Canon EOS 80D Review

May 26, 2016 | Mark Goldstein | Rating star Rating star Rating star Rating star Half rating star

Introduction

The Canon EOS 80D is a prosumer APS-C digital SLR camera. Successor to the three year old 70D, the EOS 80D features a 24.2 megapixel CMOS sensor, an updated Dual-Pixel CMOS AF system which now additionally offers continuous autofocus during live view stills shooting, an Intelligent Viewfinder which displays 100% of the frame, a 3-inch vari-angle LCD touchscreen, 1080p Full HD video up to 60fps in MP4 format with new time-lapse and HDR movie modes and a headphone port, 7fps burst shooting, a new 45 all cross-type point AF system, DIGIC 6 image processor, 7560-pixel RGB+IR metering system, built-in wi-fi and NFC, Anti-Flicker mode, and an ISO range of 100-25600. Positioned above the EOS 760D / Rebel T6s and below the EOS 7D Mark II, the Canon EOS 80D is available priced at £999.99 / $1199 for the body only or $1799 with the new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens.

Ease of Use

From the outside the new Canon EOS 80D looks very similar to its predecessor, the EOS 70D, which we reviewed back in 2013. Measuring 139.0 x 105.2 x 78.5mm, it's ever so slightly bigger than the 70D, but slightly lighter at 730g including the battery and memory card. There's a textured area on both the deep hand-grip on the front and around the thumb-rest on the rear of the 80D, and unlike the smaller and cheaper EOS 760D / Rebel T6s model, this camera is well-suited to everyone with normal to large-sized hands. The 80D continues to use a metal chassis covered with a plastic outer that is as weatherproof as its predecessor was.

On more basic SLRs, adjustments are usually made using a combination of buttons and a single control wheel. This is fine for novices, but awkward for more experienced photographers who want to be able to quickly adjust a combination of exposure, shutter speed or aperture. Like Canon's other semi-pro cameras, the Canon EOS 80D offers two control wheels; a small one on the top of the handgrip, and a large, spinning dial on the back of the camera. This rear quick control dial is characteristic of all high-end Canon EOS cameras. It's a bit of an acquired taste compared to more conventional control dials, but you quickly get used to it and it is easy to spin.

The 80D also has a conventional four-way controller set within the quick control dial, rather than the joystick that higher-end Canon DSLRs use, making it better suited to upgraders from the more consumer-orientated 760D / Rebel T6s. Less understandable is the controller's design - sitting slightly proud of the circular dial that surrounds it and looking more like a wheel itself, it takes some time to get used to this less elegant arrangement. The quick control dial features a lock switch positioned directly underneath which helps to prevent unintentional changes to your settings.

The 80D has a handy dedicated Q button on the rear which which opens the Quick Control screen. Depending on which shooting mode you're using, this lets you set various parameters via the LCD screen, using either the four-way controller or the touch-screen to move around the various options. The Quick Control screen is particularly well-suited to beginners and tripod work.

The Canon EOS 80D features built-in wi-fi connectivity, which allows you to share images during playback via the Wi-Fi menu option. Enable the Wi-Fi menu option and the Wi-Fi Function option appears underneath, which contains six icons. The 80D can connect to another camera, a smartphone, a computer, a printer, the internet and a DNLA device respectively. Setup is long-winded but relatively straight-forward for each scenario, although you'll need a basic understanding of the protocols involved (or consult the supplied User Guide). Note that you need to install the dedicated and free EOS Remote app to connect the 80D to the world's most popular smartphone, or the Apple iPad and iPod Touch, or an Android device. You can then use your smartphone or tablet to remotely control almost every aspect of the camera's operation, review images on a larger, more detailed screen and to transfer images between devices.

The 80D can tag your images with GPS data (latitude, longitude, altitude and shooting time) just like many of the company's compact cameras. We prefer having GPS built into the camera rather than having to sync it with an additional device, although it does consequently suffer from the issue of negatively affecting battery life. The EOS 80D has also added built-in NFC, which allows you to quickly transfer images to a compatible smart device by simply tapping them together.

On top of the Canon EOS 80D, positioned above the status LCD display, are four buttons, each of which has a single function rather than the dual-function buttons of some Canon DSLRs. While this makes it simpler to understand and easier to operate with the camera held up to your eye, it does inevitably lead to more scrolling through the menu system. There are two LCD displays on the EOS 80D, the 3-inch colour LCD on the rear and the smaller status panel on the top. On cheaper cameras, the LCD on the rear usually has to do both jobs, but on this model most of the key settings are visible from above on the smaller panel. This can make the Canon EOS 80D quicker to use and it may also extend the battery life, depending on how extensively you use the LCD screen.

Canon EOS 80D
Front of the Canon EOS 80D

The main LCD screen offers a fantastic resolution of 1,040K dots, so you may find yourself using it more often than you thought. It allows you to judge the critical sharpness of your photos using the LCD screen, which has been a long-standing issue on Canon's entry- and mid-range DSLRs. The screen also has an aspect ratio of 3:2 - i.e. identical to that of the sensor - so that the photos fill the screen completely, with no black stripes along the top and bottom.

The EOS 80D has an articulated screen, which helps to realise the full potential of Live View and video shooting. The high-res, free-angle LCD screen is much more than just a novelty - it's a lot more versatile than the usual combination of optical viewfinder and fixed LCD, providing new angles of view and enhancing your overall creativity. Above all, it's a fun way of composing your images.

The 80D is the latest EOS camera to feature a touch-screen. It supports a variety of multi-touch gestures, such as pinching and swiping, for choosing shooting modes, changing settings, tracking faces, selecting auto-focus points, and focusing and taking a picture in Live View mode. In playback you can swipe to move from image to image and pinch to zoom in and out, just like on an iPad or other tablet device. The ability to focus and take the shot with a single press of your finger on the screen makes it quick and easy to capture the moment.

