Canon EOS 800D Review

Launched early this year, the EOS 800D is the latest entry-level DSLR from Canon and is a direct successor to the previous EOS 750D. It still carries the same 24.2-megapixel resolution but uses an improved sensor and a new DIGIC 7 image processor.

At under Php44K for the body-only, will this be a good offering for those who want a solid starter camera? We find out.

Table of Contents

Design and Construction

Just like a regular DSLR, the 800D has that all black hue and a form factor made of aluminum alloy and polycarbonate which is then layered with rubber sheets for added grip and protection.

Although, having been made mostly of plastic, it doesn’t really feel all that premium and almost feels like you’re only holding a replica of the camera. This is not all bad, though, since it helps make the device a bit more lightweight at just 485 grams (body only).

There’s a single dial for changing your shooting modes and a fair number of buttons for tweaking your ISO and other settings. There’s also a built-in flash that pops up when needed.

It features an optical viewfinder and a display that folds out and tilts to make shooting in different angles more manageable.

The right side houses the slot for the miniSD card while at the left are flaps that hide the ports for an external flash and microphone as well as for miniUSB and microHDMI. A headphone jack is missing, though, so it would be a challenge to monitor your audio levels when shooting video.

Meanwhile, down at the bottom is where the compartment for the battery pack is located.

The review unit we have comes with an 18-55mm kit lens with a 4-5.6 aperture but you can also get the 800D with a bundled 18-135mm lens with a higher asking price, of course.

With a dimension of 131 x 99.9 x 76.2mm, the camera is pretty compact for a DSLR and also has good ergonomics so you can easily wrap your hands around its body.

Display

As we’ve mentioned earlier, it sports a display that you can flip out and twist all the way to 270 degrees. Thanks to this, you can use its Live View feature by pressing the button beside the viewfinder and shoot in both high and low angles with ease.

The 3-inch vari-angle display carries 1,040,000 dots and is touch-sensitive. This greatly helps when previewing shots as we could easily swipe through photos and double tap/pinch to zoom when checking if the shots are focused.

Its touch capability also comes into play while on Live View as it lets you touch the area that you want to focus on — just like when shooting on smartphones.

Performance

The 800D takes pride in the focusing department. It improved on its predecessor’s 19-point cross-type autofocus and has now implemented a 45-point cross-type AF system. The use of a cross-type sensor basically ensures that focusing is more accurate than going for one that’s only sensitive to a single plane.

Not only that, but it also boasts a 0.03-second focusing time while on Live View. We tried how it would fare in real life instances and although we couldn’t measure the speed down to the millisecond, we were quite impressed with how fast it can lock on to a subject whether we were outdoors or in dimly-lit places.

The 800D’s foursome of AF point selections make things easier since you can quickly select specific areas where to focus: Selectable Single Point, Zone AF, Large Zone AF, Auto Selection AF.

High-speed shooting allows it to offer up to 6 frames (previously 5 frames) of burst capture which can be used for certain action or sports shots. ISO range improved and now covers 100 – 25,600 from the previous 12,800 max ISO of the EOS 750D. Meanwhile, the max shutter is maintained at 1/4000 sec.

This combination allowed us to have flexible control over the camera in full manual mode. On the other hand, sharing and transferring files can be done wirelessly using its built-in NFC and Wi-Fi.

Image Quality

As mentioned earlier, the 800D carries the same 24.2-megapixel resolution as the 750D, but this time, sports an improved sensor. Thanks to this tweaked-out sensor and new DIGIC 7 image processor, we noticed that the images captured show very little digital noise when we needed to crank up the ISO sensitivity. It also shows satisfactory details in general and has a vibrant saturation that doesn’t go overboard.

Using the 18-55mm provided sharp images with decent focal length, but I had more lenses in my arsenal that would fit the 800D namely: a 50mm prime, a 10-22mm wide, and an 18-135mm zoom so I pretty much ditched the 18-55mm right away. Check out the sample shots:

For video-recording, we were disappointed to find out that it doesn’t support 4K resolution and maxes out at Full HD. In a time where 4K recording is seen even on entry-level shooters, it’s unusual that Canon skipped out on this feature — most likely to keep costs down and keep the camera functioning fast.

