Gear Necessities: the freshly released Canon EOS 80D and Canon EF-S 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS USM

Looking to advance your photography and video skills? Canon’s new-to-the-market EOS 80D is great for enthusiast photographers who enjoy experimenting with genres and styles. This model features a 24.2-megapixel CMOS sensor, a Digic 6 processor, a 45-point all cross-type autofocus system, and a fast, seven frames per second shooting rate. It is designed to shoot in varying lighting conditions, and the autofocus will continue to work even under moonlight. Enjoy remote shooting from your smartphone or tablet through the Camera Connect app, and as we all tend to love instant access to our photos, you can connect to and control your camera via a PC, and easily share full-resolution JPEGs to your smart device.

As well as the brand-new EOS 80D, Canon also announced the release of its EF-S 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS USM lens.

The standard telephoto zoom lens designed for EF-S mount Canon DSLR cameras, the Canon EF-S 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS USM matches cutting-edge technology with a flexible focal range. Building upon the knowledge gained from its 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS STM predecessor, this lens is keenly tailored toward pro-enthusiast action and nature photographers.

The lens boasts an enhanced optical Image Stabiliser (IS) system that reaches up to four stops, plus a Dynamic IS system which compensates for camera shake during filming, and offers stable, sharp results against the challenges of low light. Equipped with a Nano Ultrasonic Motor (USM), the lens combines two of the best in one fell swoop — both the speed of a ring USM, and the silky-smooth focus transitions of a Stepping Motor (STM). Fast and incredibly quiet, Canon’s focusing technology offers high-speed performance during still shooting — with speeds of up to 4.3 and 2.5 times faster than its predecessor at its telephoto and wide-angle extremes. In addition, the lens is compatible with Canon’s PZ-E1 Power Zoom adapter, a 10-speed detachable device that smoothly and silently operates the zoom, for more-natural movements during video capture.

The Canon EF-S 18–135mm f/3.5–5.6 IS USM and the Canon EOS 80D will be available in stores from April 2016. For more information, visit canon.co.nz.