Canon 80D vs Canon 6D Mark II

Introduction

These two cameras are very similar in features, as well as performance, however, there are a few noticeable differences between them which we’ll mention in a bit. Also, for your information, they both also come at two different prices, while one of them is a budget-friendly DSLR, the other has a way more expensive price.

These are both enthusiast DSLR cameras that are based on a full-frame and an APS-C sensor.

If you are someone who is just starting out, the Canon 80D DSLR camera is a perfect tool for you, due to the feature-rich, versatile SLR that boasts an impressive 45-point all cross-type AF system which also provides high-speed, highly precise AF Fin virtually any light environment.

We said that these two cameras both come at different prices, differentiating much from one another, however, don’t let the price fool you because there can be this one feature that you’re after that the 80D has, while the Canon 6D Mark II does not have it.

Sometimes, depending on what your purpose is, what kind of photography you need the camera for, even the cheapest cameras can be the best addition for you. However, if you are someone who is looking for specific premium features, performance, and so on, then maybe you should hear out our brief description of the Canon 6D Mark II.

This one is a full-frame DSLR camera that has a compact construction with a 26.2 MP CMOS sensor, while it runs by DIGIC 7 Image Processor which allows the camera to deliver amazing results even at expanded ISO settings. Thus, this makes it perfect even for low light situations, as well as landscape, portrait, and event photography.

We’ll try to compare these two remarkable cameras in detail, in every aspect and how they perform in different fields. So, let’s start reviewing them and see what are they really capable of.

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Head To Head Comparison

Canon 80D

Canon is a well-known brand as you already know, which has been creating excellent cameras for enthusiast photographers. In this case, we have the Canon 80D which comes in a well-built construction, with sensibly arranged controls, and remarkable ergonomics with an extensive feature set. As for image quality, you won’t need to worry since it offers superb photography with lots of detail.

To start off, Canon has a 24MP sensor along with a DIGIC 6 processing engine, while this combination allows for a native sensitivity range of ISO 100-16,000, while it can also be expanded to 25,600.

In comparison with the Canon 6D Mark II’s 6.5fps shooting rate, the Canon 80D has 7fps, while the burst rate is increased to 110 JPEGs when a UHS-1 SD card is used, which is a lot compared to other similarly priced cameras.

As it is common for modern SLRs, they have two autofocus systems, more precisely, one is for using the camera conventionally and composing images in the viewfinder, while the other is for Live View and video mode. In this case, Canon not only uses two autofocus systems, but it has also improved them significantly compared to its predecessor, the 70D.

Furthermore, the Canon 80D has 45 AF points which makes it better at finding subjects around the frame. All of the points are cross-type with lenses that boast a maximum aperture of f/5.6 or greater, nonetheless, 27 of them operate at f/8 and nine of them are cross-type at f/8.

Once you turn to the Live view video and the autofocus system, you’ll notice that the 80D has also included the Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology, which is a lot better than most other rivals out there due to the fact that it even has phase-detection points on the imaging sensor itself.

However, there’s one thing I don’t really like about the Canon 80D, the 4K recording. I’m not really surprised since not many other rivals at this price range have this feature, however, I think that the manufacturer could have done a better job since this is one of the most in-vogue video features.

Nonetheless, you can’t really miss out on the other good things that it offers, such as the headphone port for audio monitoring and the ability to record Full HD footage at 50fps or 2x slow-motion playback. There’s also an external mic port, HDMI Mini and A/V Digital out terminals.

Onboard Wi-Fi connectivity is also present, along with NFC. If you don’t know what this means, let me clear this out for you. This will enable the camera to be connected to an NFC enabled smartphone or tablet, which is a great feature to have if you think about it.

But that’s not all, there is also Anti-Flicker technology which detects the frequency of the flicker and times shots so that they’re taken even if the impact on exposure and color is minimal.

Moreover, we think that the Canon 80D is an excellent budget-friendly DSLR camera that packs the features of a premium one, while it also offers decent performance and built quality.

Canon 80D Sample Footage:

 

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Canon 6D Mark II

The Canon 6D Mark II is the successor of the original 6D, however, this one comes with more operational speed and performance, while also having a better image quality. I consider it to be a great all-rounder, as it is great for many fields in photography, such as portrait, event photography and lanscape photography, especially if you pair it with a canon landscape lens.

In terms of the design, the 6D Mark II comes in a scarcely larger construction than most other APS-C DSLRs, however, it packs a lot of smart features within. It features a vari-angle rear touchscreen which is great for the Canon’s fast Dual Pixel CMOS AF in Live View mode.

You will find only one SD card slot, which is not that good since many other cameras at this price range have more. One other thing, if you compare the 6D Mark II to the Canon 80D, they both don’t have 4K video capabilities, so let’s make this thing clear before we start getting more into the details.

Nonetheless, the 6D Mark II has excellent rounded contours with an efficient button layout which makes the camera a great tool to use. Okay, let’s get more into specifics and see what else is there to tell about this camera.

As for starters, the 6D Mark II has a 26.2-megapixel sensor, which is great for the price and it has more MP than the 80D, while for starters, it means that it can compete with cameras even at higher-price ranges. In addition, it uses Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF sensor which can deliver phase-detection autofocus even in Live View mode. Basically, Live View and movie autofocus are a lot faster and smoother than most other cameras at this price range, and also a lot more than its predecessor.

Speaking of the autofocus, this feature also got an update from the original 6D, with a 45-point array, which is a lot more than its predecessor. It uses Canon’s latest DIGIC 7 image processor which helps object recognition and focus tracking in order to predict subject movement across the frame.

This combination allows for an ISO range of 100-40,000 which is also expandable to 50-104,400, which means that it delivers both higher ISOs than previously seen and higher resolution as well.

Furthermore, this particular camera can shoot at 6.5 fps, meaning that it is faster than the 4.5fps of the original model, however, if you compare it to the 7.0fps of the Canon 80D, it’s still less than expected.

We mentioned that this camera doesn’t have 4K video, however, Canon has included Full HD video at up to 60 fps, while it also adds in-camera five-axis digital stabilization for movies, and just for your convenience, this was the first time that this feature is included in a full-frame model.

Overall, the Canon 6D Mark II is a great all-rounder, while it is a lot better than its predecessor, it can also outperform the Canon 80D in most situations, with image quality, built construction, as well as in terms of features.

Canon 6D Mark II Sample Footage:

 

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Canon 80D vs Canon 6D Mark II Feature Comparison

	Canon 80D	Canon 6D Mark II
Camera Type	DSLR	Full-Frame DSLR
Megapixels	24.0	26.2
ISO Range	100-16,000(25,600)	100-40000
Flip-Out Screen	Yes	Yes
Microphone	No	No
Viewfinder	Yes	Yes
Touchscreen	No	Yes
Video Recording	Yes	Yes
Sensor Size	APS-C	CMOS

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Conclusion

Both these cameras are great, and since we also mentioned that it always depends for what purpose you need the camera, for example, if you are someone who needs a camera for landscape, portrait, and event photography, the Canon 80D would be more than enough for the task, but of course, it comes with fewer features than the Canon 6D Mark II.

Personally, I consider the Canon 6D Mark II to be a perfect all-rounder, because it has a decent performance along with a plethora of features that can be rarely found in cameras at this price range, and maybe some of the above.

However, I’m a bit disappointed that none of these cameras has 4K video capabilities, but nonetheless, if you’re looking for a feature-rich full-frame DSLR, then the Canon 6D Mark II would be the ideal choice for you.

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