topic Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

yoda1489 — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 21:38:19 GMT

I have a very old XTi and the cost to fix it is almost the cost of a new camera. I am trying to decide between the 7D Mark II or the 80D. I have a TON of lenses that have followed me over the years, inculding infrared, macro, and telephoto. Have the cables for manual shutter release and connecting camera to computer (MacBook Air). Also, multiple hoods, flashes, diffusers, etc. I am also looking at buying the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens.

I shoot mainly landscape, macro, and night sky

I take photo's for business. I go to locations that are hard to get to (I use 4x4) and mark the GPS location for the photo's. I then print it on the photo's I sell. I like that the 80D has a built in GPS and the screen comes out.

Anyone have any opions on one or the other? I have the budget for either body.

Thanks!

Anjuli

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

diverhank — Thu, 30 Jun 2016 22:11:07 GMT

For what you do - landscape, macro and night sky I think the 80D is a better choice.

Both the 80D and the 7DII have built-in GPS.

For 80D:

1. The 80D being newer has a newer sensor with better performance than the older 7DII.

2. The 80D also has an articulating screen plus touchscreen. They might come in handy when you need to get really close to the ground for landscape.

3. Quite a bit cheaper if you buy either one (80D or 7DII) brand new.

For 7DII:

1. Faster frame rate 10fps versus 7

2. Better AF for action/sports/BIF - actual reports had the 80D falling way short compared to the 7DII

3. 7DII build is a lot more robust

4. Dual card slot

I might have missed a few things on either one but the above should cover most main points.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

jrhoffman75 — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 00:40:42 GMT

http://www.imaging-resource.com/cameras/canon/7d-mark-ii/vs/canon/80d/

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

ScottyP — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 03:27:35 GMT

Hi,

None of the enhanced things about 7d2 seem to address any of your uses. None of the things you shoot require fast autofocus. The extra durability is perhaps nice but unless you have weathersealed lenses you don't really get the benefit of a weathersealed body. Frame rate is a non-issue for your uses.

Money better spent on glass.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

Waddizzle — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 07:23:00 GMT

@diverhank wrote:
For what you do - landscape, macro and night sky I think the 80D is a better choice.

Both the 80D and the 7DII have built-in GPS.

For 80D:
1. The 80D being newer has a newer sensor with better performance than the older 7DII.
2. The 80D also has an articulating screen plus touchscreen. They might come in handy when you need to get really close to the ground for landscape.
3. Quite a bit cheaper if you buy either one (80D or 7DII) brand new.

For 7DII:
1. Faster frame rate 10fps versus 7
2. Better AF for action/sports/BIF - actual reports had the 80D falling way short compared to the 7DII
3. 7DII build is a lot more robust
4. Dual card slot

I might have missed a few things on either one but the above should cover most main points.

One notable difference to mention is the build quality. The 7DII is built like a tank, compared to the 80D. But, that doesn't mean the 7DII is either waterproof or dustproof. It's just better sealed up, and has a stronger frame. Both cameras need to be treated just as carefully in bad conditions.

Another notable difference, and this is probably the deal maker or breaker, is GPS and Wi-Fi. The 7DII has built-in GPS, while the 80D has built-in Wi-Fi. Neither built-in GPS or built-in Wi-Fi is something to write home about. The built-in GPS can be a serious drain on the battery life. The Wi-Fi functions more like wireless Bluetooth than a wireless laptop, which means you should not assume that it is networkable. Buy the Canon Wi-Fi Transmitter, if you want a networkable camera. You will have limited wireless communication ability with the built-in version. Buy the GPS module if you do not want the drain on the camera battery.

I have a 6D, which has both, and I hardly use either one of them. The GPS is the more useful of the two for me. I might turn GPS on to tag my first couple of shots, and then disable it. I can copy the GPS info later in post to the rest of the shots. I have yet to use the Wi-Fi, although i keep telling myself to tether it to my tablet someday. Wireless file transferring is slow compared to USB, or a card reader.

Actually, I have been looking to buy one of these two cameras for my son and his wife, as an upgrade to their T5. I have all but decided on the 80D. They seem to have figured out the Canon Wi-Fi fairly well with their Vixia camcorder, and love it. They have iPhones, which have GPS tagging of photos, and neither one of them knew it. That's how useful it is to the average consumer.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

ebiggs1 — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 13:54:27 GMT

You can read the spec sheet as well as I can. But for me there is no question here, I would go 7D Mk II in a heartbeat and never look back.

