Can’t decipher Canon model numbers? Read this guide
If you’re looking for a good DSLR, Canon is bound to come up in conversations. Just like those who use Nikon, Canon cameras enjoy a fantastic gear ecosystem. There’s a great range of lenses, a huge second-hand market, on the whole, Canon gear is very easy to use, too.
However, there’s one main problem with Canon cameras – their model naming system is a complete mess. Well, it’s very confusing, isn’t it? When you’re looking for a great deal on Black Friday, it’s often hard to work out which camera fits in where, and which is best. That’s why we’ve put together this guide, to help you work out which camera is which.
Best Black Friday 2017 Canon deal
1. Canon EOS 6D (was £1,799, now £999) – Buy now from Canon
This version of Canon’s 6D first appeared in 2012, but it still produces excellent results and is a bargain at under £1000.
Canon model numbers explained
All Canon DSLR cameras in the UK at least have the prefix EOS, so you can pretty much ignore that part of the model name immediately. Instead, the first way to differentiate Canon DSLR models is by looking at the number of digits in its name. Strangely, and rather counterintuitively, Canon DSLRs with fewer digits – such as the EOS XD – are actually more sophisticated than those with more digits, like the EOS XXXD. More confusingly still, each range or level, such as the XD or the XXXD range, has its own set of naming conventions.
XD model names
In the one-digit XD range, the higher the model number, the less advanced the camera. So the 1D is the most advanced, professional-grade DSLR Canon sells, while the 6D isn’t as sophisticated. It’s important to note, however, that Canon will often update DSLRs without completely changing their names. So the 5D Mark IV represents the fourth and newest version of the 5D, for example.
XXD model names and lower
However, in the XXD range, the larger the model number, the better and newer the camera. For example, the 70D has recently been replaced by the all-new, and rather good, 80D, while Canon has also recently released the 77D, a newer camera that’s a small step down compared to the 80D.
In the XXXD range, models are named in the same way, so the higher the number, the better the camera; so the 800D is superior to the 700D. The same is true of the XXXXD range too, so the 1300D is better than the 1200D.
However, it’s important to remember that these rules do not apply between ranges, and only make sense in their XX range. To give an example, the 760D is better than the 750D, but both are superior to the 1000D.
It’s pretty incredible for a technology company such as Canon to have such a strange naming scheme, and it’s clearly confusing for people when choosing which DSLR to buy. However, with this guide, and our extensive Canon camera reviews, you should be able to choose the best camera for you.
Source: expertreviews.co.uk
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