We called the EOS 80D - Canon's mid-range enthusiast-focused DSLR camera - the "mid-range master" when we reviewed the camera back in 2016. Three years on, that camera is about to be replaced with the all-new Canon EOS 90D.
Well, we say "all-new", but you'll have to take that with a pinch of salt. After all, Canon's DSLR cameras rest in a comfortable, familiar spot - and if the design and layout changed up too much then it'd scare away prospective customers. Not so the 90D: all the familiar methods and modes can be found here, along with a smattering of new and improved features.
Key to those features is the 90D's breaking of the 30-megapixel barrier, with a 32.5MP sensor at its core. With phone cameras taking over the casual shooting market, it seems that once again the resolution race is on for the more discerning customer... so does it make sense?
What's new? 80D vs 90D
- 90D: 32.5 megapixel CMOS sensor / 80D: 24.2MP
- 90D: Up to 11fps burst shooting /80D: 7fps
- 90D: 4K video capture / 80D: 1080p max
- 90D: Adds multi-control joystick
- 90D: 701g / 80D: 730g
As mentioned, the 90D brings an all-new sensor to the fore - as does it's 'sister' compact system camera, the EOS M6 II, which we've previewed here - which is an almost 30 per cent boost compared to the 80D. It even surpasses the resolution count of the EOS 5D Mark IV. It's a new world as resolution is concerned, then, with Canon confident that it can relay quality while upping the count.
Thanks to a newer processor - the Digic 8, which is two generations ahead of the Digic 6 in the 80D - the 90D is also able to capture 4K video (the 80D maxed out at 1080p). The newer camera doesn't crop into the sensor either, so you get like-for-like ratios, i.e. a 50mm equivalent will produce the very same frame as it would for stills.
That new processor also brings some added speed, with a 10fps burst shooting mode, increasing to 11fps in live view. It's Dual Pixel CMOS AF, which as we've seen from other Canon cameras is impressively quick when not using the viewfinder. By comparison, the 80D maxed out at 7fps, so the newer camera has a near 45 per cent boost in this regard.
Although the body of both 80D and 90D look much the same, the newer camera brings in the joystick-style control to the rear, which you might be familiar with in the 7D, for example (it's actually better designed in the 90D, though). It's a more natural way to select focus and make various adjustments.
Otherwise there aren't many physical body differences. Canon has cut some 29g from the weight, not that you'll really notice, while the claimed battery life (using the same battery as the 80D) has also jumped to a rather massive 1300 shots per charge... we'll see about that when we come to review in full, eh?
Design & Performance
- Vari-angle LCD screen and 100% field-of-view optical viewfinder
- Microphone and headphones in/out (2x 3.5mm ports)
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF autofocus (in all shooting modes)
- 45-point AF system, all cross-type points
- 10fps burst shooting, 11fps in live view
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity
- Claimed 1300 shots per charge
We've been lucky enough to nab a final production version of this camera and visit a go-karting track in south London to have a little play with how it performs.
Realistically, the autofocus performance here isn't much - if anything - ahead of the 80D. But, hey, that's fine, because the 45-point AF system - they're all cross-type points, meaning increased sensitivity in both portrait and landscape orientation - is super-fast. Even in the dark-of-night-setting at the track, we've been able to snap bursts of moving karts with ease, the Servo AF (that's continuous AF in non-Canon speak) easily locking onto subjects while panning.
The obvious boost to the 90D over the 80D is that increased burst mode rate, meaning extra frames snapped in the blink of an eye. It's impressive, and while it can't match some compact system cameras (including the M6 MkII) the true DSLR's AF system is so much better that it doesn't matter. This one works, it's almost effortless.
The live view mode - that's when viewing the preview via the screen rather than through the viewfinder - is also impressively speedy thanks to the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system. The autofocus options are a bit limited here, which makes it feel more compact-camera-esque, but for touchscreen control, video capture, and utilising that vari-angle screen for creative possibilities it makes a lot of sense. Plus the burst mode is even faster in this setting, at 11fps.
Overall, the performance of the 90D is everything you'd expect from an enthusiast DSLR camera. It feels well balanced to hold, everything is perfectly positioned for ease of use, the physical buttons make for quick-access to the most needed settings, and the autofocus system is second to none. There are more advanced and more detailed systems out there, but you'll need to pay yet more cash and look to some of Canon's or Nikon's pro range.
Image & Video Quality
- All-new 32.5-megapixel CMOS sensor
- 220k RGB+IR metering sensor
- 4K video (24/25/30fps)
- Digic 8 processor
- ISO 100-25,600
When it comes to image quality, it's perhaps no surprise that megapixel counts are on the increase. Larger images give greater flexibility for large prints or for heavier cropping - the kind of things you can't even nearly do with a phone camera (not that we're realistically comparing the two).
We've largely been shooting in dim conditions with the 90D, so if you can see some grain and apparent processing in our gallery of snaps then keep in mind that all images here are shot at four-figure ISO settings. In a sense it's testament to this DSLR just how well it performs even in these low-light conditions, although that increase in resolution does mean some compromise from ISO 6400 and up (it tops-out at ISO 25,600) compared to a lower-resolution sensor.
The increase in resolution also dictates how you'll need to handle the camera. No, this isn't a 50-megapixel camera like the 5DS, but the beyond-30MP mark does mean that any tiny physical movements will be amplified in results. As such you'll likely want to adapt for faster shutter speeds to ensure perfect crispness - although a little movement blur adds to the drama of our go-kart pan shot, for example.
How grand will shots appear at the lowest ISO settings? Well, we don't know. But given how impressive these mid-to-high-level ISO shots are, we have usually high expectations. Canon is adept when it comes to realistic colour, smooth gradations and well-balanced exposures.
The other major part of the 90D puzzle is video (which is almost ironic, given the flip-around-namesake Nikon 90D was the first DSLR to introduce a form of video capture, way back in 2008). Canon's latest can capture 4K at 24/25/30fps, offers Full HD 1080p capture at up to 120fps, there's a clean HDMI out for rig setups, and two 3.5mm jacks to cater for headphones monitoring and microphone recording. In that sense this is a potential powerhouse on the video front, and a great sign that Canon is finally on board with Ultra-HD capture from its fuller range of consumer devices.
Given the video credentials, however, it's a shame there's still only one SD card slot. We'd rather like two, as these cards will fill up fast with this level of data and such fast burst speeds available. Can't have it all, we suppose.
from Pocket-lint : Cameras https://ift.tt/2HoDkWP
No comments:
Post a Comment