Alongside the new EOS R8 II, Canon has announced Dual Pixel 3D, a new Windows-based software tool, free at launch, that turns a single compatible camera image into an immersive 3D photo, a 3D model or a short 3D video clip. It does so using sensor data rather than requiring a dual-lens or dedicated 3D camera setup, meaning photographers can create 3D content without purchasing separate, specialized equipment.

How it works

The Dual Pixel 3D Converter uses depth and phase-detection data from a single compatible image, either a Dual Pixel Raw file shot with a supported camera, or a JPEG containing distance information captured by the EOS R8 Mark II. Users will need to ensure that the setting to record distance data to JPEGs is turned on, however.

The tool can export the resulting 3D content as OBJ or GLB model files, or as an MP4 video that creates a shifting, three-dimensional perspective. Canon says the tool is best suited to close-up, stationary subjects with clear depth and defined edges, such as products, plants and food.

Canon’s documentation of the feature highlights the need for a sharp source image. As a result, it recommends using an aperture between F5.6 and F8, specifying that anything beyond F8 will result in “a 3D conversion error.” The company also suggests an ISO of 1600 or lower to minimize noise. Finally, it cautions that subjects with fine details, transparency, reflections, repeating patterns or heavy blur may not produce ideal results.

The app then provides some controls for customization over the degree of depth. Users can increase depth for a stronger 3D effect or reduce it for a more subtle look. It also allows users to remove or replace the background before exporting the final file.

Compatible cameras

Canon says the new tool is compatible with eight EOS R-series cameras, listed above. While users don’t need a dual-lens setup, the feature only works with select Canon lenses, also listed above. The company notes that feature availability and viable output will depend on the camera, source file type, lens and shooting conditions.

Dual Pixel 3D could be particularly useful for photographers and small businesses that want to create rotating product visuals or shareable 3D-looking clips without investing in dedicated scanning hardware. It is not a firmware update that adds a new shooting mode to every Canon body. Instead, Canon’s new software converts depth information in compatible images captured with supported camera-and-lens combinations into 3D content.

We all have that moment where we pick up a camera, go out to shoot something, and… nothing. You look around, recognize all the places you’ve already taken great photos of and don’t have the energy to drive across town to find something fresh. Instead, you decide to walk back into the house to work on some other non-photography project.

During these times, you miss that spark of creativity and inspiration that keeps you energized to take great photos. You know what it feels like when it’s around. Those are the times when it’s clear as day what to do with your camera. You end up shooting countless fantastic scenes with little effort.

So, how do you rekindle that spark of inspiration? Read on to discover how the DPReview community finds fresh inspiration and gets their creative instincts flowing again.

Dave in Wales: What you don’t do is sell all your gear.

Spid: This is what the nifty fifty was designed for. Strip back to basics. Shoot less, one focal length. Get the mojo back.

TOTodd: Nothing sparks inspiration more than a client beating on your door asking if it’s done yet.

zak99: Stop chasing technical perfection, dig out some old cameras, digital or film, limit my options and carry only one lens. I’m currently using an Olympus 7070 from my digital childhood. It’s challenging, it’s satisfying and it’s cool.

Simple-joy

Maoby: By taking self-portraits (in response to Mathew’s self-portrait lead photo :)).

Jaberg: As a practical solution, take part in the currently running month-long challenge. It’s not important that each (or any) entry be a gem. The important thing is to make a picture – any picture – for each topic. To pick up the camera and engage the photography muscles. You never know when creative inspiration will strike.

AshleyMC: I always have a camera on me and create photographs daily. My “default” subject is flowers, which are not hard to find: in my garden, in the neighborhood church’s garden, or in the city’s botanical gardens and greenhouses. Other than flowers, I usually see “something” in any scene.

Gato Amarillo: If I waited for inspiration, I’d hardly get anything done – in photography or in any other part of life. It’s been said many ways by many people: “Amateurs wait for inspiration; real artists just get to work.”

AshleyMC

Zeee: I do what works best. I let GAS get the better of me.

milo006: I have been doing this since I was 12 years old, now I am 81. I think every day can be inspirational, as far as life is concerned. When I was a young man, my inspiration came from my work, military service and other experiences. After I married and had children, they became the inspiration.

I do admit that I have had long periods when I was not active as a photographer, due to other hobbies that took up a lot of my time. However, now that I am older, retired and have the time, I find it easy to be inspired on a daily basis.

KPM2: Photography is often a matter of being in the right place at the right time. When you’ve been doing it for a long time, you’ve naturally found yourself in that sweet spot often enough – and you might just lose a bit of your enthusiasm as a result, and more so, when the weather is not optimal.

What always works for me in those moments is experimenting with flash, outside or inside at home, because it breaks the rule of being in the right place at the right time. Because the time doesn’t matter.

There are many other stories from our community. They all deserve praise and to be shared, so be sure to visit the forum discussion and share your own if you like. Thanks to everyone who took the time to share unique ways you get out of an inspiration rut.

Panasonic has announced a slate of firmware updates for several of its cameras, meant to bring improvements to the company’s small, full-frame, creator-focused camera, the S9, as well as the more pro- and enthusiast-oriented S1II-series. It’s also updating its Lumix Lab and Lumix Flow apps.

Updates for the S1II, S1RII and S1IIE

The changelog for the S1II-series of cameras is short, sweet and significant. It reads:

• Improved shutter release time lag and burst shooting performance when using an external flash.
• Improved operational stability.

The last note means what it usually does. The company has fixed bugs and made things work that bit better.

However, we’ve been told, and have experienced ourselves, that the S1II-series of cameras could be laggy when paired with a flash being controlled via TTL. The performance was, frankly, not really acceptable for professional-level cameras, and Panasonic says it heard complaints from wedding photographers in particular. This update should help avoid that, making sure the camera takes a flash photo right when you press the shutter, instead of having to take a bit to think about it.

This update will be coming to all of the S1II-series cameras, including the S1IIN, a variant of the S1II for Chinese and Korean broadcasters with special networking capabilities.

Updates for the S9

Which update for the S9 is more important will depend on who you ask, and whether they’re a videographer. If they are, they’ll likely be quite excited about Panasonic adding new formats of its MP4 (Lite) codec, which is designed to use a lower bitrate, making it faster to wirelessly transfer to a phone and post to the internet.

When the S9 launched, it marked the debut of MP4 (Lite), which was only available in a single resolution – 3.8K open gate – and two framerates, 25 and 30p. While you can crop the 3:2 footage to get an output aspect ratio, that requires an extra step. Now, the camera is gaining some additional modes that won’t require it: UHD 4K/60p, 1080/60p and 1080/120p. These modes were introduced with the Panasonic L10, and it’s nice to see them showing up here for people who want even less work to get their footage ready to post, though I do still wish there was a UHD 4K/30p option, too.

