Fritz44

I am considering upgrading into a new Canon camera body from the Canon 80D I have used for several years. Before that I had a Canon 30D. I have shot thousands of images with both and have been pleased with each camera. Recently I have been improving my skills and am excited with the results.
I have several Canon EF and EF-S lenses, a Sigma 18-300mm, and a Tamron 150-600mm I use with the 80D. I would like to use as many of those lenses as I can with the upgrade camera body. I haven't found one so I'm interested in what others suggest.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Your 80D is a cutting-edge, professional-grade DSLR featuring a 24MP sensor. You can buy another camera to spend money, but there won't be any real difference, even in moving to a full frame camera.

What do you envision happening with a newer camera? Do you have series II (or III) EF lenses that sharply focus in image circle onto a still-higher megapixel sensor? Are you capturing your images in RAW and processing with professional-grade software? Do you have a speedlight flash? Do you have a quality tripod? My point is to try to redirect an urge for a new body onto areas that are more likely to yield improved results with your current body.

It's your money. It's your decision. It you let the UHH community spend your money, nothing you have will ever be good enough to their standards. Honesty, there is no logical upgrade from a still new and relevant EOS 80D. The shutter in your 80D is rated to 100,000. When you get to the 85,000 range, then begin to think about what's next. The only thing you'd accomplish before then is supporting the economy by spending more of your money.

revhen Loc: By the beautiful Hudson

The ONLY real upgrade would be to the 90D. But why if you're happy with the 80D? Veddy interestink: Consumer Reports the 80 and 90 as virtually equal -- and gives the edge to the 80!

Fritz44

Thank you for your insight. It is really helpful. After reading your post I realize I am primarily looking for another camera body to use with my lenses so I don’t waste my time changing lenses when I am shooting wildlife or trying to capture the changing light like I did this morning catching the dawning sun for about 45 minutes as it came up behind a rugged ridge line. Using a remote shutter I was able to capture the deep oranges, and Venus rising is in several images. But I would have liked to shoot more parts of the ridge line during the same time frame. My thoughts were to go to a full frame as long as I’m looking for another camera body. But maybe all I need is another 80D, perhaps a used one.
Lenses I have are: a Canon EF 24mm f/2.8 IS USM; a Canon 50mm f/1.8 STM; a Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM; a Canon 28-300mm f/3.5-5.6L IS USM; a Sigma 18-300mm f/3.5-6.3 DC OS HSM C I have used several time as my travel lens; and a recently purchased Tamron SP 150-600mm f/5-6.3 Di VC USD G2 I have used a few times primarily for wildlife. I am using/learning RAW. I was using the Canon Digital Professional 4 but now am using/learning Lightroom with Photoshop. I do have a speed light flash. I have a carbon tripod I use for travel and a heavier one I use locally. My interests focus on flowers, landscapes, and wildlife.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thanks for the follow-up. I've started traveling a lot lighter, or having much different cameras like film and digital if I have two bodies out together. My plan on the usefulness of two cameras has actually been useful just a few times in practice. The lenses and two identical bodies are just too much gear to haul. In practice, instead I swap the identical bodies about every 6 months or so for even usage. Or, I bring the second body as an emergency back-up left in the car for an important event.

There's an argument of 'best of both worlds' of crop and FF. Personally, when I tried this for 6 months, I found I only used the FF and then just sold the cropped body and all the EFS lenses. A 2nd used 80D is less of an outlay than a FF body and then more FF lenses. You'd have to forecast how often really a 2nd body will make a difference vs just changing lenses? I just change lenses.

miked46 Loc: Winter Springs, Florida

I am also in the process, and I have 3 choices, 90D, EOS RP, EOS R6. I would get the RF-EF adapter as I have both kinds of lenses. I like the choices, just have to decide once I see the new R6.

robertcbyrd Loc: 28754

I have two 80D bodies for when I need a quick lens change. I see no reason to "upgrade" at all. My Tamron 24-70mm f/2.8 gets me a long way as my main go to and I often use my cheap 50mm f/1.8 on the second body. But it varies.

