I bought the R8 a few weeks ago. I use it mainly for video BTS and my personal content on IG. The image quality is great. I do have four official canon batteries so im not worried about the battery life.
I feel like the R8 is great for IG content. It’s super compact, plus has an accelerometer to automatically rotate vertical videos. But I don’t see anyone buying the R8 as their primary camera unless they’re just starting out. You should have plenty of runtime on 4 batteries, but sadly that’s slightly less mAh than two LP-E6NH batteries. If only Canon could have made the camera just slightly bigger to give enough space for a real battery!!!
I have this camera cause I couldn’t afford an r6ii I actually love it and personally can get over its downsides My mother has the r6ii and sometimes I steal it when I need a second camera, but the R8 has been a perfect main camera if you work within its fussy limits. And when with people with other cameras people often are surprised at how good of a camera it really is compared to other much larger and more expensive cameras
It’s great camera for the price! I was surprised at its spec sheet and price point when it was first released, and almost wished I had gotten two of them instead of the R6II. But, after finding out about its weaknesses… Depending on what you’re capturing, though, the battery life may be the only truly limiting factor.
I'm about to get this camera and I'm very excited about it. I shoot with a Nikon D610 and I'm ready to get my hands on my first canon + mirrorless camera. I only do photography even tho I'm excited to start filming some personal things with the R8! I think all those downsides of this camera are easy to work around it and it's worth it for me! Thank you for the vid :))
You’re welcome! Yes, I was a bit nervous buying it that it wouldn’t work for my needs. But, the price was too good when it went on sale not to at least give it a try.
I attempted that. The only way I could get it to not show the genuine battery warning was if I started out with one battery in the grip, then added a second battery after power cycling the camera. The problem with that was the battery level was wildly inaccurate. It would show full battery until it was almost dead. So basically just as useful as not having a battery indicator at all.
Hi, congratulations on the video, I recently bought a Canon R8 and I would need a second body, would you advise me not to buy another R8? Maybe wait and switch to the R6 Mark II? I work mainly in the studio and I don't do ceremonies but I might still need to document performances or concerts. Thanks
It really depends on your preferences and whether or not you think it's worth it. I think the R8 is a great camera, but this video was about me trying to showcase some of its qualities and shortcomings for people to make an informed decision about the camera. There is something to be said for having multiple of the same camera body, using the same batteries and having the same button layout. But, the R6 II is certainly a better camera from a professional use-case. You're just going to have to make the decision of whether or not those extra features are worth the substantially higher price tag. If you don't need another camera right NOW, I would recommend waiting on the EOS R6 Mark III to be released, which has been rumored to be very soon. It may be that the new version has features that would help you, or Canon may discount the Mark II to try to get rid of old stock.
I'm going to buy the R8 soon, deciding which was the right for me, my choice goes to this camera. I'm an Amateur photographer, I mostly shot nature and portraits but I shot pretty much everything, I love to bring with me a small camera body with small lenses. The R6 Mark II is a big temptation but why to spend € 1.000 more? I think this camera it's more the enough and the lach of IBIS won't give me any issue.
Hello my friend. First of all, a really GREAT video. So, thanks! I'd like to ask you a question...For a beginner wedding photographer: Would you recommend this camera as a primary body? A friend is offering it to me, practically new, for around $1,000, and it seems like a great deal to me. Honestly, I don't think I can afford the R6 MKII, which is around $2,000 here and is out of my budget. My only concern is that the R8 doesn't have dual SD card slots.
You're welcome! I would recommend this as a primary camera to get started as long as you're aware of the limitations and have enough batteries, but would also recommend getting a more professional camera once your budget allows. The R8 is by far the best Canon camera in its price range. Until the R6III comes out next year, the R8 and R6II are the best prosumer cameras Canon has. I don't have any hesitations using single-card-slot cameras as long as you invest in quality cards (check out my SD Card video for all of my SD card tips). In fact, we still have and use two of the original EOS R bodies for photo sessions and weddings and haven't ever had an SD card failure. $1,000 sounds like a fair price for the R8 right now. I've seen it as low as $999 refurbished directly from Canon (which means practically new), but after adding tax it ends up being a bit more.
Hmm, I have the same VELLO battery grip and I do not have that issue. Tells me the status of the battery. It must be your unit. Maybe update your firmware..?
So, there were two different situations that I experienced with the VELLO battery grip. If I inserted both batteries before turning on the camera, it would show the grayed out battery icon like in the video. If I only inserted one battery, turned on the camera, then inserted the other battery (with the camera on or off), it would show the battery level like normal. HOWEVER, that battery level indicator was wildly inaccurate. It would show full battery until shortly before the camera died, which is basically the same as not having a battery indicator at all. My firmware was updated to the latest at the time.