The EOS 80D's built-in pop-up flash features a built-in Integrated Speedlite Transmitter for controlling up to two groups of off-camera Speedlites without the need for an external transmitter. Note that the 80D still doesn't have a PC Sync port for connecting the camera to external lights, limiting its use in studio environments. There's also the expected hotshoe for use with one of Canon's external flashguns.

Like most DSLRs aimed at beginners and amateurs, the EOS 80D provides a number of auto shooting modes aimed at beginners, including portrait, landscape, close-up, sports, night portrait, hand-held night scene, and HDR backlight control, now grouped under the SCN option on the Mode dial on the top-left of the camera, which comes complete with a central lock button to prevent accidental movement. HDR Backlight takes three shots at different exposures and combines them into one with greater shadow and highlight detail, and the Hand-held Night scene mode takes multiple images at fast shutter speeds and blends them together for a sharp result. The fully-automatic Scene Intelligent Auto mode analyses the scene in front of you and automatically picking the best settings, much like the systems used by lot of digital compacts.

There are, of course, manual and semi-automatic modes for users who want more advanced exposure control. Canon refers to these advanced operations as the 'creative zone' and provides all the normal settings including Program, Aperture and Shutter Priority and the full manual mode. Additionally, the Creative Auto mode is targeted at beginners who have grown out of using the Full Auto mode, allowing you to change a few key settings using the LCD screen via a simple slider system for changing the aperture and exposure compensation, or Background and Exposure as the camera refers to them.

Reflecting its more consumer-friendly nature, the 80D now offers ten creative filters, which are only available when shooting in Live View mode and for JPEGs, not RAW files. These include Soft Focus, which dramatizes an image and smooths over any shiny reflections, Grainy Black and White creates that timeless look, Toy Camera adds vignetting and color shift, and Miniature Effect makes a scene appear like a small-scale model, simulating the look from a tilt-shift lens.

Canon EOS 80D
Rear of the Canon EOS 80D

In addition a feature called Basic+ applies a creative ambience to images when shooting in the Basic modes. Essentially a more extreme version of the well-established Picture Styles, Basic+ enhancements that can be applied to the scene modes include Vivid, Soft, Warm, Intense, Cool and Brighter. There's also some control over what is essentially the white balance via the Shoot by Lighting effect, with the options being Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten, Flourescent and Sunset.

Once the EOS 80D is in the 'creative zone', users can adjust the ISO setting to one of nine positions from 100 to H(25600), which is more than adequate for most lighting conditions. The EOS 80D offers a range of three Auto focus modes (One Shot, AI Focus and AI Servo), and there are six preset, auto, kelvin and custom white balance options. The so-called Intelligent Viewfinder, which now offers 100% scene coverage, displays key exposure information including ISO speed AF mode selection and metering.

The 80D uses a completely new 65-point auto-focus system, and all 65 of them are cross-type points, with the centre point being the extra sensitive double-cross type at f/2.8 and featuring EV-3 low-light sensitivity, helping to ensure that moving objects remain in focus even in very low light. There are four metering modes including a 4% Spot metering mode, useful in tricky lighting conditions as an alternative to the excellent and consistent Evaluative metering system. The 80D is the latest EOS camera to include infra-red and flickering light sensitivity, with the flicker detection mode automatically compensates for tricky indoor lighting by only taking the shot when the light levels are at their brightest level.

The menu system uses a simplified tab structure that does away completely with scrolling, with 15 colour-coded horizontal tabs (dependant upon the shooting mode) and up to 7 options in each one, providing quick and easy access to the various options. You can even setup your own customised menu page for instant access to frequently used settings via the My Menu tab. Only the complex Custom Functions menu detracts a little from the overall usability.

We tested the EOS 80D with the new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens, which offers a versatile focal range and crucially includes image stabilisation. This is important for Canon, as competitors like Sony, Olympus and Pentax all offer image stabilisation in their DSLRs. The difference between Canon (and Nikon) and the others is that Sony, Olympus and Pentax have opted for stabilisation via the camera body, rather than the lens, which therefore works with their entire range of lenses. Canon's system is obviously limited by which lenses you choose, but it does offer the slight advantage of showing the stabilising effect through the viewfinder. Canon and Nikon also claim that a lens-based anti-shake system is inherently better too, but the jury's out on that one.

The Canon EOS 80D offers fast, positive autofocus, which can track moving subjects very well and which is also near-silent. The new EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM is also a very quiet performer, thanks to the built-in USM (ultra-sonic motor), which makes this lens very well-suited to video recording and more candid photography. If you're upgrading from an older or cheaper digital EOS model and already have a lens or lenses, you can also buy the 80D body-only.

The EOS 80D features the latest DIGIC 6 processor, which produces noticeably faster image processing, start-up and image review times, and better noise reduction in high-ISO images than older EOS cameras (jump to the Image Quality page for ISO samples). Despite the increase to 24.4 megapixels, the 80D actually shoots just as quickly in the fastest Continuous mode as the previous 70D model, obtaining a speed of 7fps for up to 110 full-sized JPEGs or 25 RAW images.

Canon EOS 80D
Top of the Canon EOS 80D

The 80D has a very similar Live View system to the 70D, with one important change to the autofocusing system which makes it a lot quicker. If you're new to DSLRs and don't understand the terminology, basically Live View allows you to view the scene in front of you live on the LCD screen, rather than through the traditional optical viewfinder. This is an obvious attraction for compact camera users, who are familiar with holding the camera at arm's length and composing via the LCD screen. It's also appealing to macro shooters, for example, as it's often easier to view the screen than look through the viewfinder when the camera is mounted on a tripod at an awkward angle.

There's a dedicated Live View button on the rear of the camera to the right of the viewfinder, surrounded by a switch to choose between Movie or Stills shooting. A horizontal Electronic Level and very useful live histogram can be enabled to help with composition and exposure, and you can zoom in by up to 10x magnification of the image displayed on the LCD screen. Focusing is achieved either via the AF-On Lock button or more conventionally by half-pressing the shutter-button. Live View can also be controlled remotely using the supplied EOS utility software, which allows you to adjust settings and capture the image from a PC.

