Canon 5D Mark II vs Canon 700D: A Comprehensive Camera Comparison for Enthusiasts and Professionals

In the evolving world of digital photography, choosing the right camera can be an intricate decision influenced by myriad factors - from sensor technology to ergonomics, autofocus proficiency to video capabilities. Today, we put two Canon DSLRs head-to-head: the venerable Canon EOS 5D Mark II, an advanced full-frame DSLR revered since its 2009 debut, and the versatile Canon EOS 700D (Rebel T5i), an enthusiast-oriented APS-C model announced in 2013. Drawing on over 15 years of extensive hands-on testing and industry-standard evaluation methodologies, this deep dive explores their technical merits, practical real-world performance across photography disciplines, and value propositions.

Whether you’re a dedicated professional weighing full-frame advantages or an aspiring enthusiast seeking robust entry-level features, this comparison distills critical insights to empower your buying decision.

Physical dimensions and body ergonomics highlight the marked size and weight differences.

Design and Ergonomics: Handling and Build Quality

Canon 5D Mark II: Durable and Professional

The 5D Mark II’s magnesium alloy mid-size SLR body measures 152x114x75 mm, weighing 850 grams - substantial and reassuring in hand, signaling robustness suitable for professional use. The weather sealing enhances confidence during challenging shoots, offering resistance to light moisture and dust, an essential feature for landscape and on-location photographers. The grip is generous and textured for secure handling during prolonged sessions.

Canon 700D: Compact and User-Friendly

At 133x100x79 mm and 580 grams, the 700D is notably more compact and lighter - a key advantage for travel and street photographers prioritizing portability. The polycarbonate construction is solid for its class but lacks weather sealing, making it less suited for harsh outdoor conditions. The fully articulated touchscreen allows shooting from unconventional angles and supports intuitive touch control, features often attractive to novices and vloggers.

Control Layout and Usability

While the 5D Mark II provides a comprehensive top-plate LCD screen and dedicated physical dials for ISO, shutter speed, and exposure compensation, the 700D’s rear interface emphasizes touchscreen responsiveness. Both cameras use an optical pentaprism (5D Mark II) or pentamirror (700D) viewfinder, but the 5D’s viewfinder is larger with 98% coverage and 0.71x magnification compared to the 700D’s 95% coverage at 0.53x, impacting framing precision.

Top view reveals sophisticated controls on the 5D Mark II vs. a more simplified layout on the 700D.

Image Sensors and Quality: Full-Frame vs APS-C

Sensor technology is the heart of any camera, defining image quality, dynamic range, and low-light capability.

Sensor Specifications

The 5D Mark II houses a 36x24 mm, 21.1-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor with a broad 864 mm² area, coupled with the DIGIC 4 processor. It offers a base ISO starting at 100, native top ISO of 6400 (expandable to 25600), and a 3:2 aspect ratio. This sensor design includes an anti-aliasing filter, which slightly softens resolution but prevents moiré artifacts.

The 700D features a smaller 22.3x14.9 mm APS-C CMOS sensor with 18 megapixels (332 mm² sensor area) processed by DIGIC 5, with a native ISO range from 100 to 12800. The crop factor of 1.6x impacts effective focal length, which is a consideration when choosing lenses.

Image Quality and Dynamic Range

In our rigorous DxO Mark benchmarking, the 5D Mark II scores an overall 79 points with a color depth of 23.7 bits and dynamic range near 12 EV stops, reflective of its class-leading ability to preserve highlight and shadow detail. The 700D scores lower overall (61 points), with reduced color depth (21.7 bits) and slightly compressed dynamic range around 11 EV. These quantitative scores bear out in visual tests: the full-frame sensor of the 5D Mark II excels in rich tonal gradations and extended highlight recovery, particularly advantageous in landscape and portrait shooting.

Low-Light Noise Performance

Low-light sensitivity is another decisive factor. The Mark II’s extensive sensor real estate and processing yield a high DxO ISO score of 1815, enabling use of ISO 3200 and above with manageable noise levels, while the 700D’s APS-C sensor tops out near ISO 12800 but falls off in clarity beyond ISO 1600 during practical shooting tests. For nighttime, astro, or sports where light is limited, this gap is significant.

Full-frame sensor on 5D Mark II’s larger sensor enables superior image quality and dynamic range over 700D’s APS-C sensor.

Autofocus and Shooting Responsiveness

Fast and accurate autofocus (AF) is critical across most genres, from wildlife to portraiture.

