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Home → Comparison

Canon 80D vs 90D

How does the new Canon 90D compare to its predecessor, the 80D?

By Spencer Cox 16 Comments
Last Updated On September 27, 2024

Canon 80D vs 90D

Now that Canon’s 90D has been released, I wanted to see how it stacks up versus the earlier 80D DSLR. At first glance, the two cameras look similar; the biggest physical difference is that the 90D adds a joystick to control autofocus. But beneath the hood, these are very different DSLRs.

What exactly did Canon change, and is it worth paying the extra money for the 90D ($1200 vs $1000)? The information below explains the key points you need to know.

Specifications Comparison

Camera FeatureCanon 80DCanon 90D
Sensor Resolution24.2 megapixels32.5 megapixels
Sensor TypeCMOSCMOS
Sensor Size22.5 × 15mm22.3 × 14.8 mm
Sensor Pixel Size3.7µ3.2µ
Low Pass FilterYesYes
Low Pass Filter Dust ReductionYesYes
Image Size6000 × 4000 pixels6960 × 4640 pixels
Image ProcessorDIGIC 6DIGIC 8
Viewfinder TypePentaprismPentaprism
Viewfinder Coverage100%100%
Viewfinder Magnification0.95×0.95×
Built-in FlashYes, with flash commander modeYes, with flash commander mode
Storage Media1× SD, UHS I Compatible1× SD, UHS II Compatible
Continuous Shooting Speed7 FPS10 FPS (11 FPS with focus locked)
Buffer Size (RAW)2524 (UHS I card); 25 (UHS II card)
Electronic ShutterNoYes
Shutter Speed Range1/8000 to 30 sec1/16,000 to 30 sec (electronic); 1/8000 to 30 sec (mechanical)
Shutter Durability100,000 cycles200,000 cycles
Exposure Metering Sensor63-zone, 7560-pixel RGB+IR216-zone, 220,000-pixel RGB+IR
Base ISOISO 100ISO 100
Native ISO SensitivityISO 100-6400ISO 100-25,600
Boosted ISO SensitivityUp to ISO 25,600Up to ISO 51,200
Focus Points45-point, all cross-type45-point, all cross-type
On Sensor Phase DetectionYesYes
Spot AFNoYes
Focus BracketingNoYes
Live View Eye AFNoYes
JoystickNoYes
Flicker DetectionYesYes
Video Maximum Resolution1920 × 1080 up to 60 fps4K at 30 fps; 1920 × 1080 up to 120 fps
LCD Size3″ diagonal LCD3″ diagonal LCD
LCD Resolution1,040,000 dots1,040,000 dots
Tilt-Flip LCDYesYes
TouchscreenYesYes
Built-in GPSNoNo
Built-in BluetoothNoYes
Built-in Wi-Fi / NFCYesYes
BatteryLP-E6N Lithium-Ion BatteryLP-E6N Lithium-Ion Battery
Battery Life (23°C, 50% with flash)960 shots (CIPA)1300 shots (CIPA)
Weather Sealed BodyYesYes
USB Version2.0 Micro-B2.0 Micro-B
Weight (Body Only, Includes Battery and Card)730 g (25.8 oz)701 g (24.7 oz)
Dimensions139 × 105.2 × 78.5 mm (5.5 × 4.1 × 3.1 in)140.7 × 104.8 × 76.8 mm (5.5 × 4.1 × 3.0 in)
AnnouncedFebruary 2016August 2019
Current Price (Body Only)$999$1199

As you can see, there are a huge number of differences between the 80D and 90D – not really surprising, given a difference of more than three years between their announcements.

The headline features on the 90D are its brand new 32.5-megapixel sensor, 4K video (at full sensor width), and 10 FPS shooting (11 FPS with focus locked). These alone are well worth the extra $200 over the 80D, in my opinion.

But beyond the most obvious feature differences, plenty of little things make the 90D a better DSLR than the 80D. Its shutter is twice as durable, rated to 200,000 shots rather than 100,000. It improves battery life by over 300 shots – 960 vs 1300. It even adds a fully electronic shutter, the first we’ve ever seen on a DSLR.

