Canon 77D vs 80D

The Canon EOS 77D and the Canon EOS 80D are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in February 2017 and February 2016. Both are DSLR (Digital Single Lens Reflex) cameras that are equipped with an APS-C sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon 77D		Canon 80D
Digital single lens reflex		Digital single lens reflex
Canon EF mount lenses		Canon EF mount lenses
24 MP, APS-C Sensor		24 MP, APS-C Sensor
1080/60p Video		1080/60p Video
ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 100-16,000 (100 - 25,600)
Optical viewfinder		Optical viewfinder
3.0 LCD, 1040k dots		3.0 LCD, 1040k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Swivel touchscreen
6 shutter flaps per second		7 shutter flaps per second
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
600 shots per battery charge		960 shots per battery charge
131 x 100 x 76 mm, 540 g		139 x 105 x 79 mm, 730 g

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS 77D and the Canon EOS 80D? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Canon 77D and the Canon 80D are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 80D is notably larger (11 percent) than the Canon 77D. Moreover, the 80D is substantially heavier (35 percent) than the 77D. It is noteworthy in this context that the 80D is splash and dust-proof, while the 77D does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. In this particular case, both cameras feature the same lens mount, so that they can use the same lenses. You can compare the optics available in the Canon EF Lens Catalog.

Concerning battery life, the 77D gets 600 shots out of its LP-E17 battery, while the 80D can take 960 images on a single charge of its LP-E6N power pack.

The adjacent table lists the principal physical characteristics of the two cameras alongside a wider set of alternatives. If you want to switch the focus of the display and review another camera pair, you can move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)		Street Price
1.		Canon 77D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	540 g	600	n	Feb 2017	899
2.		Canon 80D	139 mm	105 mm	79 mm	730 g	960	Y	Feb 2016	1,199
3.		Canon T8i	131 mm	103 mm	76 mm	515 g	800	n	Feb 2020	749
4.		Canon 90D	141 mm	105 mm	77 mm	701 g	1300	Y	Aug 2019	1,199
5.		Canon T7	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	449
6.		Canon 6D Mark II	144 mm	111 mm	75 mm	765 g	1200	Y	Jun 2017	1,999
7.		Canon SL2	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	549
8.		Canon T7i	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	532 g	600	n	Feb 2017	749
9.		Canon M5	116 mm	89 mm	61 mm	427 g	295	n	Sep 2016	979
10.		Canon T6	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	485 g	500	n	Mar 2016	449
11.		Canon T6i	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	555 g	440	n	Feb 2015	749
12.		Canon T6s	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	565 g	440	n	Feb 2015	649
13.		Canon 70D	139 mm	104 mm	79 mm	755 g	920	Y	Jul 2013	1,199
14.		Canon T4i	133 mm	100 mm	79 mm	575 g	440	n	Jun 2012	849
15.		Canon T3i	133 mm	100 mm	80 mm	570 g	440	n	Feb 2011	599
16.		Canon 60D	145 mm	106 mm	79 mm	755 g	1100	Y	Aug 2010	1,399
17.		Nikon D7500	136 mm	104 mm	73 mm	720 g	950	Y	Apr 2017	1,299
Notes: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The 77D was launched at a somewhat lower price (by 25 percent) than the 80D, which makes it more attractive for photographers on a tight budget. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will tend to have larger individual pixels that provide better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixel-units in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature an APS-C sensor, but their sensors differ slightly in size. The sensor area in the 80D is 2 percent bigger. They nevertheless have the same format factor of 1.6. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

In terms of chip-set technology, the 77D uses a more advanced image processing engine (DIGIC 7) than the 80D (DIGIC 6), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

Even though the 80D has a slightly larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 24 megapixels. This implies that the 80D has a lower pixel density and marginally larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 3.75μm versus 3.72μm for the 77D), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. It should, however, be noted that the 77D is a somewhat more recent model (by 11 months) than the 80D, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time that at least partly compensate for the smaller pixel size.

The Canon EOS 77D has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS 80D are ISO 100 to ISO 16000, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-25600.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The Overall DXO ratings for the two cameras under consideration are close, suggesting that they provide similar imaging performance. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports		DXO Overall
1.		Canon 77D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.3	971		78
2.		Canon 80D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.2	1135		79
3.		Canon T8i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	..	..	..		..
4.		Canon 90D	APS-C	32.3	6960	4640	4K/30p	..	..	..		..
5.		Canon T7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	..	..	..		..
6.		Canon 6D Mark II	Full Frame	26.0	6240	4160	1080/60p	24.4	11.9	2862		85
7.		Canon SL2	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041		79
8.		Canon T7i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	..	..	..		..
9.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262		77
10.		Canon T6	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	..	..	..		..
11.		Canon T6i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.7	12.0	919		71
12.		Canon T6s	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	12.0	915		70
13.		Canon 70D	APS-C	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	22.5	11.6	926		68
14.		Canon T4i	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	21.7	11.2	722		62
15.		Canon T3i	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.1	11.5	793		65
16.		Canon 60D	APS-C	17.9	5184	3456	1080/30p	22.2	11.5	813		66
17.		Nikon D7500	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.3	14.0	1483		86

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, and both provide the same movie specifications (1080/60p).

