSLR camera to earn the highest score on the DxOMark. Other advantage of Nikon D3400 is that it a has longer battery life, twice longer. One section where Canon Rebel SL2 is better than Nikon D3400 is the display. Overall, be it Canon Rebel SL2 or Nikon D3400 is a great entry level DSLR camera, but if we had to pick which is the better between them we will recommend Nikon D3400.