All the xxD series cameras designs are tilted towards consumers. The xD series is more aimed toward pro shooters. Just my 2 cents and worth every penny.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

Waddizzle — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 14:10:09 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:
You can read the spec sheet as well as I can. But for me there is no question here, I would go 7D Mk II in a heartbeat and never look back.
All the xxD series cameras designs are tilted towards consumers. The xD series is more aimed toward pro shooters. Just my 2 cents and worth every penny.

Right, me, too. I would pick the 7DII over the 80D. But, the best fit seems to be the 80D. My son and his wife, most especially his wife, are most definitely consumers. Besides, they are in to video, too. The 80D has a time lapse video feature.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

RobertTheFat — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 15:04:53 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:
@ebiggs1 wrote:
You can read the spec sheet as well as I can. But for me there is no question here, I would go 7D Mk II in a heartbeat and never look back.
All the xxD series cameras designs are tilted towards consumers. The xD series is more aimed toward pro shooters. Just my 2 cents and worth every penny.
Right, me, too. I would pick the 7DII over the 80D. But, the best fit seems to be the 80D. My son and his wife, most especially his wife, are most definitely consumers. Besides, they are in to video, too. The 80D has a time lapse video feature.

Well, the OP did indicate that he's at least a semi-professional (although he also said he liked some specific features of the 80D). Maybe that could/should tip the balance toward the 7D2? Or maybe it just makes the decision harder. He'd probably be happy with either camera.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

Waddizzle — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 15:18:05 GMT

@RobertTheFat wrote:
[deleted]
Well, the OP did indicate that he's at least a semi-professional (although he also said he liked some specific features of the 80D). Maybe that could/should tip the balance toward the 7D2? Or maybe it just makes the decision harder. He'd probably be happy with either camera.

Yes, the OP did indicate something like that, and I agreed with Ernie. However, I was referring to my son and his wife, when I mentioned the 80D being the better choice. I was woolgathering.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

ebiggs1 — Fri, 01 Jul 2016 18:42:08 GMT

B from B,

The fact is any modern DSLR makes darn good photos. It is rather fool hearty to nit-pick them apart. But, I guess, that is the fun of it.

In the professional world, my world, it is far different. Gear is bought on a, will it make me more money, basis. Not the fact one has a 20MP sensor and the other has a 24MP sensor.

I helped a local, major newspaper, photographer do a story on musical instrument repair, she was still using a 40D ! I asked if she would like to use my Mk IV and she declined.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

RobertTheFat — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 02:23:58 GMT

@ebiggs1 wrote:
B from B,
The fact is any modern DSLR makes darn good photos. It is rather fool hearty to nit-pick them apart. But, I guess, that is the fun of it.
In the professional world, my world, it is far different. Gear is bought on a, will it make me more money, basis. Not the fact one has a 20MP sensor and the other has a 24MP sensor.

I helped a local, major newspaper, photographer do a story on musical instrument repair, she was still using a 40D ! I asked if she would like to use my Mk IV and she declined.

As she very well should have. Never go into an important photo shoot with an unfamiliar camera, a lesson I learned the hard way.

I got my first 7D, together with a Canon 17-55mm f/2.8, from B&H the night before some of our people were to receive an award at one of the local universities. So I clicked the lens into the camera and toddled off to photograph the ceremony. What I didn't know, until I tried to edit the resulting pictures, was that that camera/lens combination required +9 points of autofocus microadjustment. Fortunately, I almost always use two cameras at events, and pictures taken with my 50D and Sigma 50-150 came out OK, saving me a great deal of embarrassment. I've done some stupid things since, but I've never repeated that particular mistake.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

ScottyP — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 02:38:27 GMT

Hi Yoda,

What lenses do you have?

I am still not convinced the 7d2, however good or "professional" it is, matches any of your stated uses better than the 80d does.

The savings could be pocketed, or, more interestingly, it could be invested in/towards any lens upgrade that might benefit you.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

ebiggs1 — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 02:59:47 GMT

"As she very well should have."

Perhaps, B from B. But you must realize these people are pros. A camera is a camera to them. Probably the biggest difference between advanced amateurs and a real deal, I make my living with a camera, pro. All the shots were set-ups. Nothing fast or quick. And it may have been the fact it was taking me quite a long while to wipe all the drool of my Mk4 !

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

TTMartin — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 12:19:42 GMT

@yoda1489 wrote:
I have a very old XTi and the cost to fix it is almost the cost of a new camera. I am trying to decide between the 7D Mark II or the 80D. I have a TON of lenses that have followed me over the years, inculding infrared, macro, and telephoto. Have the cables for manual shutter release and connecting camera to computer (MacBook Air). Also, multiple hoods, flashes, diffusers, etc. I am also looking at buying the EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens.