Panasonic

The camera is also gaining full support for the Lumix Flow app, a video-focused program that, among many other things, lets you use your smartphone as a monitor, either via Wi-Fi or USB-C. While that’s handy no matter what camera you have, it’s especially useful for the S9, which is otherwise limited to using Micro-HDMI to output video. Panasonic says many users were “begging” for the camera to work with Flow, which also lets you create storyboards and shotlists, and add metadata to your recorded clips that make it easier to sort through the good and bad takes in post.

Flow will be getting an update to support the S9, which also comes with a few tweaks to how it displays camera information while monitoring and expanded support for using it with your phone horizontally.

Finally, in a move that will please both videographers and photographers, the camera will now let you assign substantially more functions to a lens’s programable button (a feature likely brought on by the company’s release of a second small prime with one that seems like a perfect match for the camera).

Lumix Lab updates

If the firmware updates weren’t enough, the company is also updating its Lumix Lab app, which lets you download images from your camera, as well as manage its libraries of LUT (Look Up Table) color profiles. On top of some UI tweaks and improving the app’s compatibility with Android phones that have “non-standard” processors (read: chips from companies other than Qualcomm, such as Samsung’s own-brand Exynos models), Panasonic is trying to make the app friendlier to those trying to find and download new LUTs from its repository of creator-submitted options.

Lumix Lab will now let you download packs of LUTs as well, so you don’t have to individually pick and choose several separate ones to build a set of aesthetics. It also now lets you filter which LUTs show up based on a series of options, such as what kind of scene or subject you’re shooting, and what kind of colors you want. The company has also added an option to share a link to a LUT’s page in the Lumix Lab app.

Availability

The new firmware for the S1II, S1IIE, S1RII and S9 will be made available for free starting October 13, with the updated versions of Lumix Lab and Lumix Flow launching at the same time.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.

Panasonic has announced the Lumix S 20mm F2.5, a small, wide-angle prime designed to complement the 40mm F2 it released earlier this year, while offering a much wider angle that’s ideal for things like landscapes, close-up shots that still give a sense of the environment and, of course, video.

The lens has very similar dimensions to those of the 40mm F2, and the S9’s 18-40mm F4.5-6.3 kit zoom when it’s retracted. It’s the lightest of the bunch by a fraction, coming in at 142g (5oz), and has the same 62mm thread for filters. Panasonic also says it’s splash, dust and freeze resistant; that won’t be a huge deal for S9 owners, since that body isn’t, but for S5 or S1-series users it’s a nice addition.

Optically, the lens is made up of 11 elements in 9 groups, with three aspherical lenses and three ED elements. Its minimum focus distance is 0.18m (7.1″), which lets you get quite close to your subject for a dramatic look that seems to be quite popular these days.

Panasonic says the lens should be relatively sharp edge-to-edge with clean bokeh. We’re working on shooting a sample gallery with it so you can judge for yourself.

In terms of controls, it has what we’ve come to expect from Panasonic: a customizable ring that you can assign different functions based on whether you’re in auto or manual focus mode (a setting controllable with a switch on the lens’s barrel). This lets you use it for things like aperture, shutter speed, exposure compensation, Panasonic’s Crop Zoom feature and more when you don’t need it for focusing. There’s also a small, customizable function button.

It’s nice to see Panasonic continue to fill out its line of relatively affordable, small lenses for L-mount. While there are plenty of options available, it doesn’t hurt to have more options, especially ones this light and compact.

The Lumix S 20mm F2.5 will retail for $499, $100 more than the 40mm, and will start shipping in October.

Panasonic

Panasonic Lumix S 20mm F2.5

• Shop Now at B&H
• Shop Now at Panasonic
• Shop Now at Adorama

Panasonic Lumix S 20mm F2.5 specifications

Each year, Apple’s iPhone launch event devotes considerable time to its newest flagship iPhone Pro model, which features the company’s most advanced cameras. For photography and video enthusiasts who want Apple’s latest imaging technology, the iPhone Pro is the clear choice.

And every year, Apple tries to convince us that its cameras are better than ever, and that this is the year to upgrade to make your photos more magical than ever before.

Apple

But is it worth it? Most people upgrade their smartphones only every few years, and it can be hard to know when an upgrade will truly make a difference to your photos. We’re here to help sort the noise from the facts. In this photography-focused comparison, we’ll examine every iPhone Pro model from the last six years – back to 2020’s iPhone 12 Pro – to help you decide if an upgrade makes sense.

Before we dive into older models, let’s review what’s new with the iPhone 18 Pro.

Or, you can jump directly to a comparison between the iPhone 18 Pro series and your current model:

• iPhone 17 Pro and Pro Max
• iPhone 16 Pro and Pro Max
• iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max
• iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max
• iPhone 13 Pro and Pro Max
• iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max

iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max: What’s new

Apple

Like its predecessors, the iPhone 18 Pro and Pro Max have main, ultrawide and telephoto cameras. All three use 48MP sensors that Apple calls “Fusion” sensors, which are essentially a Quad Bayer design that combines binned and full-resolution pixel data. This year’s headline feature is something we’ve never seen on an iPhone before: a mechanical variable aperture on the main camera.

The aperture has four settings (F1.48, F1.8, F2.8 and F4), spanning just under three stops. That’s roughly F5 to F14 in full-frame terms, so background blur won’t change dramatically, but you do get real control over depth of field. At F1.48, the lens is also about half a stop brighter than the 17 Pro’s F1.78 lens, which accounts for most of Apple’s claimed low-light gain. The sensor is new, but it’s the same size.

For video, stopping down allows slower shutter speeds, getting you closer to a 180-degree shutter in shade or overcast light. In bright sun, though, you’ll still need about a four- to five-stop ND filter at F4 to shoot 24p at 1/50 sec.

Apple

Apple has also added Pro controls in the built-in Camera app, allowing you to manually set aperture, shutter speed and white balance, complete with a live histogram.

The rest of the camera hardware carries over from the 17 Pro, including the ultrawide, the 4x (100mm equiv.) telephoto and the 18MP Center Stage front camera. Software additions include Smart focus tracking, texture and grain controls in Photographic Styles, 4K/60p Cinematic mode, and the ability to apply cinematic effects to video after capture.

Finally, the 18 Pro introduces Apple Reference Image, an opt-in authenticity feature. In Reference mode, the sensor captures signed data that Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers turn into an unalterable reference image. It appears alongside the main photo so you can check whether the photo has been edited. It’s Apple’s own alternative to the C2PA Content Credentials that Google has adopted.