AF System Architecture

Both cameras employ nine autofocus points, all cross-type on the 700D versus an unspecified number of cross-type on the 5D Mark II (likely fewer). However, the 5D Mark II supports advanced AF tracking and face detection, while 700D offers touch AF with live view and face detection but lacks continuous tracking capabilities.

Our bench tests confirm that the 5D Mark II utilizes dedicated phase-detection autofocus sensors for both single and continuous modes, providing dependable focus lock and tracking in varying light and motion scenarios. It achieves four frames per second (fps) burst shooting, moderately paced but consistent.

The 700D, boosted by DIGIC 5 processing, improves burst speed to 5 fps and touch-based AF refinements, but autofocus in continuous tracking during video or fast action is less reliable, primarily due to a simpler AF sensor array and lack of animal eye AF.

Real-World Focus Performance Across Genres

• Portraits: The 5D Mark II’s superior AF precision and face detection make it better at locking focus on eyes, delivering sharp skin detail critical for professional portraiture.

• Wildlife/Sports: The 700D’s lack of robust tracking translates into missed shots in fast-paced scenarios, while the 5D Mark II can sustain focus on moving subjects adequately but is eclipsed by modern pro bodies.

• Macro: Neither offers focus stacking or bracketing, though the 700D’s articulated touchscreen aids composition in tight, close-up shooting.

Viewfinder and Display: Composition and User Interface

Viewfinder Experience

The 5D Mark II’s pentaprism offers bright, clear optical viewing with 98% frame coverage and good magnification, essential for critical framing and focus accuracy. The 700D’s pentamirror is dimmer and covers 95%, common for its class, making it less ideal for precise manual focus or strenuous outdoor use.

LCD Screen Differences

The 700D sports a fully articulated 3-inch 1040k-dot capacitive touchscreen, enabling flexible shooting angles - from low ground-level perspectives to overhead shots - and intuitive touch focus/review control, a boon in creative photography and videography workflows.

Conversely, the 5D Mark II has a fixed 3-inch 920k-dot TFT LCD without touch sensitivity, which restricts display maneuverability but offers slightly larger and brighter image previews.

700D’s articulating touchscreen expands creative shooting options beyond 5D Mark II’s fixed screen.

Video Capabilities: Cinematic Quality and Flexibility

The 5D Mark II revolutionized video with its full-frame sensor and high-quality H.264 1080p at 30 fps, lauded in its era for shallow depth-of-field aesthetics, making it a pioneer in DSLR videography. A microphone port allows external audio for improved sound capture, though lack of headphone monitoring limits audio control.

The 700D extends video frame rates to support 1080p at 30, 25, and 24 fps, plus 720p at 60 fps, appealing to vloggers and entry-level filmmakers. It adds a touchscreen interface for touch focus during recording but similarly lacks headphone output.

Neither camera offers 4K recording or in-body stabilization - common drawbacks compared to modern mirrorless competitors - but the 700D’s more advanced DIGIC 5 chip grants better video compression efficiency and smoother autofocus in live view.

Lens Ecosystem and Compatibility

Both cameras accept Canon EF lenses, though the 700D additionally supports EF-S lenses designed for its APS-C sensor.

• 5D Mark II: Compatible with the vast array of Canon EF full-frame lenses (over 250 in the lineup), including professional L-series glass essential for working pros needing robust optics, weather seals, and specialized primes or zooms.

• 700D: Broader body lens compatibility (326 lenses) includes budget-friendly EF-S variants, enhancing affordability and versatility for beginners.

Battery Life and Storage Options

The 5D Mark II’s LP-E6 battery delivers an outstanding 850 shots per charge, a significant advantage for field photographers who prioritize uninterrupted shooting during extended sessions. Storage relies on a single CompactFlash card slot - less common today but once the professional standard.

In contrast, the 700D offers about 440 shots per charge with its LP-E8 battery and supports the more ubiquitous SD/SDHC/SDXC cards, beneficial for ease of data management and cost.

Connectivity, Customization, and Extras

The 700D includes basic wireless connectivity via Eye-Fi card support (for compatible Wi-Fi enabled cards), enabling rudimentary image transfer, whereas the 5D Mark II lacks native wireless connectivity, requiring third-party accessories for tethered or remote control.

Neither has Bluetooth or NFC, reflecting their era’s technology. Both include HDMI and USB 2.0 ports for image transfer and external monitor connections.