I shoot mainly landscape, macro, and night sky

I take photo's for business. I go to locations that are hard to get to (I use 4x4) and mark the GPS location for the photo's. I then print it on the photo's I sell. I like that the 80D has a built in GPS and the screen comes out.

Anyone have any opions on one or the other? I have the budget for either body.

Thanks!

Anjuli

The 7D Mk II has the built in GPS, the 80D does NOT.

The tilt-swivel touch screen of the 80D is a big plus for macro photography.

You could save a ton of money and get the 70D, and be perfectly happy too.

Any of those 3 cameras will serve your needs, with the 7D Mk II and 80D being overkill.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

Waddizzle — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 16:04:20 GMT

@TTMartin wrote:
@yoda1489 wrote:
I have a very old XTi and the cost to fix it is almost the cost of a new camera. I am trying to decide between the 7D Mark II or the 80D. ...... .....

Thanks!

Anjuli
The 7D Mk II has the built in GPS, the 80D does NOT.

The tilt-swivel touch screen of the 80D is a big plus for macro photography.

You could save a ton of money and get the 70D, and be perfectly happy too.

Any of those 3 cameras will serve your needs, with the 7D Mk II and 80D being overkill.

He's got a point. If you're upgrading from an XTi, the IQ improvement will be equally impressive with any of those three: 70D, 80D, or 7D Mark II. Regardless of which one you buy, you're not going to miss the small IQ differences between them.

The 7DII has built-in GPS, while the 80D has built-in Wi-Fi, and the 70D has neither. Neither built-in GPS or built-in Wi-Fi is something to write home about. I have a 6D with both GPS and Wi-Fi built into it, and hardly use either feature. The GPS is a serious drain on battery life, even when the camera is turned off. The Wi-Fi capability is not as flexible as a networkable laptop. I think using the term Wi-Fi misleads many people. Perhaps, NFC is better, but the camera can do more than what that protocol can do.

GPS data can be added to your photos in postprocesing with some commercial software applications. The Canon GPS software allows you to copy it from one photo to another photo(s). An iPhone records GPS data in image files. But, you need a Canon GPS to get the GPS software. Last I checked, it is still not available for download.

Be aware that the built-in GPS is not as good as many people expect. The 6D only reports location, lattitude and longitude. No altitude.. But, I believe the 7DII also logs a direction, but it is not at all precise in that regard. An iPhone does just as good a job of it as a 6D.

I recommend adding GPS data by hand, anyway. The built-in unit is not precise. I can stand in one place, run off a dozen shots, and the camera can come up with different locations for every shot. It only seems to be accurate to about a dozen feet, or so. My vehicle GPS is far more accurate. Ditto, for an iPhone.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

TTMartin — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 16:23:04 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:

He's got a point. If you're upgrading from an XTi, the IQ improvement will be equally impressive with any of those three: 70D, 80D, or 7D Mark II. Regardless of which one you buy, you're not going to miss the small IQ differences between them.
The 7DII has built-in GPS, while the 80D has built-in Wi-Fi, and the 70D has neither.

70D also has built-in WiFi.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

Waddizzle — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 16:31:09 GMT

"70D also has built-in WiFi."

SOLD! Didn't check it out, but I could have sworn that it did not. I must have been thinking 60D or 7D.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

diverhank — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 17:19:38 GMT

@Waddizzle wrote:
@TTMartin wrote:
@yoda1489 wrote:
I have a very old XTi and the cost to fix it is almost the cost of a new camera. I am trying to decide between the 7D Mark II or the 80D. ...... .....

The 7D Mk II has the built in GPS, the 80D does NOT.

The 7DII has built-in GPS, while the 80D has built-in Wi-Fi, and the 70D has neither. Neither built-in GPS or built-in Wi-Fi is something to write home about. I have a 6D with both GPS and Wi-Fi built into it, and hardly use either feature. The GPS is a serious drain on battery life, even when the camera is turned off.

...

I recommend adding GPS data by hand, anyway. The built-in unit is not precise. I can stand in one place, run off a dozen shots, and the camera can come up with different locations for every shot. It only seems to be accurate to about a dozen feet, or so. My vehicle GPS is far more accurate. Ditto, for an iPhone.

Interestingly the OP stated the 80D has GPS so I made the assumption that it did...I only have the 7D2 and not the 80D. One data point for me is always verify :).

Waddizzle...different people have different needs... :). For me the GPS is one of the features I truly love on the 7DII...I just like GPS...one of the first users of GPS, done Geocaching and everything else and I'm very up to speed on the GPS solutions you mentioned...There are two camps...you either want GPS tagging on your photos or you don't. If you belong to the camp that does...built-in GPS is a godsend....just enable GPS and you forget about it.