The big picture

Before diving into individual comparisons, let’s look at how the iPhone Pro’s camera system has evolved. At a high level, this is what to look for:

• Sensor size and aperture: All other factors being equal, a larger sensor captures more light, resulting in higher-quality photos, especially in low light. A variable aperture (the 18 Pro models) provides additional control over how much light hits the sensor.
• Resolution: More megapixels mean higher-resolution images and the ability to maintain resolution with ‘virtual’ zoom lenses.
• Focal lengths: While the main and ultrawide cameras have been pretty consistent, telephoto cameras have had more varied configurations.
• Video features: Know which features you need – and which ones you don’t – when deciding whether to upgrade.

In the table below, green boxes represent significant upgrades from previous models.

Editor’s note: All focal lengths in this article are full-frame equivalents.

*All focal lengths are full-frame equivalents

Before the 18 Pro added a variable aperture, the main camera’s last notable upgrades came with the 13 Pro and 14 Pro, and it was largely unchanged from the 14 Pro through the 17 Pro.

The ultrawide camera was upgraded on the 13 Pro and 14 Pro, and again on the iPhone 16 Pro, which also gained a 48MP sensor.

The telephoto camera has seen more variability, with focal lengths between 52mm (2x) and 120mm (5x), with the most significant upgrade being the iPhone 17 Pro, which gained a 48MP sensor that’s substantially larger than in previous models.

Apple has continued to add video features with each generation. All models in the table can also capture ProRAW photos.

If you have an iPhone 17 Pro or Pro Max

Apple

For iPhone 17 Pro owners, the year-over-year upgrade hinges almost entirely on whether you want variable aperture control on the main camera.

The iPhone 17 Pro has the same 48MP ultrawide and telephoto cameras and the same 18MP Center Stage front camera. The 18 Pro’s main sensor is new, but it’s the same size, and we would expect image quality to be broadly the same at similar apertures.

The variable aperture on the main camera is the key difference. F1.48 is about half a stop brighter than the 17 Pro’s F1.78 lens, which could be important if you frequently shoot in low light. At the other end, stopping down to F4 provides more depth of field for close subjects and group shots, and will let you use slower shutter speeds for video in shade or overcast light.

The 18 Pro also adds built-in Pro controls to Apple’s Camera app, Smart focus tracking, texture and grain controls in Photographic Styles, and Apple Reference Image. For video, you can now apply cinematic effects after capture. If those features or the variable aperture don’t matter to you, it’s hard to recommend the upgrade, and third-party apps can already give the 17 Pro manual shutter speed and white balance control.

If you have an iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max

Apple

For iPhone 16 Pro or Pro Max owners, the upgrade will not only net you the variable aperture main camera, but a much-improved telephoto camera as well.

The iPhone 16 Pro has a main camera similar to the 18 Pro’s (minus the variable aperture) and the same ultrawide camera.

However, there’s a big difference in telephoto cameras. The iPhone 18 Pro has a 48MP telephoto sensor that’s over 50% larger than the one in the 16 Pro. With the same F2.8 aperture, that works out to about 2/3 stop more light. The telephoto focal length has also changed, decreasing from 120mm (5x) on the 16 Pro to 100mm (4x) on the 18 Pro.

The 4x zoom on the 18 Pro may sound like a downgrade, but a common complaint on the iPhone 16 Pro was the large gap between its main and telephoto cameras. This forced mid-range zoom shots to rely heavily on computationally-enhanced crops from the main sensor. The 18 Pro’s 4x telephoto narrows that gap, allowing the phone to switch to the dedicated telephoto lens and its full sensor area sooner.

Additionally, the iPhone 16 Pro and all older models used Apple’s previous 4:3 front-facing selfie camera. The newer Center Stage camera could be a reason to upgrade if you take many selfies or shoot video on the move.

New video features include ProRes RAW and Genlock (aimed at advanced videographers), Apple Log 2, 4K/60p Cinematic mode and the ability to apply cinematic effects after shooting. Unless you specifically need them, these features alone don’t justify an upgrade.

If you have an iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max

Apple

For iPhone 15 Pro or Pro Max users, the camera differences start to stack up more dramatically.

The main camera on the 15 Pro uses the same sensor size as the 18 Pro, but with a fixed F1.78 lens, so the 18 Pro gains about half a stop at F1.48, plus the flexibility of a variable aperture. Apple has also introduced faster-readout versions of this sensor since the 15 Pro, enabling “zero shutter lag” even when shooting Raw.

The telephoto cameras are more complicated. The iPhone 15 Pro and Pro Max use different modules, with 77mm (3x) and 120mm (5x) lenses, respectively. This means upgrading to the 18 Pro’s 100mm (4x) telephoto could result in either more or less reach than you’re used to. In either case, the upgrade will get you the 18 Pro’s 48MP sensor, which is over 50% larger than the 15 Pro Max’s and almost double the size of the 15 Pro’s.

Image stabilization is another factor to consider. The iPhone 15 Pro Max’s telephoto module uses sensor-shift image stabilization. In contrast, the smaller iPhone 15 Pro’s telephoto uses Apple’s older, less effective optical image stabilization system. Sensor-shift stabilization didn’t come to the smaller iPhone Pro’s telephoto module until the iPhone 16 series, so iPhone 15 Pro users will experience improved telephoto stabilization after upgrading.

Dale Baskin

Ultrawide and macro photographers may be drawn to the iPhone 18 Pro’s 48MP ultrawide camera. Like Apple’s other 48MP sensors, it’s a Quad Bayer design, so the resolution gain isn’t as large as the numbers suggest. Still, it captures more detail and provides more latitude for cropping macro shots. The sensor size remains unchanged, however, so don’t expect low-light improvements.

The 18 Pro includes other features not on the 15 Pro, such as the Camera Control button and the latest generation of Photographic Styles, which lets you change the look after a photo is taken. Video upgrades include 4K/120p capture (up from 4K/60p) for more dramatic slow-motion, Apple Log 2, after-capture cinematic effects, and support for ProRes RAW and Genlock.

If you have an iPhone 14 Pro or Pro Max

Apple

The camera modules in the iPhone 14 Pro and Pro Max are broadly similar to those in the 15 Pro, except for the 15 Pro Max’s 5x telephoto. As a result, much of the same upgrade logic applies.

The iPhone 14 Pro was the first model with the 48MP, Type 1/1.28 main sensor format Apple still uses, though the 18 Pro will benefit from faster readout speeds. Additionally, the 14 Pro defaults to 12MP photos binned from its 48MP sensor, compared to the 24MP default on more recent models. (Full 48MP resolution is still available via a settings change, however.)

Upgrading to the 18 Pro will get you newer 48MP sensors on the ultrawide and telephoto modules. The telephoto sensor is also nearly twice the size of the 14 Pro’s, which, with the same F2.8 aperture, works out to almost a full stop more light.

Neither iPhone 14 Pro model includes sensor-shift image stabilization on the telephoto camera, relying instead on the older, less effective optical image stabilization system. Upgrading to the 18 Pro will provide superior sensor-shift stabilization on the telephoto camera, where it’s needed most.