It can be used for 4k60 video, but for that it needs an active cooler on the back of it, unfortunately. With one of those it can go over an hour 4k60 without overheating. It`s not really a video camera though. For that you need a C70. The right tool for the job makes all the difference. I'm not sure if it should be bigger to have the bigger battery. That is a choice they made too keep it portable, they wanted a small FF mirrorless, only the Sigma is lighter, without the EVF. With a bigger size and battery they would have charged more.
I have seen some aftermarket fans that attach to the back, but I did also see someone using a fan cooling the front (lens mount area) that seemed to be more effective than a fan on the back. Nonetheless, I don’t want to be reliant on a third party fan for my camera to work. Yes, you do need a cinema camera like the C70 for real video work, but that’s not the target market for this camera. My use for this camera fits perfectly into the category it was designed for. I need a good photo camera that can also shoot excellent 4K video. Try taking a C70 out on a photo shoot and it won’t perform nearly as well. That being said, I also have the budget to go with the R6II that was designed for the same shooting style, but without some of the drawbacks that made the R8 so much cheaper.
I bought R8 for my full photography works (portrait studio and outdoor) earlier this year and I am happy with the investment. The R8 is my very first mirrorless after shooting with DSLR since 2012 (550D, 60D and 6dmk2), the upgrades are significant; picture quality and autofocus. The small battery capacity can be compensated after you get used to it, I recommend at least 3 extra batteries. After almost 1 year of abuse pure for photography works, I have only encountered overheating issue in my unit once. It was an outdoor session near by the beach area. The EVF turns out to be one of the main change that I loved so much. In my opinion, R8 is: - great studio camera, the image produced is enough for professional printing up to 2 meters size. - good main camera if you are shooting smaller events such as intimate weddings (I always bring along my old 6dmk2). - good portrait camera in a controlled environment, such as planned couple portraits.
Thanks for the comments! I agree that it is a good camera for small events and controlled environments, but I wouldn't trust it as my primary camera for a full-day wedding. I'm surprised to hear that it overheated while shooting photos! I thought it was only a real issue when the processor was working extra hard to oversample the image sensor for 4K60 footage. The only time I used it for photos at an event was dual-shooting along with my R6II at an indoor wedding. I was turning it off between using it and never had the temperature warning even pop up. And yes, the EVF is one of the best features of mirrorless cameras. We started switching over to mirrorless with the original EOS R (and still have 2 of them). I've been through the 60D, EOS M, 7D, 80D, 5DII, 6D, 6DII, and now the R, R6II (and R8) and won't be going back to any DSLR. The EVF exposure preview & histogram as well as AF are huge improvements over their predecessors. Not to mention the sensors are so much better at higher ISO than any of the older cameras!
It is a HUGE upgrade from the 77D! Being full frame vs APS-C sensor is the biggest difference for photos, giving you a better depth of field, but also better low light than the 77D. Video is where the most improvement is, being able to capture 4K versus just 1080p before. There's quite a few other reasons it's better, but those are the two biggest to me. Obviously like I said in the video, I prefer the R6 Mk II. But the R8 is a great compromise if you don't need the pro features of the R6 (and R1, R3, R5, etc). You will have to make sure you have full frame lenses (no EF-S or RF-S). And get an adapter (EF to RF) if you plan on using older EF glass.
Would the battery warning still pop up if you were to use the regular canon batteries in the grip? And would you be able to see the battery level then?
I only had one genuine Canon battery since I wasn’t convinced I wanted to keep the camera long-term when I bought it, so I wasn’t able to fully test every option. However, something that I didn’t mention in the video was that, if I started out with a single battery in the grip (genuine or third party) and power cycled the camera, then put a second battery in the grip, there wasn’t a warning and the battery level was showing like normal. BUT, the battery level it read was not accurate. It read full until shortly before the camera died, so it was almost as useless as not having any battery level indication. I didn’t mention that in the video because it shouldn’t be necessary to have a whole procedure just to change batteries. I’m guessing that, since Canon didn’t make a battery grip for it, the camera is only going off the voltage drop of the two batteries in parallel. Since both batteries together have a much larger capacity, the camera won’t see a voltage drop until both get fairly low.
I think the slight edge comes to the R6 for photography, but if you plan on recording video with it, it would highly recommend upgrading to the Mark II due to the Mark I’s terrible overheating track record.
