Canon EOS 80D Expert Review - Performance

Canon EOS 80D Performance

The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.

Speed - We took a number of shots to test the camera's responsiveness, from switch on to first photo, shot to shot, focusing speed etc. We take a number of shots and then use the average to ensure accurate and consistent tests, making it easy to compare with other cameras.

The camera gives impressively quick focus and shutter response, whether shooting normally or when shooting using live view, and live view is quicker than the previous camera. We were able to take 56 JPEG shots and 18 raw shots before the camera slowed, although Canon say you can shoot at 7fps for up to 110 images (JPEG) with UHS-I card, and 25 images (RAW), which is an improvement of the Canon EOS 70D.

Canon EOS 80D Sample Photos

Sample Photos - Colour is very good, with particularly pleasing skin tones, and reliable focus as well. Exposure is reliable and dynamic range is good. To expand dynamic range there are options for "Auto Lighting Optimisation" (ALO Off, Low, Mid, High), there is also the highlight tone priority option, or you can use the cameras built in HDR mode. It's also possible to recover underexposed photos without too much noise being an issue. The picture styles give you options for sharpness (strength, fineness, threashold), contrast, saturation and colour tone. 

Canon EOS 80D Lens test images

Lens Performance - The Canon EF-S 18-135mm IS STM lens we used with the camera performs well, as we found out in our review, and focus was rapid and also reliable. We were impressed with the camera's focus performance, even when shooting wide-open with bright primes. There are a number of excellent value, bright prime lenses available for Canon cameras, including the 50mm f/1.8, 85mm f/1.8, and 100mm f/2.0, to name a few. Lens correction options (for supported Canon lenses) includes peripheral illumination (vignetting), chromatic aberration, and distortion. We left chromatic aberration on for our shots, but left the other options off. Detail is good in photos, and there are a good number of options to get sharper images straight from the camera, something that used to be a concern on Canon DSLRs.

Canon EOS 80D ISO test images

ISO Noise Performance - The camera gives good levels of detail and low noise from ISO100 until ISO1600 where noise starts to reduce the level of detail recorded slightly. However ISO3200, and ISO6400 still produce usable results, depending on your needs. Noise becomes stronger at ISO12800, and there is a slight drop in colour saturation. ISO25600 is probably best avoided, but could still be useful if you process the images further or resize them. 

Noise performance is improved over the Canon EOS 70D, with less chroma noise (coloured splotches of noise in flat areas) from ISO800 onwards, and continues to be better. Noise options include Off, Low, Standard (we used this), High, plus Multi-shot Noise Reduction (like the Sony series).

Canon EOS 80D White-balance test images

White Balance Performance - Like other recent Canon EOS cameras, the 80D features a new "white priority" auto white balance option, which means you can get excellent, accurate white balance with this switched on, which is great for product shots, or you can leave it on normal settings and get warm white balance results, which is great for portraits or other general photography. It's also nice to see that this feature is available in all new Canon EOS cameras, from the entry level Canon EOS 1300D, all the way up to the professional Canon EOS-1D X Mark II. This option is designed to work under Tungsten lighting, but it also works under fluorescent and mixed lighting. This makes it possible to get good results in a variety of lighting conditions and means you shouldn't need to use the white balance presets, and as you can see above has worked well under both tungsten and fluorescent lighting. 

Canon EOS 80D Digital filters

Digital Filters - Creative auto has options for Vivid, Soft, Warm, Intense, Cool, Brighter, Darker, and Monochrome, with options for each of these letting you set how strong the effect is. Like the Canon EOS 1300D there is a Food scene mode. There are a number of digital effects available including miniature, water painting, HDR art (standard, vivid, bold, embossed), Grainy Black and White, Soft focus, fish-eye effect, and toy camera effect. You can edit raw images in camera from the playback view and there are options to use the shot settings, or customise settings. You can also apply a number of effects in playback. The camera doesn't feature a panoramic mode. 

Video - FullHD video is recorded at up to 60fps with 24, 25, 30, 50 fps also available, and you can use up to ISO25600 in video mode for low light situations. With phase detection pixels built in to the CMOS sensor, the focus performance during video recording is excellent. You have the option of MOV or MP4 recording, and you can adjust the audio level manually. Video quality is good, and if you are recording hand-held then you will benefit from using a lens with built in optical image stabilisation. A video recorded at ISO12800 in low-light can be found on the ePHOTOzine Youtube Channel.