Tested | reel time
Second coming The image to the left shows the original R8 (left) next to the new Mark II version (right). Detail capture is excellent (below)
The most important improvement is proper in-body image stabilisation
EOS R8 adds another dimension The EOS R8 Mark II has another trick up its sleeve as the first Canon camera to feature the company’s new Dual Pixel 3D imaging technology. The system exploits Canon’s Dual Pixel sensor AF to capture JPEG stills containing depth information as well as conventional image data. These files can be processed using Canon’s free Dual Pixel 3D Converter App, transforming them into 3D content. It’s an extension of tech developed primarily for AF, and opens up another avenue for producing immersive imagery without having to shoot with a conventional, twin-camera, 3D set-up.
four-channel audio support and Movie Digital IS. None transforms the R8 Mark II into a Cinema EOS machine, but collectively they make it considerably more relevant to somebody producing finished content rather than simply taking photographs with occasional video on the side. But the most important improvement is proper in-body image stabilisation. The original EOS R8 famously did without IBIS, one of the clearest signs of where Canon had trimmed its specification to keep the camera compact and affordable. The Mark II finally puts that right, with five-axis sensor-shift stabilisation offering up to 7.5 stops of correction at the centre of the image with compatible lenses.
For creators who spend their lives shooting handheld, capturing B roll or working with compact prime lenses, that’s a major upgrade. Combine IBIS with stabilised RF glass and Movie Digital IS and there’s far more scope for travelling light, rather than automatically reaching for a gimbal. Autofocus is similarly creator-friendly. Dual Pixel CMOS AF II recognises and tracks people, animals and vehicles, while Register People Priority allows particular people to be given priority. That’s useful for events, interviews and productions where the camera needs to know which face matters, rather than simply grabbing whichever person happens to wander closest to the lens. There’s now a multi-controller
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