In short, the 90D is a vastly improved camera compared to the already-great 80D.

Camera Body Comparison

The photo at the top of this article demonstrates just how similar the Canon 80D and 90D look from the front. The differences on the back are a bit clearer, although these are still extremely similar cameras. All images are to scale:

Canon 80D vs 90D Back View

The biggest change is the addition of a joystick on the 90D. This is a very welcome sight and an easy way to adjust autofocus points. Because of the new joystick, a couple other buttons got shuffled around slightly; the “Q” button is now a bit lower, while the review button has moved to the bottom of the 90D next to the “Delete” button. Other than that, the cameras have the same layout.

And from the top:

Canon 80D vs 90D Top View

In this case, the two cameras have exactly the same control layout. Clearly, existing 80D users will find the 90D very familiar to use overall.

However, note that Canon did shave off some weight on the 90D – 619 vs 730 grams (body only), which is certainly welcome.

Who Should Get the 80D or 90D?

At the moment, the Canon 80D costs $1000 new versus $1200 for the 90D. At that price, the 90D is a no-brainer for most photographers. The 90D’s newer sensor, joystick, faster frame rate, and 4K video are certainly worth the difference in cost.

However, note that the 80D is currently selling for very good prices on the used market because it has been available for so long. You can easily find it for $650 (body only) on sites like FredMiranda and KEH. It will be a long time before the 90D goes down that much on the used market.

Landscape Photo Taken with Canon 80D
Canon EOS 80D + EF-S18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM @ 21mm, ISO 100, 1/250, f/9.0

So – if you’re on a budget, and you don’t mind buying used, the 80D remains an excellent purchase today. We gave it excellent ratings in our review, and that hasn’t changed just because there’s a newer version.

But if you want one of Canon’s best aps-c cameras, and $1200 is in your budget, go for the 90D. Its features are pretty incredible for an aps-c DSLR, or, frankly, for any DSLR. The 90D is certainly a worthy upgrade and a great addition to Canon’s camera lineup.

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Tagged With: Canon, Canon 80D, Canon 90D, Canon DSLR

About Spencer Cox

I'm Spencer Cox, a landscape photographer based in Colorado. I started writing for Photography Life a decade ago, and now I run the website in collaboration with Nasim. I've used nearly every digital camera system under the sun, but for my personal work, I love the slow-paced nature of large format film. You can see more at my personal website and my not-exactly-active Instagram page.

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16 Comments
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Wayne
Wayne
June 9, 2020 7:14 am

Last year I purchased the 80d new, about 3 months before they replaced it with the 90d. With some sensor and video (which I never use), it looks like a good move. I had to remember though that it’s a minor upgrade to an already outstanding camera. I,m going to stick with what I have until the next upgrade comes out. I’m totally satisfied with the 80d.

4
Reply
geoffrey juma
geoffrey juma
February 10, 2020 8:42 am

i like 90d is good camera

1
Reply
Stephen
Stephen
Reply to  geoffrey juma
February 1, 2021 7:27 pm

You’re lucky the Camara feels ok but I will take a 2000 loss because the camera is crap and so is Canon customer service.

-11
Reply
Stuart Theobald
Stuart Theobald
Reply to  Stephen
February 28, 2021 4:08 pm

It seems that Stephen likes to jump on any comment here just so he can lament about the customer service by Canon. While I cannot comment about Canon’s repair facilities in the U.S.A., Canon Canada has a great reputation for performing quality repairs of their equipment. While the process for getting repairs done by Canon Canada is somewhat convoluted, once the customer verifies the repairs required & at what cost, the actual work only takes a few days for minor repairs & maintenance servicing. Repairs to high end consumer lenses & the pro “L” series lenses are expensive, but the cost to replace them is much higher & you don’t end up with a $2500+ door stop for the office.

1
Reply
Kevin Diaz
Kevin Diaz
December 24, 2019 10:14 am

curious to know where you got your info from about the shutter durability? I haven’t really seen a hard spec from Canon, but they have an article about the 90D on their site that says 120,000, not 200,000.