Live View attempts to satisfy both the consumer and more technical user, with four types of focusing system on offer. Quick AF works by physically flipping the camera mirror to engage the auto-focus sensor, which then momentarily blanks the LCD screen and causes a physical sound, before the image is displayed after about 1/2 second. The other methods, Flexizone Single, Flexizone Multi and AF + Tracking with Face Detection, now use an image contrast auto-focus system, much like that used by point-and shoot compacts, the main benefits being the complete lack of noise during operation, and no LCD blackout, and additionally a phase-detection system that's cleverly employed directly on the camera's image sensor plane. All of the effective pixels on the EOS 80D's CMOS sensor are able to perform both still imaging and phase-detection AF simultaneously (dubbed "Dual Pixel CMOS AF"), which makes the three Live View modes almost as quick as the Quick AF mode, especially the Flexizone Single mode, taking a less than a second to focus on a clearly-defined subject in bright light, which is much quicker than the 3 seconds that the older 60D took. You can also move the AF point anywhere around the middle 80% of the frame, and the 80D successfully and quickly detected faces in most situations.

The EOS 80D is the second Canon DSLR (after the cheaper 760D/T6s model) to offer AI Servo autofocussing in live view. Providing you half press the 80D's shutter release, it'll maintain focus before and during a shot with no focussing hesitation at the point of shooting, which is great if you spend a lot of time photographing moving subjects through live view.

Live View and Dual Pixel CMOS AF are also used for the Canon EOS 80D's movie mode. If you turn the Live View switch to the position denoted by the movie camera icon, the camera will enter the Movie Live View mode automatically. Before you start filming, you need to focus on the subject either manually or using auto focus as described above, and optionally set exposure and ISO. To be able to do this, you first need to set the shooting mode dial to Manual. Now you can set aperture, shutter speed (within limits) and ISO manually (note that even if you do not enable manual exposure for movies, you can still use functions like AE lock and exposure compensation if you feel a need for it). Once everything is set up, you can start filming by hitting the Live View Start/Stop button on the back of the camera.

The EOS 80D offers a choice of 60/50/30/35/24fps when recording Full 1920x1080 HD video clips in either the ALL-I or IPB codecs with optional embedded time code, and 60/50/20/25fps when shooting at 720p. Note however that the available frame rates are also dependent on what you have set in the menu under "Video system": NTSC or PAL.

The EOS 80D will automatically adjust focus during filming, and you can initiate auto-focus at any time while recording a clip. However, be warned that this can do more harm than good, as, depending on the lens, the microphone can pick up the sound of the focus motor, and the subject might even go out of focus for a second or two. Setting a small aperture and relying on depth of field for focus is a better idea. Of course you may wish to utilise the DSLR's ability to produce footage with a shallow depth of field, but in that case, it might be a wise idea to purchase a couple of third-party accessories that make manual focusing and focus pulling easier.

Canon EOS 80D
The Canon EOS 80D In-hand

Basic in-camera movie editing allows you to shorten a video file by clipping segments from the beginning or the end. There is a built-in microphone for stereo recording, and you can connect an external microphone equipped with a stereo mini plug to the camera's external microphone IN terminal. Note that there also now a headphone jack for audio monitoring. You can also manually adjust the sound recording level in 64 steps to help ensure that the audio track matches the visual quality of the video, and there's also an electronic Wind Filter.

The EOS 80D uses the same dust-removal technology as previous models, where the sensor is shaken briefly at high frequency to dislodge any dust particles from its surface. This could delay the need for manual sensor cleaning, perhaps indefinitely, but it won't be able to remove 'sticky' deposits like salt spray, pollen or the smears left behind by careless sensor cleaning or the wrong kind of solvent. The 80D also inherits the internal Dust Delete Data system from the 70D, which can map the position of visible dust on the sensor. This can then be deleted automatically after the shoot with the supplied Digital Photo Professional software.

Lens Aberration Correction is a feature that's actually a lot simpler that it initially sounds. Basically it corrects the unwanted effects of vignetting, typically seen in wide-angle photos in the corners of the frame, and chromatic aberrations, otherwise known as purple fringing. The 80D contains a database of correction data for many Canon lenses and, if Lens Aberration Correction is enabled, automatically applies it to JPEG images. For RAW images the correction is applied later in the Digital Photo Professional software. Up to 40 lenses can be programmed into the 80D, with over 80 currently available to choose from. Lens Aberration Correction is a useful and effective addition, particularly for JPEG shooters, and can safely be left turned on all of the time.

Once you have captured a photo, the Canon EOS 80D has an average range of options for playing, reviewing and managing your images. More information about a captured image can be seen on the LCD by pressing the Info button, which brings up an image histogram and all the shooting Exif data, including shutter speed and the time and date it was captured, with a second press displaying an additional RGB histogram. It is simple to get a closer look at an image as users can zoom in up to 15 times, and it is also possible to view pictures in a set of nine contact sheet. You can also delete an image, rotate an image, view a slideshow, protect images so that they cannot be deleted, and set various printing options. A rating of 1 to 5 can be assigned to your images in-camera, and these tags can also be viewed on a computer using Canon’s DPP software and some third-party image editing programs.

For RAW shooters, the EOS 80D features in-camera RAW image processing. The following adjustments can be applied to any RAW image that you have taken - Brightness, Quality, White Balance, Color Space, Picture Style, Peripheral Illumination Correction, Auto Lighting Optimizer, Distortion Correction, High-ISO Noise Reduction, and Chromatic Aberration Correction. The image is then saved as an additional new JPEG file without affecting the original RAW data.