I've done GPS data by hand and it's a royal pain.. As much as I like GPS, I only need GPS tagging when I go on a field trip or vacation. My phone batteries often go dead before my cameras ever would...I need to remember activate the phone app and synchronize the time between the app and the camera, then I have to download the file, run a program to synch the two... .I did it a couple times just to say I've done it but no...not part of my workflow...just not worth it. The only thing I hate about the 7DII GPS is that you have to disable it after use otherwise the stupid thing keeps trying to acquire satellites and runs the battery down to zero....all Canon has to do is to give users a choice to either keep the gps running or not when you switch the camera off.

Even though I recommend to the OP the 80D, I must agree with ebiggs that having higher end cameras are not highly functional but also nice...I've handled the 70D many times helping a friend who has it and it always feels wrong in my hands...too light and flimsy having got used to the 5DIII and the 7DII. Imagine using the 1D...not sure I want to get the 80D, just for the feel alone...(this is just me, of course - others obviously do not feel the same).

Back to the OP, he appears to be the type who does not upgrade often so between the 70D and 80D, I'd get the 80D which will last another 5 years or so. The 70D is getting old already...

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

TTMartin — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 17:13:01 GMT

@diverhank wrote:

Interestingly the OP stated the 80D has GPS so I made the assumption that it did...I only have the 7D2 and not the 80D. One data point for me is always verify :).

Waddizzle...different people have different needs... :). For me the GPS is one of the features I truly love on the 7DII...I just like GPS...one of the first users of GPS, done Geocaching and everything else and I'm very up to speed on the GPS solutions you mentioned...There are two camps...you either want GPS tagging on your photos or you don't. If you belong to the camp that does...built-in GPS is a godsend....just enable GPS and you forget about it. I've done GPS data by hand and it's a royal pain...I did it a couple times just to say I've done it but no...not part of my workflow...just not worth it. The only thing I hate about the 7DII GPS is that you have to disable it after use otherwise the stupid thing keeps trying to acquire satellites and runs the battery down to zero....all Canon has to do is to give users a choice to either keep the gps running or not when you switch the camera off.
Even though I recommend to the OP the 80D, I must agree with ebiggs that having higher end cameras are not highly functional but also nice...I've handled the 70D many times helping a friend who has it and it always feels wrong in my hands...too light and flimsy having got used to the 5DIII and the 7DII. Imagine using the 1D...not sure I want to get the 80D, just for the feel alone...(this is just me, of course - others obviously do not feel the same).
Back to the OP, he appears to be the type who does not upgrade often so between the 70D and 80D, I'd get the 80D which will last another 5 years or so. The 70D is getting old already...

Moving from the XTi (which is small compared to current Rebels) to the 70D or 80D the cameras will feel large and well made. The 7D Mk II will feel like a heavy beast.

The upgrades in the 80D over the 70D in my opinion wont significantly benefit the OP.

As far as I know the increase in 'dynamic range' on the 80D comes from Canon tweaking the RAW files so they performed better on DXO tests. Past Canon cameras have always had way more dynamic range than DXO showed, it just required the right post processing to get it out. In my opinion Canon just baked in some processing to the RAW files like the other manufactures have always done (i.e. black point settings), and wow, more dynamic range on DXO tests.

The 70D is a significant upgrade over the XTi, and more than enough camera for the OPs needs. In my opinion spending more on the 80D or 7D Mk II is just an unnecessary expense.

Re: Canon EOS 7D Mark II vs 80D - Body only

Waddizzle — Sat, 02 Jul 2016 17:16:33 GMT

"For me the GPS is one of the features I truly love on the 7DII...I just like GPS...one of the first users of GPS, done Geocaching and everything else and I'm very up to speed on the GPS solutions you mentioned...There are two camps...you either want GPS tagging on your photos or you don't. "

I got the 70D wrong. So, we're even.

When I do use the GPS, which as it turns out is pretty rare, I tag one photo, and then copy it using the utility. The GPS itself is not very accurate. You can see just how inaccurate if you ever look at the log files on a Map Utility. But, I can see the chore that it could be if you're shooting hundreds of shots several days out of the week.

When I first got the 6D, naturally I left the GPS enabled, not knowing it was draining the battery. Once I discovered all of the new log files that were written overnight, I looked at them on the map, and my camera was seemingly sleepwalking.

It was all over the house, and even into the backyard. The camera location varied widely, but seemed within a circle centered at the camera's actual location. The radius of that circle must have been as large as 20-30 feet for some points. Once I saw that, I realized there was little point to leaving the GPS enabled if I am at single venue. I stamp my first shot or so, and then disable it. It's more likely to report an inaccurate location than an accurate one, anyway.