Canon 77D versus Canon 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 megapixel. Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their size, their sensors, their features, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison: Canon 77D vs Canon 80D

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. You can also toggle the display to switch to a percentage comparison if you prefer that the measures are being expressed in relative terms (in this case, the camera on the left – the 77D – represents the basis or 100 percent across all the size and weight measures).

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 find an overview of suitable optics 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, just select a new right or left comparator from among the camera models in the table. Alternatively, you can also move across to the CAM-parator tool and choose from the broad selection of possible camera comparisons there.

Camera Body Specifications

	Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life (CIPA)	Weather Sealing (yes/no)	Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 77D»	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.0 in	19.0 oz	600	n	Feb 2017	899			Canon 77D
	Canon 80D«	5.5 in	4.1 in	3.1 in	25.8 oz	960	Y	Feb 2016	1,199			Canon 80D
	Canon M50« »	4.6 in	3.5 in	2.3 in	13.8 oz	235	n	Feb 2018	779			Canon M50
	Canon T7« »	5.1 in	4.0 in	3.1 in	16.8 oz	500	n	Feb 2018	449			Canon T7
	Canon 6D Mark II« »	5.7 in	4.4 in	3.0 in	27.0 oz	1200	Y	Jun 2017	1,999			Canon 6D Mark II
	Canon SL2« »	4.8 in	3.7 in	2.8 in	16.0 oz	650	n	Jun 2017	549			Canon SL2
	Canon T7i« »	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.0 in	18.8 oz	600	n	Feb 2017	749			Canon T7i
	Canon M5« »	4.6 in	3.5 in	2.4 in	15.1 oz	295	n	Sep 2016	979			Canon M5
	Canon T6« »	5.1 in	4.0 in	3.1 in	17.1 oz	500	n	Mar 2016	449	-		Canon T6
	Canon T6i« »	5.2 in	4.0 in	3.1 in	19.6 oz	440	n	Feb 2015	749	-		Canon T6i
	Canon T6s« »	5.2 in	4.0 in	3.1 in	19.9 oz	440	n	Feb 2015	849	-		Canon T6s
	Canon 7D II« »	5.9 in	4.4 in	3.1 in	32.1 oz	670	Y	Sep 2014	1,799			Canon 7D II
	Canon 70D« »	5.5 in	4.1 in	3.1 in	26.6 oz	920	Y	Jul 2013	1,199	-		Canon 70D
	Canon T4i« »	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.1 in	20.3 oz	440	n	Jun 2012	849	-		Canon T4i
	Canon T3i« »	5.2 in	3.9 in	3.1 in	20.1 oz	440	n	Feb 2011	599	-		Canon T3i
	Nikon D7500« »	5.4 in	4.1 in	2.9 in	25.4 oz	950	Y	Apr 2017	1,299			Nikon D7500
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Any camera purchase 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: Canon 77D vs Canon 80D

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 megapixel. 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.

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 image quality. The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

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: Canon 77D vs Canon 80D

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 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. If needed, the dpreview camera hub, for example, contains further detail on the cameras' specs.

Both the 77D and the 80D write their imaging data to SDXC cards.

Both the 77D and the 80D are recent models that feature in their makers' current product line-up. The 80D replaced the earlier Canon 70D, while the 77D followed on from the Canon T6s.

Review summary: Canon 77D vs Canon 80D

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon 77D and the Canon 80D? 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.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (8000/sec vs 4000/sec) 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 comes out slightly ahead of the 77D (6 : 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.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras is 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 handle or 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. This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall rankings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (cameralabs, dpreview, ephotozine, imaging-resource, photographyblog). The detailed reviews can be accessed by clicking on the site logo in the table header.

Review Scores

	Camera Model						Camera Launch (announced)	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price (USD)	Used Price (USD)	Camera Model
	Canon 77D»	-	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	899			Canon 77D
	Canon 80D«	HiRec	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	1,199			Canon 80D
	Canon M50« »	Rec	79/100	-	-	3.5/5	Feb 2018	779			Canon M50
	Canon T7« »	rev	-	3.5/5	-	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449			Canon T7
	Canon 6D Mark II« »	Rec	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	4/5	Jun 2017	1,999			Canon 6D Mark II
	Canon SL2« »	HiRec	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549			Canon SL2
	Canon T7i« »	-	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	4/5	Feb 2017	749			Canon T7i
	Canon M5« »	Rec	82/100	4/5	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2016	979			Canon M5
	Canon T6« »	rev	73/100	4/5	3.5/5	4/5	Mar 2016	449	-		Canon T6
	Canon T6i« »	-	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	749	-		Canon T6i
	Canon T6s« »	Rec	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	849	-		Canon T6s
	Canon 7D II« »	Rec	84/100	4/5	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2014	1,799			Canon 7D II
	Canon 70D« »	HiRec	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2013	1,199	-		Canon 70D
	Canon T4i« »	HiRec	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2012	849	-		Canon T4i
	Canon T3i« »	rev	77/100	4.5/5	5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2011	599	-		Canon T3i
	Nikon D7500« »	HiRec	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2017	1,299			Nikon D7500

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. If the camera you are interested in is not available, please send me an email, and I will try to update the database with the necessary infos.

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