The documentation that comes with the 80D is very good, as it is with all Canon cameras, with a detailed manual that includes everything you need to know about the camera's operation. Unfortunately Canon have decided to cut their costs by only including it on the supplied CD-ROM, which isn't much use when you're out shooting with the camera.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 24 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 7Mb.

The Canon EOS 80D produced images of excellent quality during the review period. This camera produces noise-free JPEG images from ISO 100 all the way up to ISO 1600, with noise first appearing at ISO 3200 - a very good performance for a 24 megapixel APS-C Sensor. The faster settings of 6400 and 12800 display progressively more noise, with the fastest setting of 25600 best reserved for emergenices.

The night photograph was very good, with the maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds and Bulb mode allowing you to capture enough light in all situations. The different Picture Styles and the ability to create your own are a real benefit to JPEG shooters, as are the Highlight Tone Priority and Auto Lighting Optimizer custom settings when used in the right conditions. The HDR mode combines three images taken at different exposures to create a single image with greater dynamic range, while the Creative Filters allow you to preview the effect before shooting.

Noise

ISO sensitivity can be set between ISO 100 and ISO 12800 in full-stop increments, and a boosted setting of ISO 25600 is also available. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting, with JPEG on the left and the RAW equivalent on the right.

JPEG

RAW

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

ISO 100 (100% Crop)

iso100.jpg iso100raw.jpg
   

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

ISO 200 (100% Crop)

iso200.jpg iso200raw.jpg
   

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

ISO 400 (100% Crop)

iso400.jpg iso400raw.jpg
   

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

ISO 800 (100% Crop)

iso800.jpg iso800raw.jpg
   

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

ISO 1600 (100% Crop)

iso1600.jpg iso1600raw.jpg
   

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

ISO 3200 (100% Crop)

iso3200.jpg iso3200raw.jpg
   

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

ISO 6400 (100% Crop)

iso6400.jpg iso6400raw.jpg
   

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

ISO 12800 (100% Crop)

iso12800.jpg iso12800raw.jpg
   

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

ISO 25600 (100% Crop)

iso25600.jpg iso25600raw.jpg

File Quality

The Canon EOS 80D has 2 different JPEG file quality settings available, including Fine and Normal, with Fine being the higher quality option. Here are two 100% crops which show the quality of the two options.

Fine (6.24Mb) (100% Crop) Normal (3.08Mb) (100% Crop)
quality_fine.jpg quality_normal.jpg
   
RAW (22.4Mb) (100% Crop)  
quality_raw.jpg  

Flash

The flash settings on the Canon EOS 80D are Auto, Manual Flash On/Off, and Red-Eye Reduction. These shots of a white coloured wall were taken at a distance of 1m.

Flash Off - Wide Angle

Flash On - Wide Angle

ISO 64 ISO 64
   

Flash Off - Telephoto

Flash On - Telephoto

ISO 64 ISO 64

And here are a couple of portrait shots. As you can see, neither the Flash On setting nor the Red-Eye Reduction option caused any amount of red-eye.

Flash On

Flash On (100% Crop)
flash_on.jpg flash_on1.jpg
   

Red-eye Reduction

Red-eye Reduction (100% Crop)

flash_redeye.jpg flash_redeye1.jpg

Night

The Canon EOS 80D's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds and there's a Bulb mode for even longer exposures, which is excellent news if you're seriously interested in night photography. The shot below was taken using a shutter speed of 15 seconds, aperture of f/8 at ISO 100.

Night

Night (100% Crop)

night1.jpg night1a.jpg

Picture Styles

Canon's Picture Styles are preset combinations of different sharpness, contrast, saturation and colour tone settings. The available Picture Styles are shown below in the following series, which demonstrates the differences. You can tweak these Picture Styles to your liking, and there are also User Defined styles so that you can create your own look.

Standard

Portrait

picture_style_01.jpg picture_style_02.jpg
   
Landscape

Fine Detail

picture_style_03.jpg picture_style_04.jpg
   
Neutral

Faithful

picture_style_05.jpg picture_style_06.jpg
   
Monochrome  
picture_style_07.jpg  

Creative Filters

Essentially a more extreme version of the well-established Picture Styles, Creative Filters offers 10 options, all of which can be interactively tweaked to suit your taste.

Grainy B/W

Soft Focus

creative_filter_01.jpg creative_filter_02.jpg
   
Fish-eye Effect

Toy Camera Effect

creative_filter_03.jpg creative_filter_04.jpg
   
Miniature Effect

Water Painting Effect

creative_filter_05.jpg creative_filter_06.jpg
   
HDR Art Standard HDR Art Vivid
creative_filter_07.jpg creative_filter_08.jpg
   
HDR Art Bold HDR Art Embossed
creative_filter_09.jpg creative_filter_10.jpg

Auto Lighting Optimizer

Auto Lighting Optimizer performs in-camera processing to even out the contrast and correct brightness. There are 4 different settings - Off, Low, Standard and Strong.

Off

Low

auto_lighting_optimizer_01.jpg auto_lighting_optimizer_02.jpg
   
Standard

High

auto_lighting_optimizer_03.jpg auto_lighting_optimizer_04.jpg

Highlight Tone Priority

Highlight Tone Priority is a custom function which can be enabled from the menu. Use of this custom function improves highlight detail by expanding the camera's dynamic range in the highlights. As you can see from these examples, Highlight Tone Priority reduced the extent of highlight blow-out considerably.

Off

On
highlight_tone_01.jpg highlight_tone_02.jpg

HDR

The Canon EOS 80D's HDR Mode captures three different exposures and combines them into one, retaining more shadow and highlight detail.

Off

+1EV

hdr_01.jpg hdr_02.jpg
   
+2EV

+3EV

hdr_03.jpg hdr_04.jpg

Multiple Exposure

The Canon EOS 80D can can shoot multiple images (2 to 9) and then merge them into a single image. An example with two images is shown below.

multiple_exposure.jpg

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Canon EOS 80D camera, which were all taken using the 24 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Canon EOS 80D enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Canon RAW (CR2) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movie & Video

This is a sample movie at the highest quality setting of 1920x1080 pixels at 50 frames per second. Please note that this 20 second movie is 145Mb in size.

