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R8 with RF 24-105mm STM |
For this evaluation I tested the R8 with EG-E1 extension grip attached. This improves holding security and comfort and also moves the right hand down a little on the handle allowing the thumb easier access to the cross keys which in turn allows more streamlined operation.
The R8 differs from the RP on the top plate having a
stills/video switch on the left side of the EVF hump and an ON/Lock/Off switch
around the front of the top/rear control dial. These changes make switching
from stills to video easier on the R8 than the RP.
Many users feel that On/Off switching on the right side is easier to operate than
on the left side of the hump as found on the R5. I am not convinced about this
but that seems to be the way Canon is going. Strangely the on and off positions on the R8
are reversed from those on the R10 which can be confusing when I am using both
cameras.
The R8 differs from the RP in other ways not evident by
looking at the camera. For instance the user interface for the R8 AF system allows object/face/eye tracking from any initial
AF area. This simplifies the whole AF system user interface with flow-on
benefit to the ergonomics of operation.
All these things accumulate to give the R8 a higher
ergonomic score than the RP even though the two cameras have almost the same
dimensions and layout.
Overall I find the R8 provides an enjoyable user experience.
It feels snug in the hand. There are
sufficient controls for expert operation located where the fingers want to find
them and configured with good haptics.
Some cameras are festooned with a plethora of buttons and
other controls which can impede streamlined operation to such an extent it can
be better to switch a few of them off.
The R8 has just about the right number of controls of the
optimal type, in optimal locations to provide full user control of operation
without undue complexity.
Leica promotes the idea of das wesentliche (just the
essentials) as applied to their cameras but I think that cameras like the R8
are more user-friendly examples of this philosophy than any Leica camera which
I have used.
The only exception to this happy story is that pesky little
AF/ON button which is in the wrong place so I de-activate it. The problem with
this button is that it is easily bumped inadvertently when picking up and
handling the camera but is not in the optimal location when I want to press it.
Check out the back of the R5 for the optimal location of the AF-ON button. After
almost three years of use and many thousands of photos I have never
accidentally pressed the AF-ON button on the R5.
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| R8 with RF 24-105mm STM |
Ergonomic logic of cameras
The camera(s) in a smartphone usually work automatically,
with all the various settings being done by the device. In the early part of
the 20th Century Kodak had a motto:
“you press the button, we do the rest”, which consisted of developing
and printing after receiving a roll of undeveloped film. Now in the 21st Century we have
much the same thing except the “we do the rest” part happens immediately right
inside the smartphone or tablet device and no print emerges unless we are using
a Fuji Instax camera which produces a teensy tiny little instant print.
Modern cameras are mostly intended for use by people with
some desire to get engaged in the process of making photos. With this in mind
they offer the user a much greater level of control over the capture process
than we find in a smartphone.
This control occurs on several levels.
In Capture Phase of use we want to alter shutter speed,
aperture, ISO sensitivity setting, exposure compensation, zoom and position and
size of the active autofocus area while looking continuously through the
viewfinder and without having to substantially change grip with either hand.
The R8 manages these tasks of Capture Phase of use easily
enough. The only action which might be considered borderline is that without a
thumb/joystick we must move the active AF area either with the cross keys or by
the touch screen either of which requires movement of the thumb away from the
basic capture position.
The moderating upside of the arrangement on the RP and R8 is
that the Mode Dial is easier to scroll with the thumb than is the case on the
R6 and much easier than is the case on the R and R5 which lack a separate Mode
Dial.
There is often a trade-off in the implementation of camera controls such that making one action
easier to perform can make other actions more difficult.
I have the R8 set up to prioritise actions required in
Capture Phase for which we need direct access to the parameters which are to be
changed.
So the front/top dial changes shutter speed, rear/top dial
changes exposure compensation in Av or Tv and Aperture in M mode. The M-Fn
button provides direct AF area selection, and movie button changes ISO setting.
These primary controls are congregated
together. I prefer to move the AF area with the cross-keys and re-center the AF
area with the Q/Set button. This congregates AF area controls in one place.
Next we have settings which might need to be changed in the
Prepare Phase of use which is the minute or few we have to adjust to a new
subject type.
Access to these items can be two-step. Step one gives us
access to a subset of items from which we can select what we want.