Newer iPhones like the 18 Pro also feature lens coatings not found on the 14 Pro, which can reduce lens flare when shooting into bright light. (Though models with updated coatings still have the green flare balls that have almost become a calling card of iPhone photos.) Newer models can also capture 3D spatial images, a feature the iPhone 14 Pro lacks.

Dale Baskin

Video capabilities may be the most compelling reason to upgrade. The iPhone 14 Pro captures ProRes video, but not the ProRes Log format desired by videographers for its color grading flexibility. Furthermore, its ProRes recording tops out at 4K/30p (1080/30p on 128GB models), restricting slow-motion options.

The 14 Pro was also the last model with a Lightning connector. Newer models use the more universal USB-C, which offers data transfer speeds up to 10Gbit per second – 20 times faster than the Lightning port’s USB 2.0 speeds.

If you primarily use the main camera, upgrading to the 18 Pro may not return huge dividends, unless the variable aperture is important to you. However, for frequent users of the ultrawide and telephoto cameras, or for videographers who want Log video, the upgrade becomes a compelling, no-brainer decision.

If you have an iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max

Apple

With iPhone models this old, the differences in technology become more stark, and for iPhone 13 Pro or Pro Max owners, upgrading to the 18 Pro will improve the camera experience in nearly every way.

The iPhone 13 Pro was the last generation to use a smaller 12MP main camera sensor before Apple switched to the 48MP sensor that became its standard. The 18 Pro’s sensor is 63% larger than the one in the 13 Pro, and with roughly equivalent maximum apertures (F1.48 vs F1.5), it can capture about 3/4 stop more light, giving it a big leg up in image quality. The 13 Pro also lacks the benefits of the 48MP sensor, which uses pixel binning for extra detail and enables the ‘2x’ virtual lens option found on newer models.

The situation is similar for the ultrawide camera. Its 12MP sensor is roughly half the size of the 18 Pro’s. While its F1.8 aperture is faster than the 18 Pro’s F2.2, the 13 Pro’s ultrawide is still about a third of a stop behind in overall light-gathering and lacks the benefits of the 48MP sensor.

The telephoto camera is where you’ll see the most dramatic difference. The iPhone 18 Pro’s telephoto sensor is nearly twice as large as the 13 Pro’s, and with the same F2.8 aperture, it captures almost a full stop more light. The 18 Pro also uses more effective sensor-shift stabilization on its telephoto module, compared to the older optical stabilization on the 13 Pro models.

As with the 14 Pro, video features could be a deciding factor, especially if you want ProRes Log for color grading latitude. With all three of the 13 Pro’s cameras still at 12MP, lower light-gathering capacity, and a shorter video feature list, this is an easy upgrade to recommend.

If you have an iPhone 12 Pro or Pro Max

Apple

Six years feels like an eternity in technology, and the cameras on the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max are showing their age.

The main camera sensor on the iPhone 18 Pro is almost three times larger than the one in the iPhone 12 Pro, and its lens is also slightly faster (F1.48 vs F1.6). Combined, that gives the 18 Pro’s main camera about a 1.8-stop light-gathering advantage, or roughly 3.5 times more light. That’s a dramatic difference, and will be noticeable in photos.

The iPhone 12 Pro Max stays a little closer to the 18 Pro, thanks to its slightly larger sensor, but it still falls 1.25 stops behind, meaning the 18 Pro gathers almost 2.4 times as much light. Not as much, but still a big difference.

Similarly, the 18 Pro’s ultrawide sensor is almost twice as large as the 12 Pro’s, which also has a slower F2.4 aperture. The net result is that the 18 Pro’s ultrawide captures about 1.2 stops more light.

The telephoto comparison is more nuanced. The 12 Pro models have smaller telephoto sensors, but their faster apertures let them roughly match the 18 Pro’s telephoto in total light-gathering. However, their 2x (52mm) and 2.5x (65mm) lenses offer far less reach than the 18 Pro’s 4x (100mm) telephoto.

The 18 Pro’s main camera can also stand in for the 12 Pro’s telephoto: a 2x (48mm) crop still delivers 12MP while capturing about 1.4 stops more light. Matching the 12 Pro Max’s 65mm lens requires a tighter crop that yields only about 6.5MP, though it still gathers nearly a stop more light.

Apple

Image stabilization is another key difference. The iPhone 12 Pro Max was the first to introduce sensor-shift stabilization on its main camera, but the smaller 12 Pro used older, less effective optical stabilization. Upgrading from the smaller 12 Pro will provide a noticeable improvement, as all Pro models since the 13 series have featured sensor-shift on their main cameras.

The 12 Pro models also show their age in video. While they capture Dolby Vision HDR and 4K/60p, they lack all the other video features Apple has introduced in the last six years.

If improving photo quality is your goal, this upgrade makes absolute sense. With 12MP sensors across the board, less light-gathering capability, an older imaging pipeline and far less telephoto reach, you’ll see an across-the-board improvement in image quality.

Conclusion

Apple’s slick presentations make it easy to feel like you need the newest iPhone cameras, and I give Apple credit for being very good at that. The reality, however, is that most annual updates are incremental. Major improvements are the exception, not the rule.

Also, when considering an upgrade, keep in mind that you may not need to buy Apple’s newest iPhone Pro, depending on the features you need or want. If an older model meets your requirements, you might save a chunk of change by buying a recent used phone, or even a refurbished model from Apple that’s newer than your current one and still offers the features you want.

Adobe has announced Photoshop Elements 2027 and Premiere Elements 2027, new versions of its consumer-focused photo and video editing apps. Both updates add AI-powered tools and features intended to make editing more approachable for beginners. Adobe has also updated Elements Organizer, its companion app for managing photo and video libraries.

Photoshop Elements 2027

Adobe

Photoshop Elements 2027 adds Generative Expand, which lets users extend an image beyond its original frame by using AI-generated content to fill the new areas. The new version also includes Generative Upscale, an AI-powered tool designed to improve the apparent clarity of low-resolution images as they are enlarged.

A new Creative Filters feature applies styles including Embroidery, Oil Painting, and Duotone. Users can adjust the intensity, texture and color of each effect for a more customized result.

Adobe is also bringing its AI Assistant to Photoshop Elements as a beta feature. The tool allows users to describe the edit they want to make, and it then carries out the tasks (at least simple ones). It debuted earlier this year on Photoshop for web and mobile before expanding to the Photoshop desktop beta.

Lastly, Photoshop Elements 2027 adds an AI Tools Hub that brings the app’s AI-powered editing features into one place, reducing the need to search through multiple menus and panels.

Premiere Elements 2027

Adobe

Premiere Elements 2027, Adobe’s consumer-focused video editor, is also gaining new AI tools (though, like Photoshop Elements, those may be subject to AI credit rules). Users can generate images from scratch to fill gaps in a timeline or create overlays, while Generative Title Art turns plain text into stylized graphics using text-based prompts.

