The Canon Magazine 95
HEAD TO HEAD 90D vs 80D vs 7D2
NAME EOS 90D TESTED ISSUE 158 EOS 80D TESTED ISSUE 149 EOS 7D MK II TESTED ISSUE 149
Sensor APS-C, 32.5Mp APS-C, 24.2Mp APS-C, 20.2Mp
Processor DIGIC 8 DIGIC 6 DIGIC 6
ISO range 100-25,600 (exp 51,200) 100-16,000 (exp 25,600) 100-16,000 (exp 51,200)
Video 4K UHD, 3840x2160 FHD, 1920x1080 FHD, 1920x1080
Continuous shooting 10fps 7fps 10fps
Autofocus 45-point, all cross-type 45-point, all cross-type 65-point, all cross-type
Memory SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-II) SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-I) SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-I), CF (UDMA 7)
Viewfinder Pentaprism, 100%0.95x magnification coverage, Pentaprism, 100%0.95x magnification coverage, Pentaprism, 100%1.0x magnification coverage,
LCD display 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen 3-inch fixed
Metering 220,000-pixel RGB+IR sensor216 segment 7560-pixel RGB+IR sensor63 segments Dual Layer SP252 zones
Battery LP-E6N, 1300 shots LP-E6N, 960 shots LP-E6N, 670 shots
Dimensions/weight 140.7x104.8x76.8mm/701g 139x105.2x78.5mm/730g 148.6x112.4x78.2mm/901g
Price (body only) £1209 £799 £1349detection AF sensors. Here the EOS 7D
Mark II scores a clear win with its 65-point
(all cross-type) AF sensor. The new EOS
90D and older EOS 80D have a less
sophisticated 45-point AF sensor.
Interesting to say the least.07
Memory
On paper, the older EOS 7D Mark II
might look like it has the advantage here,
with two card slots not one. However,
one card slot is for the older and
near-obsolete CF format, while the other
is for UHS I SD cards not UHS II. In fact,
despite only having one card slot, the
EOS 90D has the edge here since it
supports the faster UHS II card format.08
Viewfinder
We are perhaps splitting hairs
in this comparison... It’s interesting
nonetheless that the older EOS 7D Mark II
has the best viewfinder, with slightly
higher 1.0x magnification compared tothe 0.95x viewfinders in the EOS 80D and
EOS 90D. Not all progress is forwards.09
LCD display
It’s not such good news for the
EOS 7D Mark II here. We’ve got used to
tilting screens and vari-angle screens on
DSLRs as well as mirrorless cameras, but
here we are stuck with a fixed screen on
the EOS 7D Mark II. Sports and action
fans probably won’t mind too much, but
this is a serious limitation for an all-round
camera in today’s world.10
Metering
Successful exposure metering
depends on the photographer’s
judgement, the consistency and
predictability of the camera’s metering
system as much as the sophistication of
the camera’s metering system. For the
record, though, the EOS 90D’s metering
sensor easily beats resolution of the EOS
80D’s – but the EOS 7D Mark II uses adifferent dual-layer sensor which
operates on a different principle and
measures more ‘zones’ than both of the
others we’re comparing.11
Battery
Power management is something
of an unseen revolution in digital camera
design. All three of these cameras use
the same LP-E6N lithium ion battery, but
where the EOS 7D Mark II manages a
modest 670 shots on this cell, the EOS
80D goes a whole lot longer with 960
shots and the new EOS 90D streaks
ahead with a claimed 1300 shots on
a single charge.12
Dimensions
The EOS 7D Mark II is a bigger,
heavier camera than the other two, but
that goes with its heavy-duty, high-speed
status. The EOS 80D and EOS 90D are
smaller, lighter cameras – and the EOS
90D is the lightest of the lot at 701 grams.THE VERDICT
Is the EOS 90D a combo of the best bits of the 80D and 7D Mk II?
he Canon EOS 90D is a fusion of the enthusiast-friendly design of
the 80D with the speed of the 7D Mark II. It also adds uncropped
4K video and a class-leading 32.5-megapixel resolution. However,
while the 10fps shooting is great, the buffer capacity doesn’t match true
sports cameras, and the 90D doesn’t have the hefty ruggedness – or the
65-point AF system – of the 7D Mark II. It’s also quite expensive currently
at £1209, compared to reduced prices of around £799 for the old 80D.
But as a fusion of two good – in-spite of ageing – DSLRs into a thoroughly
modern all-round camera, the EOS 90D is quite an achievement.T
The Mode dials are
all broadly similar,
with the 7D Mark II
stripped back,
while the controls
above the top LCD
are simplified on
the 80D and 90D
Each camera has
seen the rear
controls evolve,
with the 90D
getting a new
joystick controller
90D 80D 7D Mark II
90D
80D
7D Mark II