Items which might be adjusted in this Phase include Capture
mode (Av, Tv M etc) , subject to detect, face/eye tracking, one shot/servo AF,
AF/MF, Drive Mode, IS on/off, level gauge, shutter mode. There could be others depending on the use
case.
On the R8 I have most of these allocated to the Quick Menu
and I use the [*] button to access the Quick menu. I don’t want the labelled
button in the center of the cross keys accessing the Quick menu because I want
that center button to re-center AF area position.
Many cameras including the R8 also have Custom Mode settings
accessible on the Mode Dial. This allow us to adjust many settings
simultaneously, greatly streamlining procedures in Prepare Phase of use.
Next down the control hierarchy we have the Setup Phase of
use. This involves adjusting many, possibly hundreds, of settings to personal
preference via a multi-level Menu structure. This is something we do with the
instruction manual to hand and plenty of time available. Items we might sometimes
want to change without having to delve into the full menu can be allocated
to [My Menu].
Ergonomic scoring
This follows my standard schedule which you can find under the Measuring Ergonomics tab on the Home Page
Setup Phase
Canon menus have been slowly improving over the last few
years but still follow the same basic layout which is workable and becomes
familiar to Canon users but I think all camera makers need to re-think their
entire approach to the Setup Phase of use in order to make menu items more
photographically meaningful.
For instance the Hasselblad X2D 100C has tabs for Exposure,
Focus, Quality, Flash, Display, Power, Storage, Stabiliser, Wi-fi, and General.
I would have added a tab for user interface or similar. But we can see that the
designers at Hasselblad are thinking about making the menu interface more user
friendly.
Setup Phase score
12/15
Prepare Phase
As discussed above the R8 manages this decently well,
trading off a plethora of buttons and dials for a less complex but still very
accessible set of access points to the main control parameters. Implementation
of the Q menu has improved recently. We can now select which items to retain
and which to remove and can also arrange items to personal preference.
Prepare Phase
score 12/15
Capture Phase,
Holding
With the EG-E1 accessory grip in place the R8 offers one of
the best holding experiences in the business. The grip also allows the right
hand to rotate back about 10 degrees for less stress on the wrist joint and
allows the fingers to spread out for better grip.
If we want the camera to function as a compact, we can just
remove the EG-E1 and fit a compact prime or the RF 24-50mm kit zoom for a very
light little kit.
Holding score
18/20
Capture Phase
Viewing
The EVF is mid range device, not as large, clear or having
the same detail in highlights and shadows as the one in the R5. However it is
perfectly serviceable and after a few minutes with the R8 I am not troubled by
the lower-spec viewfinder. The eyecup is not quite as good as that on the R5
either but again that is not a big deal. The monitor screen is touch sensitive
and very well implemented, with good resolution, highlight and shadow detail.
Much camera data can be displayed on the EVF or screen or
not, as desired.
Viewing score
14/20
Capture Phase, Operating
Most primary and secondary exposure and focus parameters can
be adjusted with the camera to the eye without having to substantially shift
holding position with either hand. As described above moving the position of
the focus area is the partial exception as the right thumb is required to shift
from base location just below the Mode Dial either across to the monitor screen
or down to the cross keys.
The Operating score would be higher if a good quality
joystick had been included in the design.
Operating score
18/25
Review Phase
No problems or issues here. The camera does everything
expected of it and much more if desired.
Review Phase score
5/5
Overall score
79/100
Comment
This is a good score for a camera in the upper entry class.
It allows expert/enthusiast/professional users to gain full control of camera
operation and allows the experienced user to respond to changing conditions in
a thoughtful fashion.
An appeal to camera
makers
I have recently been using the R8 alongside an R10, each
with a different lens fitted.
I find it frustrating that equivalent buttons and dials on
each camera cannot always be configured to perform the same action. The R8 has
a list of functions which can be assigned to each button, the R10 has a
different list. There is overlap between the two but significant differences
remain.
I want to be able to set up each camera body so that comparable
buttons and dials can be configured to perform the same functions. It is all
done with software so I really don’t understand why the various models cannot
be configured to operate the same way.
The more camera makers can standardise their operating
systems and user interface the more appealing their products will be to buyers.