Canon EOS 80D Allows Amateur Filmmakers to Record Silky-Smooth HD Video without Much Tech Knowledge
Declining DSLR sales aren’t enough to stop Canon from pumping out updated versions of its DSLR workhorse cameras.
Canon’s new prosumer EOS 80D is the successor to the 70D DSLR, a camera that made it easy for amateur filmmakers to record silky-smooth full HD video without needing to know much technical wizardry.
Priced at $1,199 for the body only, the 80D is a predictable upgrade over the 70D. Canon will also sell a bundle with an 18-135mm kit lens (pricing for the kit hasn’t been announced).
The camera’s body and design, as is common with revamps, remains virtually identical to the old model. That’s not a bad thing since there’s little improvement that can be made on a DSLR’s look and feel.
The 80D has a higher-resolution 24.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS image sensor, a faster DIGIC6 image processor, a 45-point crosstype AF (versus 19-points on the 70D) and a Dual Pixel CMOS AF system. Continuous shooting is still seven frames per second and Wi-Fi and NFC are still onboard, too.
As far as new features, there’s a built-in time-lapse and High Dynamic Range (HDR) mode. In addition to the microphone jack, there’s also a headphone jack for monitoring audio levels when recording video.
The optical viewfinder also now has 100% coverage, meaning what you frame inside of it is exactly what your photo will look like. The 70D’s viewfinder only had a coverage of 98% — a small but annoying limit.
No doubt, if you’re looking into the 80D, you’re interested in its video recording capabilities. Whereas the 70D could record full HD 1080p resolution video at up to 30fps, the 80D is twice as nimble — going up to 60fps. The 3-inch touchscreen on the back is as versatile as ever thanks to its variable-angle hinge, which allows the screen to flip out.
Alongside the new 80D, Canon’s also introducing the Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E1, a $120 lens accessory that connects to the new 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens. With the PZ-E1, you can zoom in and out steadily without having to touch the lens ring. I tried the PZ-E1 out briefly and it was slick. There’s a fast and a slow mode and the entire system is silent while you’re sliding the zoom switch. The downside, however, is it uses four AAA batteries.
I didn’t get to try out the 80D in any suitable shooting environment, so I’ll reserve judgment until later. But the camera looks like a solid upgrade to the 70D. You’ll be able to pick one up by the end of March.