Canon EOS R8: Advanced Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera

87%

Overall score

Jump to conclusion

Product images by Brendan Nystedt

The Canon EOS R8 is an entry-level full-frame mirrorless camera, featuring the 24.2MP CMOS sensor from the EOS R6 II. It brings Canon’s latest AF capabilities and much improved video to the same body size and style as the existing EOS RP.

Key specifications:

• 24.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor
• Up to 40fps continuous shooting with e-shutter (6fps with mechanical)
• 30fps Raw Burst mode with 1/2-second pre-buffering
• Full-width 4K video from 6K capture at up to 60p
• 10-bit C-Log3 or HDR PQ video capture
• 10-bit HDR HEIF option
• 2.36M dot OLED viewfinder (0.7x magnification)
• Fully-articulated rear screen
• 4-channel audio with optional XLR adapter

The EOS R8 will be available from Spring 2023 at a recommended price of $1499. This is $200 more than the launch price of the EOS RP that it closely resembles, though Canon says the RP will stay in the lineup for around $1000. It’s $800 less than the EOS R’s launch price, with Canon heavily implying that the $2500 EOS R6 II and $1500 EOS R8 share the responsibility for replacing that model.

The EOS R8 will also be available as a kit with a new retractable 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS kit zoom lens, for $1699.

Jump to:

• What’s new
• How it compares
• Body & handling
• Video capabilites
• Image quality
• Autofocus
• Conclusion
• Initial impressions
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press release

What’s new

The EOS R8 fits the excellent 24MP sensor and Digic X processor from the EOS R6 II into the more compact body of the EOS RP.

The EOS R8 essentially takes the body of the entry-level EOS RP and adds the sensor and AF system from the EOS R6 Mark II, a camera that’s $1000 more expensive. It effectively replaces the original EOS R and possibly the RP, in the long run, and represents fierce competition to the likes of Nikon’s Z5 and Sony’s older a7 models that remain available.

Canon says that both the sensor and processor in the EOS R8 are the same as those of the EOS R6 II, and it can match its bigger brother in many key respects, including image quality, autofocus performance and video quality. There are key differences, though, that mark this as the budget model; for example, there’s no mechanical first curtain shutter in the R8 (something Sony did in its comparable a7C), which significantly reduces its high-speed credentials. There are appreciable differences in the hardware and handling of the two cameras, but high-speed photography is the biggest performance distinction between them.

Autofocus

Squirrels aren’t one of the animal types that the EOS R8 is explicitly trained to recognize, but it did a good job of picking up this little fella in the split seconds he’d sit up from the grass, before hunkering down and scampering around again. Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM @ 500mm | ISO 1600 | 1/500 sec | F7.1 Photo: Richard Butler

The EOS R8’s autofocus system is essentially borrowed wholesale from the R6 II, which means it has been trained to recognize a wide selection of subject types. This is built on top of the EOS 1D-style system for telling the camera how you expect the subject to move as it approaches the camera.

The interface itself is very simple: you choose the AF area size you want and whether you want the camera to track subjects under or immediately around your chosen AF point or area. Like the R6 II, the R8 has been trained to recognize the following subjects:

• People (Body / Face / Eye)
• Animals (Dogs / Cats / Birds / Horses)
• Vehicles (Motorsport cars and motorcycles / Aircraft / Trains)
• Auto (auto-selects from the above groups)

One of the features absent from the EOS R8 is an AF joystick. Instead you can tap the screen or use it as a touchpad that can be touched or swiped to position the AF point while the camera is to your eye. As before you can limit the area of the screen that acts as a touchpad, to prevent ‘nose focus.’

Touch-and-drag or ‘tap to cycle through recognized subjects’ options let you use the rear screen to position the AF point when the camera is held up to your eye.

There’s now also an option to tap the screen to cycle between recognized subjects, when the camera’s to your eye. The camera doesn’t indicate how many subjects there are, so you essentially have to keep tapping and trust that the camera will have recognized the subject you wanted to focus on, but it adds another option.

