Hi, I’m Alex from Wilkinson cameras. We've been in the lake district today. It is truly
truly horrible weather, it's been rainy, windy, cold, but we've got two new cameras
to test so that's what we've been doing. We've now escaped to our Carlisle store,
in our brand new studio, which is where we'll be doing workshops and it will also be available for
hire. But before that weve been ggetting cold and wet testing oput the brand new EOS R8.
Canon have released the EOS R50 and the EOS R8 today. Check out our separate video if
you want to check out more about the R50 but for now I have the R8 and were going to put
it to test in and aorund Keswick. Alongside some portrait samples that we shot earlier this week,
we've tried to give loads of stills and video samples for you to have a look at.
The R8 is the latest edition to the canons EOS R full frame mirrorless camera line up. It’s the new
entry into EOS R full frame and replaces the EOS R. The original EOS R was released approximately
5 years ago and it was the beginning of canons venture into full frame mirrorless cameras.
Its been around for quite a while and in that time we’ve seen the EOS R system expand and develop and
as well as several cameras to choose from there’s also an extensive range of RF lenses now. Saying
that the R8 is a direct replacement to the EOS R seems a bit unfair because the R8 is absolutely
jam packed with features that we’ve previously seen in higher specced models and in particular
takes a lot of features from theR6 mark II. The EOS R8 is aimed at enthusiast photographers
who are looking to step up to full frame mirrorless from DSLR like the EOS 90D,
the 6D or for people who are new to photography and want the advantages
that a full frame camera can offer without the same expense as models higher up the range.
Like we’ve seen in other recent releases from Canon, the R8 is aimed at hybrid shooters who
want the ability to take impressive stills and create professional video. You’ll see on the top
of the camera that there’s a photo/video mode toggle on the left hand side and you can choose
which dedicated mode you want to use when you use it. This is a feature we’ve seen more and
more in modern camera, not just from Canon but in other brands. As more of a stills shooter,
I like that I can dedicate the camera to this mode and have all my settings ready to go. But in this
job, of course I have to test video functions, so being able to switch into video mode and have
everything ready to go but with a wider range of custom options and quicker access to those video
settings. It means I can get the content I need for work and then easily return to what I prefer.
Although let’s be honest mostly when it comes to video I mostly
pass the camera over to Olivia and tell her to do her thing.
So, let’s cover some of the key features for both stills and video and see what the R8 has to offer.
The EOS R8 features the sensor and processor found in the EOS R6 Mark II, so you’re getting a nice
balance of resolution and good low-light performance for both stills and video.
There is no IBIS in the EOS R8. You do have digital stabilisation for video and of course
lenses often have IS as well – including the 24-50mm kit lens that this is available with. The
Digital stabilisation in video has two options, standard and enhanced. From my testing of this,
I’d say that it’s OKAY, it's useful… but its not the same as good IBIS or using a
gimbal and you’ll have to remember that the scene will be cropped to compensate.
Although there’s no IBIS, I’m told that the R8 shares the same low light performance as the
EOS R6 Mark II. The R6 II and the R6 before it are known for working well in low light.
This means you can have the confidence to push the ISO up without significant impact
on your image quality and compensate for any movement with a faster shutter speed.
Native ISO in video appears to default to range from 800 to 25,600, but you can expand this down
to 100 if you wish. We didn’t have chance to test this in detail this time I’m afraid!
For stills you have a range of 100 to 102400. I mostly used auto,
apart from when I was doing long exposure shots, as with the rain battering down on
us and this non-weather sealed camera, I needed one less thing to think about so auto it was!
As Canon continue to try to entice DSLR users over to the benefits of mirrorless cameras,
like in previous models, they've included the Optical Viewfinder Simulation. This simulates
a traditional viewfinder using an HDR type of feature and it DOESN'T give you an image
preview like a mirrorless camera does as standard. Stills shooters can access up to 40fps continuous
shooting with full AF. The AF doesn’t miss a beat – it’s really, really good. However… the buffer
is tiny and there is a warning about distorted images, which means Canon are fully aware of
the limitations of the frame rate with this sensor type. It’s useful if you want to better guarantee
a shot… but DON’T buy this camera for the 40fps feature alone. You can shoot with a lower frame
rate than this… and you probably should for your card’s sake and your own sanity both photographing
and reviewing the images later! But it is an option and it does work brilliantly with AF.
The AF uses the Dual Pixel CMOS AF II which gives you incredible autofocus in
every scenario and dependable, accurate tracking for both stills and video. It’s
SO impressive. The tracking is phenomenal both in automatic modes and with the ability
to really customise your settings depending on your subject or scene. Subject detection
includes eye AF with the option to automatically choose one or to set left or right yourself.
