The Canon 80D is Canon’s answer to all the YouTubers pursuing the perfect Vlogging camera. This camera is built on top of a rich foundation provided by the Canon 70D and is the rightful successor to the title of a “Vlogger’s Best Friend”. We’ll be discussing every nut & bolt from a YouTuber Vlogger’s perspective in this Canon 80D review, so stay tuned and read on!
Canon 80D Review
From its chassis to its image handling capabilities, the Canon 80D is a powerhouse, holding a stack of features within a stylish & durable body. For a general idea, the 80D packs the following features:
- 24.2 MP APS-C CMOS sensor
- 45-point AF system
- Improved Dual Pixel CMOS AF for video
- Intelligent viewfinder
- Built in Wi-Fi & NFC connectivity
- Vari-angle Touch Screen 3.0
- DIGIC 6 Image Process
- ISO 100-12800
This is just beginning that is the Canon 80D. Let’s take a more detailed look.
Design: Consistent
The Canon 80D has several features resembling that of the 70D, one of which is its design. Physically, the DSLRs are the same, and we loved this continuity of design as it allows for an easy transition.
This 80D has a substantial magnesium alloy coating at vulnerable spots, making it weather-resistant and strong to take almost anywhere. The grip is very well-constructed and extremely comfortable to hold. Weighing in at 1.6 pounds only, the camera is no strainer, and even lighter than the 70D.
In addition, the camera has built-in flash as well as a hot shoe for external flash connections. It packs a mic jack which is a great addition for every Vlogger, as the importance of clear sound is paramount.
Viewfinder & LCD: Flexible
The optical viewfinder is very well built, especially for Youtubers who have an iterative urge to control the framing & composition. The LCD is full high-resolution, and offers a high level of brightness making it usable under bright sunlight.
The screen has a flip screen so can be tilted in any way you see fit. So if you’re in the mood to capture your facial expression from time to time, the 80D is the way to go! This is great for hard core Vloggers who want to record Casey Neistat style.
Coming to the touch screen, the Canon 80D comes with tap to focus as well as tap to shoot modes. Plus, there are a handful of gestures preloaded as well like pinch to zoom and swipe to flip. Overall, the touch screen is accurate & responsive which makes it easier than ever to get the perfect shot.
Controls & Menus: Rich
Canon is a master at making controls that are abundantly feature-ful & accessible at the same time. Even if you’re a Vlogger whose migrating from Olympus or Nikon, the 80D won’t bug with their intuitive controls.
Firstly, the Canon 80D has a number of custom options and a selection of buttons that can be assigned to carry out special tasks like accessing most frequently used settings, and so on. This comes in quite handy on a Safari trip!
Even though the camera doesn’t have a joystick to move the focus point, there are two dedicated buttons to activate the manual focus screen, which work seamlessly with the Quick Control Dial, with no excess delay.
Furthermore, there are several other automatic features like Auto, Program & Scene modes for Vloggers coming in from the DSLR genre, as well as video templates like HDR lighting that would be discussed later in this Canon 80D review.
Video: The New Standard
Moment of truth!
The Canon 80D can capture full high-definition movies at 1080p at 60 fps. This is a huge upgrade from the 70D’s 30fps limit and truly multiplies one’s possibilities. One might dread the absence of 4K. But when it comes to YouTube, your video style and content matter the most for your viewers.
1080p resolution is more than enough to fulfil this goal as most people on video-streaming sites either don’t have an internet connection that’s luxurious enough or a device that’s high-end enough to stream 4K.
Video shot on the Canon 80D may be shot in MP4 or .MOV. Here’s a table that better explains this:
We would recommend the full-HD MP4 settings as the camera is at its best in this mode and provides exposure accuracy & colors that are hard to top.
There’s an inbuilt microphone, although we would recommend investing in an external mic if your Videos hold important details within the sound. Nevertheless, the microphone has been moved closer to the front of the camera, which provides better audio compared to the 70D.
Capturing the video with the 80D is quite simple, even for a newcomer. Flipping the Still/Video capture switch to the lower position, and then pressing the Start/Stop button fires it up.
The “Auto+” mode is truly a Vlogger’s best friend as it provides the most optimum settings necessary for the shoot. However, even if you wish to shoot in Manual mode, you can still set the camera at Auto ISO setting. In a similar manner, you can play with the exposure compensation, with all the other settings set at Auto. The possibilities are endless.
The ease of access is very real, as most the settings are stacked within the video Q menu. You can set the recording size, AF mode, WB, digital zoom, audio levels, etc. all from here, under one panel.
Many YouTube Vloggers are concerned with the video Auto-Focus part of a camera, so we’ve taken it into consideration in this Canon 80D review. The Dual Pixel AF system is the star of the show and provides continuous Auto Focus functionality during capture. In addition, if need arises to pull the focus from one point to the next, you can simply tap the screen at the desired location.
Moreover, the Canon 80D comes with three excellent video shooting modes, namely:
- HDR movie: this allows merging two movie frames at different exposures, producing a superb quality video at 30fps.
- Time lapse movie: joins up still photos to create visuals like moving cloud, sunset/sunrise, etc.
- Creative filters: these add liveliness to the scene and can be enabled during Live View Shooting. Some of the filters include Grainy B&W, Fisheye Effect, Toy Camera, etc.
All in all, there’s no need to be disappointed with the loss of 4K video, as the 80D provides a quality that blows the competition out of the water, giving you a crisp, accurate and rich video.
Wi-Fi, NFC & Battery
The Canon 80D has both Wi-Fi and NFC connectivity that makes stand-alone Vlogging a reality. All you need is this DSLR and you can share your experience with your Smartphone, straight out of the camera. Plus, you can get marvellous shots with the 80D’s remote shooting feature, capturing photos & videos that would otherwise be impossible.
The 80D has a LP-E6 rechargeable lithium-ion battery, a standard among DSLRs. It is stated within the CIPA standards that a fully charged LP-E6 can last up to 1300 shots, but this drops to about 900 shots with Live View Activated.
Low Light: Impressive
Low light performance is superb, given the camera’s max ISO. For starters, the auto ISO does the trick and provides great quality video and images. However if you’re experienced with manual settings, you can get the tiniest of details out of the picture.
If 16000 isn’t enough for you, the ISO can be expanded to 25600, but it’s best not to play with this feature unless you’re completely familiar with all the other settings, because it may be difficult for a beginner to neutralize the amount of graininess that comes with increased ISO.
Image Quality: Solid
The Canon 80D has a head-start compared to the 70D when it comes to Image Quality; featuring a 24MP CMOS sensor. This may not be a giant increment in terms of resolution but the extra features make it worthwhile.
The 80D comes with increased dynamic range and more importantly a greater ISO range, allowing it to hit 16000. This is exceptional, especially in low light conditions and thus an Adventurers best friend.
You can store the images in both JPEG and RAW format.
Conclusion
To conclude this Canon 80D review, we would say that with its excellent image processor, rich controls and accessible connectivity, the camera is a great choice for any YouTube Vlogger looking for a great performing YouTube camera.
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