UPDATE: The Canon EOS 80D will retail for R20 499 for the body only in South Africa. The kit with the new 18-135 IS USM lens is set to retail for R26 999.

Coming hot on the heels of the recently announced EOS 1D X Mark II, there is yet another new EOS on the block, this time the 80D.

The successor to the very well received enthusiast-aimed EOS 70D is targeted at the same crowd, only it brings a raft of new features with which to tempt. These include a new 24.2 megapixel CMOS sensor and DIGIC 6 processor, alongside a new 45 all cross-type point AF system and fast 7 fps shooting rate.

More particularly with regards to the latter, the AF points are individually selectable and can be grouped into areas, giving users greater control over composition regardless of where their subject is in the frame.

f/8 and be there

Additionally, there is more versatility for those who shoot with teleconverters, as 27 of these autofocus points are f/8 compatible. It seems like Canon is closing the book on the old limitation of only the centre point autofocusing at f/8 when employing a teleconverter, no doubt very good news for wildlife and sports shooters who can’t quite part with the hefty pricetags for the fastest long lenses available.

Furthermore, the 80D also boasts an impressive native ISO range from 100-16 000 range, expandable to ISO 25 600. In case you are wondering what its low light performance may be like, according to Canon the AF system will continue to work under moonlight (-3EV).

As for dealing with exposure, the company explained that the 7560-pixel RGB+IR metering sensor measures both visible light and invisible infra-red light, giving accurate exposures, while Flicker Detection ensures consistent exposure when shooting under flickering artificial lights. New onboard is a White Priority setting to help reduce the appearance of warmer tones.

A welcome return

Much like on its predecessor, the 3” Vari- angle  LCD II touchscreen makes a welcome return, no doubt as useful for video shooters or for those who like to capture images from other difficult to reach angles. Also catering to videographers, the EOS 80D has ability to shoot at 60p in MP4 format, enabling one to slow down action while still controlling focus, while the camera also includes headphone and microphone inputs.

One area where the 80D has an advantage over the stellar EOS 7D Mark II and even the aforementioned EOS 1D X Mark II is in connectivity. It, much like the 70D and EOS 6D before it, offers built in Wi-Fi, as well as Dynamic NFC connectivity, which means that it should play nice with your smart device. Additionally, users can connect the camera to their PC sans cord and without the need to connect to a home Wi-Fi router using Canon’s Connect Station CS100.

Together we are stronger

Speaking of accessories, the EOS 80D isn’t alone in the spotlight. The camera has debuted with its significant other and another companion in tow, namely an EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens and Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E1.

The former provides high performance autofocus for movies and stills with a wide focal range and has the distinction of being the first of Canon’s lenses to feature Nano USM focus technology. This, the company explained, delivers smooth, quiet AF for movies and speed for stills. The latter, the new Power Zoom Adapter PZ-E1, is a compact and lightweight accessory designed for this particular lens to enable smooth, fingertip zoom control when shooting movies, which according to Canon is ideal for capturing professional-looking documentary footage, with the option to control via Wi-Fi.

Wait for it

Suffice to say, we cannot wait to go hands on with Canon’s latest. As for pricing and local availability though, alas, none is available as yet, although we will update as soon as Canon gives the word. 

UPDATE: The Canon EOS 80D will retail for R20 499 for the body only in South Africa. The kit with the new 18-135 IS USM lens is set to retail for R26 999.