WORDS & IMAGES BY WILL CHEUNG Canon EOS R8 CANON.CO.UK The EOS R8 is Canon’s lightest ever full-frame camera, packing a long list of features aimed to please stills and video creators – and all at a rather reasonable price
Big test
PRICE: £1699
SPECS › Price £1699 body only
› Resolution 24.2 megapixels › Sensor 35.9x23.9 CMOS with Digic X image processor › File types 14-bit Raw and CRAW with first curtain electronic shutter, 12-bit with electronic shutter, 10-bit HEIF, 8-bit JPEG › ISO range 100-102,400, expandable to ISO 50-204,800 › In-body image stabiliser None › Storage Single SD card › Shutter Electronic first curtain: 30-1/4000sec, bulb, flash sync 1/200sec or slower Electronic: 30-1/16,000sec › Exposure system PASM, flexible priority AE, scene intelligent auto, two custom modes. 384 zone – evaluative, spot, partial, centre-weighted › Exposure compensation +/-3EV › Monitor 3in touchscreen, 1.62m dots › Viewfinder 0.39in, 2.36m dots › Focusing Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with -6.5EV to 21EV working range at ISO 100. 1053 AF zones when auto selected, 4897 AF positions in manual single AF point › AF subject detection Humans (eye, face, head, body), animals (dogs, cats, birds, horses), vehicles (cars, motorbikes, aircrafts, trains) › Drive modes 6fps with electronic first curtain and speed maintained for 1000+ shots in Raw, CRAW and JPEG. 40fps with electronic shutter, up to 120 JPEGs, 56 Raws and 100 CRAWs › Pre-shot mode Raw burst 30fps with 0.5sec pre-record for max approx 158 frames › Video 4K UHD (16:9) 3840x2160 (59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, 23.98fps) 4K UHD cropped (16:9) 3840x2160 (59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, 23.98fps)
CANON HAS BEEN busy recently. We have seen a spate of camera launches in both APS-C and full-frame formats, and its current mirrorless line-up has a model for most photographers. The EOS R7 and EOS R10 were the brand’s first APS-C mirrorless models, the EOS R6 Mark II was a step on from its predecessor – and now we have the full-frame EOS R8. With a body selling at £1699, or £1899 with the new RF 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM, the R8 sits in-between the EOS RP at £1049 body only and the EOS R6 Mark II at £2779. Canon makes a big point about the R8’s lightness, and it’s compact in stature, too – noticeably smaller than the EOS R5, for example. Body layout and control design are very Canon, but there are key changes compared to older models. A big one for me is the R8’s on/off switch positioned on the right side – a much-needed design tweak that has also been implemented on the R7, R10 and R6 Mark II as well, with varying degrees of success in terms of usability. It’s possible to carry the R8 in the hand and switch it on as the camera is brought up to the eye in one fluid movement, so it’s a welcome change for street shooting. The smaller body may not suit those with larger hands, but I found it just about perfect, with no issues at all getting a firm, stable shooting grip. As there’s no in-body image stabiliser – to keep the camera’s price and size down – this is a good thing.
The body’s right side is finished off with the exposure mode dial, M-Fn button, movie record button and two command dials – typically Canon, so no issues here. The M-Fn button does work slightly differently and the feature options are scrolled through with a push of the same button rather than a command dial. On the left, the stills/movie switchover control is definitely a nod to the R8’s hybrid aspirations. This method of swapping between stills and movie modes is speedy, intuitive and better than certain other Canon models. The camera’s back is classic Canon too, with buttons for exposure lock, AF area select and so on. An AF-On button is fitted, although it’s rather too far to the right. I would have
A lock setting sits between the on and off positions, enabling key controls to be locked, with a menu item that features the settings this is compatible with. With its more compact body comes a smaller handgrip and, in turn, a smaller battery. The LP-E17 used here gives a claimed 370 shots using the LCD and 220 with the EVF. The EOS R8 supports charging with a suitable power bank or mains charger and cable. In practice, I got good use from a charged cell, shooting 500 stills with a mixture of LCD and EVF use and several movie clips – plus I spent time fiddling with the menu and reviewing pictures before needing the power bank. LP-E17 cells cost £45 each, so a spare or two isn’t painful.
4K UHD Timelapse (16:9) 3840x2160 (29.97, 25fps)
Full HD (16:9) 1920x1080 (179.82, 150, 119.88, 100, 59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, 23.98fps)
Full HD Timelapse (16:9) 1920x1080 (29.97, 25fps) › Battery Li-ion LP-E17 type
preferred it to be 1cm to the left to fall naturally under my thumb. What’s missing on the R8 – and another cost-saving measure – is a focus joystick to quickly move the active AF point around the image area. This is now done with the four- SENSOR CARE Remove the lens and the full-frame sensor is revealed; there is no protective cover as seen in more expensive models
› Connectivity Wi-Fi, USB 3.2 Type C, HDMI Micro out, 3.5mm mic, 3.5mm headphone, RS-60E3 remote terminal › Other key features 22 custom functions, water/dust resistance › Dimensions (wxhxd) 132.5x86.1x70.0mm › Weight 414g (body only) › Contact canon.co.uk
REAR VIEW There’s no focus joystick on the EOS R8. To adjust AF point, the four-way D-pad can be used, or touch and drag AF on the monitor
14 Photography News | Issue 106
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