0
Reply
Stephen
Stephen
Reply to  Kevin Diaz
February 1, 2021 7:29 pm

Because they are liers and I have proof.

-15
Reply
Stuart Theobald
Stuart Theobald
Reply to  Kevin Diaz
February 28, 2021 4:38 pm

Kevin, the shutter activation limits has been adjusted to reflect real world conditions, whereas, at the release of a new product, some specifications are hypothetical. While Canon can say with confidence that the shutter will work past a certain limit in quality assured testing in a sterile testing laboratory, real world conditions may change some parameters quoted at the time the product was released.
I checked with a Canon Canada & the new upper limit is indeed 200 000. Then again, I have over 346 700 shutter activation’s on my 60Da & it’s still going strong after an overhaul was done 6 years after the purchase date. It cost under $400 & it replaced all the wearable parts, bearings & brass gears to double the expected lifetime of this camera. With the 60Da now destined to be used strictly for infra red spectrum imaging, I’m sending it off to have the filters removed & the firmware modified to take only full spectrum infrared images. I figure the camera will last another 5+ years. My point being; It’s only a guess, real world conditions will change certain limitations to best reflect reality rather than depending on a hypothetical limit made in a sterile environment.

0
Reply
Thommy Sides
Thommy Sides
Reply to  Kevin Diaz
May 8, 2022 8:00 am

I also saw that too, and I found one other review that mentioned 200 thousand….so who knows?

0
Reply
Sam K
Sam K
October 1, 2019 12:14 pm

I picked up a refurbished 80D kit w/ 2 basic lens direct from Canon for $695 in July ’19. I knew the 90D was coming out and with the 80D model being 3 years old (plus the stiff competition) I figured the 90D would be a significant upgrade. The 90D came out and I look at it with a bit of lust and jealousy in my heart. But when I figured the price dif (I sold the kit lens so the 80D actually cost a bit under $400) I couldn’t justify buying the latest model. And just so you know, the 80D takes spectacular photos. I still look at the 90, and the M6 mkii, with desire but I’m very happy with the photos the 80D produces. So I basically agree with the author. If you have the $$ to burn, the new models are great. Although I’m not sure I’d spend $1200 on a new 90D body. As good as the 90D looks, I’d probably either try (rent) or buy the M6 mkii for 1/3 less or put the $1200 towards a full frame.

4
Reply
Michael
Michael
September 1, 2019 4:04 am

The big handicap of the 90d is that when it comes to video it uses the IPB codec, IT DOESN’T USE ALLI! The 80d does use Alli. Canons crippling hammer strikes again! Canons never give you the full Monty. They give you great ergonomics but lousy codec(compression). It really sucks the way they take one step forward and three steps back, like the way they removed 24p as well as only giving you the lousy IPB codec. They’ve got a lousy business model

1
Reply
Mark Bennett
Mark Bennett
Reply to  Michael
April 18, 2020 9:10 am

24p now available in 4K and HD via firmware update from Canon :-)

2
Reply
Stephen
Stephen
Reply to  Michael
February 1, 2021 7:22 pm

Do not buy anything new canon. No customer service. My Nikon B700 takes better pictures. I was told by Canon to take pictures in manual because the camera takes control so really all other modes don’t work properly. What are the there for in total 6000 down the toilet. And that’s the world we live in. Ruined my love of photography.

-17
Reply
Espumisan
Espumisan
Reply to  Stephen
May 18, 2023 2:49 pm

You’re bullshitting a lot.

0
Reply
Robert John
Robert John
August 31, 2019 4:57 am

How much difference will 32mp make over 20 or 24 on an aps-c sensor?
Say I’m taking landscapes at 100 iso on a tripod.
Or birds with a 300/f4 + 1.4TC and cropping heavily.

0
Reply
Stephen
Stephen
Reply to  Robert John
February 1, 2021 7:33 pm

I can take better pictures with my Nikon B700 which I really know less about than the 90D. Stay away from Ll canon crap. Go by a 10 dollar film camera from Walmart.

-24
Reply
Steve
Steve
Reply to  Stephen
May 3, 2021 3:51 am

You really are a special kind of stupid aren’t you.

20
Reply

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