Canon 70D vs Nikon D500 – Comparison

Let’s compare the Canon 70D vs Nikon D500. The Nikon D500 is an incredible DSLR, but it also costs a lot more money so let’s see how they compare for the price.

Our comparison table below covers all the important specifications of each camera. Below that, we specifically talk about the new improvements and which model is better suited for your needs.

	Canon 70D	Nikon D500
Megapixels	20.2	20.9
Sensor Type	CMOS	CMOS
Sensor Format	APS-C	APS-C (DX)
Crop Factor	1.6x	1.5x
AA Filter	Yes	None
Image Resolution	5472 x 3648	5568 x 3712
Body Image Stabilization	No	No
Lens Mount	Canon EF/EF-S	Nikon FX/DX
ISO	100 - 12,800	100 - 51,200
Expanded ISO	25,600	50 - 1,638,400
AF Points	19	153
Cross-type AF Points	19	99
Continuous Mode	7fps	10fps
LCD	3.0" - Fully Articulated	3.2" - Articulating
LCD Resolution	1,040,000 dots	2,359,000 dots
Touchscreen	Yes	Yes
Focus Peaking	No	No
Top LCD Display	Yes	Yes
Viewfinder Type	Optical	Optical
Viewfinder Coverage	98%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.95x	1.00x
Video Resolution	1920x1080 (30/25/24p)	3840x2160 (30/25/24p)
	1280x720 (60/50p)	1920x1080 (60/50/30/25/24p)
Microphone Jack	Yes	Yes
Headphone Jack	No	Yes
Memory Card Type	SD	SD + XQD
Dual Card Slots	No	Yes
SD UHS Support	UHS-I	UHS-II
Fastest Shutter Speed	1/8000	1/8000
Slowest Shutter Speed	30"	30"
Bulb Mode	Yes	Yes
JPEG Buffer Size	65	200
RAW Buffer Size	14	200
Time Lapse	No	Yes
Built-in Flash	Yes	No
Max Flash Sync Speed	1/250	1/250
Startup Time	0.7s	0.3s
Built-in Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes
Built-in GPS	No	No
Built- in NFC	No	Yes
Bluetooth	No	Yes
USB Type	USB 2.0	USB 3.0
Environmentally Sealed	Yes	Yes
Battery Life (CIPA)	920 shots	1240 shots
Battery Included	Yes (LP-E6)	Yes (EN-EL15)
Weight	26.7 oz (755g)	30.2 oz (856g)
Size	5.5 x 4.1 x 3.1"	5.8 x 4.5 x 3.2"
Price	Amazon	Amazon
Release Date	2013	2016

Canon 70D Advantages:

• LCD – It’s fully articulated.

• Built-in Flash

• Weight – The Canon 70D weighs 101g less.

• Size – The Canon 70D is noticeably smaller.

• Less Expensive – The 70D body costs around $1000 less

It’s no surprise that the older and cheaper 70D doesn’t offer any advantages. The LCD is fully articulated though (which means you can use it to record videos while seeing yourself in it).

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews.

Nikon D500 Advantages:

• AA Filter – The Nikon D500 has no AA filter.

• ISO – 1,638,400 vs 25,600 – Higher maximum ISO sensitivity.

• AF Points – 153 vs 19.

• Cross-type AF Points – 99 vs 19.

• Continuous mode – 10fps vs 7fps. More is better for sports and wildlife since you have more chances of getting a tack sharp shot.

• LCD – 3.2″ vs 3.0″.

• LCD Resolution – Higher resolution.

• Viewfinder Coverage – 100% vs 98%. 

• Viewfinder Magnification – Higher magnification.

• Video Resolution – 4K video available.

• Headphone Jack – Useful for previewing your audio quality straight out the camera.

• Dual Card Slots – More room for extra photos, or simply for backup.

• UHS-II – Faster writing speeds than UHS-I, but you need a memory card that can handle such speeds.

• JPEG Buffer Size – 200 vs 65. Useful for long bursts.

• RAW Buffer Size – 200 vs 14.

• Time-Lapse

• Built-in NFC

• Bluetooth Support

• USB 3.0 – Faster file transferring out the camera.

• Battery Life – 1240 shots vs 920 shots.

The Nikon D500 runs laps around most cameras, including the 70D. It’s got no AA filter, way higher maximum ISO, far more sophisticated AF system with 80 more cross-type points, 10 vs 7fps and 2 memory card slots. On top of that, it records 4K videos, has a headphone jack, UHS-II (and XQD memory slot), way bigger JPEG and RAW buffer sizes, USB 3.0 and even longer battery life.

It’s more expensive, but if you want something great for sports, action and wildlife (as well as weddings, traveling etc.), the D500 is your best APS-C DSLR.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews.