Canon EOS Rebel T7 / EOS 2000D review

A no-frills entry-level DSLR which suits those on a budget

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Build and handling

  • Plasticky feel overall
  • Logical button placement
  • Lacking Canon's new graphical interface 

So the changes on the inside are minimal, and there's not much new on the outside either. In fact, scrub the badges off the EOS Rebel T7 / EOS 2000D and the older Rebel T6 / 1300D and it would be impossible to tell them apart, thanks to their identical button placement and finishes.

The textured coating on the chunky front grip and rear thumb rest feels nice to the touch, but the smooth finish on the majority of the exterior means the camera has quite a plasticky feel overall. 

The rear button configuration is easy to understand and navigate if this is your first 'serious' camera, while the 'Q' (short for Quick Menu) button enables you to quickly access and adjust commonly used settings.

Canon has given the EOS 2000D something of a halfway house interface-wise, with a simple in-camera feature guide

While Canon introduced a clean-looking graphical interface on its EOS Rebel T7i / EOS 800D and EOS Rebel SL2 / EOS 200D, it didn't see fit to carry this across to the EOS Rebel T7 / EOS 2000D, which seems an odd decision – being targeted at new users, the Rebel T7 / 2000D would really lend itself to this more accessible interface.

That said, Canon has given the EOS Rebel T7 / EOS 2000D something of a halfway house interface-wise, with a simple in-camera feature guide (swap between shooting modes, for example, and you'll get a brief synopsis of what each one does), but we can't help feeling it's missed a trick here. 

Autofocus

  • 9-point AF system feels dated
  • Coverage biased towards center of frame
  • Sluggish performance in Live View

Like the processor, the 9-point AF system in the EOS Rebel T6 / EOS 1300D was looking a little dated back in 2016, so it's disappointing to see this fairly limiting diamond arrangement retained for the EOS Rebel T7 / EOS 2000D. 

With the AF points clustered in the center of the frame, be prepared to re-frame your subjects if they're off-center. Performance-wise, with a single (and more sensitive) cross-type sensor at the center of the diamond arrangement the system will be fine for general shooting, although it may struggle as light levels drop.

As the EOS Rebel T7 / EOS 2000D doesn't feature Canon's brilliant Dual Pixel CMOS AF system, focusing speeds in Live View mode (using the rear screen rather than the viewfinder) are sluggish to say the least. 

In a nutshell then, the autofocus system on the EOS Rebel T7 / EOS 2000D comes up short – rival mirrorless cameras offer better coverage and snappier AF, although you'll probably have to sacrifice a viewfinder. 

Live View was slow and hesitant when focusing on the flower in the foreground. Canon EOS Rebel T7 / 2000D with 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II, 1/320 sec at f/11, ISO100
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Phil Hall
Phil Hall

Phil Hall is an experienced writer and editor having worked on some of the largest photography magazines in the UK, and now edit the photography channel of TechRadar, the UK's biggest tech website and one of the largest in the world. He has also worked on numerous commercial projects, including working with manufacturers like Nikon and Fujifilm on bespoke printed and online camera guides, as well as writing technique blogs and copy for the John Lewis Technology guide.