Canon EOS
7D
 vs
Nikon
D90

Updated (September, 2010): Compare the Canon EOS 7D vs Nikon D7000

Canon EOS 7D

89
Winner

Canon EOS 7D
"Very good low-light performance, low noise levels and good retention of detail"
dpreview.com | talking about the 7D's iso-noise
"The Canon EOS 7D is a camera that can convince in all areas, and at its current pricing is going to be a very serious competitor for Nikon's flagship APS-C DSLR, the D300S."
dpreview.com | talking about the 7D's overall-performance

Reasons to buy the Canon EOS 7D

Weather sealed
 Weather sealed
Shoot in extreme weather
Continuous shooting
 Rapid fire
8 fps
Shutter lag
 Barely any delay taking photos
131 ms shutter lag
Cross type focus points
 Many cross-type focus points
19
Viewfinder coverage
 Great viewfinder coverage
100%
Badge
 Built-in focus motor
Autofocuses with more lenses
Nikon D90

77
Runner-up

Nikon D90
"Fast Autofocus with useful control options"
dpreview.com | talking about the D90's auto-focus
"High sensitivity performance up there with the best we've seen."
dpreview.com | talking about the D90's iso-noise

Reasons to buy the Nikon D90

Dynamic range
 Wide dynamic range
12.5 EV
Startup delay
 Almost no delay when powering up
300 ms startup delay
Badge
 Built-in focus motor
Autofocuses with more lenses

differences

Advantages of the Canon 7D
Movie format Higher resolution movies 1080p @ 30fps vs 720p @ 24fps
Help
 Shoots higher resolution Full HD (1080p) video at a higher frame rate
External mic jack Has an external mic jack Yes vs No
Help
 Record high quality audio with an external microphone
Weather sealed Weather sealed Yes vs No
Help
 Sealed to shoot in the rain
Cross type focus points Many more cross-type focus points 19 vs 1
Help
 Grab focus in difficult situations
Continuous shooting Shoots significantly faster 8 fps vs 4.5 fps
Help
 Around 80% faster continuous shooting
True resolution Higher true resolution 17.9 MP vs 12.2 MP
Help
 Capture around 50% more detail in your photos
Shutter lag Less shutter lag 131 ms vs 208 ms
Help
 Around 40% less delay when taking photos
Viewfinder coverage Significantly better viewfinder coverage 100% vs 96%
Help
 Almost the same
Focus points More focus points 19 vs 11
Help
 Set focus accurately within the frame
Light sensitivity Better maximum light sensitivity 6,400 ISO vs 3,200 ISO
Help
 The 7D's maximum light sensitivity is 1 f-stop better
Fastest shutter speed Much faster max shutter speed 1/8000s vs 1/4000s
Help
 2x faster max shutter speed
Thickness Thinner 2.9" vs 3"
Help
 Almost the same
Light sensitivity (boost) Better boost ISO 12,800 ISO vs 6,400 ISO
Help
 The 7D's boost ISO is 1 f-stop better
Canon EOS 7D Learn more about
the Canon 7D

Advantages of the Nikon D90
Overall image quality Better image quality 73.0 vs 66.0
Help
 More than 10% better image quality
Dynamic range More dynamic range 12.5 EV vs 11.7 EV
Help
 0.8 f-stops more dynamic range
Color depth Better color depth 22.7 bits vs 22 bits
Help
 Distinguishes 0.7 more bits of color
Low light performance Slightly lower noise at high ISO 977 ISO vs 854 ISO
Help
 The D90 has a slight edge (0.2 f-stops) in low noise, high ISO performance
Sensor size Slightly larger sensor APS-C 23.6x15.8mm vs APS-C 22.3x14.9mm
Help
 More than 10% larger sensor
Size Smaller 132x103x77 mm vs 148x111x74 mm
Help
 More than 10% smaller
Viewfinder size Slightly larger viewfinder 0.63x vs 0.62x
Help
 Almost the same
Lens availability Slightly more lenses available 169 lenses vs 162 lenses
Help
 Almost the same
Weight Lighter 703 g vs 860 g
Help
 Around 20% lighter
Lowest price Slightly cheaper $869.00 vs $1,329.00
Help
 The best price we've seen is $460 cheaper (more than 30% less)
Nikon D90 Learn more about
the Nikon D90
vs

recommendations

Relative to the best recent DSLRs, and ignoring price

Canon EOS 7D Canon EOS 7D
89 vs 77
Explain scores
Nikon D90 Nikon D90
Green arrow Snapsort recommends the Canon EOS 7D. This recommendation, however, should be taken with a grain of salt since it doesn't always make sense to compare a pro DSLR with a entry-level DSLR.

performance Which camera has better performance? Cast your vote!

