Canon 80D has a
24.0MP APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features DIGIC 6 processor. On the other hand, Canon 20D has a
8.0MP APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm ) sized CMOS sensor .
Canon 80D's sensor provides 16MP more than Canon 20D's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely.
On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.
Below you can see the 80D and 20D sensor size comparison.
Canon 80D and Canon 20D have the same sensor sizes so they will provide same level of control over the depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture. On the other hand, since Canon 20D has 193% larger pixel area (41.21µm2 vs 14.06µm2) compared to Canon 80D, it has larger pixel area to collect light hence potential to have less noise in low light / High ISO images.
DxOMark Sensor Scores
Both Canon 80D and Canon 20D sensors have been tested by DxoMark. DxoMark scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Of the two cameras that we are comparing, 80D has scored 79, 17 points higher than 20D.
Model |
Overall |
Color Depth |
Dynamic Range |
Low-light ISO |
Canon 80D |
79 |
23.6 bits |
13.2 Evs |
1135 ISO |
Canon 20D |
62 |
21.9 bits |
11.0 Evs |
721 ISO |