Canon R8 Sample Photos + Portraits + Mini Review

Canon EOS R8 + 85mm f/1.2L | Taken with a Nikon V1 (still the best product photography camera imho!)

I added a Canon EOS R8 for some work situations because it’s the only affordable mirrorless camera with a usable silent shutter.  Yeah, that’s pretty much it.  After all these years I still don’t have a Nikon FF mirrorless because the older Nikon DSLRs still produce top notch images, and their files work perfectly in the older raw editing software that I use.  The Canon made sense, since it’s basically an RP mark II and I have a ton of batteries and adapters for it.  After all, the gear side of photography has always been one of those compromise triangles, and you have to use the tools that work for you and your workflow, budget, etc.  Here are some real world samples from the last month or so.

Canon EOS R8 + 85mm f/1.2L | Taken with a Nikon V1

Canon EOS R8 + 85mm f/1.2L | Taken with a Nikon V1

Canon EOS R8 + 85mm f/1.2L | Taken with a Nikon V1

Canon EOS R8 | Taken with a Nikon V1

I’ve been shooting this in 100% electronic shutter low burst mode.  There are tiny tiny hints of banding moving across the frame depending on the light in the room, but it’s pretty much usable now.  The readout speed is also fast enough to not wobble/skew, and it can stop most human motion.  I’ve read that it’s a bit of a dynamic range hit, but this sensor (same as in the R6 II) still isn’t really going to give you the punchy contrast and malleability of a Nikon/Sony sensor raw image.  These Canon’s have always been designed to give you nice bright people photos with a color choice that is usually agreeable to many.  The tone curve and processing that’s baked into the raw files is something one just has to accept when shooting this brand of camera.  I’ve noticed that these .CR3 files take much longer to process on this now ancient desktop editing PC.

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2 at 1.2, BW Conversion

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2 at 1.2, BW Conversion

Canon EOS R8 + EF 24mm 1.4L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2 (with modeling light from LED panel)

Canon R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2 (with modeling light from LED panel)

Canon R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2 (with modeling light from LED panel)

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2 at 1.8

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2 at 1.8

The pictures look a bit different from the RP, brighter with more mid tones.  It is sharper though, since Canon dialed back the megapixels from the RP and this is sitting on the sweet spot of 24, which has been more than enough for like 12+ years now and will continue to be so.  On default settings I’ve noticed the sensor is a bit more prone to fluorescent and LED light casts, having a bit more of a greenish tint to the light.  It’s crazy how in the DSLR days, Canon files were really so red and magenta tinted, but this generation of mirrorless sensors is moving in the direction of Sony/Nikon/iPhone files in terms of having a hint of green in skin tones.

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L

The silent shutter came in real handy for this event with the US ambassador to the UN when she visited Clarkston.

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L

Auto WB in the ambience priority preserving mode is really warm

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 24mm f/1.4L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 24mm f/1.4L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 24mm f/1.4L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 24mm f/1.4L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 24mm f/1.4L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L

This bright and airy food photo is really a hallmark of Canon’s metering, tone curve and overall rendering of their files.  Nikons and Sonys will give you a much darker file with more range to edit, push and pull–it depends on what you want from your files in the editing suite, and how much time you have to turn around images.

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L

Canon EOS R8 + EF 24mm f/1.4L

Canon EOS R8 + Nikon 50mm 1.4 Ai-S (Manual Focus)

Even though I’ve built up so much muscle memory from manually focusing the Nikon 50mm ai-s, it’s still nice to have focus magnification in the EVF on the mirrorless cameras.  I mapped the punch in visual assist to the top directional button on the R8.  I’ve been using this setup on Canons since it was on my 5D mark II, and it’s still relevant on the new mirrorless tech.  It takes a bit of the digital edge off with its natural vignette and lens flare. These wedding shots are out of camera.

Canon EOS R8 + Nikon 50mm 1.4 Ai-S (Manual Focus)

Canon EOS R8 + Nikon 50mm 1.4 Ai-S (Manual Focus)

Canon EOS R8 + Nikon 50mm 1.4 Ai-S (Manual Focus)

Canon EOS R8 + Nikon 50mm 1.4 Ai-S (Manual Focus)

The Canon R8 (basically RP mark II with the R6 II “engine”) is a pretty nice camera.  Stationary 4K video is very sharp and nice and the frame grabs can work as still pictures in a pinch as well.  I don’t have the grip for this one (it’s on the RP though) so for big adapted lenses like the 85mm it’s a bit of a pain to hold, but I think I’ll keep it in its original form.  I’m sure it’s super light with the native 50mm 1.8.  On a side note the camera is small in real life but as a product itself, it photographs quite well.  The Canon design language recalls the sloped top prism hump of the 1Dx sports cameras.

This R8 doesn’t give me raw files that are a joy to edit or push or pull, no, it’s just an easy mode camera to deliver well exposed people photos right out of the box.  For some projects and outings, that’s a good thing.

