Canon R8 - Field Review for Bird and Wildlife Photography. 10,000+ Shot Review!

[@GuadalupeRodriguez-kt8xt]

Just received my R8, upgrading from a T7. I'm currently photographing high school baseball and little league soccer. T7 gave me great pics but the R8 at 20fps gives me a better selection. Your review and tutorial have been extremely helpful as to know how to prepare for the big change to full frame mirrorless.

[@WILDALASKA]

Great to hear. Thanks a big jump in technology. happy Shooting

[@collingoode218]

Just made the same upgrade! Super happy I did!

[@Fifthimagez]

Congrats on the upgrade!!

[@williamgollatz1911]

How did it do with swinging bats in electronic shutter?

[@giovanni344]

Finalmente una recensione ben fatta sulla R8.. !!! l'unica fino ad ora pubblicata.. ! Grazie !

[@WILDALASKA]

thanks

[@mmbrombe8153]

Just found your channel and subscribed. Great vídeo - detailed and no annoying background music. I am an amateur who just started shooting wildlife, and can’t justify spending too much. I am looking to upgrade from my older apsc kit and am seriously considering the R8 with the Canon 100-400 zoom. For the money I believe this combination cannot be beaten. It’s a big decision but the more I learn about the R8, the more comfortable I feel… Thanks!

[@WILDALASKA]

Its a good camera, especially if you add the grip.

[@KoenKooi]

For me, the R5 is the right size for my hand, so I only need the EG-E1 on the R8 with larger lenses. The AF is further ahead of the R5 than I expected, so I’ve mostly used the R8 the past week. CFexpress and 45MP make the R5 better suited for most natural light macro, but for almost everything else the R8 does a really great job.

[@WILDALASKA]

Good info.

[@edwardoliver971]

That does it! Getting an R8! Was waiting for a field review. Love photographing Trumpeter swans. We get them down here on the Washington Coast in the winter. They all headed back up north now. Thier eyes are so dark and with the dark bill it is amazing the R8 will lock on the eyes . That's what sold me!

[@WILDALASKA]

Yes thanks for sending our swans back :P Canon AF is very good in all the new mirrorless. And this guy for fun frame at the price is very good.

[@tonyburford421]

Great video, I’m going for a lighter option for my 5D iv which too heavy for my ageing neck. I was think of an R8 but was unsure because it’s soooo small. You’ve put my mind at ease and I think the new tech is way ahead of my 5D, I just need the grip.

[@WILDALASKA]

yes with the grip it feels like a pro level 1dx type camera but very very light. Every time I pick up my R8 im still shocked how light it is and how good it feels and performs.

[@mrheng562]

Awesome review!!! Keep up the good work!

[@WILDALASKA]

thanks

[@Mikey1421985]

Hey Scot, love the review. I hope some day to be able to save up to get a R8. I shoot all kinds of things and I believe if it works for wildlife, it will work for anything.

[@WILDALASKA]

Its a good all around

[@Byrkster]

Thank you for the great video! Learning a lot from you. at 2:48 which grip were you referring to? you have two in your description.

[@WILDALASKA]

Vello BG-C18 Battery Grip amzn.to/40wJt9f

[@theseafarerfamily]

It's a wonderful and very nice camera, see you around

[@WILDALASKA]

👍

[@chrisburns4909]

Thanks Scott. Awesome video again. You are now one of my favorite You Tube channels. :). I just watched your older video on the R7 and setting it up for video recording, even though I don't have an R7 (just got the R8). (I am new to using video settings, since for last 50 years I have almost always shot stills. But my new R8 has me now wanting to try videography.) I learned a lot from the R7 video you made and understand better what some of the various setting on the Canon camera in video mode are for. I sure hope you do a similar video soon on the R8 and your preferred video settings. (I am especially curious about differences from the R7 you showed, such as the red button mapping to C3 on the R7, but there is only C1 and C2 on the R8, so does the red button map to C2). Thanks again. Really appreciate your style and work.

[@WILDALASKA]

Thanks. I will be doing more how to and settings videos soon on the R8 for sure. Happy Shooting

[@mischievousmisanthrope9508]

If you could only have 1, would learn towards the R8 or R7?

[@WILDALASKA]

I'll be doing a video very soon on that. They are really different use cameras to me.

[@alvinblackwell268]

😮 just when I was set to buy the R6 mark ii I run across your video on the BG and now this review. 😊 great information 👍🏽

[@WILDALASKA]

Glad it was helpful and sorry it made you have to rethink ;) lol

[@AtaBoraBasar]

Thanks for the review, this camera will definitely be my 2nd body.

