Canon has taken a huge swing with the retro-style EOS R8 Mark II – and I love it!

I’m going to admit something to you. Last week, on a camera rumour site, I saw ‘leaked’ images of the new Canon EOS R8 Mark II full-frame mirrorless camera that has been officially announced today – and I genuinely didn’t believe they were real. That sharp, angular design just seemed so at odds with the soft, curvy bodies of all of Canon’s previous mirrorless cameras. No way, I thought. Not a chance.

Well, today I am thrilled to be wrong, because the EOS R8 Mark II has arrived and visually it is strikingly different to what has come before. Even though it shares plenty of DNA with the previous EOS R8 in terms of its tech, visually it’s strikingly different. That tall, narrow, angular design is a retro masterpiece, paying tribute to Canon’s film heritage in a way we haven’t seen much of before from the manufacturer.

It’s bold. It’s distinctive. I predict that some photographers are going to hate it – you may well feel it’s not for you, and that’s fine! But I love the fact that Canon is taking some risks with this latest mirrorless camera, and I’m excited for what this could mean for the future of the EOS R series.

Photo of woman holding the new retro-styled Canon EOS R8 Mark II< — Photo credit: Canon – The EOS R8 Mark II has immediately striking looks.

I mean, am I biased because this feels like it’s taking us a step closer to my dream of a digital Canon AE-1? Yes. Definitely. But nevertheless, the Canon EOS R8 Mark II isn’t just a looker – it also is shaping up to be quite possibly the best entry-level full-frame mirrorless camera on the market.

Canon EOS R8 Mark II key specs:

24.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor
Sensor-shift image stabilisation providing up to 7.5 stops of correction
Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with intelligent subject recognition
Improved controls and ergonomics with new AF joystick
ISO sensitivity range 100–102,500 (expandable to 50–204,800)
Burst shooting up to 40fps with the electronic shutter

The improvements on the EOS R8 Mark II aren’t purely aesthetic. Canon has listened to user feedback regarding the control experience on the original EOS R8 being a little over-simplistic, and has overhauled the ergonomics of the newer model. One great addition is the AF joystick. As Sam points out in our first-look video, this makes control of the autofocus so much more intuitive, allowing you to make adjustments while keeping the viewfinder up to your eye.

It also adds a favourite feature of mine – new colour profiles and the ability to customise your own film recipes! This may not be of much interest to RAW shooters, but as someone who spends most of their time in JPEG, I love it. Great for getting dynamic, striking images in-camera, letting you spend more time shooting and less time editing.

The Canon EOS R8 Mark II is a fresh, exciting release that I can’t wait to try out for myself. Bravo, Canon – I hope there’s plenty more where this came from!

About the Author

Jon Stapley is a London-based freelance writer and journalist who covers photography, art and technology. When not writing about cameras, Jon is a keen photographer who captures the world using his Olympus XA2. His creativity extends to works of fiction and other creative writing, all of which can be found on his website www.jonstapley.com