Canon EOS R8

While it shouldn’t be mistaken for a premium model – the lack of in-body stabilisation and video clip time limits are notable drawbacks – the Canon EOS R8 is an impressive and dependable all-rounder that puts full-frame photography and videography firmly in the entry-level budget bracket. Pleasingly portable and with strong autofocus performance, it’s a solid first step for both existing Canon users and newcomers looking to seize the advantages of a full-frame sensor.

Introduction

The EOS R8 is Canon’s latest attempt to bring full-frame photography to a mass audience.

In fact, it’s the third most affordable full-frame camera of all time, with only Canon’s own EOS RP and the Nikon Z5 costing less at launch. You can, of course, pick up plenty of older full-frame models on the cheap, but the EOS R8 also comes packing the latest-generation technology and features, making it sound like a tempting prospect – on paper, at least.

Equipped with the same sensor and processor found in the mid-range Canon EOS R6 II, the EOS R8 makes some sacrifices (which we’ll get to) to keep its price down, but makes some big promises with regards to autofocus and video performance. Does this make it the go-to entry-level full-framer? After spending a few days in its company, here are my thoughts.

Design and handling

• 132.5 x 86.1 x 70mm body size
• 461g body weight (including card and battery)
• 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen

After I unpacked it, the first thing that struck me about the EOS R8 was how light and small it was. After all, full-frame mirrorless cameras aren’t known for being particularly portable by mirrorless standards. The camera body weighs under 500g and is only 70mm deep, so depending on the lens you’re using it can be a very lightweight and compact setup.

Canon sells it in a £1499 bundle with a plastic-barrelled 24-50mm zoom lens, and together the pair make a very lightweight package indeed. This is the setup I used for most of the photos and videos I took, although I did try it out with a much heavier (and significantly more expensive) 28-70mm F2 lens too.

The body is plasticky too, although it feels fairly sturdy in the hand and Canon calls it dust and water-resistant (if not fully weatherproofed). The control setup is similar to that of the EOS R6 II, with a dedicated switch for flipping between photo and video modes and a large dial for flipping between the various priority, automatic and user-customised shooting modes. Also, the on/off switch includes a third ‘lock’ option that shuts off one of the camera’s two control dials.

The one control I was surprised and a bit disappointed not to see was a mini joystick on the back for quickly adjusting the autofocus point, but most of the other usual suspects are here, including a dedicated video stop/start button on top. Overall, I like the control setup and the fact that you can also tap the 3-inch touchscreen to adjust settings.

There’s a decent 2.36-million dot electronic viewfinder, while the screen is of the usual flip-out and twist vari-angle design, allowing it to be pointed towards the front of the camera for self-shooting – although you may find it partially blocked by cables should you choose to make use of the micro HDMI, USB-C, mic, headphone or remote ports.

Unlike the EOS R6 II, the EOS R8 only has a single SD card slot for storage, and it’s located under the same flap as the battery rather than in its own compartment.

Features and performance

• Phase-detect autofocus with subject tracking
• Digital image stabilisation system
• USB webcam function

The EOS R8 uses Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system, and uses it well. For both stills and video shooting, the system is able to recognise and automatically track a wide range of subjects: people (eyes, faces, heads, bodies); animals (cats, dogs, horses, birds); and vehicles (cars, planes, trains and motorcycles). You can pick the category you want it to track, or leave it on auto and let the camera decide for you. I found it to be generally very effective at acquiring and tracking the subjects, although the animal mode doesn’t recognise insects as some brands do.

The autofocus is fast and accurate but seems slightly more effective and efficient in stills mode than video. For the latter, I found that it didn’t lock onto (and stay locked onto) human faces with the unerring swiftness and reliability you might see in a recent Sony camera.

Unfortunately, there’s no in-body image stabilisation here. You have the option to turn on electronic stabilisation, which can work in tandem with any lens-based optical stabilisation you might be using (at the cost of a slight crop to the video frame). I tried it out for some general b-roll and vlogging recording and found it fine, but it’s definitely a step behind the gimbal-like steadiness offered by, say, the Panasonic Lumix GH7.

Like many recent cameras, the EOS R8 can double as a high-quality plug-and-play webcam for video calls and streaming. Connect it to your computer via USB and it should show up as a compatible device – no additional software required.

The USB-C port can also be used for fast data transfer (it’s USB 3.2 standard) and for in-camera battery charging and constant power supply. Interestingly, I found the charging and power to only work with certain adapters and power banks, and not with some of the ones I regularly use to charge my own cameras. So, be aware that you may need to invest in some new gear to take advantage of this feature.

As for battery life, it’s just okay. Canon rates a full battery as enough for about 220 shots when using the viewfinder or 370 when using the screen (and that’s to CIPA standards so likely very accurate), while for 4K video I found I could record for just over an hour before it required recharging. Your own mileage may vary depending on the settings you’re using, of course.

Image quality

• 24.2MP photos and video up to 4K
• 1080/180p slow-motion recording
• 6fps/40fps continuous shooting mode

The EOS R8’s main selling point is its full-frame sensor and, if you’ve previously been shooting with a camera with a smaller APS-C or Micro Four Thirds sensor, you’ll immediately notice the difference.

The physical size of the full-frame sensor improves dynamic range and low-light performance (due to its larger pixels gathering available light more easily). It also makes achieving a narrow depth-of-field much easier, as well as offering a wider field-of-view on most RF lenses.

While much will depend on the lens you’re using, I found the EOS R8’s images to be detailed, both in terms of sharpness and colour depth; there’s little to find fault with in terms of stills performance. I shot the sample photos you see here in RAW, then processed them in Adobe Lightroom afterwards.

Video also impresses. While the EOS R8 lacks some of the breadth and depth of options you might find in slightly pricier models, its ability to shoot uncropped 4K video at up to 60fps or Full HD video at up to 180fps (for slow-motion playback) isn’t to be sniffed at for a camera this affordable. The only real drawback I found was overheating when recording 4K, which limits the duration of the clips you can record.

In order to get the most out of the sensor, I shot my sample b-roll in the flat Canon Log 3 colour profile, then corrected and graded it using DaVinci Resolve 18. With that said, shooting in any of the standard colour profiles yields good results too, so there’s no special skill needed in capturing great footage.

I should also mention the stills shooting speed here as it’s pretty decent. If you’re using the mechanical shutter it’s only 6fps, but switch to the electronic shutter and you can capture photos at 40fps with autofocus engaged.

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