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All photos Canon EOS R8 with RF 24-105mm f4-7.1 IS STM lens |
My new favourite compact camera ?
When I first saw details of the EOS R8 I have to admit I was
a bit sceptical. It looked like the old RP wrapped around some mildly updated
innards.
I thought it would be an accountant’s product driven by
price-point analysis pretending to be a new camera but really just a mix-and-match
of components already in the parts bin, so to speak.
As it happens that is basically true but the final product
is much more competent and enjoyable in use than I had imagined it might
be.
RF mount camera
evolution
The EOS R (with no number suffix) released in 2018 was the
first Canon mirrorless RF mount model. It brought together some old and some
new technology in what looks to me like a “toe in the water” exercise. It had
some medium high end features and rather average performance together with the
ergonomic novelty of the strange Fn bar, thankfully not seen again on any
subsequent model.
This was followed by the entry level RP, with an old sensor
and processor inside a new compact body designed to attract newcomers to the
Canon full frame mirrorless world. This model has for several years been one of
the smallest and least expensive consumer full frame mirrorless interchangeable
lens camera on the market. The RP is actually smaller on a width x height x
depth basis than the APSC EOS R10.
The unusual Sigma fp is smaller out of the box but requires
a scaffolding of accessories for most use cases.
The Sony A7C is smaller in each dimension but suffers
ergonomically with a tiny viewfinder and cramped handle and controls.
Over the years Canon has experimented with several different
naming schemes for its interchangeable lens cameras, These have included
single, double and triple numerical designations with or without letter
suffixes together with various names such as Elan, Rebel and Kiss. The result
is a complete model names muddle. I suspect the product development people make
up their model designations as they go along without too much concern for an
organising principle.
With the advent of the RF mount it seems the name branded
models have been phased out in favour of numerical designations with suffixes.
There appears to be some, albeit inconsistent, logic to
this.
The top model is named R1. Canon says “it’s coming….” Maybe in time for the 2024 Paris Olympic
games……or……..whenever it’s ready…………..
Looking back through the Canon camera archives I see no
reference to a 2 series model. Why …???
Three is a popular number for a professional model a step
down from the top level. So we have the EOS R3 which is the highest model in
the RF mount catalogue until the R1 comes along.
Four is an unlucky number in Japanese culture so we don’t
see models with that primary designation. But the number is not altogether
banned, for instance we have the EOS 5D Mk4, although the suffix is often
written in Roman form as IV.
Five is popular as the number designating an advanced model
with a high level of specifications and features. Hence the EOS R5.
Six designates the next full frame model down the ladder in
the form of the EOS R6, followed by the R6 Mk2.
I see these as the price-point options for enthusiast photographers who
want an R5 but can’t quite stretch the budget that far.
Things get a bit muddled at number 7. If I were doing this I think I would
designate full frame and crop sensor models in some clearly different way. Nikon uses FX for full frame and DX for crop
sensor models. Sony uses FE and E.
Canon has nothing in the name to tell us whether the model
is full frame or crop sensor. Anyway the EOS R7 is a somewhat advanced crop
sensor model. Will the number 7 indicate the top level crop sensor model
?...............?
Next we have the subject of this post, the full frame R8, which
appears to create a new category which might be thought of as “advanced entry
level” if there is such a thing.
It appears there is no direct upgrade to either the EOS R or
the EOS RP although the R8 could be seen as an upgrade from either the R or RP.
There is no EOS R9 yet. There could be a place I guess for a
really budget spec entry level full frame model maybe re-using the 31Mp sensor
from the 5D.4/R.
The EOS R10 is an upper entry level crop sensor model with a
good level of specification and pleasing user experience. Both the R7 and R10
use previous generation APSC sensors. So we can see that Canon is making
careful use of R&D funds by re-cycling older sensors in new bodies just as
they did with the R, which re-uses the 5D.4 sensor and the RP which re-uses the
6D.2 sensor.
Now the naming sequence goes right off the rails because the
next model is the EOS R50 which is pitched as a beginners entry level crop
sensor RF mount model. I suspect the R50 name might have been chosen to
indicate that the R50 is the RF mount upgrade and replacement for the popular
EF-M mount EOS M50 which I guess will be phased out now the R50 has arrived.
Price point matters
About two years ago Canon reduced the price of the RP to the
point that retailers could sell it just under the magic marketing figure of
USD1000.
Camera pundits started suggesting that a USD500 full frame
model might be coming and that APSC crop sensor models might not have future. But things did not work out that way.
The problem for camera makers is that they can only make a
viable business selling low cost interchangeable lens cameras if they are able
to move boatloads of them to offset the low profit margin on each unit. But
nobody is selling boatloads of any kind of cameras anymore so the only way
camera makers can survive is to move their product catalogues upmarket where
there is enough margin on each unit to make a low volume enterprise profitable.
So we see the R8 coming on at USD1500 which is a 50%
increase on the USD999 of the RP. Lower cost new models have APSC crop sensors.
Who and what is the R8 for ?
If the R6 and R6.2 are for those whose budget does not
stretch to the price of the R5, I suppose we could say the R8 is for those who
want an R6.2 but cannot justify the price of the R6.2 in their own personal/family
budget.
