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

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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	ebay.com
2.		Canon 80D	139 mm	105 mm	79 mm	730 g	960	Y	Feb 2016	1,199	ebay.com
3.		Canon 850D	131 mm	103 mm	76 mm	515 g	800	n	Feb 2020	749	amazon.com
4.		Canon 90D	141 mm	105 mm	77 mm	701 g	1300	Y	Aug 2019	1,199	amazon.com
5.		Canon 2000D	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
6.		Canon 6D Mark II	144 mm	111 mm	75 mm	765 g	1200	Y	Jun 2017	1,999	amazon.com
7.		Canon 200D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
8.		Canon 800D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	532 g	600	n	Feb 2017	749	ebay.com
9.		Canon M6	112 mm	68 mm	45 mm	390 g	295	n	Feb 2017	779	ebay.com
10.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	499	ebay.com
11.		Canon M5	116 mm	89 mm	61 mm	427 g	295	n	Sep 2016	979	ebay.com
12.		Canon 750D	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	555 g	440	n	Feb 2015	749	ebay.com
13.		Canon 760D	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	565 g	440	n	Feb 2015	649	ebay.com
14.		Canon G3 X	123 mm	77 mm	105 mm	733 g	300	Y	Jun 2015	999	amazon.com
15.		Canon 70D	139 mm	104 mm	79 mm	755 g	920	Y	Jul 2013	1,199	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D7500	136 mm	104 mm	73 mm	720 g	950	Y	Apr 2017	1,299	amazon.com
Note: 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.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

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 850D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.5	1873	83
4.		Canon 90D	APS-C	32.3	6960	4640	4K/30p	24.0	13.5	1848	83
5.		Canon 2000D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	11.9	1009	71
6.		Canon 6D Mark II	Full Frame	26.0	6240	4160	1080/60p	24.4	11.9	2862	85
7.		Canon 200D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
8.		Canon 800D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.7	13.1	1586	80
9.		Canon M6	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.7	13.1	1586	80
10.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
11.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262	77
12.		Canon 750D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.7	12.0	919	71
13.		Canon 760D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	12.0	915	70
14.		Canon G3 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.4	12.3	521	63
15.		Canon 70D	APS-C	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	22.5	11.6	926	68
16.		Nikon D7500	APS-C	20.7	5568	3712	4K/30p	24.3	14.0	1483	86
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

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 Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon 77D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
2.		Canon 80D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 850D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	7.5/s	Y	n
4.		Canon 90D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	11.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon 2000D	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon 6D Mark II	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.5/s	n	n
7.		Canon 200D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon 800D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon M6	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
11.		Canon M5	2360	n	3.2 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
12.		Canon 750D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
13.		Canon 760D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
14.		Canon G3 X	optional	n	3.2 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/2000s	5.9/s	Y	Y
15.		Canon 70D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	7.0/s	Y	n
16.		Nikon D7500	optical	Y	3.2 / 922	tilting	Y	1/8000s	8.0/s	Y	n
Notes: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

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 Mic / 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 850D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
4.		Canon 90D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
5.		Canon 2000D	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 200D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
8.		Canon 800D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Canon M6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Canon M100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
11.		Canon M5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
12.		Canon 750D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
13.		Canon 760D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
14.		Canon G3 X	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
15.		Canon 70D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
16.		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.

Both the 77D and the 80D have been discontinued, but can regularly be found used on ebay. The 80D was replaced by the Canon 90D, while the 77D does not have a direct successor. 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], digitalcameraworld [DCW], 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	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon 77D	4.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
2.		Canon 80D	4/5	+ +	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	1,199	ebay.com
3.		Canon 850D	4/5	+	3/5	80/100	4/5	3.5/5	Feb 2020	749	amazon.com
4.		Canon 90D	4/5	+	4.5/5	85/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2019	1,199	amazon.com
5.		Canon 2000D	..	o	..	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
6.		Canon 6D Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2017	1,999	amazon.com
7.		Canon 200D	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
8.		Canon 800D	4.5/5	..	3.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	749	ebay.com
9.		Canon M6	..	..	..	80/100	4/5	4/5	Feb 2017	779	ebay.com
10.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	499	ebay.com
11.		Canon M5	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2016	979	ebay.com
12.		Canon 750D	5/5	..	..	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	749	ebay.com
13.		Canon 760D	5/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	649	ebay.com
14.		Canon G3 X	3.5/5	+	..	..	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2015	999	amazon.com
15.		Canon 70D	5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2013	1,199	ebay.com
16.		Nikon D7500	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	86/100	5/5	4.5/5	Apr 2017	1,299	amazon.com
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.

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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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