One final thing, thank you ( /s ) Canon for finally moving the on off switch to the right side of the grip.  It’s still not on the shutter button like EVERY other competing camera out there for the past 20 years (no that would make too much sense), but I guess it’s close enough.  It replaces the “Lock” switch that was on the RP though so it does make it annoying switching from those cameras in my setup, but I guess I’ll take it.  I just don’t understand Canon.  They are the Toyota/Apple of the camera world in terms of popularity (and resale value), and still like to move things around willy nilly.  Some cameras the on/off switch is on the bottom.  Or up top in a non ergonomic friendly spot.  Apple has a history of flipping things too, like now swipe this way to delete or do stuff.  Guys, please learn from the design of Nikon cameras, pretty much perfected since like 2007 on the bigger DSLRs.


Random Photos:

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L @f/2.5

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L wide open

Canon EOS R8 + EF 24mm f/1.4L

The scanning speed of this sensor (since it’s not a global sensor reserved for way more $$ models) can show light banding if someone else is shooting a flash while you are in silent E shutter mode. This can be a big negative in some situations.

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2L, heavily edited and graded in post


In the end I still really like this camera and the photos it can produce are different enough from Nikon’s files! You can like both Marvel and DC, drink both Pepsi and Coke, and also shoot different camera brands. 🙂

More Recent Portraits with the R8:

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon EOS R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon R8 + EF 135mm f/2

Canon R8 + EF 135mm f/2

Canon R8 + EF 135mm f/2

Canon R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon R8 + EF 85mm f/1.2

Canon R8 with some legendary Nikon lenses! 🙂

Canon R8 + Nikon 105mm 1.4E

Yes this was “fall” time in Georgia this early November.  Still had cherry blossoms and flowers to showcase the lovely image quality of one of the best Nikon lenses.  You can see the examples of this on the Rp here.

By shooting with this combo I like how the natural vignette (both the blur and darkening kind) will remain in the raw file.  Since to the camera and DPP software it doesn’t show an official Canon lens is mounted, and thus can’t apply any auto corrections.

Canon R8 + Nikon 105mm 1.4E

Canon R8 + Nikon 105mm 1.4E

Canon R8 + Nikon 105mm 1.4E

Canon R8 + Nikon 105mm 1.4E

Canon R8 + Nikon 105mm 1.4E

Canon with the insane Nikon 200 mm f/2 G VR!

Canon R8 + Nikon 200mm f/2 VR

Canon R8 + Nikon 200mm f/2 VR

Canon R8 + Nikon 200mm f/2 VR

Canon R8 + Nikon 200mm f/2 VR

Canon R8 + Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR

The last combo I think I’ll show on this long rolling “review” post is the Canon R8 with my now ancient Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8G.  Mirrorless cameras have been great fun since their inception for messing with oddball combos that never could have existed back in the day.  I can’t believe I’ve had this lens for close to 18 years, and it’s been such a faithful tool/friend (can an inanimate object be a friend?) and capturer of our memories.  This combo is of course manual focus/manual aperture only, but it’s another way for me to not spend money if I don’t have to.  I’ve borrowed the Canon version of the 70-200 2.8 so I’m familiar with that one and don’t necessarily want to duplicate lenses in my loadouts. Whatever gets the job done in my opinion.

The first Nikon 70-200mm 2.8 gets a bad rep because it vignettes on FX, and many people preferred it on crop DX.  I beg to differ.  I actually like the darkening of the corners because you can take it out in post, or accentuate it even more in post, which I find desirable for portraits.  If you shoot in the natural world, shadows and dark contrast is okay for people photos.

What I’ve found with Canon’s raw files in DPP is that they really add lens corrections (like vignette removal) well before you can do anything with the sliders.  I find it hard to believe that like the EF 85mm 1.2 doesn’t vignette on the new mirrorless cameras (which it definitely should).  As a creative I’d just like to have a little bit more real access to the raw file potential from Canon, but alas I’m in the minority.  Anyways back to the Nikkor 70-200mm.

Left: Vignetting wide open at 70mm Right: Vignetting wide open at 200mm

As you can see this adapted lens does definitely vignette when shot into a wide open blue sky.  Again, I don’t think it’s objectionable, as this is not a “work/mission critical” setup.  I’m also not going to be using this to shoot documents and still life in front of white backdrops.  Stationary people on stage, or talking folks at the podium under a spotlight, you’re not going to notice it.

Canon R8 + Nikon 70-200mm f/2.8 VR

Maybe one day I’ll actually get a recent modern native Canon RF lens, but I think I’ll just keep on with the still great EF lenses (that I can still use on 35mm film) and all my oddball adapted combos.  As with all things, just because technology is newer doesn’t mean it’s better or solves all the problems you once had.


More Sample Photos with the R8 to make sure I have all the seasons represented! Here are some shots from the recent Snowfall in Atlanta. I will have to say the realtime image of the icy trees in the EVF lit by just moonlight looked pretty nice.  That is definitely a big advantage over DSLR’s.  With f/1.2 and 1.4 lenses it was basically night vision.  Stay warm out there everyone.

 

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