Product Images

Canon EOS 80D

Front of the Canon EOS 80D

 
Canon EOS 80D

Front of the Canon EOS 80D / Pop-up Flash

 
Canon EOS 80D

Front of the Canon EOS 80D

 
Canon EOS 80D

Side of the Canon EOS 80D

 
Canon EOS 80D

Side of the Canon EOS 80D

 
Canon EOS 80D

Rear of the Canon EOS 80D

 
Canon EOS 80D

Rear of the Canon EOS 80D / Image Displayed

 
Canon EOS 80D

Rear of the Canon EOS 80D

 
Canon EOS 80D

Rear of the Canon EOS 80D / Main Menu

 
Canon EOS 80D

Rear of the Canon EOS 80D / Quick Menu

 
Canon EOS 80D

Rear of the Canon EOS 80D / Info Screen

 
Canon EOS 80D

Tilting LCD Screen

 
Canon EOS 80D

Tilting LCD Screen

 
Canon EOS 80D

Top of the Canon EOS 80D

 
Canon EOS 80D

Bottom of the Canon EOS 80D

 
Canon EOS 80D

Side of the Canon EOS 80D

 
Canon EOS 80D

Side of the Canon EOS 80D

 
Canon EOS 80D

Front of the Canon EOS 80D

 
Canon EOS 80D

Front of the Canon EOS 80D

 
Canon EOS 80D

Memory Card Slot

 
Canon EOS 80D

Battery Compartment

Conclusion

The Canon EOS 80D builds on the big leap forward that its predecessor made principally by adding continuous autofocusing for live view stills shooting and upgrading the image sensor and focusing/metering systems. So although it looks outwardly very similar to the 3-year-old EOS 70D, there are enough changes under the hood to ensure that this new model remains competitive with the likes of the Nikon D7200 and Sony A6300.

The EOS 80D's main strength is its lack of any particular weaknesses - it takes great pictures and shoots high quality 1080p video with a minimum of fuss, whilst being easy to use for both less experienced and more seasoned photographers alike. It also continues to offer the best all-round combination yet of viewfinder, live view and movie shooting experience for a DSLR camera, thanks largely to the innovative Dual-Pixel CMOS AF system.

The new 24 megapixel CMOS sensor produces virtually no visible noise at all from ISO 100 all the way up to ISO 1600, with even the three faster settings of 3200-12800 producing perfectly usable images (although 25600 is best reserved for emergency use). All other image quality aspects are up to Canon's usual high standards, so top marks go to the 80D in this department. Even the new 18-135mm kit lens is worth considering if you've not yet bought into the Canon system.

So while rival cameras may offer better image quality, or better specifications, faster burst modes, or smaller and lighter bodies, the new Canon EOS 80D is a very well-rounded camera that will satisfy most users needs most of the time. That may sound like damning the 80D with faint praise, but in a market where new cameras often seem to excel in one area above others, the versatile and intuitive EOS 80D is an all-rounder that's very easy to like.

4.5 stars

Ratings (out of 5)
Design 4.5
Features 5
Ease-of-use 5
Image quality 4.5
Value for money 4.5

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Canon EOS 80D.

Canon EOS 760D

The Canon EOS 760D (called the Canon EOS Rebel T6s in North America) is a new DSLR camera that boasts 24 megapixels, top panel LCD and rear panel control wheel, a 19-point autofocus system, Wi-Fi connectivity with NFC pairing and a touch-screen interface. Other key features of the 760D / T6s include burst shooting at 5fps, a vari-angle 3-inch LCD screen with 1,040k dot resolution, ISO range of 100-25,600, 14-bit image processing and Canon's latest Digic 6 processor. Is the Canon EOS 760D / T6i the best mid-range digital SLR camera on the market? Read our expert review to find out...

Canon EOS 7D Mark II

The long-awaited Canon EOS 7D Mark II DSLR has finally arrived, boasting improvements to virtually every aspect of its popular predecessor, the 5-year-old 7D. Can an APS-C sensor DSLR camera still compete in the fast-changing photography market? Read our detailed Canon EOS 7D Mark II review to find out...

Fujifilm X-Pro2

The new Fujifilm X-Pro2 is an exciting flagship premium compact system camera. The weather-proof X-Pro2 offers a brand new 24 megapixel sensor that's claimed to rival full-frame DSLRs, an improved hybrid viewfinder, faster processor and AF system, and a host of other improvements. Read our Fujifilm X-Pro2 review to find out if it can live up to its early promise...

Fujifilm X-T1

The Fujifilm X-T1 is a brand new compact system camera that looks, feels and performs very much like a classic DSLR that''s been shrunk in the wash. Is this the best X-series camera that Fujifilm have released, and can it compete with the likes of the Sony A7/A7R and Olympus OM-D E-M1, not to mention DSLRs from Canon and Nikon? Read our in-depth Fujifilm X-T1 review to find out...

Nikon D7200

The D7200 is a new prosumer DSLR camera from Nikon, succeeding the D7100 model from 2013. The weather-proof D7200 features a 24 megapixel DX image sensor, Multi-CAM 3500-II 51-point autofocusing system, wi-fi and NFC connectivity, 6fps burst shooting and a high-resolution 3.2 inch LCD screen. Read our detailed Nikon D7200 review to find out if it's the right DSLR camera for you...

Olympus OM-D E-M1

The Olympus O-MD E-M1 is a new professional compact system camera. Targeting its DSLR rivals, Olympus are promoting the E-M1 as a smaller and more capable camera. Read our expert Olympus E-M1 review to find out if it really can beat the competition...