Finally, there’s the option to configure the cardinal points of the four-way controller to nudge the AF point. So, while it definitely would be nice to have an AF joystick, you’re not exactly left short of alternatives. As with the Sony a7C, it’s a price paid to keep the body size down.

Single curtain mechanical shutter

The retractable RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM helps the EOS R8 present a compact package.

Like Sony’s a7C, the Canon EOS R8 features a mechanical shutter mechanism to end exposures, but not the corresponding shutter blades to initiate exposure. This results in a lighter, less expensive shutter assembly but also has some minor knock-on effects.

The most obvious is the reduction in the camera’s burst rate: just 6fps in electronic first curtain mode, compared with the EOS R6 II’s 12 fps mechanical shutter. But there’s also a potential image quality glitch that creeps in at very high shutter speeds (typically 1/1000 sec or faster) when used with very wide aperture values.

An example of the bokeh from two images shot with the Canon RF 50mm F1.2L USM, the left-hand example in electronic first-curtain mode, the right in fully-electronic mode, shot with the Canon EOS R6 Mark II, which uses the same sensor as the EOS R8. These are extreme examples: a very wide F1.2 aperture and a very high 1/8000 sec shutter speed were used. Canon RF50mm F1.2L USM | F1.2 | 1/8000 sec | ISO 320 Photos: Jordan Drake

It takes the form of the truncation of the bottom of bokeh (most noticeably with distinct highlights). It occurs because light can creep behind the mechanical shutter blade as it falls, adding a little extra exposure to the top half of the bokeh circles. However, because the exposure is initiated by turning on the pixel rows, there’s no way for this extra light to creep in at the start of the exposure. For most shots, this tiny difference is imperceptible, but in very short exposures, the extra light gained while the shutter is closing becomes a meaningful proportion of the overall exposure, and you can see an exposure difference between the top and bottom halves of the bokeh.

It’s something that only happens in a rare combination of circumstances, but it’s worth knowing about if you plan to fit fast primes to the EOS R8.

Raw burst with pre-buffer

From the EOS R6 II, the EOS R8 gains the ability to shoot at up to 40fps using its electronic shutter or to shoot 30fps bursts of Raw images. The Raw Burst mode includes an option to pre-buffer: keeping images in the camera’s memory when you half-press the shutter button, then recording 15 of these frames to the card when you fully press. This means you capture half a second’s worth of action before the full shutter press, helping you capture the perfect moment.

The Raw Burst images are combined into a non-standard CR3 Raw file, which only Canon’s own software can currently extract (or you can use the in-camera Raw conversion system to generate JPEGs or HEIFs of the best shots). Both this and the 40fps mode use the camera’s fully electronic shutter, which is reasonably fast (~18ms) but is likely to horizontally distort anything that moves quickly across the sensor as you capture it.

Back to index

How it compares

Arriving at the $1499 price point still makes the EOS R8 one of the least-expensive full-frame digital cameras ever launched: only the EOS RP and Nikon Z5 have launched for less. Despite this, it arrives into a competitive environment, as Sony has continued to sell its older a7 models at increasingly low prices as time has gone on.

However, the EOS R8’s use of Canon’s latest AF system makes it feel a lot more capable than the likes of the a7 II, and even at its launch price it undercuts the current a7 III tag, so we think it makes most sense to compare it to Sony’s a7C model: the only Alpha-series camera to be explicitly designed with the upgrader and traveller in mind.

We’ll also compare it here to the Canon EOS R6 II, just to show what you do and don’t get, relative to the more enthusiast-focused model.

A side-by-side comparison should make clear that the EOS R8 stands out from its peers in the video department, but lacks their in-body image stabilization systems. Its viewfinder is comparable with its immediate rivals, but is obviously an area that’s been pared back, relative to the EOS R6 II.

