Having now used the R8 for about 7 months or so, I thought it might be useful to share some of my real world experiences of using the camera for photography (not video).
Yes, I was surprised to find my third party batteries to be better than the Canon ones. BUT . . the Canon charger will not charge third party batteries, and you can only power the R8 with an external battery pack when the battery in the camera (which for some reason must be there) is an original Canon battery.
Great content, especially for those already owning an R8. You supply information that is not available in other R8 UA-cam videos, which tend to be walk throughs of all the menu settings simply going from one setting to the next.
My preference is the d-pad for moving focus point! I know probably not a popular opinion, but I prefer it to the joystick or back screen! Of course I started out with 6D which only had d-pad. But I also have R6 and R5.
When I went in a camera store deciding between the EOS R, the A7III and the Z6 I held an RP which I had not even considered and that's the camera I exit the store with. I have large hands, (no sausages fighter tho) but I just to learn how to hold the camera to avoid the pinky going under the camera. The RP is so light that you really don't need to hold it like a gun, and has the same form factor as the R8. Obviously a LARGE lens like a long zoom is not ideal for such a small body, but there is a grip for that. When I'll change the RP I might go for an R8 or its successor.
Nice video. When it comes to the M-fn button it’s possible to configure it to 1 - 5 sets (with same or different functions). Configured with 1 or 2 sets makes it very fast to toggle through the functions.
Many thanks for viewing and for commenting. You’re absolutely correct that by customising the M-fn button you can make things a lot simpler. In my initial recording I did actually cover this in some depth, including duplicating each row, or just using a single row, but I then cut it, as I thought the video was getting overly long, and went with a far less informative caption. However even after customising the display I still prefer the older method.
I got a used OEM grip for my RP and for the £35 i paid, it is definitely worth it. I got my RP for the small, compact size but it feels much better with the little grip attached!
Many thanks Tony for viewing and for the comment. In my original recording I did touch on third party grips, but edited it out as the video was getting over long. In short, any of these third party grips for the RP should fit the R8; as does Canon's own small extension grip. Although I haven't used any of these myself, I have deduced a couple of potential issues from other reviews: With some, the R8 often fails to correctly recognise even legitimate Canon batteries, you have to switch on and off, which seems to sort the problem. Also, as there is no direct communication between the grip and the camera, you need to plug in a cable from the grip into the remote release socket on the left side of the camera, which potentially could be annoying for some, and of course to gain access to the storage card, you need to remove the grip. Should I buy one then I'll certainly do a review
Excellent video, thank you. You covered some really practical aspects of using this camera. I am an Rp user looking get the R8. I am a hybrid shooter. This was very useful for me for the photographic side. Did you ever get any heat warnings when photographing? I herd some people did. Maybe they were using the burst option a lot for a longer period.
Hi. Many thanks for viewing and for your comments. I haven’t experienced any heat issues with the R8 shooting stills, though of course the UK isn’t as hot as some other places and my usage may not reflect those that have experienced problems. However, I have used it for prolonged periods of @ an hour or so, shooting school performances in a warmish hall, in electronic first curtain sync, at the H burst rate (not H+), without any hint of an issue. But even then I’m not constantly shooting; there’ll be a slight pause between each set of images captured. Coming from the RP, it will be an easy move for you, as no doubt you’ll have plenty of the LP-E17 batteries 😉.
@@MarkLindstrom Thank you for the feedback. I think I will go the R8 route. I love my RP size and layout, so it should be a natural transition. I hope I wont regret it for the heating issues. I have subscribed to you channel. 🙂
Many thanks Joao. If you've loved the RP then you'll certainly like the R8. I hope things go well. Please add an update if you have heating issues so that others might benefit.
Maybe too early for an update, but I had several shoots with the R8 up to now. I think it cannot heat up in photo mode, although I didn't shoot much with high speed. The only time it heated up is in 60fps 4k.
I have had the R8 since February.& im quite satisfied with it, I am but an amateur though, I've only ever used tha Rebel T6 fer a few months before purchasing tha R8. I have encountered heating issues both while recording video.& taking photos- A) I live in North Carolina, so it's naturally hotter here than most places being in tha south. B) I also have a youtube channel, I use tha R8 ta record them.& I usually run outta 2/3 of battery life after around 30-35 minutes of recording. I don't usually have an overheating issue when taking photos, it depends how long I've had it out.& on but it has happened a few times before. C) I enjoi how smoothly it works with tha cannon app, I use tha app ta monitor everything while recording, it's wonderfully intuitive.
i dont know how hot north carolina these days and in the summer but it rises up to 115 F in summer in where i live. I rarely record videos. Mostly stills but im concered about overheating problem since im thinking of buying an R8. What can you say about that from your experiences?