ELNikkor

Another 80D.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

The 90D will use ALL your lenses.
It is a substantial upgrade to the 80D and is the only APSC camera with a very high resolution 32.5 MP sensor.
The R series Canon cameras will use ALL your lenses with NO loss of operation or features in the lenses.
The R cameras are the R and RP.
Coming out soon, to be announced July 9, are the R5 and R6

Blair Shaw Jr Loc: Dunnellon,Florida

I tend to agree. I just change lenses and love the Full Frame rig. The cropper is just there in case the main camera dies. I don't sell old rigs , but rather donate them to beginners who can't afford to own a lovely dslr.
They really get enthusiastic when they get a chance to enjoy our world and it gives me satisfaction more-so than the dollar value ever could. Thank you Paul for your great service to this forum.

Fritz44

Thanks to all of you for sharing your thoughtful comments about your experiences. They have been very helpful. I’m going to think more before I leap.
I’ve dabbled in photography since the 1960s. Learning how to do it right has been easier since I recently retired at 75. I feel like a kid again looking forward to trying new things.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

Retire at 75.
People ask when I will retire and I look and say that I have not really thought about it. I am in an occupation where it is so much fun you just do not want to stop creating spaces for others to enjoy every day.

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

The obvious and easiest answer is the Canon 90D.

It would allow all your current gear to work. Lenses, of course, but also your batteries & charger, flashes, memory cards, etc. If you have a battery grip on your 80D, even that is shared by the 90D.

There are numerous online comparisons of the new 90D with the 80D it replaces. I'm adding some links below, but there are more online. You should look at those and ask yourself a series of questions....

1. Do you really need the incremental improvements of the new camera or is this just a matter of wanting something new? Sometimes we get caught up in the "new-ness" and don't make rational decisions based upon actual needs. Which leads us directly to...

2. Will the new features camera actually make your photography easier or more satisfying? For example, will the newer camera's much higher resolution be any benefit to you? "More" isn't always "better"! If you aren't making big prints from your images and are doing a good job of "filling your viewfinder" with your subjects by getting within effective working distances, a higher resolution camera might be unnecessary.

3. What are the "unintended consequences" of the proposed "upgrade"? For example, the 90D uses a Digic 8 processor that produces a new type of RAW files format, called CR3. To work with those might require you to update your post-processing software... if you shoot RAW a lot. But if you only shoot JPEGs, it won't matter. Also, the increased resolution of the camera will produce larger files that will fill up memory cards and hard drives faster, might even slow down your computer if it's a few years old with marginal performance for the gear you have now. Another consideration with a higher resolution camera is that you may start seeing more short-comings in your lenses... a higher resolution camera is more "demanding" of good glass... less "forgiving" of minor flaws than a lower resolution camera.


I wish that were true! The R-series cameras are full frame. Yes, you certainly can fit EF-S and other "crop only" lenses to them via an adapter and they will work... But only in a somewhat limited way. The images will either need in-camera or post-processing cropping, because the smaller diameter image circle of the crop-design lens will not fully cover the larger full frame sensor of the camera. The highest resolution R-series right now is 30MP (less than the 90D!) By the time an image from it is cropped down to APS-C size, what's left will be roughly 11 or 12MP.... or about half the resolution you have now with your 80D and almost 1/3 the resolution of a 90D (or M6 Mark II, if you really want mirrorless). Supposedly the up-coming R5 will be higher resolution. A lot of speculation suggests 45MP. But this isn't confirmed yet. And even when it is (expected around July 9), it will still be at least one or two more months until the camera is actually available. Another area of speculation is the new camera's price. Many think it will be triple the price of a 90D... or more! Besides, a 45MP full frame image cropped to APS-C size is around 18MP... still less than an 80D and a lot less than a 90D!

Not sayin' the R-series aren't great cameras and the upcoming R5/R6 leaks and rumors aren't exciting. Just sayin' that while they're great for a lot of things, they aren't ideal for everyone. It's arguable that the biggest "strength" of the R-series is Canon's commitment to building a superb new line of RF-mount lenses to use upon them... In fact, they've already fielded some "great glass" for the R-series, with a lot more promised in years to come. But tapping into those comes with a very hefty price tag!