From what we’ve seen so far, the EOS R8 appears to match the EOS R6 II in terms of rolling shutter in e-shutter mode, which means its 40fps burst shooting (and 30fps Raw Burst mode with pre-buffering) is pretty usable for reasonably fast subjects.

Back to index

Body & handling

The EOS R8’s body is essentially a match for that of the EOS RP, a body we found it very simple to shoot with, but with a few controls swapped around. It doesn’t offer as many direct control points as the EOS R6 II (with the absence of a joystick being the most noticeable), but it places two control dials in comfortable relation to a decently-sized handgrip, which is a pretty important detail to get right.

Canon says dust and water ingress has been factored into the design, but that it’s not sealed or built to the same degree as the EOS 6D II, instead adopting lighter construction with greater use of plastic.

There are corners cut though: there’s only a single SD card slot and, perhaps more significantly for most photographers, it’s placed in the battery compartment under the camera. There’s also no option for adding an accessory battery grip, though the R8 is compatible with the EOS RP’s little grip extender that makes the camera settle better in larger hands.

The EOS R8 has the same five ports as the EOS R6 II: micro HDMI, USB-C, headphone and mic sockets and a wired remote port. As with the bigger camera, the EOS R8’s USB port lives up to the 3.2 Gen 2 (10Gbit/s) standard.

Battery

One of the most significant downgrades in the EOS R8, relative to the more expensive R6 II, is the use of the LP-E17 battery. This is plausibly as much a question of keeping the camera’s size down as it is of cost-cutting or ensuring some differentiation between products, but it has an appreciable impact on shooting with the R8.

The relatively small 7.5Wh LP-E17 means the EOS R8 can’t shoot for particularly long periods and achieves a rating of just 150 shots per charge in standard ‘smooth’ mode, if you use the viewfinder. This perks up a bit to 220 shots in power saving mode, while the LCD figure of 370 jumps to 440. As always, these CIPA standard numbers can tend to significantly underestimate the number of shots you’re likely to get, but keeping the R8 powered for extended periods will require some planning.

The camera can be charged over USB or powered, if you have a powerful enough USB-PD power source, but if you’re someone who shoots a lot of photos, you’ll need to plan how to keep the camera topped-up or carry extra batteries. This is even more pressing for video shooters.

Back to index

Video capabilities

Despite Canon’s reputation for holding back features from its more affordable models, the EOS R8 gets an impressive amount of the EOS R6 II’s video capabilities.

The EOS R8 can shoot 4K video, derived from full-width 6K capture, at up to 60p. It can shoot 10-bit footage in either C-Log3 or HDR PQ, it has headphone and mic sockets, and like most Canons features a fully-articulating screen. It even has the connectors in its hotshoe to allow the connection of accessories, such as Tascam’s XLR adapter that allows four-channel audio capture.

Interface pins at the front of the hotshoe allow the use of various connections, including the Tascam CA-XLR2D-C audio adapter, which provides XLR and TRS inputs, allowing four-channel audio capture.

Temperature concerns mean that 4K/60p and 1080/120 have a 30-minute limit per clip (20 minutes for 1080/180). 4K or FullHD 30p can shoot for two hours per clip (though it’s likely that card or battery capacity will have stopped proceedings before then, anyway).

The camera’s 8-bit video modes can all be shot on relatively affordable U3-class SD cards. You’ll need a more expensive, V60-rated card for 10-bit C-Log3 or HDR PQ capture.

Video performance

For a compact, lightweight midrange model, the EOS R8 can put out highly-detailed 4K. That’s because the camera downsamples from 6K, adding a touch of extra detail. As you can see above, whether you shoot a lower frame rate like 30 fps, or use the camera’s internal 60 fps mode, you’ll get crisp-looking footage. Rival cameras can’t capture 10-bit 4K/60 in-camera like the R8 can manage.