It can shoot up to 60fps, though, at 1080p so you could play with a bit of slow-mo effect. It also sports a 5-axis digital stabilization so footage has a smoother movement.

Battery Life

Powering the 800D is a rechargeable 1040mAh Li-Ion battery pack. The company claims that it can last for 600 shots which is above the average of other shooters in its class. Although, shooting on Live View all the time will, of course, shorten the life of the battery.

On real-world usage, a single battery pack can last us around 3-4 hours of mixed photo and video recording using Live View every once in a while.

Conclusion

The Canon EOS 800D is a worthy successor to the 750D that further improves on its strengths and weaknesses alike. It has a better sensor, a newer image processor, faster autofocus, and a longer battery life. It’s not without faults, of course, as it features a toyish form factor thanks to its plastic material. It also doesn’t support 4K video recording which could be a letdown for video guys.

To answer our question earlier, the 800D, in its entirety, is a pretty solid shooter for those looking for a capable entry-level DSLR. It is forgiving when shooting in low light and at the same time offers flexible options for available lenses.

The EOS 800D with the bundled 18-55 IS STM lens is available for Php48,998USD 835INR 70,783EUR 795CNY 6,081 while the EOS 800D body-only is at Php43,498USD 741INR 62,837EUR 706CNY 5,398. Getting only the EF-S18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM is available for Php13,498USD 230INR 19,499EUR 219CNY 1,675.

When packaged with the 18-135 IS STM lens, on the other hand, it is more expensive at Php60,998USD 1,039INR 88,118EUR 990CNY 7,570.

Canon EOS 800D key specs:
24.2MP APS-C CMOS Sensor
DIGIC 7 Image Processor
3-inch 1.04m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen
Full HD 1080p Video Recording at 60 fps
45-Point All Cross-Type Phase-Detect AF
Dual Pixel CMOS AF
Up to 6fps Shooting
ISO 100-25,600 (expandable to 51,200)
Built-In Wi-Fi with NFC, Bluetooth
HDR Movie and Time-Lapse Movie
Movie Electronic IS, Feature Assistant
131.0 x 99.9 x 76.2mm
485 g (body only)

What we liked about it:

Lightweight body
Touchscreen display
Fast autofocus
Improved sensor + image processor
Cleaner images on high ISO
Decent details
Well-saturated
Wi-Fi and NFC on board

What we didn’t like:

Toyish plastic build
Lack of 4K video recording

Kevin Bruce Francisco

Kevin Bruce Francisco is the Senior Editor and Video Producer for YugaTech. He's a Digital Filmmaking graduate who's always either daydreaming of traveling or actually going places on his bike. Follow him on Twitter for more tech updates @kevincofrancis.

http://www.yugatech.com

6 Comments

123456 says:

8 years ago

Can you suggest entry level DSLRs?
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Dolphy says:

8 years ago

For entry level DSLRs get the Nikon D3400. Better IQ than this 800D. Better battery life, better low-light performance, and cheaper.
123456 says:

8 years ago

Thanks Dolphy. How much is the D3400? I was kinda looking for a DSLR in the 25K range.
Dolphy says:

8 years ago

D3400 cost 20-23k online. Pasok sa budget mo, may pambili ka pa ng tripod at camera bag niyan. But if 25k ang balak mong gastusin sa camera, go for the D5300 or D5500. You’ll get the tilting LCD. touchscreen (albeit sa D5500 only), and wifi (sa D3400 kasi bluetooth ang means of connectivity).
Also, check the mirrorless options.

Dolphy says:

8 years ago

For 50K? Get the 80D if you want Canon. D7200 for Nikon. Mirrorless: Olympus EM5 M2/EM10 M2, Sony A5100/A6000, Fuji X-E2s/XT10. 4K video: Panasonic G7 or even the FZ1000 or LX100. There is even a GH4 in the famous online shop priced below 50k!

Older models but way better than this overpriced 800D.
- Reply
Angel says:

7 years ago

Can I rent a camera?
- Reply