Not content with launching 10 new photo products at CES, Vegas, at the start of the year, followed by the surprise announcement of the 1DX Mark II weeks later, photo stalwart Canon has launched a further five new products with May 2016 availability.

The latest additions include the replacement for the 70D in the EOS 80D, which Canon UK’s Product Intelligence Professional David Parry described to PhotographyBlog as “a much more immersive experience” than its predecessor. “We want to give enthusiasts something that will push them,” he reasoned. Standout features include a new sensor, ISO100-16,000 light sensitivity, extendable to ISO25,600, Digic 6 processor, new flicker detection feature and 7fps burst mode, along with a re-designed mirror box assembly.

David outlined his favourite feature as the camera’s 45-point, all cross type AF system, suggesting that it was the same as that found on the old 1D Mark IV. With the 80D being marketed as a camera that adapts to your needs, David suggests that the camera will successfully auto focus in moonlight.

In terms of videos, it’s 60P Full HD being offered here rather than the much-trumpeted 4K, with Canon noting that the previous 70D model was popular with bloggers. The 80D also has a new headphone jack. Naturally it’s Wi-Fi and NFC equipped and the design is otherwise very similar to the 70D, but with a deeper grip and more tactile feel.

Slotting alongside the new DSLR release is the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens – the first lens, says Canon to have ‘Nano USM’ technology – plus Power Zoom adapter the PZ-E1. Canon says the new lens is designed for people to shoot stunning movies and stills – but the adapter seems to signify the manufacturer is looking to satiate its audience of videographers in particular. The PZ-E1 features electrical contacts, which ‘talk’ to the lens – which in turn talks to the camera and allows users to adjust zoom speed. It’s also compatible with Canon’s Camera Connect app.

The fourth new product is the G7 X Mark II, which, says its maker, has witnessed a lot of changes – chief among them the introduction of a Digic 7 processor – the first appearance of this upgraded processor in the Canon range. It is claimed to be 14x faster than Digic 6. Speed aside, it is also said to improve subject detection and tracking – offering a one stop advantage over the plain old G7 X. Attendant features to note are 8fps capture speed for up to 19 Raw frames, time lapse movies, picture style modes and improved grip, which is again aimed at making the camera more tactile. Canon has also thought about the videographer with regard to this model too: there’s a new ‘silent switch’ by the lens to enable smooth and quiet use (without any audible clicks).

The fifth release is the new PowerShot SX 720 HS, which is being pitched as very much a travel camera, thanks in part to its 40x optical zoom power. Other features to note are 20.3 megapixel maximum resolution and the ability to capture Full HD movies at 60P. The pitch here is that this is a great all-rounder, and naturally comes with the modern connectivity options of both Wi-Fi and NFC.

Canon was also good enough to offer PhotographyBlog an overview of the photography market by way of introduction, before going on to talk through the new products one by one….

Daniel Benjamin, Canon UK Product Marketing Manager:

“The current photographic market at the moment is in around 11% decline. The good news is that Canon is bucking that trend. We’re in a really good position. For overall photo we’re still the number one brand and for DSLR we’re number one both in volume and value. In terms of lenses we’re also number one for volume and value. What’s interesting is that, with the G7 X, we’ve now got the number one best selling product in the premium camera market and not only is that market growing, but we’ve also maintained the number one position. Even in the below 20x zoom category we’re still doing well with the number one position there and then we’ve got the Pro1000 printer shipping today. We’re also moving into a new year where consumer confidence is up, so it’s a good start.

“I also want to highlight the investment we’re putting into the imaging market and how we can grow. We’re going bigger and better at The Photography Show this year – it kicks off on the 19th of March and we’ve got a lot bigger stand. It will be the first chance for people to get their hands on the new products, from the 1DX Mark II to the 80D. We’ll have all the product managers there and all the expertise… we’ll also be focusing on additional services, so we’ll have a CS100 Connect Station demonstration and we’ll be promoting things like Irista online photo storage.

“At The Photography Show, we’ll have two stands linked with a ‘lens bridge’ and behind that will be our live stage. We’ll be showcasing our ambassadors, we’ll be doing workshops, and really bringing things to life at the show. Before and after, we’re doing a lot of work to really create the hype – because this is pretty important in order to drive the imaging market.

“On our left hand stage there will be the chance to touch and try our core product; butCanon on every area there will be someone demonstrating and giving hints and tips. And then the right hand side will be effectively our solutions side, so we’ll be looking at the 5DS and 5DS R workflow, we’ll have the connected home, we’ll be showcasing all the HD books and we’ll have a dedicated Canon Professional Services technical area – we’ll have guys there to hopefully answer all the questions from end users.

“We’ll also have a 4k display set up with the C300 Mark II so everyone can see what the image quality is like. We will also have a couple of dealer rooms.”

David Parry, Product Intelligence Professional:

“Our five new models are the 80D, the G7 X Mark II, the SX720 HS and then the new lens and Power Zoom adapter, which is something we haven’t made before, so it is pretty exciting.

