Canon EOS R8 - Usable for wildlife photography? Review

I tested Canon's most affordable full-frame mirrorless camera. After only a few thousand photos, this is not a long-term review, but is intended to show my first impressions on the subject of image quality, autofocus, continuous shooting, rolling shutter and the housing (a mini-review, if you want).
You can buy the R8 here (Affiliate links):
Canon EOS R8: amzn.to/437qenL
R8 battery: adorama.rfvk.net/zN2xzO
SD-Card: amzn.to/44wsHtb

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

You can buy the R8 here (Affiliate links):
Canon EOS R8: amzn.to/437qenL
R8 battery: adorama.rfvk.net/zN2xzO
SD-Card: amzn.to/44wsHtb

[@xhawathy5311]

Thanks, very useful review ❤

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

😊

[@cathco9]

Very nice fair review. I wish my R5 had the additional features you mentioned. My fingers are still crossed for a 2.0 firmware update that will give us those features and a few more.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks. Yes, I really hope so

[@thebentzenable]

Excellent review 👍👍👍😊

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks

[@Slobberdog57]

A setup guide would be great, using an R6ii setup from Jan's channel atm. But a specific R8 guide would be great, just trying his back button focus setup to see if I can cope with it, still new to it and undecided atm

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks for the feedback, I‘m working on the video 😊

[@JoelRiveraMD]

Would love the setup guide . I thought I wouldn’t like this camera because of the battery and the SD card in the battery compartment, but now this is my go to camera for lightweight setup. I think I have used it more since I got it than the R5 and R5c. I’m trying to setup this camera for wildlife but not sure how to do it because of less back buttons. Would love a guide from you for the R8

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks for the feedback and have fun with the camera!!

[@ulflundh5813]

👍 Nice I have 2 OM1 as my main cameras. And now a R8 more as a family extra fun camera. And I must say it is a fun little camera. And sometimes the 3x2 aspect is nice to use.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Glad to hear that you enjoy using it

[@Mrshieldmaiden]

Nice informative video

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks

[@smartash82]

I am a beginner to wildlife photography and have an R8. Would love it if you do the R8 setup guide. Thank you.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Here you go: Canon EOS R8 - My settings for wildlife and landscape photography
ua-cam.com/video/-_URiDHQbME/v-deo.html

[@andreasfandl8490]

great review thanks a lot!
have you any experience in combining an EF tele lense (e.g. Canon EF 500mm f/4 L IS II USM) with the new Canon R8 or R6 II?
considering upgrading my D5 mark IV with a new mirrorless camera, but a bit scared that the lense wont work at their best anymore:)

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

I used the EF 600/4 L IS II on the R8, R6 II and R5. On all three cameras the AF performance was (IMHO) much better than with the 5D IV

[@andreasfandl8490]

thanks a lot!
Set-up guide for the R8 would be highly appreciated:) curerntly thinking about getting either the R6 II or R8 for wildlife, but dont see huge advantages of the R6 II, or am i missing anything from your view?@@FabianFoppNaturephotography

[@didierwijnants7118]

I bought an R8 recently, with the 24-105mm and 100-500mm L lenses and that's really a great combination. Now I am considering to buy an additional APS-C camera as a way to be more flexible when I'm out there (not having to switch lenses) but also extend the reach of my 100-500mm lens in certain circumstances. Does that make sense to you? For budgetary reasons, I would buy the R10 and not the more expensive R7.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Yes, that can definitely be an interesting option. The R10 has not so good AF and a slower sensor readout than the R8. I would therefore recommend to use FCEL and not electronic shutter

[@erinnszarek3738]

I would be interested in the set up guide for BIF

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Thanks! I already released a setup guide: Canon EOS R8 - My settings for wildlife and landscape photography
ua-cam.com/video/-_URiDHQbME/v-deo.html

[@666JGNotts]

I suppose this R8 would make a decent landscape camera to partner my R7, what do you think? I would prefer an R6 Mark2 for a landscape camera but can't afford it at the moment :)

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Yes, I think for this the R8 is perfect!

[@matthewbell1968]

Fabian have you seen Duade Paton's latest video re the r7 af issues and the 'response' he got from canon?? It's very very interesting and this is why the R8 beats the R7 for af hands down 👍

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Just watched it 😊 yes, that makes sense

[@nidheesh.k.b6105]

Can we use godox flashes and trigger on r8

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Unfortunately I don’t own Godox flashes

[@matthewbell1968]

Interesting what you say about the AF Fabian, Wild Alaska says the same thing, the Fro puts the R8 AF over the Z8 and Z9 which says a lot as well. I will probably get one as a back up to my R7 but the R7 has AF issues for many of us when it 'jumps' for no reason at all.

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Yeah, I found the R8 autofocus clearly superior over the R7

[@matthewbell1968]

@@FabianFoppNaturephotography Fabian, they're both phase detect aren't they? I guess there is a year of development between the two cameras but the R7 has a habit of jumping between subjects of its own desire. I don't know if you follow Duade Paton be he's noticed the same issue and judging by the comments on his video on the matter he's not alone in this. Yesterday I was talking a photo of a kingfisher on a branch and the eye AF nailed it immediately and of the 50 photos I took, a dozen were OOF as the R7 jumped to focus the branch or the reeds behind without me doing a thing in the meantime. Don't get me wrong the R7 can take some great shots but it has an Achilles Heel which a load of people are noticing and, I suspect, Canon have noticed as well but aren't saying a word about it. I'll get an R8 in few weeks and compare! Keep the great videos coming!!

[@MoreData-hz8hm]

​@@matthewbell1968hey, any update? How did the r8 compare?

[@nk-oi3oo]

@@matthewbell1968hey did you end up getting R8? I was about to get R7 but didn’t because of autofocus issues like you mentioned and i follow duade paton. I was wondering if R8 autofocus is better than R7? And also autofocus box with RF 800mm f11 is bigger in compare to other canon cameras?

[@matthewbell1968]

@@MoreData-hz8hm The R8 AF is better, no two ways about it, you'd think that Canon could send R7 owners a firmware update but that will probably come with an R7 Mark 2 as we get our wallets out again....

[@shwetangvichare3653]

How is buffer performance when shooting only jpeg with electronic shutter?

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

I never tested that

[@shwetangvichare3653]

@@FabianFoppNaturephotography never mind..I just bought R8..😅

[@Freddysc-mu8ko]

Hi, R6 Mark i or R8?

[@FabianFoppNaturephotography]

Not an easy question. I prefer the body of the R6, but the R8 wins in terms of framerate (electronic), AF and video features