Rolling shutter

When setting out to write this review, we were pretty sure that the sensor was the same as the 24-megapixel unit in Canon’s spendier EOS R6 II. We can verify our hunch not just by looking at image quality, but also by checking out how fast the sensor reads out. In this case, the R8 and R6 II are within the margin of error. This is excellent news for rolling shutter in video, but is even more important in the R8 since it relies on an electronic first-curtain shutter when snapping stills.

Back to index

Image quality

Studio scene

Our test scene is designed to simulate a broad variety of real-world subjects with different colors, textures, and levels of detail across the chart. We capture images of it across the ISO range and in bright and low light to assess overall image quality.

We think that overall, the image quality of the EOS R8 is incredibly close to that of the more expensive EOS R6 II. This makes sense since the two cameras have very similar 24-megapixel sensors and share Canon processing technology.

When compared to competing midrange full-frame cameras from the likes of Sony and Nikon, the R8 renders fine detail better in JPEGs, particularly at higher ISOs when used with noise reduction

In the default JPEG color profile, the R8 looks just vibrant enough to avoid a cartoony pop of oversaturation, while making the Sony a7 II’s colors seem muted. The Canon’s engine also keeps skin tones looking warm and lifelike.

Noise reduction

In the low-light scene, Canon’s more modern noise reduction tech keeps fine detail in the picture longer at higher ISOs than the older Nikon and positively ancient 9-year-old Sony a7 II, which obliterates and crushes noise into a smeary and soft mess. Sure, there’s a bit more noise in high ISO pictures, but it looks far more realistic and less painterly than the competition. This is good news for beginners hoping to explore photography at night, and anyone more inclined to shoot JPEGs rather than process Raw files.

ISO Invariance | Exposure latitude

Back to index

Autofocus

If you’re hoping to track subjects, or capture fast-moving action with the EOS R8, then you’ll be pleased with its capabilities, and in this regard at least, you won’t feel like you missed out by picking a more affordable R-mount option. Even though the EOS R8 is smaller and cheaper, it gets much of the autofocus tech that Canon’s EOS R6 II includes. That means a whole raft of options in both continuous AF (what Canon calls ‘Servo AF’) and single-point AF.

The R8 also includes Canon’s subject recognition modes, with options to track trains, cars, animals and birds. In use we found the R8’s face detection system occasionally picked up false positives in background foliage, making shooting busy, out-of-focus scenes a little distracting.

Thankfully, the camera’s AF system uses subject detection and your chosen AF point in conjunction, prioritizing the subject nearest to the AF point (and sticking to it it if you’ve activated Servo AF and tracking) instead of zeroing in on a face or animal in your composition. You shouldn’t have to constantly change autofocus settings with the EOS R8.

This camera’s burst performance is quite good, and the accurate autofocus should help you keep your subject in focus when they’re approaching you. At 8fps with the mechanical shutter and a single fixed AF point, you’ll get plenty of shots from your bursts to pick from, and most of them should be in focus.

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16

If your subject is moving more unpredictably, toggle on Canon’s tracking and person detection options and you should be able to keep up with them, as we saw a high hit rate in our second AF test that expects the camera to identify and follow a subject.

1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16

It’s worth noting that although there’s an electronic shutter that can fire at 40fps, the R8’s buffer fills after only a couple of seconds, making it of limited use. That shortcoming is compounded by the poor battery life and tendency to accumulate heat when used for sustained periods – we noticed the EOS R8 starting to register one bar on the camera’s temperature readout after only a couple of bursts in direct sunlight, and battery started to drop after only a half-dozen bursts in these testing scenarios.

Back to index

Conclusion

By Brendan Nystedt

While the EOS R8 is hardly the highest-performing camera we’ve seen from Canon lately, it is an exemplary entry-grade option. That it gives camera buyers most of the performance of the higher end EOS R6 II, but in a simplified package, rendering it straightforward enough for those trying a modern full frame camera for the first time. The small shape and light weight make it easy to handle, and convenient to pack for a trip with its kit lens in tow.