[@WILDALASKA]

Its a good workhorse

[@PLMLLC]

Hey Mark. Do you think this camera would do ok for astrophotography on a budget or do you think I should go for a slightly higher megapixel like the a7 iv?

[@WILDALASKA]

yes it would be great for astro

[@alansparrow6396]

Nice to hear the R8 is so good👍👍👍👍👍

[@WILDALASKA]

👍

[@LeStalker343]

Nice vid! I really enjoy your channel. I am upgrading from a Nikon D7000 and it really comes down to the R7 and R8. I shoot as a hobby. Family, nature and wildlife . On the one hand I am thinking R7, but then I see the R8 reviews and I am back to square one. Thinking of the RF 50mm and the RF 100 - 400. Now I just need to decide on which camera to buy…decisions decisions.

[@WILDALASKA]

Thanks. With good cameras. You should be able to rent both and test them out.

[@cathco9]

I'm not considering this camera for purchase but I still watched your review. The review was great. I'm sure you've helped undecided photographers get closer to their choice of camera. Also, would you believe that we get Snow Buntings in the winter time here in New Jersey at the coast? I saw a few this winter on quick flyovers from my car so no photos. I have photographed them in the past. Keep up the great reviews and tutorials. Thanks, Scott!

[@WILDALASKA]

Thanks. Yes im amazed at how far those little guys range is. They only frequent my area for a few weeks before they head north to the interior. Thanks for watching. Short Eared owl video in a week or so hopefully ( another shared bird between our areas)

[@hael8680]

Great review! Does the R8 has a time limit on videos?

[@WILDALASKA]

no

[@luchamantes]

hello good evening. I watched your video and I see that you use the battery grip without the cable that connects between the camera and the grip. Is it a new model or is it the one you showed in a previous video?

[@WILDALASKA]

same one. you only need to attach the cable if you want to use the grips shutter button

[@FQ8]

Did you have to modify the RP grip or did it just fit?

[@WILDALASKA]

It just fit. So the bottom of the camera is an exact match to the RP which means any add ons made for the RP should fit.

[@FQ8]

@@WILDALASKA Good to know...thank you

[@Moto-cr4rr]

The 500 f4 lens is that an EF with an adapter? Or an RF one? I can’t seem to find an RF one? If you have a link to that one, that would be great.

[@WILDALASKA]

There is no RF one yet. Its the EF 500 MKII. Its probably 12 years old.

[@jeremydrouyn-perez7266]

Where can I get the battery grip? The one that I see available says is for EOS R. Is that the grip that I need?

[@WILDALASKA]

anyone that fits the RP. Vello BG-C18 Battery Grip amzn.to/40wJt9f

[@ForrestWest]

Smallrig and CBG and other companies make grip extenders for the R7, R6, R62 and R5 that provide a finger grip without a full battery grip.

[@WILDALASKA]

Thx for the info. But what we are looking for are 2 things: extra battery and vertical shooting.

[@AlessandroAvigni]

Hi, I saw you video about R8 ....I can't find around at the same price R8 and R6 (mark i). Which one for you is better?

[@WILDALASKA]

R8

[@RobertMintonPhotography]

Great review Scott, I'm thinking of this as a B camera to my R5. Does it have a built in interval timer please, could be handy for timelapse?

[@WILDALASKA]

it has Timelapse

[@dance2jam]

Thanks for your work and review (I do not shoot Canon, but enjoy your videos). Jan (fellow KZbinr/Canon Shooter) recently posted a video using the Nikon Z9 and 600mm f/4 TC Z mount S lens (too many letters). He was shooting at 1/100th of a second on the beach for shore birds and commented about being shocked that the VR was so good that he could get sharp images hand held with that lens/camera combination. It worked so well for him, that he was seriously thinking of switching (mainly because the TC is built in to the lens, not the Z9). So, I realize we are not talking birds in flight, or IBIS alone, per se, but the combination of small corrections of IBIS at slower shutter speeds to "freeze" hand shake. Thoughts?

[@WILDALASKA]

Id be against using slower shutter speeds myself. Even with IBIS the hit rate will be low. And he was discussing handholding only. Most low light you would be on a tripod and turning your IS off at that point.

[@notreallyme425]

Any issues with the weather proofing on it? I saw another review where the guy got a little rain and some of the back buttons stopped working

[@WILDALASKA]

I doubt they were being honest or just had bad luck. I had it in the rain and sand this past weekend for 2 days over several hours and I had no issue. I had a rain cover on the whole rig but the camera body itself was exposed for the majority if the time while I was shooting. And my hands were dirty and sand covered all over the buttons and dials. No issues whatsoever. even my R7 in heavy rain they buttons did stop but started working again once dried out. But that was some harsh conditions I put it through. Go watch my I killed the r7 and the bear trip video to see what happened there.