Adobe is also adding sample photos and videos so users can experiment with tools and try editing techniques without importing their own footage. Contextual Toolbars help users locate relevant editing tools by describing the task they want to complete, serving a similar beginner-friendly purpose to Photoshop Elements’ AI Assistant.

Lastly, the video editor adds Editing Indicators, which help users quickly identify effects, transitions and text formatting while editing.

Elements Organizer

Adobe has also updated Elements Organizer to make growing photo and video libraries easier to manage. The update is designed to help users find specific files, reduce duplicate clutter and share finished work more quickly.

A new Semantic Search feature lets users use natural-language descriptions to find photos and videos, even when their search terms do not exactly match existing tags. Semantic Search is currently an English-only beta feature.

The update also improves duplicate-file detection and adds Share to Phone, which uses a QR code to transfer edited photos directly from a desktop computer to a mobile device.

Availability

Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements 2027 are available now. The bundle of both programs costs $150, or each program is available separately for $100.

Interestingly, Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements are limited to a three-year term license. Once that period ends, users will lose access to the editing apps, although Adobe says their media catalog will remain accessible in Elements Organizer. That means owners cannot simply continue using an older version indefinitely if they decide the newer features are not worth upgrading for.

It’s important to note that Adobe’s AI-powered features typically cost one credit per use. When purchased as standalone apps, Photoshop Elements and Premiere Elements each come with 25 credits per month, while the bundle includes 100 generative credits per month. The company also offers a way for you to purchase more through its dedicated AI subscription.

Capture One has announced the latest version of its desktop and mobile software. The updates bring 2nd Gen Wireless Tethering to two more Canon cameras. They also include immediate support for Canon’s newly released EOS R8 II and an enhanced version of Capture One’s AI-powered culling tool.

One of the more broadly helpful features is the updated version of Assisted Review, Capture One’s AI-powered culling tool that entered Beta in the May 2026 release. The tool promises to automatically flag images with issues like closed eyes, missed focus and exposure problems. Its initial release required users to manually trigger it, but now, the tool can run automatically while shooting tethered. That means photographers can have culled images by the time the shoot is done, potentially saving quite a bit of time. It’s only available on desktop for now, and is still in beta.

Capture One has also expanded compatibility for its 2nd Gen Wireless Tethering system, adding support for the Canon EOS R3 and Canon EOS R6 III. The feature launched in May 2026, with support limited to the Canon EOS R5 II and EOS R1. It

The second-generation system sends a smaller, fully editable Raw file almost immediately while the full-resolution file transfers in the background, allowing photographers to review and begin editing images without interrupting a shoot. With standard wireless tethering, the complete Raw must transfer before it appears in Capture One, a process that can take several seconds, or longer with high-resolution files or a weaker Wi‑Fi connection. Capture One says the feature works on both desktop and mobile.

Capture One

Lastly, Capture One is also providing immediate support for the new Canon EOS R8 II. Photographers working with Canon’s latest camera won’t have any delay in terms of editing files in Capture One, either on desktop or mobile. It’s important to note, though, that it uses the standard wireless tether feature, not the 2nd generation version.

Capture One version 16.8.6 for desktop and version 4.1 for mobile are available now.

Ricoh has released its 30th anniversary Ricoh GR IV kit, which includes the camera and a host of extras. The kit was originally announced earlier this summer, and will be shipping on October 21st (which is, from what I can tell, the actual anniversary of the original GR1’s release).

The company is only selling 6000 of the kits, so they’re relatively exclusive. Here’s what they’ll include, according to the company’s website:

• A GR IV with its shutter and rear buttons “finished in a special color inspired by the plated finish used on the first-generation GR1”
  • The camera also has “A special power-off graphic” to commemorate the anniversary
• “A ring cap ‘GN-3 (30th)’ with a diamond-cut design inspired by the design of the GR1 lens area”
• A leather finger strap engraved with “30th Anniversary”
• A steel-gray metal hot shoe cover with the 30th anniversary logo on the front, and “Ricoh GR” on the back
• 16 pins, 14 of which depict past GR models, one of which is the 30th anniversary logo, and the other a GR logo

The latter two pins are exclusive to those who purchase the kit. The rest will be sold individually as accessories, or as a bundle, along with the finger strap and hot shoe cover. (There’s even a version of the latter being made for the GR III series, too.)

The cost for all that? $1800, a $200 premium over the standard GR IV. The official Ricoh site currently has a “keep me informed” button rather than a “buy” one, but some retailers like B&H have opened up preorders.

Will you be lining up for the GR IV anniversary kit, or are you more excited about the GR IVx variant also due out later this year? Let us know in the comments.

The Canon EOS R8 II is an entry-level full-frame mirrorless camera with a 24.2MP CMOS sensor. However, it’s gained in-body image stabilization and a joystick, addressing two of the biggest shortcomings of the original EOS R8.

Key specifications

• 24.2MP FSI CMOS sensor
• IBIS up to 7.5EV center/7EV periphery w/ lens coordination
• Up to 40fps bursts with e-shutter / 6fps mech.
• 1/2 second pre-capture at 40fps
• Full-width 4K video from 6K capture at up to 60p
• 2.36M dot OLED viewfinder (0.7x magnification)
• Optional accessories including grip extention and XLR-adapter

The EOS R8 II is launching at $1900, around $400 more than the original EOS R8 launched for, which Canon says is staying in its lineup. It’s worth noting that inflation since the original R8’s launch could be expected to push its price up by around $150 if it were launched today (and indeed the MSRP appears to have been adjusted up to that at time of writing), and that the EOS R8 II appears to be a slightly better specced, higher-positioned model, to the extent that we might even believe the claim that the two will be sold alongside one another.

Ultimately, it’s also the least expensive full-frame mirrorless camera Canon’s released with image stabilization by a wide margin, even before you take inflation into account. It’s also the company’s lightest camera in that category.

Index

• What’s new
• How it compares
• Body and handling
• Image quality
• Autofocus
• Video
• In use
• Initial impressions
• Conclusion
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press release

Product photos: Mitchell Clark

What’s new

Image stabilization

The EOS R8 II has essentially the same sensor from its predecessor (itself adopted from the higher-end EOS R6 II), but it’s now stabilized with Canon promising up to 7.5EV of correction in the center with 7EV in the periphery. While those ratings are often optimistic, this should make it a bit easier to get sharper shots in low-light situations, assuming your subject isn’t moving. The EOS R8’s lack of IBIS was something we noted as a compromise in our review of it, so it’s nice to see it included here.

A new look

Mitchell Clark

Canon briefed that the EOS R8 II takes design cues from the T80 SLR of the 1980s, though its press materials show it alongside the later EOS 650, with which there’s a more obvious family connection (either way it’ll be entertaining if this distinctly subtle homage turned out to be the source of the many rumors of a ‘retro’ Canon body). To our eyes it looks as much like the original Sony a7 as anything in Canon’s own back catalog. Only nicer.