Olympus PEN-F

The new Olympus PEN-F is a new premium compact system camera boasting a gorgeous retro design and some pro-level features, including a new 20 megapixel sensor, 5-axis image stabilisation, 10fps burst shooting, vari-angle 3-inch LCD touchscreen, 4K time-lapse movies, an electronic shutter and built-in wi-fi. Priced at £999 / $1199 body-only, is the PEN-F all style and no substance? Read our in-depth Olympus PEN-F review to find out...

Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8

The Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 is a new premium compact system camera aimed firmly at enthusiast photographers. With a new 20 megapixel Micro Four Thirds sensor, dual lens and in-body image stabilization, built-in tilting electronic OLED viewfinder, 3 inch free-angle OLED touchscreen, 4K video and photo modes, integrated wi-fi and NFC connectivity, and a weather-proof rangefinder-like design, can the Panasonic GX8 live up to its early promise? Read our in-depth Panasonic Lumix DMC-GX8 review complete with sample images, test shots, videos and more to find out...

Pentax K-3 II

The new Pentax K-3 II DSLR camera builds on the success of the excellent K-3 model with a number of key improvements. Is this the best ever Pentax DSLR? Read our in-depth Pentax K-3 II review to find out...

Sony A6300

The Sony A6300 is a new high-end compact system camera that features the fastest auto-focusing system in the world and the highest number of AF points. With a 24.2 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, 4K movie recording, high-res 3-inch tilting LCD screen, electronic viewfinder and built-in flash, the Sony NEX-6 also offers 11fps burst shooting, wi-fi and NFC connectivity, and downloadable PlayMemories Camera Apps. Read our in-depth Sony A6300 review to find out if it's the best Sony APS-C camera yet...

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Canon EOS 80D from around the web.

the-digital-picture.com »

Upon completing the Canon EOS 70D review, I declared that, if I had to pick a do-everything-well APS-C format camera that does not cost a fortune, the Canon EOS 70D would have been my recommendation. The Canon EOS 80D now takes this camera's place in Canon's lineup. Like the 70D, the 80D is feature-packed, including great image quality with high resolution, a very capable AF system, a large and information-filled viewfinder, a fast/responsive shutter combined with a very nice frame rate, a great LCD and compatibility with an incredible range of lenses, flashes and other accessories. And if video is on your bucket list, this camera will give you incredible 1080p high def video quality along with unprecedented Movie Servo AF performance.
Read the full review »

dpreview.com »

The Canon EOS 80D is an enthusiast-level DSLR, and the successor to the 70D. It sports a new 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor which, like the 70D, offers Canon's Dual Pixel on-sensor phase-detection autofocus system. The 80D also gains a new 45-point hybrid AF system with all of the points being cross-type. This is a step up from the 19-point AF system in the 70D, though not quite at the same level as the 65-point coverage offered by the more professionally-oriented 7D Mark II.
Read the full review »

techradar.com »

Canon has created an excellent camera for enthusiast photographers that makes a worthwhile upgrade from the 70D. It's well built, with sensibly arranged controls, and has good ergonomics and an extensive feature set. Most importantly, the image quality is superb with lots of detail, especially at the lower sensitivity settings.
Read the full review »

pocket-lint.com »

If you're looking to drop a four-figure wedge of cash of a mid-range DSLR - one that'll last you for a good stretch of time - then Canon is one of the names that so often floats to the surface; the crema on the coffee, if you will. And in the 80D that layer of pro-made goodness is more pronounced than ever before, thanks to an autofocus system hike and viewfinder improvements.
Read the full review »

Specifications

IMAGE SENSOR

Type

22.3mm x 14.9 mm CMOS

Effective Pixels

Approx. 24.20 megapixels

Total Pixels

Approx. 25.80 megapixel

Aspect Ratio

3:2

Low-Pass Filter

Built-in/Fixed with fluorine coating

Sensor Cleaning

EOS integrated cleaning system

Colour Filter Type

Primary Colour

IMAGE PROCESSOR

Type

DIGIC 6

LENS

Lens Mount

EF/EF-S

Focal Length

Equivalent to 1.6x the focal length of the lens

FOCUSING

Type

TTL-CT-SIR with a CMOS sensor

AF System/ Points

45 cross-type AF points
(45 f/5.6 cross-type AF points, 27 f/8 points [9 cross-type], centre point is f/2.8 and f/5.6 dual cross-type)¹

AF working range

EV -3 - 18 (at 23°C & ISO100)

AF Modes

AI Focus
One Shot
AI Servo

AF Point Selection

Automatic selection: 45 point AF
Manual selection: Single point AF
Manual selection: Zone AF
Manual selection: Large Zone AF
AF points can be selected separately for vertical and horizontal shooting

Selected AF point display

Indicated by a transmissive LCD in viewfinder and Quick Control screen

Predictive AF *

Yes, up to 8m

AF Lock

Locked when shutter button is pressed half way in One Shot AF mode or AF-ON button is pressed.

AF Assist Beam

Intermittent firing of built-in flash or emitted by optional dedicated Speedlite

Manual Focus

Selected on lens

AF Microadjustment

C.Fn II-16
+/- 20 steps (wide and tele setting for Zooms)
Adjust all lenses by same amount
Adjust up to 40 lenses individually
Adjustments remembered for lens by serial number

EXPOSURE CONTROL

Metering modes

7560-pixel RGB+IR metering sensor
Metering with the area divided into 63 segments (9×7)
(1) Evaluative metering (linked to all AF points)
(2) Partial metering (approx. 6.0% of viewfinder)
(3) Spot metering (approx. 3.8% of viewfinder)
(4) Center-weighted average metering

Metering Range

EV 1-20 (at 23°C with 50mm f/1.4 lens ISO100)

AE Lock

Auto: In One-shot AF mode with evaluative metering exposure is locked when focus is achieved.
Manual: By AE lock button in creative zone modes.

Exposure Compensation

+/-5 EV in 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments (can be combined with AEB).

