Canon presents EOS 80D DSLR and 18-135mm lens with power zoom adapter
Canon has announced the EOS 80D. The SLR gets a 24.2-megapixel sensor with Dual Pixel AF technology. There will also be a new 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS lens with a new Nano USM focus motor and a smooth zooming accessory.
The Canon EOS 80D is the successor to the EOS 70D, which came on the market in 2013. That was the first SLR to use Dual Pixel AF, a technique with which the camera focuses with phase detection when using live view. Until now, cameras with this technique could not continue to focus while shooting in continuous mode, but that is the case with the 80D.
The new aps-c format image sensor has 24.2 megapixels and an ISO range of 100 to 16,000, which can be digitally further increased to 25,600. At 7fps, the shooting speed is equal to the 70D. When shooting in live view, the maximum speed is 5fps. Like the Canon EOS 7D Mark II and 5DS, the 80D will have a mirror mechanism that should limit vibrations.
One of the biggest innovations compared to the 70D is the new autofocus system with 45 focus points, all of which are cross-sensitive. Of these autofocus points, 27 continue to work as a cross-type sensor when using a lens with f/8 as the largest aperture opening. This is especially useful when using teleconverters on telephoto lenses. The center focus point is extra sensitive and continues to work until light values of -3EV.
The movie function has been improved, but limited in possibilities compared to most system cameras that often offer 4k video. The maximum resolution is 1920×1080 pixels at 60fps. It is possible to connect headphones and an external microphone, and there is also a built-in stereo microphone. Options such as focus peaking or clean HDMI output for recording with external recorders are missing.
Just like the 70D, the new model has WiFi, but the 80D also adds NFC. The housing, which is sealed against dust and moisture, has remained largely the same. The 3″ screen has 1.04 million dots and is touch-sensitive. The optical viewfinder shows 100 percent of the image, an improvement over the 98% that the 70D shows. Canon will supply the EOS 80D from April and will give the loose body a suggested retail price of 1299.99 euros.
Together with the EOS 80D, Canon introduces the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM. It’s Canon’s third zoom with these focal lengths, but the first to feature a fast USM AF motor. In addition, it is a new Nano USM variant, which can focus quietly and smoothly, according to Canon, which is desirable for video recordings. The optical design consists of sixteen elements in twelve groups and includes a ud lens and an aspherical lens. The minimum focusing distance is 39 centimeters. The new zoom will be available from March for a suggested retail price of EUR 589.99.
Canon also releases the Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E1, which can be mounted under the 18-135mm IS USM. This attachment contains a motor that can be set at different speeds, which makes it possible to zoom in smoothly. The accessory will be on the market in July for 159.99 euros.