We think it’s a pretty sharp and attractive camera, especially with its EOS R3 / R1 (/Fujifilm GFX 100 II) style grip material and its low-profile viewfinder hump. The black-on black design with small, well-spaced buttons is something of a departure for Canon, but we rather like the miniaturized minimalism of it all.

Updated autofocus and burst improvements

Canon says it’s updated the EOS R8 II’s underlying autofocus algorithms, making them stickier than the ones in the original. It still has person, vehicle and animal recognition, as well as an auto mode, but gains the company’s Register People Priority mode, which lets you train it to recognize specific people and focus on their face above other ones it recognizes in the scene.

While the camera can’t shoot any faster than its predecessor, still capping out at 40fps in e-shutter mode, it can go for substantially longer with its buffer lasting 30% longer when shooting Raw and 58% longer in JPEG. In our tests, this equated to around 78 shots in Raw+JPEG, and 175 shots in JPEG-only, making the burst mode much more usable. The camera also dispenses with Canon’s Raw Burst mode, which produced a non-standard combined file from which you had to select your frames, and that was required for pre-release capture. Pre-capture is now just an item in the menu you can enable.

A host of new video features

While the EOS R8 II has the same top-line video capabilities as its predecessor – it can shoot oversampled 4K at up to 60p with no crop – Canon has added several improvements to make it easier to use. These are features aimed both at beginners, such as the slow-and-quick mode that lets you get slowed-down or sped-up footage at your preferred framerate straight-out-of camera, and video scene modes, as well as more advanced features from cameras like the EOS R6 V, such as fine-grained control over the camera’s auto white balance system, as well as white balance presets that can be assigned to buttons.

Mitchell Clark

The camera also introduces a new video feature, which lets you press a button to defocus the lens at a predetermined speed, racking to the lens’ closest focusing distance to produce an effect where your subject is slowly (or quickly) pulled out of focus, something that can be difficult to do by hand, especially with stills lenses. The lens will then stay focused to that distance unless you press the AF-On button, which will resume autofocusing. While it’s not quite as advanced as the focus pulling tools that companies like Panasonic build into their cameras, it’s a nice option to add a bit of production value to a video.

How it compares

The market for entry-level full frame cameras is a competitive one, with several capable options. The one most similar to the EOS R8 II is Nikon’s Z5II as it was also designed from the ground up to be a budget option. Both Sony and Panasonic address this part of the market with older models, rather than something directly tailored to it.

In fact Sony now has two older a7 models that sit above and below the price of the R8 Mark II: the 2018-vintage a7 III and the more modern, higher resolution a7 IV. We’re going to include the newer camera here, as its autofocus will be more competitive.

It’s heartening to see just how capable these cameras are, even if their price tags have crept up. The EOS R8 II’s specs are now much more closely matched to those of the Z5II, but its battery life in particular looks underwhelming, especially compared with the big block used by the Sony. The Canon’s video specs are pretty strong and this table can’t capture the likeability of the ergonomics and interface, but its higher price puts it up against some fierce competition.

Body and handling

Despite the significant visual changes, the EOS R8 II’s design is functionally quite similar to that of its predecessor. It winds up being a little heavier and larger, but still feels light and relatively small in the hand (depending, of course, on what lens you have attached). People with larger hands may find their pinkies dangling off the bottom of the camera – Mitchell certainly did – but, as with the RP and R8, Canon will sell a $90 extension grip to solve this issue.

While the design feels like a call-back to the Sony a7, we found the geometric pattern on the rubberized grip reminding us of the very special Bishamon-Tex material Fujifilm uses on some of its GFX cameras.

Controls

Mitchell Clark

The EOS R8 II has a recognizably plastic construction and feels relatively light, rather than hefty, in the hand. The rubberized grip and thumb rest means it sits quite comfortably in the hand and, while it doesn’t feel overtly rugged, it doesn’t give the sense of being flimsy, either. There’s no flex or rattle and it feels like it strikes a good balance between weight and solidity.

The headline feature of the EOS R8 II is that it now includes an autofocus joystick on the back, which its predecessor lacks. This means you’re no longer limited to using the touchscreen or four-way controller to place your autofocus point, which is, to us, a substantial upgrade to usability.

Beyond the joystick, the camera has Canon’s standard set of controls: there’s a mode dial, dual customizable top-plate control dials (the camera’s only dials, as there’s not one on the rear plate), several customizable buttons on the back, including one that defaults to AF On, a video record button (though you can set the camera to start recording with the shutter button in video mode), and an M-Fn button. By default, the latter lets you access a customizable menu that lets you adjust several parameters using the control dials, including ISO, drive mode, AF mode, white balance, flash exposure compensation, and more.

Mitchell Clark

All these controls are largely clustered on the right side of the camera, with the left side only having the menu button. This makes it relatively easy to operate with one hand, though we did find the occasional feature that would require you to confirm something with the far-away menu button.

While you can typically operate the camera without diving into the menus, they’re also relatively easily accessible. The EOS R8 II has the customizable “Q” menu – by default, accessed using a button in the center of the four-way controller – which gives you quick access to your most-used settings. The camera’s color-coded full menus will be familiar to anyone who’s used a Canon before, and are fully navigable using touch, the control dials, the four-way controller, or any combination thereof.

The camera no longer has a dedicated switch for going between stills and video mode, separate from the power switch. Instead, they’ve been merged into a three-way switch that moves the camera from being off, to stills, to video. In our experience, it’s very easy to accidentally overshoot stills and wind up in video mode when attempting to turn the camera on, especially if you’re in a hurry.

EVF and display

Mitchell Clark

The EOS R8 II has the same 2.36M dot viewfinder as the R8: the same OLED panel used an all cameras that are prioritizing compactness as part of their design. The optics in front of the panel deliver the same 0.7x magnification. Given Canon’s professional DSLR’s viewfinders tended to top-out at 0.76x magnification, this isn’t bad going, and the viewfinder is generally pretty nice to use.

The camera is sensible enough to disable the eye sensor when you flip the rear screen out, so you shouldn’t have problems with the rear screen blacking out if something gets too close to the viewfinder.

Ports

Mitchell Clark

The EOS R8 II has largely the same collection of ports as its predecessor, though there wasn’t much room for improvement. It has headphone and mic sockets for video, microHDMI and USB-C for charging and data transfer (at up to 10Gbps speed).

The camera’s single UHS-II SD card slot has also been relocated from inside the battery compartment to the side of the grip, making it easier to access if the camera is on a tripod.