Flexible zone AF allows you to choose the size of the zone suited to the subject and
there’s auto recognition of subjects including people, animals and cars.
Thanks to how well this camera handles low-light, AF is even accurate and fast
in more challenging lighting situations – in fact AF is capable down to -6.5 EV.
For video, there’s up to 4K 60p oversampled from 6K for detailed and rich results, c-log 3,
false colour mode, up to 180fps slow-motion in Full HD. As with the R6 II, you need to consider
whether you want to shoot in PAL or NTSC. NTSC opens up a wider range of frame rates,
and that's where you are going to get the 4K 60p opposed to 4K 50p and you'll also get 180fps in
slow motion in the FHD as opposed to 120fps in PAL. But you’ll need to consider that doing so
might introduce flicker, it depends where you're filming and what you're filming and it will also
depend on what output you'll need. We filmed all our sample footage in PAL at up to 4K 50p.
There’s not the professional video output options you have on the R6 II, but there’s certainly some
professional video FEARURES in here which are a great learning point for people who want to take
their video to the next level, but can’t justify or can't currently afford a professional camera.
I don’t have the exact specs just now, but the dynamic range seems impressive and was
certainly required in the conditions we were testing the camera under in
the lake district. We were shooting in C-Log3 and you can see how much detail
Olivia has been able to retain despite the gloomy weather and poor light on the day.
For slow motion footage you have up to 180 fps in Full HD.
There’s no recording limit, as you’d expect in most cameras now – though you will get a
warning showing you that the camera may overheat and turn off when you select
certain options. So whilst there might not be a hard-coded record limit, you are going
to be limited by your battery life, memory card size and how hot the camera is getting.
In video, like the R6 Mark II, the R8 features focus breathing suppression with compatible
lenses. Sony have had this technology for a while now, but it looks like Canon might
be rolling this out as a standard in their new models - if the R8 is anything to go by anyway!
You’re also seeing false colour mode for video, previously seen on the EOS
R6 Mark II and Cinema EOS cameras. This allows you to see how your image is exposed in order
to help you get it perfect. It’s another tool for videographers along with zebras…
and it’s pretty impressive to find this in a non-professional camera. This will
be a great option for those who are learning to use video to a higher level as a result.
So, onto the build quality and handling of the EOS R8.
As I’ve said, this is the smallest and lighted full frame EOS R camera. It’s very similar in
design and button layout to the EOS RP… in fact looking at them side-by-side I
wouldn’t be surprised if it is the exact same outer body. It DOESN’T have In Body
Image Stabilisation or IBIS, and this will help to contribute to that smaller size and weight.
Where the EOS RP has an on/off button on the top right, the R8 replaces this with
the video/still mode dial and the on/off has ben incorporated into the lock switch next to
the function wheel on the right. I just love this new thinking when it comes to still/video
modes and switching between them. It’s so much easier to get to the relevant settings for
the type of content you’re shooting that day. On the top of the camera is a traditional mode
dial, which applies to both stills or video modes. This has been updated with an auto mode as well as
special scene modes, including a panorama option. In stills mode, when you turn the mode dial,
little explanations pop up on screen telling you what each one means. This
is particularly useful for novice users as it simply explains what each function does.
There’s also options within modes such as scene mode, including panorama mode i mentioned before.
You have various custom options which can be set up in the menu. On the back of the camera is a
good sized touch screen LCD monitor. I really liked using the touch screen this to set my
focus point and to quickly change settings. Of course there’s the standard buttons you’d
expect on the back of the camera, including the Q menu, general menu,
directional buttons etc. What I did miss on this versus cameras higher up the range is the
joystick for controlling AF points when using the viewfinder and a wheel around the Q menu,
as opposed to the buttons. A wheel just makes it faster to navigate through the menu options.
The menu options change
depending on whether you’re in still or video mode. You can still shoot video in still mode,
but your options are limited. Switch into the video mode and you’ll see that not only
are more options opened up to you, but the Q menu is customized for video as well. This is just so
great from a workflow perspective and means both still/video users aren’t having to compromise.
A nice feature, but certainly one to be expected at this price range is the two settings wheels.
The grip is a good size and comfortable to use all day… I did keep catching the AF ON button on the
back though as the rear grip is quite shallow. I much prefer the feel of the grip on this
compared to the Sony A7 III, for example – which I think people will try to compare this model to.
Some of my colleagues expressed that the camera felt a bit TOO light, but I think it still feels
good quality. There can be a fine line between lightweight and plasticky, but the camera feels
solid enough and feels good in my hand. On the side you have a remote input,
microphone AND headphone inputs, micro HDMI and USB C for both data transfer and charging.
This is a single SD card camera and it takes the Canon LP-E17 battery.
