The Canon EOS 70D is known for its versatility and AF performance, and its Vari-Angle touchscreen LCD display is more than useful when it comes to shooting at high and low angles. Maintaining these fine qualities but making it better, the EOS 70D successor, EOS 80D, is a feature-rich DSLR that boasts increased resolution and image quality, faster and more accurate auto-focusing and superb movie features. Coupled with the new EF-S18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM kit lens, the EOS 80D’s all-round performance is perfect for pro-amateur and even professional users.
The Versatile Beast
One excellent reason to upgrade from 70D to EOS 80D is the enhanced AF performance, where the previous 19-point AF system has been improved to an all cross-type 45-point AF system, with f/8 support at 27 points. This enables photographers to shoot more accurately, and tracks subjects effectively within the viewing area. Photographers can also enjoy the flexibility of switching from single-point AF to Large Zone AF or 45-point AF auto selection when the subject’s movements are unpredictable. Thanks to EV-3 at the center AF, a low luminance AF performance, the EOS 80D now has the excellent capability to focus even better under various lighting conditions, especially low-light.
The camera’s versatility is complemented with an intelligent 100-percent coverage viewfinder, which not only reduces the need to crop during post-production, but also gives photographers additional layers of information and control, from toggling AF area modes to checking composition based on various aspect ratios (think landscape or Instagram’s square format).
Aspect ratio: 3:2
Aspect ratio: 1:1 square
Photographers who enjoy shooting action or sports subjects will find the EOS 80D irresistibly tempting. Its ability to shoot continuously at a rate of 7 fps provides a great opportunity to capture fast-moving subjects or varied facial expressions during a beautifully chaotic wedding ceremony. In addition, the new mirror drive reduces vibration and sound, perfect for situations where optimal silence, such as a theatrical performance, is required.
Unrivalled Image Quality
Housed within a beautifully designed body is an impressive 24.2-megapixel CMOS sensor and a powerful DIGIC 6 image processor that produce images rich with details and colours, as well as an ISO speed of 100 to 16,000 (expandable to 25,600), perfect for shooting under low-light conditions. It also comes with a new metering system of 7,560-pixel RGB + IR metering sensor, which detects high-frequency flicker of lights to control and produce the optimal exposure for photos under various situations. The metering system is also equipped with Colour Tracking AF that prioritises human subjects during focusing.
Another feature is the EOS scene analysis system, which determines the scenes composed based on AF, Auto White Balance and Auto Exposure, and then automatically adjusts the system for that perfect shot. An additional tool to improve details on an image, Fine Detail is a new Picture Style mode that enhances lines on an image, as well as prioritises white to reduce warm for more natural colours.
Unleash the Filmmaker in You
Videography enthusiasts will be delighted to find the EOS 80D’s video shooting capability exceptionally comprehensive. Thanks to its Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology, users are able to keep moving subject in constant focus, while switching the focus from foreground to background is easily achieved by tapping the screen on Live View mode. The desired AF speed can also be adjusted to specificity with the Movie Servo AF Custom Speed, a function that comes with 10 different steps. Couple that with one of the kit lenses, EF-S18-135mm F3.5-5.6 IS USM, shooting is now easier as the lens’ autofocus is speedier (enhanced AF speed is 4.3 times faster), more silent and smoother during movie shooting.
The EOS 80D comes with a range of new optional accessories, such as the Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E1, a device that attaches to the lens for a quieter and smoother zooming operation. In this way, users can choose between fast and slow zoom speeds using a dedicated switch, or control it manually with the zoom lever. Also, one can opt for an external stereo microphone, Directional Stereo Microphone DM-E1, capable of recording sounds left and right from a 90- to 120-degree angle or the front, when shooting a video.
Extreme lighting can cause the loss of details; the EOS 80D solves that with its Full HD HDR movies function, which shoots each frame with a standard exposure, followed by an underexposed one, and combines both to reveal details where it should be.
Users who fancy adding a little touch to their videos can apply Creative Filters (Fantasy, Old Movie, etc.) for a more interesting visual impact.
Connect Effortlessly
Seamless connectivity is imperative in today’s use of technology, and that is why the EOS 80D comes with Wi-Fi capability, allowing one to transfer images and videos wirelessly from the camera to smart phones, computers, printers, and internet cloud (online storage system). In addition, remote shooting of still images and videos (including zooming of videos via a zoom adaptor) controlled from smart phones and tablets are also made possible with the Camera Connect app (available on Apple App Store or Google Play). The NFC function proves to be a seamless process where one simply taps the NFC-enabled device to the camera hence transferring images wirelessly. With such capabilities, images can be quickly updated on social media platforms such as Facebook or Instagram.