Who buys an R8 to film 30m of 4K60 in the first place? I never needed an IBIS-I never had it before! I never had dual slots before-they are all gimmicks, IMO. All that truly matters in the FF Sensor is identical to the R6II, and that is where it shines like a mother! We did pro work with Canon 5D 10 years ago, and it has nothing like what the R8 has. We can do amazing pro work with it also. Is it a pro camera 10000%? Yes.
You have a valid point about filming 30 straight minutes of 4K60, but keep in mind that’s also under “ideal” conditions of room temperature while indoors. I’ve had an R6II nearly overheat while shooting short clips of 4K60 outside in August before (and one did overheat on my second shooter). So while I didn’t test the R8 in 90+ degree temps, I’m fairly confident I would have major overheating issues trying to use it as a main camera for professional videography during the summer.
Absolutely! It’s a great camera and certainly got some fantastic images at the weddings I used it on. Just make sure you have some extra batteries if you plan on using it on longer sessions.
The first lens I would recommend buying is the RF 35mm f1.8. After that, the RF 85mm f2 would be a great second lens for portraits. You can pick up both of those refurbished directly from Canon for $700. I've bought quite a few things refurbished from Canon and they all arrived looking brand new. I haven't found any zoom lenses under $1k that are worth recommending, so sticking to primes would be your best option until you're ready to step up to a good quality zoom lens. The new RF 28-70 f2.8 @ $1,100 looks like a solid choice, but still not as good at low light shooting as a prime lens.
i looooove my r8.. the pictures i get out of it are just amazing
Yes, it has a great sensor to get some amazing images!
I bought the R8 a few weeks ago. I use it mainly for video BTS and my personal content on IG. The image quality is great. I do have four official canon batteries so im not worried about the battery life.
I feel like the R8 is great for IG content. It’s super compact, plus has an accelerometer to automatically rotate vertical videos. But I don’t see anyone buying the R8 as their primary camera unless they’re just starting out.
You should have plenty of runtime on 4 batteries, but sadly that’s slightly less mAh than two LP-E6NH batteries. If only Canon could have made the camera just slightly bigger to give enough space for a real battery!!!
I'm going to buy too the R8, very soon..Did you buy all originals LP - E17 batteries or any third part brand to advice?
@@vero1197 sorry for late response but yes all batteries are the original from canon
I have this camera cause I couldn’t afford an r6ii
I actually love it and personally can get over its downsides
My mother has the r6ii and sometimes I steal it when I need a second camera, but the R8 has been a perfect main camera if you work within its fussy limits. And when with people with other cameras people often are surprised at how good of a camera it really is compared to other much larger and more expensive cameras
It’s great camera for the price! I was surprised at its spec sheet and price point when it was first released, and almost wished I had gotten two of them instead of the R6II. But, after finding out about its weaknesses…
Depending on what you’re capturing, though, the battery life may be the only truly limiting factor.
I'm about to get this camera and I'm very excited about it. I shoot with a Nikon D610 and I'm ready to get my hands on my first canon + mirrorless camera. I only do photography even tho I'm excited to start filming some personal things with the R8! I think all those downsides of this camera are easy to work around it and it's worth it for me! Thank you for the vid :))
You're welcome! I know the Nikon D610 was a solid workhorse back in the day, but you'll be blown away with how much things have improved since then.
Thanks for the nice review! Your feedback informed from practical was also useful.
You’re welcome! Yes, I was a bit nervous buying it that it wouldn’t work for my needs. But, the price was too good when it went on sale not to at least give it a try.
Switch the batteries around in the battery grip when that notification pops up , works fine after that
I attempted that. The only way I could get it to not show the genuine battery warning was if I started out with one battery in the grip, then added a second battery after power cycling the camera. The problem with that was the battery level was wildly inaccurate. It would show full battery until it was almost dead. So basically just as useful as not having a battery indicator at all.
Hi, congratulations on the video, I recently bought a Canon R8 and I would need a second body, would you advise me not to buy another R8? Maybe wait and switch to the R6 Mark II? I work mainly in the studio and I don't do ceremonies but I might still need to document performances or concerts. Thanks
It really depends on your preferences and whether or not you think it's worth it. I think the R8 is a great camera, but this video was about me trying to showcase some of its qualities and shortcomings for people to make an informed decision about the camera. There is something to be said for having multiple of the same camera body, using the same batteries and having the same button layout. But, the R6 II is certainly a better camera from a professional use-case. You're just going to have to make the decision of whether or not those extra features are worth the substantially higher price tag.
If you don't need another camera right NOW, I would recommend waiting on the EOS R6 Mark III to be released, which has been rumored to be very soon. It may be that the new version has features that would help you, or Canon may discount the Mark II to try to get rid of old stock.
