Canon EOS 80D Review – Verdict
The 80D isn’t as revolutionary as the 70D was when it was released. Nevertheless, it’s better than its predecessor in a number of areas, including the accuracy of focusing both in and out of live view. The 80D is more responsive at focusing in low light than the 70D, and although it doesn’t feature case studies in the AF section of the menu, like the 7D Mark II, it’s good to see options being added to adjust the tracking sensitivity in the custom function menu.
Videographers who have been pleading for a headphone input have finally had their wish granted, and despite not featuring 4K the camera is equipped with all the advanced video functionality you need to shoot professional and smooth-looking movies at 60p.
The new sensor resolves more detail than the 70D. It doesn’t match the resolution of the Nikon D7200 at high sensitivities, but users will find there’s plenty of detail in images up to ISO 6,400. There was more chroma noise in JPEG files at high ISO than I had anticipated, but the accuracy of colour and exposure metering is just as good as we’ve come to expect from Canon, and is hard to fault. Canon hasn’t cut corners with regard to build quality. The 80D feels well constructed and should survive the test of time.
For amateurs and enthusiasts, the 80D is a well-rounded and highly capable APS-C DSLR that’s worth a close look. Whether you settle for the 80D or 7D Mark II depends on what you shoot, but with £80 (at the time of writing) being all that separates them, it doesn’t make it an easy decision. If a fully articulated screen, higher resolution and a slightly smaller body are what you’re after, the 80D gets the nod. However, if you shoot sports or action and would like your DSLR to shoot at up to 10fps with a highly sophisticated 65-point autofocus system and dual card slots, I’d say it’s worth spending the extra for Canon’s rather excellent EOS 7D Mark II.