CanonEOS 7D
 Canon EOS 7D vs Nikon D90
NikonD90
Uses Travel score Travel
On holiday or vacation
74
148
Vote Vote
Sports score Sports
Fast action, sometimes indoors
85
134
Vote Vote
Features Color accuracy Color accuracy
White balance in varied lighting
70
143
Vote Vote
Autofocus peformance Still image focusing
Speed and accuracy
75
138
Vote Vote
Autofocus performance Video focusing
Speed and accuracy
81
121
Vote Vote
Manual controls Manual settings
How quickly and easily you can change settings
74
141
Vote Vote
Build quality Build quality
Is it sturdy, well made, plastic or metal
76
149
Vote Vote
Green arrow Join in the discussion below!

similarities

Compared to recent DSLRs

Common Strengths Common Weaknesses
Lens availability Many lenses available Help
7D:162 lenses
D90:169 lenses
Screen resolution High resolution screens Help
920k dots
Viewfinder Both have pentaprism viewfinders Help
Pentaprism
Supports 24p 24p support Help
For that film look
Storage slots Fewer storage slots Help
1
HDR Neither has in-camera HDR Help
You could do HDR manually
Screen flips out No flip-out screens Help
Less flexible
Autofocus No video autofocus Help
Manual focus only
Image stabilization No image stabilization Help
Risk of blur
Panorama Neither camera stitches together panoramas Help
You could stitch photos in post
3D Neither camera can take 3D photos Help
No 3d support

dxomark

DXOMark

competitors

Shared Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages
Nikon D7000

Nikon D7000

Entry-level DSLR

$1,097 body only

$1,227 with 55-200mm lens
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Color depth Has slightly more color depth
Shutter lag Has significantly more shutter lag
Compare the D7000 vs the EOS 7D
Compare the D7000 vs the D90
Canon EOS 60D

Canon EOS 60D

Pro DSLR

$899 - $1,304 body only

$1,138 - $1,342 with 18-135mm lens
Screen flips out Has a screen which flips out
Thickness Is thicker
Shutter lag Has significantly more shutter lag
Compare the EOS 60D vs the EOS 7D
Compare the EOS 60D vs the D90
Nikon D5100

Nikon D5100

Entry-level DSLR

$650 - $749 body only

$600 - $750 with 18-55mm lens
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Color depth Has slightly more color depth
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the D5100 vs the EOS 7D
Compare the D5100 vs the D90
Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Pro DSLR

$2,400 body only

$2,799 - $2,839 with 24-105mm lens
Low light performance Is significantly less noisy at high ISO
Overall image quality Has slightly better image quality
Built-in flash Doesn't have a built-in flash
Lowest price Is slightly more expensive
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the EOS 7D
Compare the EOS 5D Mark II vs the D90
Canon Rebel T3i

Canon Rebel T3i

Entry-level DSLR

$609 - $800 body only

$709 - $1,180 with 18-55mm lens
Screen flips out Has a screen which flips out
Weight Is slightly lighter
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Thickness Is thicker
Compare the Rebel T3i vs the EOS 7D
Compare the Rebel T3i vs the D90
Canon EOS Rebel T2i

Canon Rebel T2i

Entry-level DSLR

$499 - $949 body only

$579 - $867 with 18-55mm lens
Size Is slightly smaller
Thickness Is thinner
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Viewfinder Has a lower quality type of viewfinder
Compare the Rebel T2i vs the EOS 7D
Compare the Rebel T2i vs the D90
Nikon D3100

Nikon D3100

Entry-level DSLR

$500 - $984 with 18-55mm lens
Movie continuous focus Can focus continuously while recording movies
Autofocus Focuses automatically while shootting video
Fastest shutter speed Has a slower max shutter speed
Lens focus motor Doesn't have a built-in focus motor
Compare the D3100 vs the EOS 7D
Compare the D3100 vs the D90

Canon EOS 7D Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Canon EOS 7D.

Nikon D90 Competitors

Advantages

Disadvantages

No significant competitors found that are specific to the Nikon D90.

appearance

Canon EOS 7D Nikon D90
Canon EOS 7D Nikon D90
Canon EOS 7D Nikon D90

Find similar cameras

Here are some links to help you find other cameras with similar features to both of these:

discussion Which do you think is better?

Speech is free, but discussion at Snapsort is moderated! Please discuss your opinion of these cameras here, and discuss feedback for Snapsort at our support community.

Showing 4 comments

swcv2 (5:23 AM, May 22, 2011)
I'd like to buy one , but I still considering  which one (Canon 7D or 60D or Nikon D90) is suitable for me. 
 
Avatar for Leonard Washington Leonard Washington (5:25 AM, April 23, 2011)
I have used both. I like my d90 more. It's just more of alluring camera that just woks and makes me take my photography higher. While 7d is a technological marvel
 
Avatar for Leonard Washington Leonard Washington (5:25 AM, April 23, 2011)
I have used both. I like my d90 more. It's just more of alluring camera that just woks and makes me take my photography higher. While 7d is a technological marvel
 
Tom (9:30 AM, April 21, 2011)
The 7D has comprehensive weather sealing. You missed that one in 'common weaknesses' category. But what a great layout you have done here. THanks.