However, Architect1776 does bring up a very good point...

4. Is this an opportunity to either change directions or complement what you already have? Just for example, maybe a full frame camera would be a better purchase. Or, perhaps a mirrorless camera would offer new opportunities. Only you can say, because these choices really depend upon what you shoot, how you like to shoot it and what you do with the resulting images. If you are planning any changes, such as exploring new types of photography or photo opportunities, your choices might be strongly influenced by that. I am NOT suggesting that full frame or mirrorless cameras..... or full frame mirrorless cameras, for that matter... are any "better" than what you already have or a 90D upgrade. For some things, they might be... For other things, you may be better served to just continue with what you've got or "upgrading" to a 90D.

I'm just suggesting this may be a good time to shift gears or change direction a little or a lot, to explore something new. When you consider a "change in directions" you have to also think about things like the usability of your current kit with the new camera.... For example, a full frame camera will not be able to utilize those EF-S lenses or the Sigma "do-it-all" zoom. And that 150-600mm won't "act nearly as long" as it does on an APS-C format camera. Another example, I recently bought a mirrorless camera and a few lenses to use upon it, specifically to "try out" the concept, learn more about the pluses and minuses compared to DSLRs I've used for fifteen years (and SLRs I used for several decades before that). The camera bag with the mirrorless is far smaller than the ones I use with my DSLRs and the entire mirrorless kit weighs less than one of my DSLRs with a single lens. It also seems really small to hold and shoot with. I'm still trying to decide whether that's good or bad. Initially, it seems almost "toy like"!

This also may be a good opportunity to make a more major change. It usually makes the most sense to "upgrade" within the system you have, both because that allows you to continue to use other stuff already in your kit and because there will be some level of familiarity with the new camera. However, at the same time it also may be the best time to make a bigger switch to a different system, if for some reason it would make sense to do so, before investing any further in what you've got. I'm not encouraging you abandon Canon gear (it's predominantly what I use myself). I'm just saying that other systems are good, too, and may meet your needs better.

5. Finally, are there other places where your money might be better spent? Maybe instead of a new camera you should be adding or upgrading a lens. Got a macro lens or portrait lens or tilt-shift lens? Or, maybe a good tripod would do more for your photography. Do you have a flash or studio lighting gear? Depending upon what you do or want to do, some of these things may be a better "upgrade" than a new camera. Or, perhaps taking some classes, enrolling in some tutorials or seminars, buying and reading some books would do more for you than any new photo gear. Perhaps the money would be best spent taking a trip somewhere that you've been wanting to go photograph.

All that said, here are some links to compare 80D versus 90D....

https://cameradecision.com/compare/Canon-EOS-90D-vs-Canon-EOS-80D
https://www.imaging-resource.com/cameras/canon/80d/vs/canon/90d/
https://www.apotelyt.com/compare-camera/canon-80d-vs-canon-90d
https://www.digitaltrends.com/photography/canon-eos-90d-vs-canon-eos-80d/
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EOS-90D.aspx

Camera manufacturers and retailers will happily tell you that, yes, you really, really need to upgrade! But you should decide for yourself whether you really do or not. They are happy to sell you a new camera and take your money... And here on UHH we're always happy to help spend other peoples' money!

DebAnn Loc: Toronto

I have the 70D and think it's superb. I was going to Africa so I bought the 90D which is also great. I do have a full frame 6D MkII so I can carry two bodies loaded with different lenses. This means I don't have to change lenses on the fly. I went to Africa with the 90D and the 6DII. Most of my shots were taken with the 90D and a Tamron 18-400 lens (which is for crops only). I don't think I'll be buying any more bodies any time soon.

hrblaine

I bought a 5Dc years ago and since my printing is pretty much limited to 8x10 I have never felt the need to upgrade. I guess I don't understand this overwhelming desire for new gear. I field trial bird dogs and spaniels so I certainly understand the desire for a new dog but to me, gear is gear. :-) If it works, it works! Dogs are alive, they have different abilities, different personalities and each one is a new challange! Also, dogs get old, slow down and die, gear may get old but if you treat it right it usually won't die. Harry