[@notreallyme425]

@@WILDALASKA the review seem legit and was overall very positive of the R8. He might have just got a “bad” one. I don’t plan on using it in conditions like you described but I’ll watch your other video for sure. I won’t let that other review scare me away. Thanks for the feedback!

[@matthewbell1968]

Getting better and better this channel and in a quite beautiful part of the world as well. So, the r8 af beats a z9? Blimey that's seriously high praise, i am looking for a back up to my r7 and, to be honest, i really want a d850 with a 500pf. This has got me thinking though. Thanks!

[@WILDALASKA]

Z8 may be out soon. So the Canon and Nikon AF are different beasts. The Canon will acquire faster and easier setup and is extremely sticky. The Z9 Will acquire fast but takes a bit more 'work' and is very sticky also. and thanks

[@Psyclonus7]

The battery grip isn't available anymore. Any other alternatives?

[@WILDALASKA]

I found 2 but I have not tested them. amzn.to/422DTvO and amzn.to/3OCF9Tw

[@drbeardo6960]

Great shots

[@WILDALASKA]

Thanks!

[@pkhoury1212]

What is this battery grip you mentioned at the tail end of the video? I get my R8 on Monday, upgrading from an RP. Looking forward to using it!

[@WILDALASKA]

I have video on it here ---> kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3rJZ2mheqaFeZY Go through my videos and there's probably more you would like also :)

[@derekoneill6727]

Great Review , Have you encountered any overheating issues on the R8 with stills and video

[@WILDALASKA]

never

[@eliasfrancken7819]

Hey which camera do you like more the canon r7 ore r8 and which camera do you think is better love your video’s 😍

[@WILDALASKA]

Thanks. Ill be doing a video on that comparison very soon. To me they are very different use cameras.

[@eliasfrancken7819]

@@WILDALASKA i am looking forward to the video 😍

[@mika9127]

What great review even for a beginner as me. Im looking for a good entry level wildlife camera but also I dont want to upgrade right away or buying other cameras. So the feeling what I get is that when a beginner to wildlife I guess megapixels arent the main issue but my skills😂? Or is this a pointless overkill for a beginner with wildlife?😊

[@WILDALASKA]

Depends on you budget. But knowing how to take a good photo is the most important part. These cameras are semi-pro to pro priced and feature cameras. But today there are many lower priced entry level cameras that are amazing

[@samidaliphoto]

Can you tell what did you use to record EVF?

[@WILDALASKA]

Atomos Ninja V

[@samidaliphoto]

@@WILDALASKA thank you

[@Bokehub]

how did u record your screen when shooting the swans? i didnt see any monitor or cables?

[@WILDALASKA]

I took it on and off while shooting the swans. With canon you can't see through the elf with the atoms on. So I take some footage with it on, then take it off to get better shots using the elf ( im better shooting that way)

[@Bokehub]

@@WILDALASKA thank you. Great work!

[@marcioslsouza]

How did you record the camera setting shown on the LCD?

[@WILDALASKA]

external recorder (Atomos Ninja V)

[@WCKSer]

Great video! I leearned a lot from watching it. I have been searching everywhere trying to get a battery grip for the R8 with no success. Can you tell me where can I get one ?

[@WILDALASKA]

Yes you can watch the video about the grip here ---> kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3rJZ2mheqaFeZY and buy it here ---> Vello BG-C18 Battery Grip amzn.to/40wJt9f

[@katanakatana9002]

Beautiful nature! Thank you for the video. I wish I had lots of money to get a good camera, unfortunately my choice is to get either RP with a good lens let’s say RF 25-105 F4 L or R8 with a kit lens. I don’t know which one will suit me best as I’m not professional and I want to do pet photography (indoor and outdoor, mostly cats) I know RP is a bit outdated but still producing good quality image in a low light so it’s so complicated for me. Scott, what do you think?

[@WILDALASKA]

R8 all day over the rp

[@Zejakov]

Get the r8. i got it a few days ago and get used Sigma 24-105 F4 and when you save enough another 85mm. R8 with its autofocus and video options is a no brainer to get. Dont buy the kit lens, its not that good and you will save for good lenses that way.

[@khooyeesin9766]

It would be interesting if you can do a comparison of R8 n R7 with the RF800 f11 in handling low light n high ISO settings 😊

[@WILDALASKA]

will be doing r8 and r7 but not the rf 800

[@barceloni93]

planning on buying my first camera for wildlife, a complete amateur here buy this or r6 ii? thanks for the awesome video and glad you didn't encounter a bear.