AEB

2, 3, 5 or 7 Shots +/-3 EV 1/3 or 1/2 stop increments

ISO Sensitivity **

Auto (100-16000), 100-16000 (in 1/3-stop or whole stop increments)
ISO can be expanded to H: 25600
During Movie shooting: Auto (100-12800), 100-12800 (in 1/3-stop or whole stop increments) ISO can be expanded to H: 25,600

SHUTTER

Type

Electronically-controlled focal-plane shutter

Speed

30-1/8000 sec (1/2 or 1/3 stop increments), Bulb (Total shutter speed range. Available range varies by shooting mode)

WHITE BALANCE

Type

Auto white balance with the imaging sensor

Settings

AWB (Ambience priority, White priority), Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten light, White
Fluorescent light, Flash, Custom, Colour Temperature Setting.
White balance compensation:
1. Blue/Amber +/-9
2. Magenta/ Green +/-9.

Custom White Balance

Yes, 1 setting can be registered

WB Bracketing

+/-3 levels in single level increments
3 bracketed images per shutter release.
Selectable Blue/Amber bias or Magenta/ Green bias.

VIEWFINDER

Type

Pentaprism

Magnification

Approx. 100%

Eyepoint

Approx. 0.95x¹

Dioptre Correction

Approx. 22mm (from eyepiece lens centre)

Focusing Screen

Fixed (Transmissive LCD screen)

Mirror

Quick-return half mirror (Transmission: reflection ratio of 40:60, no mirror cut-off with EF 600mm f/4 IS USM or shorter)

Viewfinder Information

AF information: AF points, focus confirmation, AF area selection mode
Exposure information: Shutter speed, aperture value, ISO speed (always displayed), AE lock, exposure level/compensation, spot metering circle, exposure warning, AEB.
Flash information: Flash ready, high-speed sync, FE lock, flash exposure compensation, red-eye reduction light.
Image information: Card information, maximum burst (2 digit display), Highlight tone priority (D+).
Composition information: Grid, Electronic level, Aspect Ratio
Other information: Battery check, Alert symbol, Flicker Detection

Depth of field preview

Yes, with Depth of Field preview button.

Eyepiece shutter

On strap

LCD MONITOR

Type

Touch screen Vari angle 7.7cm (3.0") 3:2 Clear View II TFT, approx. 1040K dots

Coverage

Approx. 100%

Viewing Angle (horizontally/vertically)

Approx 170°

Coating

Anti-reflection, Solid Structure and Anti smudge

Brightness Adjustment

Adjustable to one of seven levels

Display Options

(1) Quick Control Screen
(2) Camera settings
(3) Electronic Level

FLASH

Built-in Flash GN (ISO 100, meters)

12

Built-in Flash Coverage

up to 17mm focal length (35mm equivalent: 27mm)

Built-in Flash recycle time

Approx. 3 seconds

Modes

Auto, Manual flash, Integrated Speedlite Transmitter

Red-Eye Reduction

Yes - with red-eye reduction lamp

X-sync

1/250sec

Flash Exposure Compensation

+/- 3EV in 1/2 or 1/3 increments

Flash Exposure Bracketing

Yes, with compatible External Flash

Flash Exposure Lock

Yes

Second Curtain Synchronisation

Yes

HotShoe/ PC terminal

Yes/ No

External Flash Compatibility

E-TTL II with EX series Speedlites, wireless optical multi-flash support

External Flash Control

via camera menu screen

SHOOTING

Modes

Scene Intelligent Auto (Stills and Movie), No Flash, Creative Auto, SCN(Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports, Night Portrait, Handheld Night Scene, HDR Backlight Control, Food, Kids, Candlelight), Creative filters, Program AE, Shutter priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual (Stills and Movie), Bulb, Custom

Picture Styles

Auto, Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Fine Detail, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User Defined (x3)

Colour Space

sRGB and Adobe RGB

Image Processing

Highlight Tone Priority
Auto Lighting Optimizer (4 settings)
Long exposure noise reduction
High ISO speed noise reduction (4 settings)
Multi Shot Noise Reduction
Auto Correction of Lens Peripheral illumination and Chromatic aberration correction
Creative filters (Grainy B/W, Soft focus, Fish-eye effect, Art bold effect, Water painting effect, Toy camera effect, Miniature effect)
Multi-exposure
RAW image processing - during image Playback only
Resize to M or S1, S2, S3

Drive modes

Single, Continuous L, Continuous H, Self timer (2s+remote, 10s +remote), Silent single shooting, Silent continous shooting

Continuous Shooting

Max. Approx. 7fps. (speed maintained for up to 110 images (JPEG)(1)(10)(with UHS-I card), 25 images (RAW)(with UHS-I card))¹²

Intervalometer

Built-in, number of shots selectable from 1-99 or unlimited. Bulb timer possible

LIVE VIEW MODE

Type

Electronic viewfinder with image sensor

Coverage

Approx. 100% (horizontally and vertically)

Frame Rate

30 fps

Focusing

Manual Focus (Magnify the image 5x or 10x at any point on screen)
Autofocus: Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Face detection and Tracking AF, FlexiZone-Multi, FlexiZone-Single), Tracking sensitivity (-3 to +3) and Movie Servo AF Speed (-7 to +2)

Metering

Real-time evaluative metering with image sensor.
Evaluative metering, partial metering, spot metering, center-weighted average metering.

Display Options

Grid overlay (x3), Histogram, Electronic level

FILE TYPE

Still Image Type

JPEG: Fine, Normal (Exif 2.30 [Exif Print] compliant) / Design rule for Camera File system (2.0),
RAW: RAW, M-RAW, S-RAW (14bit, Canon original RAW 2nd edition),
Digital Print Order Format [DPOF] Version 1.1 compliant

RAW+JPEG simultaneous recording

Yes, any combination of RAW + JPEG, M-RAW + JPEG, S-RAW + JPEG possible.

