The photo enthusiasts and the professional photographers always crave for the autofocus technology during video shooting. Apart from Sony, which use EVFs and the same dedicated focus system for both stills and video, SLRs of other companies only relied on the traditional autofocus method while shooting videos. But Cannon changed that notion when they launched EOS 70D which comes with the on-sensor Dual Pixel AF technology which features smooth , quick transitions in focus without the hunting back and forth unlike the contrast-based methods and joined the SLR video race, satisfying their huge fan base of photographers and film makers. Canon today unveiled the all new EOS 80D, featured with a new 24.2 megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC 6 processor, the upgraded version of its predecessor EOS 70D. The latest SLR from the house of Cannon, 80D is priced at $1,199 as a body only and is scheduled to ship in March.
The brand new Cannon EOS 80D uses the same Dual pixel autofocus system they used in EOS 70D, and apart from that adds some new unique features. Cannon include a headphone jack for audio monitoring, and improve the capability to push the ISO all the way to 25600 when recording footage. The Japan based company kept the other video features same, like there’s still a vari-angle touch-screen LCD and video still tops out at 1080, but the maximum frame rate has been increased to 60fps. But still Canon did not introduce the 4K video recording feature.
If we talk about the autofocus aspect of the camera, the all new 80D includes more improvements like capturing stills using the optical viewfinder. Also the focus system has been upgraded EOS 80D now includes 45 points, all of which are cross-type, and can function in illumination as low as -3EV. If we discuss about the points, 27 support focus with lenses with a maximum f/8 aperture (including f/4 glass with a 2x teleconverter attached and f/5.6 lenses with a 1.4x teleconverter). Also the company enabled the maximum shooting rate of 7fps with continuous autofocus.
The company has also looked into the EOS 80D’s resolution and increased it to 24 megapixels, though it still uses an APS-C sensor and is compatible with EF-S and EF lenses. The native ISO of the camera tops out at 16000, but ISO 25600 and ISO 51200 are available as extended modes when shooting stills. Cannon EOS 80D is powered by a Digic 6 image processor and features a 7,560-pixel RGB meter that is sensitive to both visible and infrared light for more accurate scene recognition and truer skin tones.
Apart from the body only, Canon EOS 80D will also be available with a new kit lens, the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM. This new lens is more powerful, but still silent and comes with a USM focus motor. The lens drives the glass at speeds about 4.3 times that of the STM lens, used in previous 70D, when zoomed all the way in, and 2.5 times as fast at the wide angle. The sole reason behind this is the company introduces a new Nano USM motor with a flat design.
But the faster focus isn’t the only USP of this brand new 18-135mm lens. It is also the only lens which is compatible with the company’s new Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E1, as of now. Also an external motor helps the lens to adjust its focal length. The motor is placed at the bottom of the lens and can be controlled via a tethered connection or smartphone app, with three speeds of zoom available. PZ-E1, the all new power zoom adapter is powered by AAA batteries and is going to sell for $149.99 when it hits the market in June.
The canon EOS 80D is priced at $1,799 including the 18-135mm lens kit. The 18-135mm lens comes with a price tag of $599.99 of its own. Canon is also bringing its first Directional Stereo Microphone; DM-E1 microphone to market, to complete the video kit. The DM-E1 comes with a standard 3.5mm connection, includes a windscreen and can be mounted in a shoe. The microphone is priced at $249.99 and will go on sale in June.
Cannon EOS 80D Key Specs
- 24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
- DIGIC 6 Image Processor
- 3.0″ 1.04m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen
- Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
- 45-Point All Cross-Type AF System
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF
- Expanded ISO 25600, Up to 7 fps Shooting
- Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC
- RGB+IR 7560-Pixel Metering Sensor
