Announced in February 2017, the EOS 77D is a DSLR that caters to photography enthusiasts. This latest model is equipped with DIGIC 7 and boasts a performance that rivals that of high-end cameras. In this article, I share my thoughts on how the EOS 77D fares in an actual shoot. (Reported by: Ryosuke Takahashi)

 

Improved AF and lens correction performance with DIGIC 7

Generally, the smaller and lighter a camera, the more portable it is. As soon as I took the EOS 77D for a test run outside, I could feel how light it was. In fact, I got the impression that it was almost as light as a mirrorless camera. The improved Live View feature is also impressive. Not only was tracking seamless, the AF (autofocus) stays locked on your subject even if it moves out of range. I was amazed at how the EOS 77D instantly detected the subject and tracked it when it came back into the frame.

This level of comfort during shooting is made possible by the latest image processor, DIGIC 7. It is also thanks to DIGIC 7 that lens aberration corrections such as diffraction correction and distortion aberration correction can be performed in real time, both of which require the processing of a large amount of optical correction data. When you consider that distortion aberration correction was previously done with RAW post-processing, you can see how much the technology has evolved.

EOS 77D/ EF-S55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS II/ FL: 55mm (88mm equivalent)/ Shutter-priority AE (f/9, 1/1,250 sec, EV±0)/ ISO 400/ WB: Auto

A shot of a plane taken soon after take-off. Here I selected "Zone AF" in AF area selection mode, which allowed the camera to properly capture the image. For handheld photography of moving objects, I recommend selecting an AF area that allows the camera to focus on the surface of the object.

 

EOS 77D/ EF-S18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM/ FL: 18mm (29mm equivalent)/ Aperture-priority AE (f/8, 1/30 sec, EV±0)/ ISO 3200/ WB: Daylight (B6)

For white balance, I selected "Daylight" to retain warmth in the image, but the redness was too strong. Hence, I used the white balance correction feature. To suppress the redness, I adjusted the slide by 6 increments in the B (Blue) direction. An effective way to reproduce accurate hues is to check the result in Live View.

 

For this shoot, I took about 1000 shots in a day, yet I did not have to use my spare battery. The maximum number of shots on a full charge is nominally around 600 (viewfinder shooting only), yet the EOS 77D exceeded that when put to the test in real life, even though the Live View and built-in flash were used. I had a similar impression of the PowerShot G9 X Mark II when I tested it previously. However, I feel that DIGIC 7 has been designed to bring considerable power savings.

While I have found that you will not really understand what a camera is like until you try it out for yourself, it is rare for my impression of a camera to change so much after a test run. The EOS 77D is one camera that will likely satisfy photography enthusiasts.

 

EOS 77D/ EF-S10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM/ FL: 10mm (16mm equivalent)/ Aperture-priority AE (f/8, 1/320 sec, EV+0.3)/ ISO 100/ WB: Auto

In Live View shooting, you can take shots while checking the effect of each type of optical correction in real time. In viewfinder shooting, distortion aberration correction in particular involves cropping out part of the screen, so it is hard to ascertain an accurate shooting range. Try to understand and master the characteristics of the camera functions.

 

EOS 77D/ EF-S18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM/ FL: 55mm (88mm equivalent)/ Aperture-priority AE (f/5.6, 1/40 sec, EV+0.3)/ ISO 400/ WB: Auto

For this shot I used the Touch Focus function in Live View. The camera focused accurately on the doll on the right side, doing so smoothly and speedily, it was just as if I was shooting through the viewfinder. Touch Focus is useful if there is an obstacle in front of the main subject.

 

EOS 77D/ EF-S18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM/ FL: 55mm (88mm equivalent)/ Aperture-priority AE (f/5.6, 1/550 sec, EV+0.3)/ ISO 100/ WB: Auto

The Auto White Balance function detects the white balance very accurately, and the correct colours can be expressed without being impacted by the colour of the subject. Moreover, all of the AF points are equipped with cross-type sensors, so the camera can focus accurately on the centre of a flower. The focus can be isolated intentionally as well. The resolving power of the EF-S18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM, which was released at the same time as the EOS 77D, is excellent too.

 

For more about the EOS 77D, check out:
3 Cool Features of the EOS 77D

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