R8 is the best cheap camera for UA-cam studios. The camera is usually stationary on a tripod and attached to a dummy battery.
Yes, and the R8 can also run off of USB-C, so no need for a dummy battery!
I'm going to buy the R8 soon, deciding which was the right for me, my choice goes to this camera. I'm an Amateur photographer, I mostly shot nature and portraits but I shot pretty much everything, I love to bring with me a small camera body with small lenses. The R6 Mark II is a big temptation but why to spend € 1.000 more? I think this camera it's more the enough and the lach of IBIS won't give me any issue.
Hopefully I was able to help you with that decision. Both cameras are great options, but it really comes down to your intended use case.
Hello my friend. First of all, a really GREAT video. So, thanks! I'd like to ask you a question...For a beginner wedding photographer:
Would you recommend this camera as a primary body? A friend is offering it to me, practically new, for around $1,000, and it seems like a great deal to me. Honestly, I don't think I can afford the R6 MKII, which is around $2,000 here and is out of my budget. My only concern is that the R8 doesn't have dual SD card slots.
You're welcome!
I would recommend this as a primary camera to get started as long as you're aware of the limitations and have enough batteries, but would also recommend getting a more professional camera once your budget allows. The R8 is by far the best Canon camera in its price range. Until the R6III comes out next year, the R8 and R6II are the best prosumer cameras Canon has. I don't have any hesitations using single-card-slot cameras as long as you invest in quality cards (check out my SD Card video for all of my SD card tips). In fact, we still have and use two of the original EOS R bodies for photo sessions and weddings and haven't ever had an SD card failure.
$1,000 sounds like a fair price for the R8 right now. I've seen it as low as $999 refurbished directly from Canon (which means practically new), but after adding tax it ends up being a bit more.
Hmm, I have the same VELLO battery grip and I do not have that issue. Tells me the status of the battery. It must be your unit. Maybe update your firmware..?
So, there were two different situations that I experienced with the VELLO battery grip. If I inserted both batteries before turning on the camera, it would show the grayed out battery icon like in the video. If I only inserted one battery, turned on the camera, then inserted the other battery (with the camera on or off), it would show the battery level like normal. HOWEVER, that battery level indicator was wildly inaccurate. It would show full battery until shortly before the camera died, which is basically the same as not having a battery indicator at all.
My firmware was updated to the latest at the time.
It can be used for 4k60 video, but for that it needs an active cooler on the back of it, unfortunately. With one of those it can go over an hour 4k60 without overheating. It`s not really a video camera though. For that you need a C70. The right tool for the job makes all the difference. I'm not sure if it should be bigger to have the bigger battery. That is a choice they made too keep it portable, they wanted a small FF mirrorless, only the Sigma is lighter, without the EVF. With a bigger size and battery they would have charged more.
I have seen some aftermarket fans that attach to the back, but I did also see someone using a fan cooling the front (lens mount area) that seemed to be more effective than a fan on the back. Nonetheless, I don’t want to be reliant on a third party fan for my camera to work.
Yes, you do need a cinema camera like the C70 for real video work, but that’s not the target market for this camera. My use for this camera fits perfectly into the category it was designed for. I need a good photo camera that can also shoot excellent 4K video. Try taking a C70 out on a photo shoot and it won’t perform nearly as well. That being said, I also have the budget to go with the R6II that was designed for the same shooting style, but without some of the drawbacks that made the R8 so much cheaper.
I just bought mine earlier today!
Nice! Hopefully I was able to help your decision a little with my review.
@@blytheandkarry Your review was reassurance that I made the right purchase.👊🏿
I bought R8 for my full photography works (portrait studio and outdoor) earlier this year and I am happy with the investment.
The R8 is my very first mirrorless after shooting with DSLR since 2012 (550D, 60D and 6dmk2), the upgrades are significant; picture quality and autofocus.
The small battery capacity can be compensated after you get used to it, I recommend at least 3 extra batteries.
After almost 1 year of abuse pure for photography works, I have only encountered overheating issue in my unit once.
It was an outdoor session near by the beach area.
The EVF turns out to be one of the main change that I loved so much.
In my opinion, R8 is:
- great studio camera, the image produced is enough for professional printing up to 2 meters size.
- good main camera if you are shooting smaller events such as intimate weddings (I always bring along my old 6dmk2).
- good portrait camera in a controlled environment, such as planned couple portraits.
Thanks for the comments! I agree that it is a good camera for small events and controlled environments, but I wouldn't trust it as my primary camera for a full-day wedding.
I'm surprised to hear that it overheated while shooting photos! I thought it was only a real issue when the processor was working extra hard to oversample the image sensor for 4K60 footage. The only time I used it for photos at an event was dual-shooting along with my R6II at an indoor wedding. I was turning it off between using it and never had the temperature warning even pop up.
