Introduction to Canon 80d and Canon 90d
The Canon 80d and Canon 90d are two popular camera models in Canon’s DSLR lineup. Both cameras are aimed at enthusiasts and offer advanced features to capture high-quality photos and videos. In this in-depth comparison, we will explore the key differences between the Canon 80d and Canon 90d, helping you make an informed decision based on your photography needs.
The Canon 80d features a 24.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, while the Canon 90d boasts a higher resolution with a 32.5-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor. This difference in sensor resolution allows the Canon 90d to capture more detail in your images, making it a great choice for photographers who prioritize image quality.
Another notable difference between the Canon 80d and Canon 90d is their autofocus systems. The Canon 80d utilizes a 45-point all cross-type autofocus system, while the Canon 90d takes it a step further with a 45-point all cross-type autofocus system that is enhanced with Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology. This advanced autofocus system in the Canon 90d provides faster and more accurate focusing, especially when shooting in Live View or recording videos.
Key Differences Between Canon 80d and Canon 90d
Starting with the key differences, the Canon 90d boasts a higher resolution sensor compared to the Canon 80d. The 90d features a 32.5-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, while the 80d offers a 24.2-megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor. This results in higher image resolution and improved detail in your photos. However, it’s important to note that both cameras produce excellent image quality.
Another significant difference is the image processor. The Canon 90d comes with the latest DIGIC 8 image processor, providing faster and more accurate autofocus performance, better low-light performance, and improved noise reduction. The Canon 80d, on the other hand, features the DIGIC 6 image processor, which still delivers great performance but lacks the advancements seen in the DIGIC 8.
Design and Build Quality Comparison
When it comes to design and build quality, both the Canon 80d and Canon 90d feature a robust and ergonomic body that feels comfortable in hand. The 90d, however, benefits from a few refinements. It has a deeper grip, making it easier to hold for extended periods, especially for individuals with larger hands. The presence of additional buttons on the 90d also improves access to various settings, allowing for more intuitive and efficient control over the camera’s functions.
In terms of construction, both cameras utilize a sturdy polycarbonate body with magnesium alloy chassis, ensuring durability and resistance to minor impacts. They also come with weather sealing, providing protection against dust and moisture, allowing you to capture shots in challenging conditions with peace of mind.
Furthermore, the Canon 90d introduces a new feature in its design – a vari-angle touchscreen LCD. This allows for greater flexibility in composing shots from various angles, as well as easy navigation through menus and settings. The touchscreen functionality also enables quick and convenient autofocus selection and adjustment, enhancing the overall shooting experience.
Sensor and Image Quality Comparison
The sensor is a crucial component in determining image quality, and both the Canon 80d and Canon 90d deliver exceptional results in this area. As mentioned earlier, the 90d has a higher resolution sensor, resulting in sharper and more detailed images. The additional megapixels also offer greater flexibility when cropping images or making large prints.
Both cameras feature an APS-C CMOS sensor, which is standard for APS-C DSLR cameras. This sensor size allows for a favorable balance between image quality, depth-of-field control, and portability. The sensors in the Canon 80d and Canon 90d also have a built-in low-pass filter to reduce moiré and aliasing, ensuring accurate rendering of fine details in your photos.
Furthermore, the Canon 90d’s DIGIC 8 image processor enhances image quality by producing cleaner images with superior noise reduction, especially in low-light shooting conditions. The improved sensor and image processing technology make the 90d a great choice for photographers who prioritize image quality.
In addition to the sensor and image quality, both the Canon 80d and Canon 90d offer a wide range of customizable settings to further enhance your photography experience. These settings include various shooting modes, such as aperture priority, shutter priority, and manual mode, allowing you to have full control over your images.
Moreover, both cameras are equipped with advanced autofocus systems that ensure quick and accurate focusing. The Canon 80d features a 45-point all cross-type autofocus system, while the Canon 90d boasts a more advanced 45-point all cross-type autofocus system with Dual Pixel CMOS AF. This technology enables smooth and precise autofocus during both still photography and video recording.
ISO Performance Comparison
The ISO performance of a camera determines its ability to capture images in low-light conditions without introducing excessive noise. In this aspect, both the Canon 80d and Canon 90d perform admirably.
The Canon 90d, with its newer image processor, offers better high ISO performance compared to the 80d. It produces cleaner and more usable images at higher ISO settings, allowing for greater flexibility when shooting in challenging lighting situations. However, it’s worth noting that the Canon 80d is no slouch either and delivers impressive results up to ISO 6400.