@emirhantemel9912 I would say that it goes up ta that same temp here in tha summer but I haven't used it in such conditions yet being as I got it in February. One thing that I didn't take inta consideration was tha memory card that I was using, tha write.& read speeds, things like that. Tha write speed is only 100mb when tha R8 requires a write speed of 250/260mb from what I've recently read.& it needs ta be a UHC-2 er UHC-3 V90 memory card. So I'm ganna invest in an upgraded memory card.& tha newer Ulanzi camera fan, I feel like I should be set with that combo. Tha fan may not be necessary but I wanna grab it jus incase .
Thank you, sir. I am confused between two choices, canon R8 and the sony a7iii. MY planned lenses are 35 mm and 85 mm. R8 is on sale for 1 lakh Indian Rupees wheras A7iii is available for 1.24 lakh Rupees. Which do you recommend from features and performance point of view? 😂
Hi, many thanks for viewing and for your comment. Unfortunately, never having used Sony cameras I can’t really give you any specific help re their performance differences. All I can say, from looking at specs, is that the Sony has many of the things missing from the R8, such as IBIS, twin card slots, and of course a wider lens selection. The R8 is smaller, lighter, has higher burst rates and max iso. No doubt there are many more differences. So, it’s down to what you consider is the most important, and which eco system you want to get into.
you sound similar to me, except coming from Nikon - the complexity of the menus and general irritation has put me right off. I think it will be an R6ii for me, or maybe even go back to the familiar Nikon menu system.
Many thanks for viewing and for commenting. Despite my grumblings of some of the idiosyncrasies with some menu aspects of newer Canons, I have always found Canon menus to be generally a lot better than some other camera menu systems. Overall there hasn't been much change to the general layout between my older DSLR Canons and the newer R models. However, too many manufacturers seem more concerned about adding more bells and whistles to the cameras, with little thought as to how users actually interact with the camera. And you're absolutely correct regarding users being put off; regardless as to how good the features are in a camera, if you can't readily access them, you won't use them!
I needed a lighter option than my 5D4 so went for the R8. Certainly happy with the weight difference but haven’t had chance to put it through its paces as yet.
Wow! That farm photo… I felt like walking in the farm. All your pictures have so much depth.
Many thanks for viewing and for your very kind comments 🙏
Absolutely amazing quality review, thank you so much.
Many thanks for viewing and for your comment
Stellar upload; thank you Mark, appreciate your time putting this vid together. Stunning image of the farm field land scape
Many thanks for viewing and for your kind comments.
I use only LP-E17 third party batteries for several years now. They are better and bigger than the original Canon ones.
Yes, I was surprised to find my third party batteries to be better than the Canon ones. BUT . . the Canon charger will not charge third party batteries, and you can only power the R8 with an external battery pack when the battery in the camera (which for some reason must be there) is an original Canon battery.
Great content, especially for those already owning an R8. You supply information that is not available in other R8 UA-cam videos, which tend to be walk throughs of all the menu settings simply going from one setting to the next.
Many thanks Ron for viewing and for the kind comments.
The most honest review, thank you!
Many thanks for the view and comment 🙏
My preference is the d-pad for moving focus point! I know probably not a popular opinion, but I prefer it to the joystick or back screen! Of course I started out with 6D which only had d-pad. But I also have R6 and R5.
I’m looking at the same combo. Thanks for pointing out the limitations 😃
Many thanks for viewing and for your comment
I had been wondering how to configure the d-pad for focus selection, and you’ve solved it for me. Thanks!
Hi many thanks for viewing and for the comment. Glad it was of some use.
When I went in a camera store deciding between the EOS R, the A7III and the Z6 I held an RP which I had not even considered and that's the camera I exit the store with.
I have large hands, (no sausages fighter tho) but I just to learn how to hold the camera to avoid the pinky going under the camera. The RP is so light that you really don't need to hold it like a gun, and has the same form factor as the R8.
Obviously a LARGE lens like a long zoom is not ideal for such a small body, but there is a grip for that.
When I'll change the RP I might go for an R8 or its successor.
This was a very good review!
Many thanks for viewing and for your comment
Nice video. When it comes to the M-fn button it’s possible to configure it to 1 - 5 sets (with same or different functions). Configured with 1 or 2 sets makes it very fast to toggle through the functions.
Many thanks for viewing and for commenting.
You’re absolutely correct that by customising the M-fn button you can make things a lot simpler.
In my initial recording I did actually cover this in some depth, including duplicating each row, or just using a single row, but I then cut it, as I thought the video was getting overly long, and went with a far less informative caption. However even after customising the display I still prefer the older method.
Great Video🎉
Many thanks for viewing and for your comment.
I got a used OEM grip for my RP and for the £35 i paid, it is definitely worth it. I got my RP for the small, compact size but it feels much better with the little grip attached!
Mine overheats shooting stills in 20 celsius weather in about 5-10 minutes. Very frustrating.
Excellent! Thank you. Another review suggests there is a third party battery grip that fits. Maybe one made for the RP?
Many thanks Tony for viewing and for the comment.
In my original recording I did touch on third party grips, but edited it out as the video was getting over long.