“The 80D is replacing the 70D. This is a camera that sits slap bang in the middle of our line up. So is a very important camera for us, and intended for the people that step up to from say, the 700D, to boost the quality of their shots just that little bit further. It’s got a better auto focus system, faster burst capture and more buttons and controls to give you a much more immersive experience. We’re speaking to the real enthusiasts when we get to this kind of level; these are the ones we want to encourage to get the best out of their cameras. We really want to push them and are hoping that we’ve done this with the 80D.

“In terms of the technology inside, we’ve got a brand new 24 million pixel sensor, which has dual pixel CMOS AF. The ISO is 100 to 16,000 – that’s one stop higher than the 70D. And it’s expandable to 25,600. It’s got a Digic 6 processor to improve the image quality. There’s lots of interesting stuff on here including flicker detection – the first camera we had it on was the 7D Mark II – and the feedback we had from people was that it was incredibly useful for so many lighting conditions. Also we’ve now got 7fps, and have completely redesigned the mirror box assembly which is very similar to what we’ve done with the 1D X Mark II, in that in going for a gear mechanism it’s made it a lot smoother and a lot quieter. It also allows you to control the mirror better to minimise black out time. What’s great about the sensor and processor now is that with these two working together you’re getting a buffer rate of 110 JPEGs or 25 Raws, whereas on the 70D it was 65 Jpegs and 16 Raws.

“My favourite feature on this camera is the 45 point AF system – which is very similar to the AF system we had on the old 1D Mark IV. To now find this AF system at this level of camera is really exciting. We’re making the cameras more f/8 sensitive as well; it’s been fed back to us that people want to use their cameras with converters. We can do 27 points at f/8 and nine of those are cross type – so a great range there. It goes to -3ED; the first camera that had that was the 6D. Basically the camera will auto focus in what we’re calling moonlight. And we have four area modes as well.

“Last thing we’re going to talk about on this one is the movie capability. You get dual pixel CMOS AF at 60P, which is really nice. You can control the sensitivity and the speed of it as well. The 70D was a very, very popular with bloggers. But one of things that people said was that it didn’t have a headphone socket on it. So we’re really pleased that the 80D now has a headphone jack.

“We also have Wi-Fi and NFC as you’d expect, which works with all the apps to allow the camera to be controlled remotely. The physical appearance of it is very similar to the 70D as you’d expect; the users seem to be happy with the button layout and the last thing people want to do is completely re-learn a new camera. But we have changed a few things: the grip is a lot deeper and the thumb grip on the back is more tactile, so the camera feels much nicer in your hand.

“Let’s have a look at the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM. This lens features a completely new type of motor, which we’re calling ‘nano’ USM, which is fantastic for high-speed photography. But it’s also good for movie work as well as stills, because it’s hard to get nice and smooth results with other USM lenses. It’s just as good at shooting high-speed sports as it is at shooting movies.

“The adapter that works with it is a Power Zoom adapter. It’s got electrical contacts so it talks with the lens, which then talks with the camera. What’s good about that is that you can control it remotely using Wi-Fi. The latest version of our Canon Connect App gives you the ability to zoom in or out remotely, which is pretty cool. You can alter the speed of the zoom to tailor it to the kind of effect you want to get, or flick the setting back to manual zoom.

“The next thing we’re going to show you is the replacement for the G7 X – this is the G7 X Mark II. There are a number of really interesting changes on here – although there are some things we’ve deliberately kept the same because the feedback to this camera has been really positive. An exciting development is that we’ve now got a Digic 7 processor in here – which is 14x faster than Digic 6. It also gives you improved subject detection as well, especially in low contrast environments.

“We’re expecting image quality to have a one stop advantage over the G7 X because the IS system has changed: we’ve got dual sensor IS system inside here, which not only uses information that it gets from the lens but information that it gets from the sensor as well. We’ve got it running at 8fps for up to 19 frames in Raw. This shows the power of the Digic 7 processor. We’ve got picture styles and time-lapse movies. A couple of other things: the Mark II has got an improved grip on it and is more tactile in your hand. But what I really like, as well, is that we now have a switch below the lens ring. If you are shooting movies the last thing you want is the ‘click’ of the lens; now you can press the switch so the lens action becomes completely smooth and there is no sound picked up by the microphone.

“The last thing we’ve got to show is the SX720 HS. This range has really evolved over the years to become more and more powerful. It’s a very popular camera for travel and super zoom users. This one has gone up from a 30x optical zoom to a 40x optical zoom – which is a huge range – whilst the physical size has hardly changed at all. The lens system now has more ultra dispersive glass inside it than any other camera of its type. We’ve managed to miniaturise it to fit in a camera this size, which is a big step forward. And we wouldn’t do this unless we could achieve the best image quality possible – so it’s very exciting.

“It’s a 20.3 million pixel sensor here with Digic 6 processor, with an HS system for really high image quality. It’s also got Full HD movies at 60P, so this is a fantastic travel camera in that it’s a great all rounder. There’s Wi-Fi and NFC inside there too which uses the same Canon Connect App, whether you’ve got a DSLR or CSC. Hope you enjoy!”

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