CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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As usual at the CP+ show in Yokohama, one of the longest lines can be found Canon’s booth. This year, Canon’s EOS 80D and EOS-1D X Mark II were in huge demand from both press and public attendees alike, and we fought our way through the crowd to get hands on with both new models – and the surprisingly nice PowerShot G7 X Mark II.
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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First up is the Canon EOS 80D. The 80D features a 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor, 45-point all cross-type autofocus system, and the company’s DIGIC 6 processor. Cosmetically similar to the popular 70D, the new model offers a number of significant updates.
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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The 80D will be familiar to users of the 70D of course, but operationally it shares a lot of features from much earlier cameras in Canon’s EOS lineup, going right back to the original D30 of 2000. It’s easy to dismiss this kind of homogeneity as conservative – even unimaginative, but there’s a reason that DSLRs in 2016 still look and function much like DSLRs from the early 2000s. It works.
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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When using live view or recording video users can take advantage of the 80D’s improved Dual Pixel CMOS AF system, which provides phase-detection autofocus with the mirror locked up in Live View. This particular iteration is Canon’s first attempt at Servo AF using Dual Pixel technology – and it works very nicely in our initial testing with moving subjects. So nicely, in fact, that we can’t to see it extended to all Canon DSLRs… and maybe even, well, that’s a lot of wishful thinking.
The 3″ rear LCD is touch sensitive and fully articulating, which is handy for shooting from low and high angles, and also for video. The 80D can record 1080/60p video and offers sockets for both a microphone and headphones. Wi-Fi is also built in, with support for NFC.
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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Although it lacks 4K, the 80D is a capable HD video camera. With the addition of the PZ-E1 Power Zoom Adapter (currently only compatible with the new 18-135mm kit zoom) and DM-E1 shotgun microphone it’s a powerful and surprisingly ergonomic package. We suspect that most serious Canon videographers will look towards the Cinema EOS line but students and beginner filmmakers will appreciate the 80D’s ease of use, and potentially its excellent autofocus – with no hunting – in video.
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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One camera that is definitely of interest to professionals is Canon’s new flagship stills model the EOS-1D X Mark II. The 1D X Mark II builds on the basic concept behind the 1D X, but offers increased resolution (from 16 to 20MP) increased speed (14fps in live view mode, 12fps in conventional DSLR mode) and 4K video capture.
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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The EOS-1D X Mark II’s autofocus system has also been upgraded. The 61-point AF array covers a greater area, and these AF points work in concert with a 360,000 pixel metering sensor which should, in theory, mean better tracking of moving subjects.
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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Ergonomically, the EOS-1D X Mark II is – like the 80D – very similar to its predecessors. Professional users are even less accepting of change than enthusiasts because with years of muscle memory built up, they need key controls to stay more or less in the same place from model to model. As such, the EOS-1D X Mark II looks and operates a lot like its predecessor, and indeed some key controls have barely moved since the original film EOS-1.
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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The EOS-1D X Mark II’s battery (which fits horizontally inside the base of the camera) should be good for more than 1200 images in normal use – a major differentiator of professional DSLRs compared to lower-end models (and any current mirrorless camera). Needless to say, the EOS-1D X Mark II is fully weather-sealed and feels like it’s been milled from a solid lump of something very solid, very expensive and very heavy.
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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Who would have thought that after 16 years, professional Canon DSLRs would still be using CompactFlash cards? But here we are in 2016, and the same media that fit inside the original EOS-1D can still be used in the EOS-1D X Mark II. New in the current flagship though is a second slot for cosmetically similar (but physically incompatible) C-Fast cards. C-Fast cards are capable of greater data throughput, which will help if you’re one of those people that likes to shoot extended bursts of 170 Raw files at 14fps.
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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If you are one of those people, you should pay attention ti the warning inside the EOS-1D X Mark II’s card slot. Don’t go burning your fingers after shooting. It gives a new meaning to the term ‘blazingly fast’…
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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Ethernet? Why yes. Although the EOS-1D X Mark II features built-in Wi-Fi, a 330Mbps wired connection is still the best option for absolute speed when shooting intensely at (say) the Olympics. It’s no coincidence that Canon (like Nikon) likes to release new professional cameras in Olympic years.
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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At the other end of Canon’s camera range is the 20MP PowerShot G7 X Mark II. We really liked the original G7 X for everyday ‘carry everywhere’ shooting but it had some limitations. The Mark II has not been significantly changed when it comes to ergonomics or core features (inside you’ll find the same excellent 20MP 1-inch sensor and 24-100mm equivalent lens), but Canon has made some improvements.
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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One of those improvements is a front dial that can be switched from clicking to non-clicking operation, and a subtle front grip, in place of the smooth body of the original G7 X.
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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A new Digic 7 processor brings very welcome performance improvements, especially in Raw mode. Raw capture is now possible at 8fps and while standing at Canon’s booth we shot for more than 20 frames before the camera that we used started to slow. Finally, a Canon PowerShot G-series compact that is genuinely usable in Raw mode…
CP+ 2016: Canon shows off new DSLRs and G7 X Mark II
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The G7 X Mark II’s rear screen is a multi-angle 3.0-inch capacitive model with 1.04 million dots, capable of tilting up to 180° upwards (for selfies) and 45° down (for other things). The G7 X Mark II will be available in May for $ 699.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)
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