In short, any of these third party grips for the RP should fit the R8; as does Canon's own small extension grip. Although I haven't used any of these myself, I have deduced a couple of potential issues from other reviews: With some, the R8 often fails to correctly recognise even legitimate Canon batteries, you have to switch on and off, which seems to sort the problem. Also, as there is no direct communication between the grip and the camera, you need to plug in a cable from the grip into the remote release socket on the left side of the camera, which potentially could be annoying for some, and of course to gain access to the storage card, you need to remove the grip.
Should I buy one then I'll certainly do a review
Excellent video, thank you. You covered some really practical aspects of using this camera. I am an Rp user looking get the R8. I am a hybrid shooter. This was very useful for me for the photographic side. Did you ever get any heat warnings when photographing? I herd some people did. Maybe they were using the burst option a lot for a longer period.
Hi. Many thanks for viewing and for your comments.
I haven’t experienced any heat issues with the R8 shooting stills, though of course the UK isn’t as hot as some other places and my usage may not reflect those that have experienced problems.
However, I have used it for prolonged periods of @ an hour or so, shooting school performances in a warmish hall, in electronic first curtain sync, at the H burst rate (not H+), without any hint of an issue. But even then I’m not constantly shooting; there’ll be a slight pause between each set of images captured.
Coming from the RP, it will be an easy move for you, as no doubt you’ll have plenty of the LP-E17 batteries 😉.
@@MarkLindstrom Thank you for the feedback. I think I will go the R8 route. I love my RP size and layout, so it should be a natural transition. I hope I wont regret it for the heating issues. I have subscribed to you channel. 🙂
Many thanks Joao. If you've loved the RP then you'll certainly like the R8. I hope things go well.
Please add an update if you have heating issues so that others might benefit.
I just bought an R8 2 days ago and i shot full weddings with it, in scorching heat. 38c - 40c, never got any overheating issues with it so far
Maybe too early for an update, but I had several shoots with the R8 up to now. I think it cannot heat up in photo mode, although I didn't shoot much with high speed. The only time it heated up is in 60fps 4k.
I have had the R8 since February.& im quite satisfied with it, I am but an amateur though, I've only ever used tha Rebel T6 fer a few months before purchasing tha R8. I have encountered heating issues both while recording video.& taking photos- A) I live in North Carolina, so it's naturally hotter here than most places being in tha south. B) I also have a youtube channel, I use tha R8 ta record them.& I usually run outta 2/3 of battery life after around 30-35 minutes of recording. I don't usually have an overheating issue when taking photos, it depends how long I've had it out.& on but it has happened a few times before. C) I enjoi how smoothly it works with tha cannon app, I use tha app ta monitor everything while recording, it's wonderfully intuitive.
i dont know how hot north carolina these days and in the summer but it rises up to 115 F in summer in where i live. I rarely record videos. Mostly stills but im concered about overheating problem since im thinking of buying an R8. What can you say about that from your experiences?
@emirhantemel9912 I would say that it goes up ta that same temp here in tha summer but I haven't used it in such conditions yet being as I got it in February. One thing that I didn't take inta consideration was tha memory card that I was using, tha write.& read speeds, things like that. Tha write speed is only 100mb when tha R8 requires a write speed of 250/260mb from what I've recently read.& it needs ta be a UHC-2 er UHC-3 V90 memory card. So I'm ganna invest in an upgraded memory card.& tha newer Ulanzi camera fan, I feel like I should be set with that combo. Tha fan may not be necessary but I wanna grab it jus incase .
Thank you, sir.
I am confused between two choices, canon R8 and the sony a7iii.
MY planned lenses are 35 mm and 85 mm.
R8 is on sale for 1 lakh Indian Rupees wheras A7iii is available for 1.24 lakh Rupees.
Which do you recommend from features and performance point of view?
😂
Hi, many thanks for viewing and for your comment.
Unfortunately, never having used Sony cameras I can’t really give you any specific help re their performance differences.
All I can say, from looking at specs, is that the Sony has many of the things missing from the R8, such as IBIS, twin card slots, and of course a wider lens selection.
The R8 is smaller, lighter, has higher burst rates and max iso.
No doubt there are many more differences. So, it’s down to what you consider is the most important, and which eco system you want to get into.
you sound similar to me, except coming from Nikon - the complexity of the menus and general irritation has put me right off. I think it will be an R6ii for me, or maybe even go back to the familiar Nikon menu system.
Many thanks for viewing and for commenting.
Despite my grumblings of some of the idiosyncrasies with some menu aspects of newer Canons, I have always found Canon menus to be generally a lot better than some other camera menu systems. Overall there hasn't been much change to the general layout between my older DSLR Canons and the newer R models.
However, too many manufacturers seem more concerned about adding more bells and whistles to the cameras, with little thought as to how users actually interact with the camera. And you're absolutely correct regarding users being put off; regardless as to how good the features are in a camera, if you can't readily access them, you won't use them!
I needed a lighter option than my 5D4 so went for the R8. Certainly happy with the weight difference but haven’t had chance to put it through its paces as yet.