There’s a reasonable sized EVF for which I don’t have the exact specifications just now,
but it’s bright and responsive. I didn’t spot any perceivable lagging. I’d maybe prefer a
slightly larger eyecup if I was being fussy but it worked well for when I was using it.
On the top, you’ve got Canon’s new standard multi-function hot shoe. This allows you to
send data two ways as well as powering compatible accessories, such as the Canon DM-ED1 microphone.
Although we’ve been using it with a Rode mic today using the standard 3.5mm mic input.
It’s paired with Canon’s new rf 24-50mm f4.5-6.3 IS STM lens. This is a very…
very light weight kit lens, which compacts when not in use. A major niggle I have with
these type of lenses is that you can’t do ANYTHING with the camera until you unlock
and expand them. That’s kind of obvious if you need to take a photo, but often I
like to get my settings ready ahead of time and it’s annoying that I can’t just turn the camera
on and do this without having to open then lens… to just close it back up again once I’m done.
What this lens does have going for it is how incredibly light it is, it does feature IS
and it even supports focus breathing suppression in compatible cameras… which does include
the EOS R8! You can find this in the video settings under “lens aberration correction”.
For connectivity Canon has included both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth – 2.4 gigahertz Wi-Fi
and version 4.2 Bluetooth All the usual features are available
via the free Canon Camera Connect app, which has just got an upgrade as well.
You can use it for remote shooting, with live view as well as for transferring photos to
your smart device… amongst other things,. It also features UVC, which means you can
easily use it as a USB webcam or for streaming with no additional hardware
required. For Apple users it’s MFI certified for faster connection to your phone or tablet.
I couldn’t actually test the connectivity as when we had this camera… it technically didn’t exist!
So you’re probably noticed that lots of the features in this camera are also found in the
EOS R6 mark II. So, why does the R8 exist? Why would I not just buy an EOS R6 mark II?
Well, there are some important differences to consider, the r8 is smaller and lighter and of
course less expensive. It doesn’t have IBIS, which is going to be a big consideration for
a lot of you, particularly videographers. The R8 isn’t weather sealed like the R6 mark ii is,
which is problematic for today. We were getting a bit on edge, it was pouring it down at one point.
The R6 II is designed for a different type of user. It has dual card slots, whereas this is
only single card slot. It takes the bigger LPE6 battery whereas this takes the smaller LPE17
battery. Aside from the lack of weather sealing the R8 also handles very differently.
It’s a noticeably lighter camera and has different buttons. It doesn’t feature a
joystick that we enjoyed on the R6 mark II and I did miss on this camera. And finally,
you have a more expansive selection of video options on the R6 mark II. So, essentially
this is a scaled down baby version of the R6 mark II, and I think at this price point it represents
goood value and it's a good option for getting into the EOS R full frame system. If you need a
more professional camera with a more professional design, you’re going to want the EOS R6 mark II.
But if you want to step up to full frame, I think this is a grood choice in the Canon system and
whilst there are other mirrorless systems you might want to consider, Canon are showing a lot
of dedication to developing the R series and RF lenses. The RF lens line up is very, very good
and there’s a growing range of lenses at different price points. The newly designed lenses are much
smaller and lighter than their old counter parts and in many cases, even better quality.
I think Canon users are going to enjoy this addition to the line-up… but,
when you look at the specs of the Sony A7 III, which is currently the same price as the EOS R8…
if you’re not already invested in Canon, you’re going to need to question whether to go for Sony
or Canon at this price range. After all, the Sony A7 III has IBIS, dual card slots and a
bigger battery… and I also personally think it feels like a much better build quality.
We’ve not tested them side by side… but there are some key differences and i think i'd like
to get them side by side before I can make a definitive decision but I think this is
the camera that is going to come up as a 'But why woyuld i buy the R8 if i can buy this'.
But if you're a Canon user or like the Canon system, the R8 is a viable option for you
and if you decided that the R8 is for you then you can buy the body only at a launch
price of £1699 or you can use it with this new 24-50mm kit lens at £1899. Check out our
website on the links below for any pre-order or current promotions or if you want to buy one.
If you have any questions, feedback please let us know in the comments.
Don’t forget Canon also released the EOS R50 today, which is a
very different camera. We’ve also done a review of that so check that out as well.
Are these the cameras you were hoping to see from Canon? Is this the camera that you were
hoping to be released right now or where you hoping there would be a true entry level EOS
R system camera to replace the likes of beginner DSLR’s such as the EOS 1300D.
Please let us know in the comments, please give this video a like. Because we’ve stood in the
cold and rain and blown about in the wind to bring you this glorious grey content today…
and of course please subscribe so you can be the first to see all our latest reviews and videos.
Thanks for watching.