Canon EOS 80D Review
Replacing the Canon EOS 70D, Canon camera Singapore’s EOS 80D is one that sits above the EOS 760D but just below the EOS 7D Mark II in the company’s DSLR lineup. Besides getting a Dual Pixel CMOS sensor that has faster AF system, it does play with some other additions. These overall have contributed to a better shooter that offers notable improvements over its predecessor.
Design
A first look at the Canon EOS 80D easily shows the resemblance its bears to its predecessor. While it is certainly bigger than the 70D, it does turn out to be a notch lighter (battery and memory card included). It has a metal chassis that has a plastic outer. It is also waterproof. Besides, it offers a good grip with textured areas on the front and around the thumb rest.
On the controls front, Canon doesn’t change much from the 70D. There are two control wheels, one being atop the handgrip and another sitting on the back. Most of the control buttons sit around the right hand side, the top plate or the rear. They are also pretty easy to reach in terms of handling. Some buttons such as Drive, AF and Metering buttons are meant to be used with the Quick Control Dial or the Main Dial when using the secondary LCD screen that is on the camera’s top plate.
Canon offers touch control for both the main and Quick Menus and this is quick to use. However, it isn’t customizable as in some models. It does work very well though and alternatives are in the form of navigation keys, control dial or the mini-joystick.
Screen
The Canon EOS 80D comes with a 3-inch 1040k dot Clear View II screen. It offers crisp viewing and with Live View mode, focusing is easier on screen. The screen also offers a variable hinge that should do well to offer flexibility. However, under bright sunlight, it is advisable to turn up the brightness to the maximum.
The viewfinder on the 80D offers 100 percent coverage unlike that of the 70D that offered 98 percent. It offers pretty good view as well.
AF and performance
The EOS 80D features a 24.2 MP APS-C sensor. As such, it does tend to capture a lot of detail in the images that you shoot. It also has the latest DIGIC 6 processor, which offers fast startup, review and image processing. One can also notice the less noise in high ISO images shot. In the continuous mode, the 80D can shoot up to 7fps for 110 JPEG or 25 RAW images.
The camera’s auto focus is also very good, and tracks moving subjects very well. It uses a 65 point AF system and even in low light conditions, it turned out very well. There are three AF modes, which are One Shot, AI Focus and AI Servo. Besides this, there is an option of 16 customization options for getting the AF correct.
Images and video
The images produced by the Canon EOS 80D are excellent. One can expect noise-free images from ISO100 to ISO 1600. Noise only begins to appear from ISO 3200 and ISO 6400, 12800 and 25600 are better only in case of emergencies. For a 24MP camera featuring an APS-C sensor, the result turned out to be very good.
Night photography is also pretty good and with the Bulb mode, you can capture enough light in every situation.
Video shot on the EOS 80D is good. It supports 1080p video at up to 60fps.
Conclusion
The Canon EOS 80D is a step ahead of its predecessor and builds on several aspects. It is certainly a very good choice for enthusiast photographers. Two of its biggest advantages are a quick AF system and detailed captures with minimal noise. Thus, it would do well for anyone that is looking at buying it, go have a try at it at your nearest camera shop in Singapore.