When it comes to ISO performance, it’s important to consider the specific needs of your photography. While the Canon 90d may have an advantage in high ISO settings, the Canon 80d still holds its ground in many situations. Its ISO range up to 6400 allows for excellent low-light performance, making it a reliable choice for various shooting conditions.
Autofocus System Comparison
When it comes to autofocus, the Canon 90d takes a leap forward with its advanced Dual Pixel CMOS AF system. This system provides faster and more accurate autofocus performance, especially in Live View and video recording. The 90d features 5,481 focus points spread across the frame, allowing for precise subject tracking and improved focusing speed.
While the Canon 80d also offers reliable autofocus capabilities, it utilizes a slightly older version of the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system. It has 45 focus points, which are concentrated towards the center of the frame. Despite this, the 80d’s autofocus performance is still excellent for most photography situations, particularly when capturing still subjects in good lighting conditions.
In addition to its advanced autofocus system, the Canon 90d also offers a variety of autofocus modes to suit different shooting scenarios. These include Single AF, AI Servo AF, and AI Focus AF. Single AF is ideal for capturing stationary subjects, while AI Servo AF is designed for tracking moving subjects. AI Focus AF automatically switches between Single AF and AI Servo AF depending on the subject’s movement.
On the other hand, the Canon 80d provides a range of autofocus modes as well, including One-Shot AF, AI Servo AF, and AI Focus AF. One-Shot AF is suitable for still subjects, while AI Servo AF is useful for continuous tracking of moving subjects. AI Focus AF automatically switches between One-Shot AF and AI Servo AF depending on the subject’s movement, similar to the Canon 90d.
Burst Shooting Speed Comparison
If you frequently capture fast-moving subjects or action scenes, the burst shooting speed of a camera becomes crucial. The Canon 90d has the upper hand in this category with its impressive 10 frames per second (fps) continuous shooting speed. This makes it well-suited for sports, wildlife, and other fast-paced photography genres.
In comparison, the Canon 80d offers a respectable 7 fps continuous shooting speed, which is still sufficient for many photography situations. However, if photographing high-speed action is a primary requirement, the 90d’s faster burst shooting speed gives it a clear advantage.
Another important factor to consider when comparing burst shooting speeds is the buffer capacity of the camera. The buffer is the temporary storage space where the camera stores the images before writing them to the memory card. A larger buffer allows the camera to capture more images in rapid succession without slowing down.
The Canon 90d boasts an impressive buffer capacity, allowing it to capture up to 25 RAW images or 58 JPEG images in a single burst. This means you can capture a longer sequence of shots without worrying about the buffer filling up and slowing down the camera.
In contrast, the Canon 80d has a smaller buffer capacity, allowing it to capture up to 25 RAW images or 110 JPEG images in a single burst. While still decent, the smaller buffer size may limit the number of continuous shots you can take before the camera needs to pause and write the images to the memory card.
Video Recording Capabilities Comparison
Both the Canon 80d and Canon 90d shine in the realm of video recording, offering impressive capabilities for videographers and content creators. They are capable of recording high-quality Full HD and 4K videos.
However, the Canon 90d takes a step further with its 4K video recording capabilities. It can record 4K videos at up to 30 frames per second, delivering excellent detail and sharpness. The 90d also offers the option to extract high-resolution still images from 4K videos, expanding your creative possibilities.
In contrast, the Canon 80d is limited to Full HD video recording, which is still great for most applications. It can record Full HD videos at up to 60 frames per second, resulting in smooth and cinematic footage.
LCD Screen and Viewfinder Comparison
Both the Canon 80d and Canon 90d feature a fully articulated 3-inch LCD screen, allowing for easy framing and reviewing of images from various angles. The LCD screens on both cameras have a resolution of approximately 1.04 million dots, providing clear and detailed visuals.
Furthermore, both cameras come with an optical viewfinder that offers a bright and clear view of your subject. The Canon 90d utilizes an Intelligent Viewfinder II with 100% coverage, giving you an accurate representation of the final image before pressing the shutter. The Canon 80d also offers a similar optical viewfinder experience, although it has approximately 98% coverage.
Battery Life Comparison
The Canon 90d has a notable advantage when it comes to battery life. It features a higher-capacity battery that allows for extended shooting sessions without the need to frequently change batteries. With a fully charged battery, the 90d can capture approximately 1,300 shots, making it well-suited for long photo outings or extended video recording sessions.
In comparison, the Canon 80d offers a respectable battery life but not as impressive as the 90d. It can capture approximately 960 shots on a fully charged battery, which is still more than sufficient for most photography needs but may require additional batteries for longer shoots.
