Preview: Canon EOS 77D and 800D
Canon launches two new DSLRS, one for enthusiasts and one for beginners, and rod lawton is there to find out what’s new
Two brand-new DSLRS, one for enthusiasts and one for beginners, are due this spring – so what’s new and exciting about them?
This is a special year for Canon, being the 30th anniversary of the birth of the EOS system. 1 March 1987 saw the launch of the amazing EOS 650, the first camera in a family that’s since spawned almost 100 different models (see p26 for our complete history). These days, Canon’s pushing the frontiers of technology as hard as ever, with an emphasis on sensor technology, autofocus and image quality.
With the forthcoming EOS 77D and 800D, users stand to gain in all three areas – and although they’re different on the outside, the EOS 77D and 800D share the same, very exciting imaging technology on the inside, much of which belies the cameras’ prices.
The sensor and autofocus system technology is effectively the same as that in the EOS 80D, though Canon says the 77D and 800D have a newly developed version that belongs to the same generation as the top-of-the-range EOS-1D X Mark II. The main autofocus system is straight from the EOS 80D, with 45 AF points, all cross-type, and 27 of these support autofocus at an aperture of f/8. This is clearly a substantial upgrade on the 19-point AF system in Canon’s previous mid-range DSLRS.
The new cameras also get the benefit of Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF autofocus in Live View, and indeed the Live View autofocus was impressively fast in the sample cameras we tried at the launch. Canon claims this autofocus system offers a 0.03-second autofocus response, which is the world’s fastest among interchangeablelens cameras with APS-C sensors
and on-sensor autofocus systems. Not bad going…
The EOS 77D and 800D also have high-powered DIGIC 7 processors designed to deliver high levels of detail rendition, colour and dynamic range. This contributes to the high maximum sensitivity of ISO25,600 (ISO51,200 expanded), and the maximum continuous shooting speed of 6 frames per second for unlmilted JPEG images or up to 27 Raw files. That’s much better than the EOS 750D and 760D (5fps, 940 JPEG/8 Raw), and compares well to the EOS 80D (7fps, 110 JPEG/25 Raw).
The built-in Wi-fi and NFC connectivity are carried through from the previous models, but Canon has added ‘always-on’ Bluetooth LE, so that you can turn on the camera and browse photos remotely from your smart device. Neither of the new cameras shoots 4K video, but they can shoot full HD 1920x1080 footage at up to 60fps. They also come with Canon’s new 5-axis digital image stabilization system for video (though not stills).
EOS 77D
It’s the EOS 77D that’s likely to be the most interesting new camera for enthusiast photographers. The internal technology might be the same as the 800D’s, but the exterior controls are much more advanced and include dual control wheels, an LCD panel on the top plate for checking settings quickly and – unusually outside of the professional market – an AF-ON button on the rear to allow action photographers to separate the focusing and shutter release actions.
The EOS 77D is available from April 2017 for £830/$900 body only, £920/$1049 with Canon’s new EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM lens, or £1200/$1499 with the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM.
EOS 800D (Rebel T7i)
The EOS 800D (Rebel T7i in the US) is designed more for those just starting out with DSLRS. Canon has introduced a new ‘guided’ interface which shows the effect different settings will have on your pictures so that you can learn how shutter speeds and apertures work, for example, while you’re shooting.
This new guided interface is switched on by default, but you can swap over to a regular menu system once you’ve gained experience.
The EOS 800D will also be available from April 2017, costing £780/$750 body only or £870/$900 with the new EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM kit lens.