And yes, the EVF is one of the best features of mirrorless cameras. We started switching over to mirrorless with the original EOS R (and still have 2 of them). I've been through the 60D, EOS M, 7D, 80D, 5DII, 6D, 6DII, and now the R, R6II (and R8) and won't be going back to any DSLR. The EVF exposure preview & histogram as well as AF are huge improvements over their predecessors. Not to mention the sensors are so much better at higher ISO than any of the older cameras!
I was eying this, coming from the 77D. Would you say this is an upgrade or look somewhere else? If so, where else?
It is a HUGE upgrade from the 77D! Being full frame vs APS-C sensor is the biggest difference for photos, giving you a better depth of field, but also better low light than the 77D. Video is where the most improvement is, being able to capture 4K versus just 1080p before. There's quite a few other reasons it's better, but those are the two biggest to me.
Obviously like I said in the video, I prefer the R6 Mk II. But the R8 is a great compromise if you don't need the pro features of the R6 (and R1, R3, R5, etc).
You will have to make sure you have full frame lenses (no EF-S or RF-S). And get an adapter (EF to RF) if you plan on using older EF glass.
Would the battery warning still pop up if you were to use the regular canon batteries in the grip? And would you be able to see the battery level then?
I only had one genuine Canon battery since I wasn’t convinced I wanted to keep the camera long-term when I bought it, so I wasn’t able to fully test every option. However, something that I didn’t mention in the video was that, if I started out with a single battery in the grip (genuine or third party) and power cycled the camera, then put a second battery in the grip, there wasn’t a warning and the battery level was showing like normal. BUT, the battery level it read was not accurate. It read full until shortly before the camera died, so it was almost as useless as not having any battery level indication. I didn’t mention that in the video because it shouldn’t be necessary to have a whole procedure just to change batteries.
I’m guessing that, since Canon didn’t make a battery grip for it, the camera is only going off the voltage drop of the two batteries in parallel. Since both batteries together have a much larger capacity, the camera won’t see a voltage drop until both get fairly low.
And what do you think is better R6 but 1 or R8 now in 2024 usually for photography
I think the slight edge comes to the R6 for photography, but if you plan on recording video with it, it would highly recommend upgrading to the Mark II due to the Mark I’s terrible overheating track record.
I’m spying on R8 recently, how many options in the menu of 4k fps it supported? 30 and 60 only?
It will do 4K in 24, 30, and 60fps in NTSC and 25, 50 in PAL.
Do you get overheat when doing photo?
No, just when recording 4K60 video.
Who buys an R8 to film 30m of 4K60 in the first place? I never needed an IBIS-I never had it before! I never had dual slots before-they are all gimmicks, IMO. All that truly matters in the FF Sensor is identical to the R6II, and that is where it shines like a mother! We did pro work with Canon 5D 10 years ago, and it has nothing like what the R8 has. We can do amazing pro work with it also. Is it a pro camera 10000%? Yes.
You have a valid point about filming 30 straight minutes of 4K60, but keep in mind that’s also under “ideal” conditions of room temperature while indoors. I’ve had an R6II nearly overheat while shooting short clips of 4K60 outside in August before (and one did overheat on my second shooter). So while I didn’t test the R8 in 90+ degree temps, I’m fairly confident I would have major overheating issues trying to use it as a main camera for professional videography during the summer.
Do you think the R8 would be a good option for someone looking to try to step up to entry level professional portrait and outdoor photography?
Absolutely! It’s a great camera and certainly got some fantastic images at the weddings I used it on. Just make sure you have some extra batteries if you plan on using it on longer sessions.
@@blytheandkarry thank you so much! Is there one lens in particular that you would recommend for someone starting out in that type of photos?
The first lens I would recommend buying is the RF 35mm f1.8. After that, the RF 85mm f2 would be a great second lens for portraits. You can pick up both of those refurbished directly from Canon for $700. I've bought quite a few things refurbished from Canon and they all arrived looking brand new.
I haven't found any zoom lenses under $1k that are worth recommending, so sticking to primes would be your best option until you're ready to step up to a good quality zoom lens. The new RF 28-70 f2.8 @ $1,100 looks like a solid choice, but still not as good at low light shooting as a prime lens.
@@blytheandkarry thank you so much! That’s super helpful!
no. its trash
But is there a better option at the sub $1k price point?
@@blytheandkarry I prefer xt3
It’s not a bad choice, but not quite comparable since it’s not full frame. Typically crop sensor cameras are significantly cheaper.