Image Size

JPEG 3:2: (L) 6000 x 4000, (M) 3984 x 2656, (S1) 2976 x 1984, (S2) 1920x1280, (S3) 720x480
JPEG 4:3: (L) 5328x4000, (M) 3552x2664, (S1) 2656x1992, (S2) 1696x1280, (S3) 640x480
JPEG 16:9: (L) 6000x3368, (M) 3984x2240, (S1) 2976x1680, (S2) 1920x1080, (S3) 720x408
JPEG 1:1: (L) 4000x4000, (M) 2656x2656, (S1) 1984x1984, (S2) 1280x1280, (S3) 480x480
RAW: (RAW) 6000x4000, (M-RAW) 4500x3000, (S-RAW) 3000x2000

Movie Type

MOV / MP4 (Video: H.264 Intra frame / inter frame, Sound: Linear PCM / AAC, recording level can be manually adjusted by user)

Movie Size

1920 x 1080 (59.94, 50 fps) inter-frame
1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25, 23.98 fps) intra or inter frame
1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25) lite inter-frame
1280 x 720 (59.94, 50 fps) inter-frame
1280 x 720 (29.97, 25) lite inter-frame

Movie Length

Max duration 29min 59sec, Max file size 4GB (If file size exceeds 4GB a new file will be created automatically)

Folders

New folders can be manually created and selected

File Numbering

(1) Consecutive numbering
(2) Auto reset
(3) Manual reset

OTHER FEATURES

Custom Functions

26 Custom Functions

Metadata Tag

User copyright information (can be set in camera)

LCD Panel / Illumination

Yes / Yes

Water/ Dust resistance

Yes

Sound Memo

No

Intelligent Orientation Sensor

Yes

Playback zoom

1.5x - 10x

Display Formats

(1) Single image with information (2 levels)
(2) Single image
(3) 4 image index
(4) 9 image index
(5) 36 image index
(6) 100 image index
(7) Jump Display
(8) Movie edit

Slide Show

Image selection: All images, by Date, Folder, Movies, Stills
Playback time: 1/2/3/5/10/20 seconds
Repeat: On/Off
Background music: On/Off
Transition effect: Off, Slide in 1, Slide in 2, Fade 1, Fade 2, Fade 3

Histogram

Brightness: Yes
RGB: Yes

Highlight Alert

Yes

Image Erase/Protection

Erase: Single image, All images in folder, Checkmarked images, unprotected images
Protection: Erase protection of one image at a time

Menu Categories

(1) Shooting menu (x6)
(2) Playback menu (x3)
(3) Setup menu (x4)
(4) Custom Functions menu
(5) My Menu

Menu Languages

25 Languages
English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Greek, Russian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian, Ukrainian, Turkish, Arabic, Thai, Simplified Chinese, Traditional Chinese, Korean and Japanese

Firmware Update

Update possible by the user.

INTERFACE

Computer

Hi-Speed USB

Other

Video output (PAL/ NTSC) (integrated with USB terminal), HDMI mini output (HDMI-CEC compatible), External microphone (3.5mm Stereo mini jack), Headphone socket (Stereo mini jack)

DIRECT PRINT

Canon Printers

Canon Compact Photo Printers and PIXMA Printers supporting PictBridge

PictBridge

Yes

STORAGE

Type

SD, SDHC or SDXC (UHS-I)card

SUPPORTED OPERATING SYSTEM

PC & Macintosh

Windows 10 / 8.1 / 8 / 7(*)
* With Microsoft .NET Framework 4.5 is installed.
Mac OS X 10.9, 10.10, 10.11

SOFTWARE

Image Processing

Digital Photo Professional 4.4.0 (RAW Image Processing)

Other

EOS Utility
EOS Lens Registration Tool
EOS Web Service Registration Tool
EOS Sample Music
Picture Style Editor

POWER SOURCE

Batteries

Rechargeable Li-ion Battery LP-E6N (supplied), built in for date & settings

Battery life

Approx. 960 (at 23°C, AE 50%, FE 50%)¹
Approx. 860 (at 0°C, AE 50%, FE 50%)

Battery Indicator

6 levels + percentage

Power saving

Power turns off after 1, 2, 4, 8, 15 or 30mins.

Power Supply & Battery Chargers

AC Adapter AC-E6(N), DC coupler: DR-E6, Battery charger LC-E6, Car Battery charger CBC-E6

PHYSICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Body Materials

Polycarbonate resin with glass fiber

Operating Environment

0 – 40 °C, 85% or less humidity

Dimensions (WxHxD)

139.0 x 105.2 x 78.5mm

Weight (body only)

Approx. 730g (CIPA testing standard, including battery and memory card)

ACCESSORIES

Viewfinder

Eyecup Eb, E-series Dioptric Adjustment Lens, Eyepiece Extender EP-EX15II, Angle Finder C

Case

Leather case EH21-L

Wireless File Transmitter

Built in Wi-Fi transmission
Connectivity to Smart devices is possible with Android version 4.0-4.4/5.0-5.1 or iOS 7.1/8-8.3.
NFC connectivity is possible only with compatible Android devices.
Remote Wi-Fi zoom operation of EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM via the optional Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E1 is only possible on EOS 80D using a compatible smart device (as above) or while using supplied EOS Utility software

Lenses

All EF and EF-S lenses

Flash

Canon Speedlites (90EX, 220EX, 270EX, 270EX II, 320EX, 420EX, 430EX, 430EX II, 430EX III-RT, 550EX, 580EX, 580EX II, 600EX, 600EX-RT, Macro-Ring-Lite, MR-14EX, Macro Twin Lite MT-24EX, Speedlite Transmitter ST-E2, Speedlite Transmitter ST-E3-RT)

Battery Grip

BG-E14

Remote Controller/ Switch

Remote Switch RS-60E3, Remote Controller RC-6

Other

Hand Strap E2, GP-E2

Your Comments

Loading comments…