So we have the R8 which has the sensor, processor and much
of the capability of the R6.2 but comes to market at a substantially lower
price. Canon has achieved this by using a smaller and less expensive body, no
IBIS, smaller, lower spec EVF, smaller battery, only one memory card, less
expensive and lower spec shutter and a smaller buffer.
For professional sport/action/wildlife photographers these
economies could make the R8 less appealing than the R6.2. However the R8 can deliver continuous tracking
at 40 or 20 frames per second with the Electronic shutter, the same as the
R6.2. So it could be very appealing to enthusiast amateur wildlife
photographers on a budget. For photographers with less high-powered
photographic ambitions the R8 might be all the camera they will ever need. If we don’t want to shoot at 12 frames per
second with the mechanical shutter then the lack of that capability will not
matter.
Features and capabilities
Auto panorama
has been a feature often found in compact cameras and is now coming to
interchangeable lens models. It works best with wide to normal angle lenses.
Some practice is required to become familiar with suitable subject types and
techniques. We find the feature via the SCN tab on the Mode Dial. When hand holding,
I find pano works best when I hold the camera in portrait orientation, handle
up and sweep from left to tight. Getting the sweep speed right takes some
practice as does keeping the horizon steady. The camera outputs a composite JPG
in about 2 seconds. Auto pano works as advertised but does not like diagonal
lines which are rendered as jaggies. Complex foliage can also challenge the
stitching programme, with faults being fairly common. Auto pano is convenient
but I generally get a better result by shooting a series of overlapping Raw
frames and stitching in Photoshop.
Focus bracketing
with in-camera composite JPG output is a feature of the R8, conveniently
selectable from the Q Menu. The R5 can do focus bracketing but combining the
images has to be done in post-processing. The R8 gives us the option of using
the out-of-camera JPG composite or combining the original (use Raw for best
results) images in post processing. I find that compositing in Photoshop can
produce the best result as we have control over each step of the process.
The optimal number of frames and the focus interval are
critical to success and different for each use case, so considerable experiment
is required. I have posted about this elsewhere on this blog.
Raw burst with
pre-burst is another Canon capability which has found its way into the
latest models. The feature is selected via a menu item which can be allocated
to the Q menu. The camera shoots a series of frames at 30fps using the E
Shutter. If we hold the shutter button at half-press before fully depressing
the button the camera will record about a half second of frames captured before
the shutter button is fully depressed in addition to a second or so after the
button is pressed. The feature could be handy for capturing the moment a bird
takes flight. Medium sized birds move
about 10x faster than humans, so without pre-burst capability it is very
difficult for us to capture the moment a bird takes flight.
The resulting Raw images are saved into a single file on the
memory card. We can scroll through the files on the monitor screen and select
one or more to be saved separately for attention in post processing later.
Image quality
The R8 and R6.2 use a newly developed 24 Mpx sensor from
Canon. Although not a back-side illuminated or stacked chip (we need to get the
R3 for one of those in Canon land) it still does a very good job. Canon says
the resolution of the 24Mpx chip in the R8/R6.2 exceeds that of the 31Mpx unit
in the EOS R, perhaps by employing a lighter anti-aliasing filter. I have run several tests on highly detailed
real-world subjects comparing the R8 with RF 24-105mm STM lens with the R5 with
RF 24-105mm L lens. I find only a slight difference between the two kits in the
amount of detailed visual information which the equipment can transfer from
subject to file, and that is only apparent on close inspection of files at
100%.
In practice the R8 delivers very good highlight and shadow
detail and Raw files allow considerable highlight and shadow detail recovery.
High ISO noise levels are commendably low, similar to the R5
when files are viewed at the same output size.
Rendition of colors and tonal gradation is excellent in Raw
files converted in Adobe Camera Raw.
If we factor in the new DenoiseAI in Adobe Camera Raw, the
R8 becomes a highly competent imaging device available to consumers for a
moderate financial outlay.
Performance
The headline performance feature of the R8 and R6.2 is their
ability to capture 40 still frames per second with separate autoexposure and
autofocus with subject tracking on each frame. This is astonishing and would
have seemed like science fiction a few years ago.
However many photographers, even those wanting to capture
action sequences find 40 fps generates too many files which fill up the memory
card and have to be processed later. I find 20 or even 10fps generally works
well enough for birds in flight or sport/action.
Using a SanDisk UHS 2, 300 MB/s card, C-Raw, E Shutter
and H Drive mode (20fps measured) the
camera captures 75 frames before slow down.
Buffer clearing takes 15 seconds and we can fire short bursts while the
buffer is clearing.
The Electronic shutter will run as follows:
[High speed continuous H+]
40fps
[High speed continuous, H]
20fps
[Low speed continuous] 5 fps
With Electronic first curtain shutter there is no H+. H gives 6 fps.
On the day of testing I saw no evidence of shutter shock
with EFCS at 1/500 sec and 6 fps but users should run their own tests on zooms
to check.
Unfortunately there is no option for 10 or 12 fps with the
R8. We have to run faster with the ES or slower with either ES or EFCS.