The EOS R8, even paired with its kit lens, can create attractive images, while being small and light enough to extend between brambles.

Canon RF24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM @ 45mm | ISO 500 | 1/80 sec | F6.3
Photo: Richard Butler

But, from an enthusiast’s point of view, the R8 feels much more compromised. For instance, the lack of in-body image stabilization, reliance on electronic front curtain shutter, and lack of a joystick will be annoyances. If you have an R6 II, the R8 is a great second body for travel, and you’ll get near-identical image quality.

With its prominent Stills/Video mode selector finding a spot next to the EVF, the R8 has some impressive video specs for the price. The fact you get 10-bit and uncropped 4K/60 give it a leg up, but the drawbacks will still be felt. For short clips, it’ll blow its immediate peers away, but the battery life, recording caps, and overheating may make its great spec sheet less useful in reality.

Add the $500 85mm F2 Macro and a couple of lights and the R8 can shoot images every bit the equal of the higher-end EOS R6 II. Canon RF85mm F2 Macro IS STM | ISO 6400 | 1/125 sec | F4.0 Photo: Richard Butler

The biggest problem that the Canon EOS R8 runs into time and time again is its weak battery life. Although from a features and image quality perspective the R8 is highly competitive, the battery life is worst-in-class. On paper and in our experience, this is the camera’s Achilles’ heel, with anything intensive destroying battery life. With competing cameras like the Sony a7C, or Nikon’s Z5 you’ll get up to double the number of images on a single charge. In an age where we have DSLR-like battery life from high-performance mirrorless cameras, the EOS R8 feels like the bad kind of throwback. If you pick up an EOS R8, spend the money for a spare battery – or a USB-C PD battery pack.

If you can live with its shortcomings, the EOS R8 represents excellent value for money, and raises the bar for entry-level full-frame performance.

Then there’s the RF-mount lens selection, which is fine but not great. Even though the R8 will save you money with its RF 24-50mm collapsing kit lens, you’ll find that much of the rest of the system (other than a few affordable primes, such as the RF 35mm and 85mm) is expensive, perhaps negating what you’d save on going with a cheaper body like this.

If you can live with its shortcomings, the EOS R8 represents excellent value for money, and raises the bar for entry-level full-frame performance.

Scoring

Scoring is relative only to the other cameras in the same category. Click here to learn about what these numbers mean.

Compared to its peers

The Canon EOS R8 offers up more modern technology than the competing Nikon Z5, including a better sensor, and faster, sharper video. The Nikon system has a wider array of lenses, including those from third party manufacturers, however, which might give new full frame shooters more options. The Z5 also features a nicer viewfinder, autofocus joystick, better battery life and dual card slots, perhaps making it more appealing for enthusiasts.

Sony’s full frame mirrorless lens selection is great, but its midrange cameras are getting old. The a7 II, for instance, might seem like a bargain but it’s nearly a decade old, and a poor performer at this stage. The smaller Sony a7c has slightly newer performance, and more autofocus features and great battery life. Since it has third-generation Sony parts inside, we’d recommend the a7c over the a7 II if you want a Sony to compare the Canon EOS R8 to.

Canon’s up-market EOS R6 Mark II is $1000 more than the R8, but offers a bigger weathersealed body, a better viewfinder, more controls, and far better battery life. It’s arguably overkill for beginners looking for an affordable camera, but overall will be a better camera for enthusiasts.

The similarly-priced Canon EOS R7 seems like a natural competitor to the R8. It has better burst performance, in-body stabilization, a higher megapixel count, twin UHS-II SD card slots… but a smaller sensor. You won’t get the same shallow depth of field of a full frame camera like the EOS R8, nor such a choice of well-suited lenses, but if you’re shooting sports or wildlife that could be an advantage. And, finally, the R7’s battery puts the R8 to absolute shame, providing up to 660 shots on a single charge.

Sample gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don’t abuse it.

Back to index