CANON 80D

Announcing the Canon EOS 80D

Canon has announced the EOS 80D, the successor to very capable EOS 70D that, notably, introduced Dual Pixel autofocus. The 80D brings some marked improvements to Canon's mid-market, enthusiast line, including a new 45-point AF module and updated Dual Pixel AF.
Body-wise, the 80D remains very similar to the 70D, which means a polycarbonate exterior with water and dust resistance. A few things have changed: the Q and Playback buttons on the back have shrunk, a headphone socket has been added, the remote port has been moved downward, and the stereo microphones have been relocated from the top of the camera (near the hot shoe) to the front, with wider separation (note the four small holes just left of the EOS 80D logo). Furthermore, the 80D now has a mirror vibration control system similar to the 5DS and 7D Mark II.

Dual Pixel AF

Possibly the most noteworthy improvement is that it's the first time Canon has delivered continuous autofocus (AI Servo) in still live view shooting from a Dual Pixel AF camera, and only the second time Canon offers continuous AF in live view for stills at all. Last time we saw it was in the the Rebel T6s (EOS 760D), which offers continuous AF in both stills and movie mode from its 'Hybrid CMOS III' sensor. However, its implementation is far from ideal, with significant hunting from Hybrid AF's reliance on contrast-detect AF in addition to phase-detect AF. (Only some of the imaging pixels on the T6s are masked for phase detection, rather than having split PDAF-capable pixels across the entire sensor.)
Our brief time with the 80D, on the other hand, left us very impressed. You can select your subject by tapping on it, and then as long as you keep the shutter half-depressed, the camera will quickly track your subject in all three

Canon EOS 80D Review

The Canon EOS 80D has recently been announced and is scheduled to arrive on the streets in March 2016. At that time, the full review of this featured-packed new camera will be completed at a very high priority.

Canon EOS 80D Features

• New 45-point all cross-type AF system
• Intelligent Viewfinder with approximately 100% viewfinder coverage
• Newly Developed 24.2 Megapixel (APS-C) CMOS sensor
• DIGIC 6 image processor for enhanced image quality
• Improved Dual Pixel CMOS AF for smooth, fast and accurate autofocus with video and stills
• Flicker Mode adjusts shutter release timing to avoid flickering light issues
• Built-in Wi-Fi and NFCTM capability for easy transfer of images and movies to compatible mobile devices
• 1080/60p Full HD video to capture brilliant results in MP4 format (for easy movie sharing on select social networking sites)
• Vari-angle Touch Screen 3.0-inch, 1 million dot, Clear View LCD II monitor enables flexible positioning and clear viewing even outdoors

to keep it in focus - no matter where it moves to within the frame. This means your subject tends to already be in focus when you're ready to take your shot and depress the shutter button. The camera even continues to focus in continuous drive at 5 fps.
Oddly, the much higher-end Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, skimps on this feature, only offering single AF in Live View. Previous iterations of Dual Pixel AF in the 70D and 7D Mark II also did not offer continuous AF.

Canon EOS 80D Compared to the Canon EOS 70D

• 24.2 megapixel sensor vs 20.2
• 45 cross-type AF points vs 19
• Up to 27 AF points available at f/8 max. aperture vs none
• 100% viewfinder coverage vs 98%
• DIGIC 6 vs DIGIC 5+
• Max buffer up to 110 JPEG/ 25 RAW (UHS-I) vs 65 JPEG/ 16 RAW (UHS-I)
• 60ms shutter lag vs 65ms
• Ambience priority / white priority AWB vs ambience only
• Flicker detection and timing vs none
• .MOV and .MP4 encoding vs .MOV only
• 1080p 60fps video recording vs 1080p 30fps
• Time lapse and HDR movie modes vs none
• Headphone jack vs none
• Wi-Fi and NFC vs Wi-Fi only
• 26 custom functions vs 23

For a more detailed look at this comparison, check out our Camera Specifications Comparison Tool.
The Canon EOS 80D is shown below with the optional Canon BG-E14 Battery Grip mounted.

The EOS 80D gains some significant upgrades when it comes to movie shooting. The most obvious change is the addition of 1080/60p video (and 50p for PAL shooters). In addition, the camera gains a headphone socket for audio monitoring while recording. Importantly, the mic and headphone sockets are angled for good reason: you can swing the articulating LCD and angle it upward or downward without it running into connected audio components. This allows videographers to make full use of the articulating screen while filming.
Add to this little changes like the movement of the built-in mics to the front of the body, rather than the haunches of the hot shoe, and the 80D shows signs that a lot of thought has been put into video.
Sadly there's no C-Log gamma option (a very flat tone curve useful for color grading), no focus peaking or zebra warnings and no 'clean' HDMI output for external recording, making clear this isn't intended for video professionals. However, the maximum ISO setting has received a boost and, much like the 1D X II, the combination of touchscreen and Dual Pixel AF should make it easier for non-pros to get good results.