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The Canon EOS 80D is not the first DSLR choice of professional photographers, but it is a really good camera for enthusiasts and more entry-level photographers. It is an upgrade to the 70D Canon and it comes equipped with newer and improved image sensor and metering sensor, a headphone socket and new features such as continuous autofocus during video.
The Canon EOS 80D is the successor of the 70D, and it brings to the table a better autofocus and a newer sensor. It is a mid-priced camera launched in 2016 and more of an entry-level DSLR in terms of capabilities and features. Even though it is 2 years old, the 80D is still a great choice in this 2018. It is a solid piece of equipment and not that expensive considering what it can do. That is why the price of the 80D hasn’t really dropped since it has been launched.
Design-wise, the 80D is pretty similar to its predecessor. It has a magnesium alloy chassis, polycarbonate exterior, it feels and looks solid, with its weather-sealed body, and the controls are mostly accessible through its touchscreen, with a few physical ones as well.
Here are the main specifications for the Canon 80D:
There are some specs of the Canon 80D that make it a bit outdated for 2018. One of them is the fact that it can’t shoot 4K. On the other hand, you do get continuous autofocus during video, an up to 45 points (cross-type) autofocus sensor, a 24 megapixel sensor (which is an improvement from the 20 megapixel in the Canon 70D), a continuous shooting speed of 7fps and a headphone socket in addition to the microphone port. Another new feature related to the exposure control, is the 7,560 pixel RGC + IR metering sensor and TTL full-aperture, which is very useful for face tracking and more.
Compared to the 70D, the 80D has an increased burst depth to 25 RAW files (110 JPEGs) when you use the camera with a UHS-1 SD card. The 70D can only do 16 RAW files (65 JPEGs).
Controls
Because it is more aimed at more novice photographers, the 80D has several auto modes available, such as landscape, portrait, night portrait, close-up, hand-held night scene, sports and HDR backlight control. There are of course plenty of manual modes, too, if you know what you are doing and want to enter the ‘creative zone’, as Canon calls it. In the Creative Zone, you’ve got Program AE, Shutter-priority AE, Aperture priority AE, Manual exposure, Bulb, Custom shooting mode C1 or C2.
When you are shooting in Live View, you’ve got 10 creative filters to choose from: toy camera, soft focus, grainy black and white and more. They only work for JPEG, not RAW.
For RAW images you can make various adjustments, for brightness, white balance, quality, color space, distortion correction, high-ISO noise reduction and more.
The 80D comes with more control over the Dual Pixel CMOS AF sensitivity, letting you adjust the focus according to your needs. You can thus create various transitions, fast or slow.
When it comes to image quality, the new sensor in the 80D helps you obtain detailed images, with a great dynamic range and a lower noise. However, the 80D is still behind the new generation of Nikon cameras for instance, especially when it comes to ISO performance.
One of the greatest things about the 80D is the continuous focus (AI Servo) in live view. The feature works beautifully, as long as you don’t push the camera to its limits and you don’t use it in very low light.
When it comes to video, the 80D doesn’t capture 4K, only 1080p, but up to 60fps and the results are quite impressive. You can choose between 3 compression settings, the video focus is really great, people are kept in focus thanks to the face detection and there’s also subject tracking, which you can activate by pushing a button, although you don’t really have a saying in what it chooses to track. The headphone socket is a really useful addition, because now you can actually hear if your mic is working and you can hear whatever it is that you are recording.
The battery life on the 80D is impressive; you can take approx. 1000 shots on a single charge. The battery is LP-E6, rechargeable lithium-ion. In the box you also get a LC-E6 wall charger.
The 80D is definitely an upgrade to the 70D, inside more than outside. While it looks pretty much the same as its predecessor, the 80D is superior in terms of features and newer and better sensors. It can’t compete with high end DSLR models, but for an entry-level DSLR camera, it really stands its own and it proves to be a competitive product.
In the Canon Store the Canon EOS 80D goes for $999 (just the body).
Phone: 1-800-652-2666; Monday-Friday: 8 am to 12 am; Saturday: 10:00 am to 8:00 pm
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The Support section on the Canon website contains a lot of useful information, from drivers and manuals to useful articles and more. There is also a Canon Forum.
Our editorial staff evaluates products and services independently, but Best Review Guide may earn money when you click on links. Read our advertising disclosure.
By: Matt | Last updated January 23, 2021 