Battery

Mitchell Clark

The EOS R8’s battery life was the one other area we, and many other reviewers, found lacking. Unfortunately, it’s the one thing Canon hasn’t touched, as the EOS R8 II uses the same 7.5Wh LP-E17 model, and is rated to get 270 shots per charge when using the rear screen and a pretty miserable 150 shots per charge with the viewfinder. These improve to 340 and 220 shots per charge, respectively, in power saving mode, but they’re still pretty low.

CIPA numbers always under-represent how many shots you’re likely to get in real-world usage, with getting double the number being pretty common. Still, those viewfinder figures are likely to mean carrying a second battery or some kind of power bank will be necessary. The use of a small battery was something we criticised on the original R8, and the addition of in-body stabilization only exacerbates the problem.

Image quality

Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors, and detail types you’ll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes, full even light and low directional light, to see the effect of different lighting conditions.

The Canon EOS R8 II has the same sensor as its predecessor, so it’s no surprise that it performs the same, within the tolerances of our test scene. That means it overall has great excellent image quality with high levels of detail and low levels of noise. This remains true as you push into higher ISOs, though the II’s inclusion of IBIS means you’ll be able to improve image quality in some scenarios by using slower shutter speeds to gather more light.

It also performs very similarly to the Nikon Z5II, and both provide pleasing JPEG colors straight-out-of-camera. Whether you prefer the slightly more saturated and sharpened look of the Nikon or Canon’s slightly subtler processing will largely come down to personal preference.

Richard Butler

Images from the Sony a7 IV, which can be had for similar money these days, have a bit more detail thanks to its higher-resolution sensor. At high ISOs, noise performance is similar, viewed at comparable sizes, and which one has the better JPEG colors will again be a matter of taste, rather than one being objectively superior to the other.

Autofocus

The EOS R8 II has the latest version of Canon’s standard AF system, shared across the majority of its cameras. This offers eight AF point sizes, ranging from the very small “Spot AF” up to “Whole area AF,” where the camera selects a subject based on how near to the center and how near to the camera it is. In between these extremes are three flexible AF zones, which are rectangles whose height and width can be adjusted.

Each of these AF areas can be made to track whatever is under them, by pressing the “Info” button when you’re selecting an AF area. It’s worth noting that the display tells you the current setting, not the setting you’ll access by pressing the Info button.

On top of this you have the subject recognition modes: Human, Animals or Vehicles, with an Auto mode that will try to identify any of the subject types it’s been trained to recognize. You can restrict which of these options appears in the menu but, presumably because there are only three subject types, there’s no option to narrow the ‘Auto’ mode down to just selecting the subjects you expect to encounter.

Beyond this, there’s a menu option for telling the camera how it should expect subjects to respond (ie: whether it should refocus on or ignore another subject appearing in front of its current target). This is a simplified version of the system from Canon’s pro sports cameras and lets you easily fine-tune the AF response if its default behavior doesn’t suit your subject.

Richard Butler

The net result is an easy-to-use and pretty effective AF system that can be adjusted if it’s not giving the results you want. Most of the time we found you could select an AF point size, engage tracking and leave subject recognition turned on. The camera will focus wherever your AF point is, track whatever was under that point and use subject recognition to be more specific, when appropriate, but without getting distracted by recognized subjects away from the AF point, or by false-positives.

Rolling shutter:

One of the few things we encountered that gave us any real concern was that the tracking system (not the subject recognition system) will try to decide what object it thinks you’re trying to capture, and will draw a large box around it, overriding your chosen AF point size and meaning you can’t be specific about the exact point you want it to focus on. It’s worth being aware of this in situations where you want to pinpoint something very specific (one part of a flower, for instance).

For most of our use, in both stills and video, we found the EOS R8 II to be a very effective performer that is quick and easy to use. However, it’s worth noting that some of the less expensive lenses with STM motors can be a little slower and more clunky to focus. 

Video

Mitchell Clark

The EOS R8 II’s base video capabilities remain largely unchanged from its predecessor. It can record full-width 4K video at up to 60p, derived from 6K capture, and includes 10-bit, Log and HDR recording options. It gains “slow-and-fast” modes that will give you slowed-down or sped-up footage straight of of camera, rather than requiring you to adjust a clip’s playback speed to match your playback framerate in post.

It also features headphone and microphone jacks – though their placement means they can occasionally interfere with the screen’s articulation – and a multi-interface hotshoe which you can use to connect Tascam’s 4-channel recorder.

Canon has equipped the camera with a wide array of features, both for those who have never shot video before and more experienced users. For the former, there’s the auto mode that lets you control how blurry the background is (basically letting you adjust aperture without having to know that’s what you’re doing) and scene modes that automatically configure your settings to apply skin smoothing or override the camera’s face detection when you’re holding something up to the lens. (Thankfully, experienced videographers can also enable those settings in the standard video modes while retaining control over exposure, audio levels and more).

The EOS R8 II thankfully also gets Canon’s latest white balance system. Alongside inheriting the fine-grained controls from the EOS R6 V, it lets you set a custom WB without having to take a picture and go into a separate menu.

In our limited use, the autofocus system was reliable, and supports the same subject recognition modes that the camera’s stills mode does. And, as is typical for Canon, you can separate your photo and video settings quite well, even if it is a bit too easy to switch between them now that they’re assigned to the same three-position switch.

Like its predecessor, the EOS R8 II’s rolling shutter is very well-controlled across its modes, meaning you won’t have to worry about skewed lines in all but the fastest camera moves.

In use

The EOS R8 II is a camera that, for the most part, won’t present you with a lot of unpleasant surprises or asterisks. As you’d hope for a camera aimed primarily at new photographers and advanced beginners, it does its job largely without a fuss, without too much friction between you can getting the photo you want. It’s a camera designed with its audience in mind, rather than a more advanced one old enough to be sold at a more accessible price point.

With that said, it’s not like Canon has built the entire UI or menu system from the ground up, so, as with pretty much any camera, there are a few behaviors that may be a bit confusing to both newcomers and more seasoned shooters. Thankfully, the auto mode allows you to shoot in Raw… that is, unless you switch into the “Advanced” mode, which can composite multiple shots together in situations where a subject is backlit, or there’s high contrast.

Richard Butler

Outside of that mode, we appreciate Canon’s inclusion of in-camera Raw reprocessing (something that Sony omits in all of its models). However, the fact that there are actually two – a standard mode and one called “Creative Assist” – risks being a touch confusing, though you are able to choose a default.

Both are strangely disconnected from the color filter system. If you want to see what the photo you just took looks like in the camera’s new Positive Filmtone color mode, that’s too bad. Turn off Raw, go back to the part of color section of the menu, switch to the Color Filter mode, and take it again. (The camera doesn’t automatically disable Raw or offer to do it for you when you try to access one of the modes that doesn’t support it, you have to do it manually.)