Note that many EF lenses which otherwise operate perfectly
on the R8 with the required adapter will not run at the maximum frame rate.
Canon publishes advice about this on its website. It may also be necessary to
update the firmware of some RF mount lenses to allow them to operate properly
at 40fps.
Electronic shutter
scan time and rolling shutter
Scan time is not the same thing as exposure time (usually
expressed as “shutter speed”).
EFCS runs at 14bits A/D conversion. The electronic shutter runs
at 12 bit A/D conversion. This produces a lower dynamic range which is traded off for faster scan time in order to
reduce rolling shutter effect.
The scan time of a typical full frame mechanical focal plane
shutter is about 5 milliseconds (1/200 sec).
E Shutter scan time of the R8 is approximately 20
milliseconds (about 1/50 second).
So even if the exposure time (shutter speed) is 1/18000sec
the scan time will still be only about 1/50 second.
For any still subject and many moving subjects a scan time
of about 1/50 second will not give us too much trouble with rolling shutter.
However if we pan fast we will see strong skewing of the background and if we
photograph small birds in flight we may find their wings quite distorted as
they move through their arc during the time it takes the E Shutter to scan the
frame.
Autofocus
Much has been made of the current version of Canon’s dual
pixel autofocus, with good reason. It really is very good and the R8 has the
latest iteration of the technology. In one respect it is easier to use than the
version we find in the R5 because in the R6.2, R8, R7, R10 we can have face/eye
detect AF from any AF area (AF Method in Canon-speak). We have more subject
types from which to choose. With more AI involved in the calculations we find
the Auto settings for subject detection and Servo AF Tracking Case selection
giving a higher percentage of good results making the whole AF experience more
user friendly.
The ability of the R8 to find and focus on human and
animal/bird faces and eyes has to be experienced to be fully appreciated. It
does not mean every single frame will be in sharp focus but is a great leap
forward from AF systems just a few years ago.
The one thing which Canon does not offer is snap-focus which
has long been a feature of Ricoh cameras and which many Ricoh fans find
extremely useful particularly when the camera is faced with a complex subject
containing many elements such as a crowd of people.
Ergonomics
Please see my separate post with full details about this. In
summary most aspects of the ergonomic experience are well implemented and the
camera is a pleasure to use. Non-critical negatives include the absence of a
joystick and the poorly located AF On button. Holding and the overall user
experience are enhanced with the EG-E1 grip extension fitted.
Comparisons
Camera companies make their reputation with “hero” models
and their money with entry to mid range consumer models. Canon’s product development people have, over
the years, been able to stay just ahead of their main competition in each of
these key market sectors.
The R8 manages to offer a level of imaging capability and
performance which exceeds that of top tier DSLRs of just a few years ago in a
moderately priced compact body with nice handling and ergonomics.
Nothing else in Canon’s catalogue of interchangeable lens
cameras manages to strike the same kind of balance. It’s almost like having
your cake and eating it too.
As always in the Canon ecosystem if you pay more you get
more. With the R8 we have a camera which is likely to meet or exceed
requirements for a great many users making expenditure on more expensive gear
un-necessary. The “more” we get by spending more money might just be surplus to
requirements.
R6.2 vs R8
These two models have the same sensor and processor and many
of the same capabilities including autofocus. The R6.2 is considerably more
expensive and has better specifications in several ways.
The R6.2 has and the R8 does not have a full mechanical
shutter . The R8 has only electronic first curtain (EFCS) and fully electronic
shutter (ES) modes. Some users might not even be aware of the difference but EFCS
can cause changes to out of focus rendering with very wide aperture lenses at
high shutter speeds. The R8 also does not offer 10 or 12 fps with EFCS which
could be an issue if that is precisely the frame rate required.
The R6.2 is larger, heavier, has a higher level of weather sealing,
has an in body image stabiliser (IBIS) more
control points (buttons and dials) including a joystick, a larger battery, two
SD card slots located in the back of the handle for easier access and a better
EVF.
We can buy a battery grip for the R6.2 but for the R8 there
is the EG-E1 grip extension which does not house a battery but does improve
handling of the R8.
The lack of IBIS in the R8 could be an issue if we wish to
use lenses without a stabiliser such as the RF 28-70 f2, RF 16mm f2.8 and RF
50mm f1.8.
When we look at similarly priced offerings from other camera
makers we see all of them trying to tempt buyers with a package of goodies.
Overall I think similarly priced full frame models from Canon, Sony, Nikon and
Panasonic offer a similar level of capability. Some have IBIS, some have a
higher frame rate, and so on.
Realistically I think
once we are committed to a brand name system then detail differences between
offerings from the different brands are of little significance. For instance I have Canon RF mount gear and no
interest in switching brands due to the considerable cost in terms of money and
re-training which would be required.
Conclusion
The EOS R8 has slipped onto Canon’s RF mount catalogue
without much fanfare. However on close acquaintance it proves to be a very
versatile and capable device which we can have for a reasonably modest outlay.
I give it a high value to price rating.
If buyers can look past the spec sheet highlights and delve
into the user experience I think they could be very happy with the R8.