Canon EOS Rebel SL2 / 200D

The EOS Rebel SL2, sold in some regions as the 200D, is a small DSLR from 2017. It weighs 302g and measures 122 x 93 x 70mm, so it slips into a day bag and stays there.

That portability makes it a sensible fit for travel, family photography and learning, since you still get an optical pentamirror viewfinder and the Canon EF-S lens system. A built-in flash fills gaps in dim rooms, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth are built in for wireless connectivity.

It is not weather sealed, so a little care is needed in rain or dust.

The 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor works alongside the Digic 7 processor. Sensitivity runs from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, so settings remain available across a wide span of lighting conditions.

Autofocus is handled by nine points. Composing through the optical pentamirror viewfinder gives a direct, unprocessed view of the scene before the shot.

Burst shooting reaches a maximum of 5fps, a peak figure rather than a sustained pace. The 1/4000s maximum shutter speed also narrows your options when you want a wide aperture in bright light.

There is no stabilisation in the body, so steady handheld results in dim light depend on your lens, your technique or a tripod. Taken together, these traits earn a good 62/100 and place the SL2 around the middle of cameras in our database for Optics.

Video tops out at Full HD resolution, and the fastest frame rate the camera offers is 60fps. Everyday clips, casual vlogs and holiday footage are well within reach, though anyone set on 4K will need a different body.

A timelapse function is built in, so slow-moving scenes like clouds or crowds need no separate intervalometer. Recordings are saved as MP4 or MOV files.

The flip-out screen earns its keep while filming, letting you hold the camera low or high and still see the frame, and touch control speeds up menu changes between takes. Because the body has no stabilisation, handheld footage benefits from a steady grip, a tripod or a stabilised lens.

The Full HD resolution, 60fps frame rate and built-in timelapse together support a good 70/100 video score.

The 3-inch LCD carries 1,040,000 dots, which is sharp enough to confirm focus before you move on. It flips out from the body, so waist-level, overhead and self-framed shots all stay possible.

Touch control makes the screen quick to navigate, from changing settings to scrolling through images after a shoot.

Wi-Fi and Bluetooth provide wireless connectivity options. A built-in flash supplies fill light indoors, and the hot shoe accepts external flashguns when you want more control over your lighting.

There is no GPS for automatic location tagging and no weather sealing for rough conditions. Even so, the feature set scores a good 70/100.

Storage runs through a single SD, SDHC or SDXC slot with UHS-I compatibility. There is no second slot for backup or overflow, so a spare card is worth carrying on long shoots.

The LP-E17 battery carries a rating of 650 shots per charge, though real-world endurance varies with how you shoot.

Charging happens outside the camera, because USB charging is absent. You cannot top up from a power bank between locations, so a charged spare LP-E17 is a practical option for travel.

The single card slot, the lack of USB charging and the battery rating all contribute to the limited 32/100 score for storage and battery.