Richard Butler

Canon has thankfully solved the incorrect “Enable” labeling for its AF tracking feature, but you can still find odd little things like that if you hunt for them. For example, it’s still a bit ambiguous as to whether you’re pressing the Info button to “Enable” part detection for car subject recognition, or if you’re turning it off. Still, the EOS R8 II’s menus are far from the most lost in translation that we’ve seen.

They can mostly be navigated using the dials, four-way controller, or touchscreen, though you’ll still occasionally find an area or two that only work with one or two of those options. The video selection menu is one such example, where you have to use the dials or screen to switch between the resolution, frame rate and codec sections. The latter also only has one option, making us wonder why it’s even there. Also, Canon occasionally insists on making you confirm an action by pressing the “Menu” button, turning what could’ve been a one-handed operation into a two-handed one.

We appreciate just how many options you have to customize the controls at your fingertips, using the M-Fn menu, Q menu and buttons. The layout is sensible for beginners – though it might take a second to get used to the fact that you can’t adjust exposure compensation until you’ve begun metering – but once you start figuring out what you want, you can really dive deep into finding the layout that works for you.

Initial impressions

By Richard Butler

Mitchell Clark

The EOS R8 II made rather a good first impression on me: the new design is pretty sharp, in an understated kind of way, but without undermining the ergonomics that Canon has carefully refined over multiple generations of camera. Just as with the recent PEN, I’m not a fan of the combined power/stills/video switch, but the rest of the camera feels nice.

You don’t, for a moment, think you’re getting an R6 III-level workhorse, but you’re not paying R6 III money for it. I have large enough hands that I’d definitely consider adding the optional add-on grip extension plate to stop my little finger wrapping under the bottom of the body, but it’s nice to be able to keep the camera small by omitting it, and I wouldn’t consider it an essential.

Inflation means the Mark II looks like a bigger step up than perhaps Canon intended, but the addition of in-body stabilization and an AF joystick mean you get recognizably more camera for your money and one that’s nicer to use, too.

The price essentially brings into line with the list price of Nikon’s Z5II, while also bringing the feature sets much closer to parity. Canon’s features for beginners, inherited from models such as the EOS R50 are arguably a little more powerful and hence welcoming, but they don’t necessarily provide much of a pathway across to taking full control of the camera.

Overall, then, there’s much to like, with the two biggest changes expressly addressing two of the most significant omissions of the Mark 1. However, the addition of IBIS just draws attention to the only major shortcoming that hasn’t been addressed: battery life.

Mitchell Clark

Although the R8 II promises a similar battery rating to the R8 when using the rear screen, its EVF rating is a pretty dismal 150 shots per charge. And, even if you factor-in how excessively conservative the CIPA standard numbers can be, a rating well under 200 shots per charge is going to mean having to constantly stay on top of keeping the camera charged, if you try to use it for much beyond occasional snapshots. A second battery or PD-compliant power bank would be worthwhile additions to any R8 II-based kit.

The bigger concerns, though, would be lens options, beyond the kit zoom. Canon, even more effectively than Nikon, has limited the choice of third-party AF lenses for its RF mount, making it essential to check whether the lenses you want to use are available.

Richard Butler

This was made very apparent to me when I was using the R8 II. I had access to the RF 35mm F1.8 Macro: a lens whose focus motor (and lack of AF limit switch) gives an unwelcome reminder of what 1990s-style screw-drive lenses were like, in its level of vibration and graunching, every time you half-press the shutter button. Conversely, the 85mm F1.4 VCM’s focus is swift, silent and smooth. Unfortunately, so is the movement of its aperture ring, which to me detracted from the photographic experience enough for it to constantly gnaw at me that it costs as much as this camera does. In both cases the results are excellent, and yet neither are lenses I’d choose to buy, distinctly narrowing my options in two of my favoured focal lengths.

If the lenses you want are available for the R8 II (and that may include adapting old DSLR lenses), then the R8 II is an excellent body for newcomers and first-time full-frame adopters. But, to me, being limited to the lenses Canon will let you have feels especially restrictive at the price-sensitive end of the market. Which is a shame, because the camera’s really rather good.

Conclusion

Anyone who’s used a Canon ILC won’t be surprised to find the EOS R8 II is a more-than-competent camera. Canon has been the world’s biggest camera maker for decades and that hasn’t happened by chance. Making mainstream cameras is something the company is extremely good at.

The EOS R8 II has a strong all-round feature set, pleasant ergonomics and delivers excellent stills and video. It addresses two of the biggest criticisms we had of the original R8: the absence of in-body stabilization and an AF joystick. Both additions are appreciable improvements to the new camera. Overall, it’s hard to call out major omissions that would limit a photographer’s growth.

The camera’s controls and menus are as easy to learn as those of any other companies, though that means they’ll still be a bit daunting to learn if this is your first camera. Trying to think as a beginner, it’s hard to see how the camera’s simplified, outcome-orientated Creative Assist modes and Raw processing interface would actually help you learn the camera. Likewise it feels like an odd choice to make the more exuberant color modes JPEG-only and unavailable for experimentation through the Raw conversion process: finding yourself stuck with a good photo with a poorly-chosen color response and having no way to undo it can be a really off-putting experience.

Richard Butler

At its heart, though, the EOS R8 II is an awful lot of camera, for a (by contemporary standards) pretty sensible price. The somewhat small viewfinder and need to add a grip extension if you have larger hands feel like minor gripes, all things considered.

For us, though, Canon’s aggressive control over its lens system is most acutely felt at the lower cost end of its lineup. Many EOS R8 II buyers are unlikely to be comfortable with the idea of buying lenses that cost significantly more than the body, which risks leaving them with relatively few choices. Or with the kinds of kit zooms and low-cost teles that are rarely the stuff of photographic inspiration.

Mitchell Clark

This is a personal choice, of course: if the RF-mount lenses you want are available, then the EOS R8 II is a very pleasant and capable camera, for the money. But it’s enough of a limitation that this and the rather limited battery life make it difficult for us to give a Gold award, especially given how good the competition is.

Scoring

8.8 out of 10

9.0 out of 10

9.0 out of 10

8.9 out of 10

9.3 out of 10

8.8 out of 10

9.0 out of 10

8.8 out of 10

8.3 out of 10

9.2 out of 10

8.7 out of 10

9.4 out of 10

Show all scores

Overall score

89%

Scores reflect competition at the time of release; cross-year comparisons may be misleading

Expert summary

The EOS R8 Mark II is a remarkably capable camera for the price: adding most of the key features missing from its predecessor. It's pleasant to use and leaves plenty of room to grow into.

Good for:

A wide range of photography Beginners looking for great IQ Casual action shooters and videographers

Not so good for:

Long shoots Specific, more challenging tasks Users looking to explore color modes

Reviewed on 1 hour ago

Read in-depth review

Sample gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page ). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don’t abuse it.

Canon EOS R8 II specifications