Connectivity Options Comparison (Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, etc.)
Both the Canon 80d and Canon 90d come with built-in Wi-Fi and NFC (Near Field Communication) capabilities. This allows for easy and convenient wireless transfer of photos and videos to compatible devices. You can effortlessly share your images to smartphones, tablets, or computers for quick editing, viewing, and sharing on social media.
In addition to Wi-Fi and NFC, the Canon 90d takes connectivity a step further by offering built-in Bluetooth as well. Bluetooth allows for a more seamless connection with compatible devices, enabling remote control functionality and maintaining a constant connection for quick sharing and geotagging.
Price and Value for Money Comparison
When it comes to pricing, the Canon 80d is generally more affordable compared to the Canon 90d. However, it’s important to consider the value for money offered by each camera. The Canon 90d, with its improved sensor, image processor, autofocus system, and 4K video capabilities, provides a significant upgrade over the 80d, justifying its higher price point for photographers who demand the latest features and advanced performance.
On the other hand, for photographers on a budget or those who do not require the enhanced specifications of the 90d, the Canon 80d still offers excellent image quality, solid performance, and a robust feature set at a more affordable price.
User Experience and Ergonomics Comparison
Both the Canon 80d and Canon 90d are designed to provide a comfortable shooting experience with intuitive controls and customizable settings. The cameras offer a range of physical buttons and dials, allowing for quick access to important functions and settings.
Regarding ergonomics, the Canon 90d offers a slight advantage with its deeper grip and additional buttons, as mentioned earlier. This improved ergonomic design enhances comfort during extended shooting sessions and makes it easier to handle the camera, especially if you have larger hands.
Image Stabilization System Comparison
It’s important to note that neither the Canon 80d nor the Canon 90d feature in-body image stabilization (IBIS). Instead, these cameras rely on lens-based stabilization, if supported by the specific lens being used. Canon lenses with image stabilization (IS) help reduce camera shake and produce sharper handheld images.
Although the lack of IBIS may be seen as a drawback by some, Canon offers a wide selection of lenses with excellent image stabilization technology, providing photographers with reliable stabilization for different photography genres and shooting scenarios.
Lens Compatibility and Accessories Comparison
Both the Canon 80d and Canon 90d are part of Canon’s EF and EF-S lens ecosystem, allowing for a vast selection of lenses to suit various needs and shooting styles. They are also compatible with a wide range of accessories, including external Speedlite flashes, battery grips, wireless remote controllers, and more.
Canon’s extensive lens lineup ensures that photographers have access to high-quality optics, from versatile zooms to specialized fixed focal lengths, enabling them to achieve their creative vision and tackle different photography genres with ease.
Pros and Cons of Canon 80d
Pros:
- Excellent image quality
- Reliable autofocus performance
- Durable build quality
- Fully articulated LCD screen
- Good battery life
Cons:
- Lacks 4K video recording
- Lower resolution sensor compared to the 90d
- Older image processor
Pros and Cons of Canon 90d
Pros:
- Higher resolution sensor
- Improved image processor
- Faster burst shooting speed
- 4K video recording capabilities
- Extended battery life
Cons:
- Higher price point
- No in-body image stabilization
- Slightly larger and heavier compared to the 80d
Which Camera is Right for You?
Choosing between the Canon 80d and Canon 90d ultimately depends on your specific photography needs, budget, and desired features. If you prioritize affordability and do not require the latest advancements, the Canon 80d is an excellent choice. It delivers great image quality, reliable performance, and a robust feature set suitable for a wide range of photography genres.
On the other hand, if you demand the latest features, improved image quality, and more advanced performance, the Canon 90d is worth considering. It offers a higher resolution sensor, better autofocus system, faster burst shooting speed, 4K video recording capabilities, extended battery life, and other enhancements, making it ideal for enthusiasts who want to push their photography boundaries.
Conclusion: Final Verdict on Canon 80d Vs Canon 90d
In conclusion, both the Canon 80d and Canon 90d are commendable cameras that cater to the needs of different photographers. The 80d remains a solid and reliable choice, especially for those on a budget, offering excellent image quality and substantial features. However, the Canon 90d elevates the game with its higher resolution sensor, improved image processor, faster burst shooting speed, and 4K video capabilities, making it an enticing option for enthusiasts seeking cutting-edge technology and advanced performance.
Ultimately, the decision between the Canon 80d and Canon 90d depends on your individual requirements and preference. Consider your photography style, budget, and the specific features that matter most to you, and you’ll be on your way to selecting the right camera that will help you capture stunning photos and videos.
