Canon-EOS-R8-Mark-II

Canon U.S.A. has announced the EOS R8 Mark II. The company says it’s the lightest EOS camera with In-Body Image Stabilization (IBIS). The body measures roughly 5.17 x 3.54 x 3.13 inches, and its styling borrows from classic Canon camera design.

Inside is a 24.2-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor, with standard ISO reaching 102400 for low-light shooting. Canon says the core imaging systems come from its top-tier professional models. The 5-axis IBIS works together with lens stabilization and includes a mode that reduces blur at the edges of the frame on wide-angle lenses. Canon has also added a multi-controller.

Autofocus runs on Dual Pixel CMOS AF II. It covers 100% of the frame and tracks people, animals and vehicles. Canon says it tracks subjects more closely than the original EOS R8, and the camera adds a Register people priority feature.

Shooting speed went up too. The electronic shutter fires at up to 40 frames per second. An optional pre-continuous mode captures up to 20 frames before the shutter button is fully pressed. Uninterrupted JPEG bursts are 58% longer than on the original R8, and RAW bursts are 30% longer.

On the video side, the camera records uncropped 4K 60p oversampled from 6K, plus uncropped Full HD at 180p with Slow and Fast Mode. Wi-Fi 6 speeds up wireless transfers. Live streaming works over USB-C or HDMI, or wirelessly through the Canon Camera Connect and Live Switcher Mobile apps.

For newcomers, there’s Scene Intelligent Auto with Creative Assist, 14 SCN modes and 16 color filters, including new Negative Filmtone and Positive Filmtone settings.

Canon also announced new accessories. The EG-E2 Extension Grip attaches with a turn-dial and gives a taller grip and better balance with larger lenses, without blocking the battery or tripod mount. The Speedlite EL-5 Ver.2 flash has a longer communication range than the first version and recycles to full power in 1.2 seconds.

A free Windows app, Dual Pixel 3D Converter, can build a 3D photo, a 3D model without a background, or a 3D video clip from a single image. It works with Dual Pixel RAW images from compatible Canon cameras, and with JPEGs shot on the R8 Mark II that include distance information.

The EOS R8 Mark II body is expected in late October at an estimated $1,899, or $2,099 in a kit with the RF24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM lens. The EG-E2 grip ($99.99) and the Speedlite EL-5 Ver.2 ($379) are also expected in late October.