CanonEOS R8 Mirrorless Camera

Having owned the Canon R8 full-frame camera for over a year now, and having put it through its paces across numerous travels and events, I can confidently say this camera is an absolute marvel. It has consistently performed exceptionally well, exceeding my expectations in every aspect, and truly deserves a solid 5/5 rating.For years, my trusted companion was the Canon 5D Mark II, a workhorse that served me well. However, stepping up to the R8 has been nothing short of a super upgrade. The leap in technology, performance, and user experience is profound. The R8 feels incredibly nimble and responsive in hand, a stark contrast to the bulkier DSLR. The electronic viewfinder (EVF) is crisp and provides an accurate preview of the final image, which is a game-changer for exposure and white balance adjustments on the fly.One of the most striking features of the R8 is its phenomenal low-light performance. I've captured stunning images in dimly lit environments, from twilight landscapes to indoor event photography, with remarkably clean files and minimal noise. The advanced autofocus system, particularly the subject detection, is incredibly fast and accurate, locking onto eyes and faces with impressive tenacity, even in challenging conditions. This has significantly increased my keeper rate, especially when shooting moving subjects or in dynamic situations.The image quality is simply superb. The full-frame sensor delivers rich colors, excellent dynamic range, and incredible detail. Whether I'm shooting portraits, landscapes, or candid moments, the R8 consistently produces professional-grade results. The video capabilities are also top-notch, offering high-quality footage that's perfect for capturing memories or creating more polished content.Battery life has been surprisingly good for a mirrorless camera, easily lasting through extended shooting sessions. The menu system is intuitive and familiar to any Canon user, making the transition seamless. Its compact and lightweight design has also been a huge plus for travel, allowing me to carry it comfortably for longer periods without fatigue.In conclusion, the Canon R8 is an outstanding full-frame mirrorless camera that offers incredible value for its performance. It has become an indispensable tool in my photography kit, empowering me to capture moments with unparalleled clarity and ease. If you're considering an upgrade, especially from an older DSLR, the R8 is a highly recommended choice that will undoubtedly elevate your photographic journey.

TLDR: This camera is an absolute POWERHOUSE and I plan to use it as my main camera for many years and I personally recommend this to absolutely anyone that is looking for a camera in this price range.I started this hobby in 2020 with the EOS RP and absolutely adored it for taking pictures, however, once I started to get more into Videography I began to notice its downsides. Photos on the camera were basically perfect, but the Rolling Shutter and overall lack of video features really hurt my enjoyment of that camera.The EOS R8 completely fixes these issues.Although the RP was great for shooting portraits and slow-moving subjects it definitely started to fall apart as soon as you needed to take any kind of "Action Photos" such as Kids or Animals running around or fast-paced sports due to the extremely slow FPS when Continuous Auto-focus engaged (roughly 3FPS and up to 6 without Continuous AF). On the R8 you can get up to 40FPS In Electronic Shutter with FULL AF capabilities, which is absolutely insane when coming from the RP and even when comparing it to other cameras at much higher price points. The Electronic Shutter does exhibit a bit of rolling shutter, but I wouldn't worry too much about it unless you primarily take photos of extremely quick-moving subjects such as Tennis players swinging their rackets, Golfers Swinging their clubs, or anything else that would be moving at extreme speeds. But even in these scenarios, you will likely be fine simply due to the sensor having an incredibly quick read-out.The video quality is also MASSIVELY improved on the R8. The video on the RP was usable at 1080p but the rolling shutter and complete lack of Dual-pixel AF made 4k completely useless and made it feel more like a feature that was "tacked on" rather than properly implemented. The other issues such as the rather low bitrate, complete lack of any LOG profiles, and the 1.76x crop factor in 4K made me actively avoid using the camera for Video in many situations.On the other hand, the R8 has an incredible amount of recording modes compared to the RP, offering uncropped full-frame 4K60 video, 180fps 1080p Slo-mo, C-LOG3, and HDR PQ, as well as a "Movie Crop" mode that crops into the sensor essentially giving you the FOV of a Canon APS-C Camera. Using this mode you will not lose any video quality since the camera is binning the cropped 4K image from the 6K resolution of said sensor. I personally find myself using this mode a ton as the extra reach I get from my lenses is extremely useful and helps when I'm trying to record the action from a rather far distance.I should also note that Rolling Shutter in video mode is still present, but it is so minor that I would not personally consider it as a reason to not buy the camera.The main cons that people seem to have with the R8 are the lack of IBS (In-body Image Stabilization), relatively low Frame Rate when taking photos using the Electronic First-Curtain Shutter (6FPS), and the poor battery life from the Canon LP-E17 Battery which the EOS RP also used.My personal opinions and experiences with these cons are as followsLack of IBS: It definitely would have been nice to have, but since I've never owned a camera with IBS I'm not too sure what I'm missing out on. I've also heard that Canon's IBS implementation isn't as good as some other companies and it allegedly exhibits a sort of "wobble effect" on the edges of the image when using a Wide Angle Lens. The R8 does offer Digital Stabilization for video which simply crops into the image to stabilize the footage. This feature is pretty decent, however, the stabilization causes the image to lock onto a moving subject and subtly moves the image around to keep the subject in the frame. It's hard to explain but think of those popular TikToks where the person is dancing and the camera keeps them perfectly in frame. This anomaly goes away however once you turn this stabilization off.Low FPS when in Electronic First-Curtain shutter mode: I almost always shoot in Electronic Shutter due to how fast the readout is and the more or less complete lack of Rolling Shutter. I would only consider this an issue if your primary shooting subjects are extremely fast-moving and you cannot risk any kind of rolling shutter but honestly, if you are in the market for truly professional features and selling points you just won't find it in this price range. Not yet at least.Finally, the Battery Capacity: It's not great, but it's far from being a deal breaker. I've taken upwards of 500 pictures in Electronic Shutter and still wasn't required to change the battery. You should be able to get around an hour out of recording before the battery dies. You can also buy a dummy battery to increase the record time. Though, the camera CAN overheat if you are recording at 4K60 for an extended period of time (roughly 30 minutes straight).Like I said in my TLDR, this camera is incredible and the only cons the community has with the camera should most definitely not deter you from buying it.

This wasn't my first choice when I upgraded from a DSLR, but it quickly became the best decision I ever made. Everyone told me "get an R6, get an R6" but I couldn't even find a used one for cheap when I went looking. Then I saw a review of the R8. Nearly the exact same camera, minus one SD slot, and about $600 cheaper? NEW? Yes please!I love it. The ISO range is amazing. Low light is not a problem at all. And I've not had any issues with noise or color beyond what I would expect in extreme lighting conditions. It's superb. Might not be as durable as the R6, but I keep this one in my studio anyway, and take the old DSLR into the field. What can I say? I don't yet feel brave enough to take a camera that costs half as much as a used car out where it might get dirty. I have gear anxiety that way.It is a great camera. All the features you want are here. Overexposure warning, focus highlighting, super smart auto focus, and customizable button functions. Video is impressive on it too, or so I hear. I don't use it for video, I'm a stills man. Just being honest.Can't say enough about how much I am enjoying this camera. Its easy to use, doesn't weigh a ton, and gets great shots even in less than great conditions. A great choice if you want to shoot pro quality, but still suffer from amateur budget.

I've upgraded from the T5i and this blows it out of the water. Using an adapter for my previous lenses and works like a charm

Why did you pick this product vs others?:The absolutely perfect camera. I never thought I’d spend this much for a camera; but the many many features and the ease of use of such advanced features, makes this a great camera.