[@WILDALASKA]

The R8 or the R7 would be my advise. R7 will give you more reach. The R8 will be a little more versatile if you want to shoot non wildlife also

[@barceloni93]

@@WILDALASKA and pair the r8 with which lenses for sharp shots?

[@neilcole3406]

Could you use the R8 as your only camera ? Thanks

[@WILDALASKA]

seeing as the specs minus battery and weather sealing surpass a 1dxMKII and match the 1DXMKIII, I'd say yes.

[@sosafpv8916]

What battery grip are you using?

[@WILDALASKA]

Vello BG-C18. here's the video review of it. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3rJZ2mheqaFeZY

[@muhammadluqmankhan08]

10,000 shots in few days 🤯

[@WILDALASKA]

Easy to do at 40 fps ;) the swans alone was over 3k

[@georgemccormick1247]

Thanks Scott great photos as usual, I picked up the R6 mark II and finally got to use it quite a bit and your right about burning through shots at 40 fps, had to dial it back to 20. 👀👀

[@WILDALASKA]

Yes. Just set a quick drive mode with the h+ and H in your viewfinder to change on the fly when needed.

[@BoReynolds]

VERY IMPORTANT QUESTION: With the buntings were you at 24p or 60p? Obviously, I'm a Nooby but I shoot video at either 24p or 60 in which case my shutter speed would 50 fps or 125 but, you were at 326 I think? I'm missing something but, it was a gorgeous shot! I LOVE your channel! Bo Reynolds

[@WILDALASKA]

There as a chyron at the bottom with the settings. 1080P and 180 FPS. 1/360 @ f4 and I think 640 ISO. Rule is to double your shutter from your frame rate. On the swans somehow I bumped it and was down to 1/200th instead of 1/360th but it didnt show up in any stutter etc. All the bird and animal footage I shoot is in either 120fps and now 180fps to get the most out of the slow down footage.

[@BoReynolds]

@@WILDALASKA I really appreciate you taking the time. I have family that live in Anchorage and because of your channel, I set up a trip to visit with my Mavic 3, my Canon M50 and hopefully by then my R7 or R8 and my glass. I've never been so excited about a trip in my life! I live on the most beautiful beach in America in Destin, Florida but ALASKA after subbing to your channel is my new dream! Thanks brother

[@WILDALASKA]

@@BoReynolds very cool

[@longbowimage666]

Is it weather sealed?

[@WILDALASKA]

a little

[@frankd.photos]

Hey man, I need a Battery Grip for Canon R8. Thanks

[@WILDALASKA]

haven't tested but here's another one. BM Premium Battery Grip Kit amzn.to/45z4jZc

[@frankd.photos]

@@WILDALASKA hi 👋I cant open the link

[@WILDALASKA]

@@frankd.photos amzn.to/3N9isVQ

[@ole7285]

Battrygreb for R8 ?

[@WILDALASKA]

Yes. I reviewed it here -->. kzbin.info/www/bejne/l3rJZ2mheqaFeZY

[@ole7285]

@@WILDALASKA I saw that - great channel- Thanx.

[@auxmike718]

Those battery grips are sold out everywhere 😢

[@WILDALASKA]

haven't tested but here's another one. BM Premium Battery Grip Kit amzn.to/45z4jZc

[@PLMLLC]

Mark? I meant Scott haha

[@WILDALASKA]

lol

[@hael8680]

V90?? Card

[@WILDALASKA]

Must have @ 40 fps

[@southbridgeforestHOA]

a $1500 R8 beats a $5500 Z9 in AF performance? wow.

[@WILDALASKA]

So its down to each brands AF. The same general AF is in all canons cameras and right now only one in Nikons. To be honest the r6mkII and R8 are beating the r5 and r3 in AF. but with that said Nikon is catching up quickly. But it is a different system.

[@dccoletrain]

If only Canon would open up their lenses to 3rd party again… I have a Fuji but as we know not the best AF for things like wildlife so I’m not sure if I want to spend big money on a lens

[@WILDALASKA]

What lens are you interested in (focal length) Canon has high end and low end lenses in most focal lengths.

[@dccoletrain]

@@WILDALASKAif I did have to buy another body I’d be more likely to go cheap with the 100-400. If it’s decent. Fuji has the Tamron 100-500 I’d consider. So much gear I want but it’s not a cheap hobby 😂

[@WILDALASKA]

@@dccoletrain the RF 100-400 is a great lens. Much better than the price denotes. I was never a fan of the Tamron 150-600 when I paired it with the 5dmk iv. I just saved up a bit more money and got the EF 100-400 L. night and day difference.

[@dccoletrain]

@@WILDALASKA that’s good to know. Thanks