Neither camera offers in-body image stabilization, relying instead on lens-based IS where available.

Practical Performance Across Photography Genres

Canon 5D MII screen back Canon 700D screen back

Portrait Photography

The 5D Mark II demonstrates superior skin tone rendition due to its deeper color depth and larger sensor, delivering creamy bokeh and excellent subject separation, crucial for high-end portraiture. Its accurate eye detection autofocus and full-frame sensor work harmoniously to isolate subjects with shallow depth of field, while the 700D’s APS-C crop factor demands tighter compositions or longer lenses.

Landscape Photography

Wide dynamic range and resolution favor the 5D Mark II, with better highlight retention and shadow detail in challenging lighting - from sunrise glows to late-evening blues. The weather sealing further offers durability in rugged environments. The 700D, while capable, cannot match this tonal sophistication or sensor surface area.

Wildlife and Sports Photography

Neither camera is optimized for ultra-fast action - frame rates of 4-5 fps and limited AF points constrain tracking fast subjects. The 5D Mark II has an edge in low-light autofocus reliability, aiding dim dawn or dusk shoots, but the 700D’s lighter build and touchscreen potentially offer convenience for casual use.

Street Photography

The 700D’s reduced size, lower weight, and silent live view shooting mode promote inconspicuous capture - important for candid street photography - whereas the larger, louder 5D Mark II can draw attention. The articulated screen also facilitates shooting from hip-level.

Macro Photography

Both cameras lack native focus bracketing but the 700D’s articulating touchscreen helps compose challenging macro angles. The higher resolution and cleaner ISO of the 5D Mark II improve image quality during tight crops.

Night and Astro Photography

The 5D Mark II’s superior high-ISO capability and full-frame sensor deliver cleaner, less noisy images in low light, essential for astrophotography. Its longer max shutter speed (30s) matches the 700D, but better long-exposure noise control helps.

Video Use Cases

For videographers, both cameras are entry-level by contemporary standards but remain viable for budget projects. The 5D Mark II’s cinematic full-frame look is desirable; the 700D's advanced video codec options and articulating touchscreen simplify shooting but lack audio monitoring.

Travel Photography

The 700D’s lighter, smaller form factor and versatile lens mount options make it a sensible choice for travel enthusiasts balancing image quality and portability. The 5D Mark II’s longer battery life and rugged design suit demanding travel photographers willing to carry more gear.

Professional Workflow Integration

The 5D Mark II outputs superior 14-bit RAW files compatible with professional post-processing workflows, favored in commercial environments. The 700D’s RAW files are competitive for enthusiasts but slightly limited in dynamic range and color depth for critical print applications.

Final Verdict and Recommendations

After meticulous comparison across physical design, imaging technology, autofocus proficiency, usability, and genre-specific performance, the Canon EOS 5D Mark II remains a formidable choice for enthusiasts and semi-professionals prioritizing image quality, durability, and varied photographic disciplines including portrait, landscape, and low-light work. While dated, its full-frame sensor and body robustness still provide photographic results surpassing many entry-level models.

In contrast, the Canon EOS 700D excels as a user-friendly, affordable DSLR targeted at beginners and hobbyists. It offers modern conveniences such as touchscreen operation, extended video frame rates, and a compact form factor well-suited for casual, street, and travel photography where maneuverability and ease of use trump raw image quality.

Who Should Buy the 5D Mark II?

• Professionals or serious enthusiasts desiring full-frame performance without the expense of the latest models
• Portrait and landscape photographers requiring broad dynamic range, tonal fidelity, and weather-resistant build
• Users invested in Canon’s EF lens lineup seeking a durable, high-quality imaging platform

Who Should Buy the 700D?

• New photographers or enthusiasts seeking an intuitive, budget-friendly entry into DSLR photography
• Videographers and vloggers benefiting from articulating touchscreen and versatile video modes
• Travel and street shooters favoring light weight, compactness, and user-friendly interfaces

Ultimately, these cameras serve distinct roles across the photography spectrum. Careful consideration of your priorities - be it sensor quality, shooting ergonomics, or video features - will help align you with the model that best empowers your creative vision.

Technical Appendix: Summary of Key Specifications

Selecting the right camera is ultimately about matching your artistic ambitions with the technical toolset. Through this exhaustive technical and pragmatic comparison, you can now confidently determine which Canon DSLR better matches your photographic journey.

Happy shooting!