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The 77D and the 80D are similar in the sense that both have an optical viewfinder. The latter is useful for getting a clear image for framing even in brightly lit environments. The viewfinder in the 80D offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the 77D (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the 80D has a higher magnification (0.59x vs 0.51x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon 77D and Canon 80D along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Size (inch)	LCD Resolution (000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Mech Shutter Speed	Shutter Flaps (1/sec)	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon 77D	optical	Y	3.0	1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0	Y	n
2.		Canon 80D	optical	Y	3.0	1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0	Y	n
3.		Canon T8i	optical	n	3.0	1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	7.5	Y	n
4.		Canon 90D	optical	Y	3.0	1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	11.0	Y	n
5.		Canon T7	optical	n	3.0	920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0	Y	n
6.		Canon 6D Mark II	optical	Y	3.0	1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.5	n	n
7.		Canon SL2	optical	n	3.0	1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0	Y	n
8.		Canon T7i	optical	n	3.0	1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0	Y	n
9.		Canon M5	2360	n	3.2	1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0	Y	n
10.		Canon T6	optical	n	3.0	920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0	Y	n
11.		Canon T6i	optical	n	3.0	1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0	Y	n
12.		Canon T6s	optical	Y	3.0	1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0	Y	n
13.		Canon 70D	optical	Y	3.0	1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0	Y	n
14.		Canon T4i	optical	n	3.0	1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0	Y	n
15.		Canon T3i	optical	n	3.0	1040	swivel	n	1/4000s	3.7	Y	n
16.		Canon 60D	optical	Y	3.0	1040	swivel	n	1/8000s	5.3	Y	n
17.		Nikon D7500	optical	Y	3.2	922	tilting	Y	1/8000s	8.0	Y	n

The Canon 77D and the Canon 80D both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the 77D and the 80D write their files to SDXC cards. Both cameras can use UHS-I cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 104 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 77D and Canon EOS 80D and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Microphone	Internal Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon 77D	Y	stereo	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
2.		Canon 80D	Y	stereo	mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
3.		Canon T8i	Y	stereo	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Canon 90D	Y	stereo	mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Canon T7	Y	mono	mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Canon 6D Mark II	Y	stereo	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Canon SL2	Y	stereo	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
8.		Canon T7i	Y	stereo	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Canon M5	Y	stereo	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Canon T6	Y	mono	mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Canon T6i	Y	stereo	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
12.		Canon T6s	Y	stereo	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Canon 70D	Y	stereo	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
14.		Canon T4i	Y	stereo	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
15.		Canon T3i	Y	mono	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
16.		Canon 60D	Y	mono	mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-
17.		Nikon D7500	Y	stereo	mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the 80D has a headphone jack, which makes it possible to attach external headphones and monitor the quality of sound during the recording process. The 77D lacks such a headphone port.

The 77D is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Canon. In contrast, the 80D has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on eBay). As a replacement in the same line of cameras, the 80D was succeeded by the Canon 90D. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Canon website.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon 77D and the Canon 80D? Which camera is better? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS 77D:

• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (DIGIC 7 vs DIGIC 6).
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 190g or 26 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier wireless transfer: Supports Bluetooth for image sharing without cables.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced segment (25 percent cheaper at launch).
• More modern: Is somewhat more recent (announced 11 months after the 80D).

Advantages of the Canon EOS 80D:

• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.59x vs 0.51x).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (7 vs 6 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (960 versus 600) out of a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in February 2016).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the 80D emerges as the winner of the match-up (8 : 5 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon 77D and the Canon 80D place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera listing whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the 77D or the 80D perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)			Street Price
1.		Canon 77D	4.5/5	..	82/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	899
2.		Canon 80D	4/5	+ +	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	1,199
3.		Canon T8i	4.5/5	+	80/100	4/5	3.5/5	Feb 2020	749
4.		Canon 90D	4/5	+	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2019	1,199
5.		Canon T7	..	o	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449
6.		Canon 6D Mark II	4/5	+	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2017	1,999
7.		Canon SL2	4/5	+ +	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549
8.		Canon T7i	4.5/5	..	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	749
9.		Canon M5	4/5	+	82/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2016	979
10.		Canon T6	4/5	o	73/100	4/5	4/5	Mar 2016	449
11.		Canon T6i	5/5	..	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	749
12.		Canon T6s	5/5	+	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	649
13.		Canon 70D	5/5	+ +	83/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2013	1,199
14.		Canon T4i	4/5	+ +	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2012	849
15.		Canon T3i	3/5	o	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2011	599
16.		Canon 60D	5/5	+	79/100	4/5	4.5/5	Aug 2010	1,399
17.		Nikon D7500	4.5/5	+ +	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2017	1,299
Notes: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparisons of ratings among very different cameras or across long time periods have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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Specifications: Canon 77D vs Canon 80D

Below is a side-by-side comparison of the specs of the two cameras to facilitate a quick review of their differences and common features.

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