Aside from image quality (refer to the camera comparisons page of the review), the 7D Mark II is certainly a more capable camera for capturing fast action. The most important differences here are the autofocus system, continuous shooting rate, buffer and image quality. Where the D7100 comes out on the top is its bigger rear LCD screen with more dots, better battery life, lower weight, and smaller size. The 7D Mark II has a built-in GPS, while the D7100 does not.
The shutter mechanism is also rated higher on the 7D Mark II at 200K vs 150K on the D7100 and it sounds quieter in comparison.
Where the 7D Mark II clearly shines is the continuous shooting speed of 10 fps vs 6 fps on the D7100 and a larger buffer that allows for twice longer continuous shooting. The autofocus systems are quite different, with the 7D Mark II having a 65-point all cross-type AF system vs the 51-point AF system with only 15 cross-type sensors, putting the 7D Mark II ahead of the D7100, at least on paper. To start off, the D7100 has a physically larger sensor and there is a 4 MP difference in image resolution. The comparison to the D7100 is a bit tricky because we are dealing with a different brand and a different class camera. So in pretty much every way, the 7D Mark II has improved over its predecessor. The only downgrade is battery life – the 7D Mark II is CIPA-rated at 670 shots vs 800 shots on the original 7D. There is also now a built-in GPS on the 7D Mark II and the LCD screen resolution has been slightly improved too.
Movie shooting has been improved with up to 60p 1920×1080 resolution. The 7D Mark II comes with a new shutter mechanism rated to 200K cycles compared to 150K on the 7D. The continuous shooting speed has increased from 8 to 10 FPS and the buffer size has also been slightly increased to keep the camera shooting for about the same duration. The 7D Mark II adds a dual card slot for both CF and SD card types.
Next, the maximum native ISO is increased to 16,000 from 6,400. There is a slight bump in resolution from 18 MP to 20.2 MP. The 7D Mark II is clearly a better choice for use with teleconverters since it can now autofocus at up to f/8. First, the autofocus system is drastically better, with 65 AF points, all of which are cross-type. When compared to its predecessor, the 7D Mark II shows improvements in many areas. Canon 7D Mark II vs Canon 7D vs Nikon D7100 Camera Feature Let’s take a closer look at how the Canon 7D Mark II compares to its predecessor and the Nikon D7100.
Viewfinder Type: Pentaprism with 100% coverage.Storage: 1x CF and 1x SD (SD/SDHC/SDXC compatible).Shutter: Up to 1/8000 and 30 sec exposure.Autofocus System: 65-point all cross-type AF system with EV -3 sensitivity.Sensor: 20.2 MP APS-C CMOS sensor, 4.1µm pixel size.Keep in mind that a lot of what I say about the Canon 7D Mark II is from the standpoint of a long time Nikon shooter. Since there is currently no direct competitor to the 7D Mark II from Nikon, I will be comparing the camera to the enthusiast-level D7100, as it is the most capable APS-C camera today from Nikon. And with its price tag of $1799 MSRP, the 7D Mark II sounds much more appealing to budget-conscious photographers who do not want to pay close to 4x more for the much heavier and bulkier EOS-1D X. Sporting a high-end autofocus system with 65 cross-type focus points, insanely fast 10 fps continuous shooting speed, dual image processors, -3 EV light sensitivity, magnesium alloy construction, and weather sealing, the Canon 7D Mark II is specifically tailored at sports and wildlife photographers. Like many others, I have been getting pretty tired of waiting for Nikon’s “Pro DX” refresh to replace the D300S, which came out back in 2009 (almost 6 years ago!), so I wanted to see whether such a tool would still make sense for Nikon to release based on specifications, performance, and price. When Canon announced the 7D Mark II in September of 2014, I got quite intrigued by the camera and really wanted to try it out.