I will be renting R8, R7, R6 ii

[eninja]

I will have the gear during 4/30 to 5/7 2025
My objectives:

1. Check if `R8` viewfinder is good enough
2. Check if `R7` viewfinder is good
3. Normal lens of R8 rf24-50
4. Normal lens of R7 rf-s 10-18 (instead of RF-S 14-30mm f/4-6.3 IS STM PZ)
5. Check if `R6` viewfinder is worth it
6. See if rf24mm1.8 is good in R7

I came from 6D, which have large optical viewfinder.
I am after of fun using it (referring to large viewfinder) over image quality, since IQ is overkill for smart phone viewing.
I am after of compact vs walking around holding a bulky camera with long protruding lens.

My intended use, family group picture against holiday sceneries street shots.
I am looking for wide angle, don't need background separation.
When candid, I like to get background separation.

I will post my feedback.
And let me know if you guys have particular comparison you wanted to find out.

 

[HeavyPiper]

I had the 6D Mark II before getting the R5, It took some time for me to understand viewfinder is what the sensor is seeing. I would not go back.

 

[Del Paso]

I had the 6D Mark II before getting the R5, It took some time for me to understand viewfinder is what the sensor is seeing. I would not go back.

The huge advantage for me, when shooting "M", what I always do, is that the exposure meter becomes redundant. You immediately see the final result, and can correct it when needed. For critical situations yet, like high contrast ones, I do rely on spot-metering.
It was a less reliable method with the low definition EOS R's EVF, but works perfectly with the excellent EVFs in the R1, R3, R5 or R5 II. And hopefully the R6 III...

 

[john1970]

The EVF in the R8 is 0.39 inches with 2.36 million dots; the EVF in the R6 MKII is 0.5 inches with 3.69 million dots. With that said, the Canon R8 combined with the 28 mm pancake lens makes for a small compact FF travel camera.

 

[dcm]

I moved from the 6d/6dm2/1dx2 to r8,r7,r6m2 along with the M series for several years. The M series introduced me to optical viewfinders so I had already adjusted to the optical/digital differences. The subsequent move to the R series was easy and an improvement over the M series. I find the D series viewfinders antiquated now and much prefer the R series.

The r8 and r6m2 get most of my use on a variety of lenses: RF 15-30 4.5-6.3, RF 24-105 f 4-7.1, RF 24 1.8, RF 28 2.8, RF 28-70 2.8, RF 50 1.8, RF 85 2, RF 100-400, and RF 800. I'm carrying a lighter load these days (age, ...) and find the low/mid range lenses fit nicely for this purpose. I only use the R7 for reach with the long telephotos so no RF-S lenses. I often resample the R7 images to 50% to get better photos so it seems to be a tossup with the r6m2 which I seldom need to resample. I haven't tried the shorter lenses on the R7 yet so no feedback on the 24. I'm quite happy with it on the R8/R6m2. I'm spoiled. I've mostly shot FF over the years starting with film in the 70s so my workflow may favor that over the APS-C sensors, but I still give the R7 a workout from time to time to get better at it. It would be the first camera I would part with, possibly for a new, much improved version.

The R8 and RF 28 is the lightest carry option and fits in a large jacket pocket, but I find it a bit limiting at times. So depending on whether I think I will need shorter or longer, I use the 15-30 or the 28-70 with the R8. My 13 liter camera pack usually carries the R8, 15-30, and 28-70 along with the R6m2, RF 100-400, and one other lens like the 24 or 85. I have another bag with the 800, 24-105 and R7 which I can swap with the R6m2.

My daughter moved from my old 6D with EF 17-40 f4, 24-104 f4, and 70-200 F4 to an R6 with RF 24-240 and is quite happy not changing lenses anymore. No complaints about the viewfinder. She was happy to see the final image in the viewfinder when she shot rather than reviewing with the play button. The button and joystick changes took more time to get used to.

 

[eninja]

The EVF in the R8 is 0.39 inches with 2.36 million dots; the EVF in the R6 MKII is 0.5 inches with 3.69 million dots. With that said, the Canon R8 combined with the 28 mm pancake lens makes for a small compact FF travel camera.

But there are other evf specs that need to be consider. Look at evf spec from canon website: The magnification and angle of view. The main reason why I am renting all 3.
snip: R7 has mgnification of ~ 1x, while r6ii ~0.70x. I'll find out tomorrow the real world effect.

 

[neuroanatomist]

But there are other evf specs that need to be consider. Look at evf spec from canon website: The magnification and angle of view. The main reason why I am renting all 3.
snip: R7 has mgnification of ~ 1x, while r6ii ~0.70x. I'll find out tomorrow the real world effect.

Look a little closer at the specs. The R7 is 1.15x, the R6II is 0.76x. Viewfinder magnification is relative to sensor size. An APS-C sensor with 1.15x VF magnification is equivalent to a FF sensor with 0.72x VF magnification. So the R6II viewfinder is slightly larger. For comparison, the R1 has a 0.9x magnification and I can tell you from experience that its VF is big, bright and beautiful.

Sorry, I don’t get how ‘angle of view’ applies to a MILC viewfinder. Yes, there’s a spec for it, based on a 50mm lens. What it’s really measuring is coverage and I believe (though I could be wrong) that most if not all MILCs have 100% coverage. It mattered in DSLR days and even more in film days, when cheaper cameras sometimes had 90% or less coverage, meaning that funky thing you thought wouldn’t be in the picture because you didn’t see it at the edge of the frame in the VF actually ended up in the picture. EVFs are basically WYSIWYG.

 

[eninja]

What it’s really measuring is coverage

Oh shoot, i though it implies how close the evf screen to the eye piece making evf appear larger on r7 and r6ii.. silly me. I'll get my impression in due time.

 

[koenkooi]

But there are other evf specs that need to be consider. Look at evf spec from canon website: The magnification and angle of view. The main reason why I am renting all 3.
snip: R7 has mgnification of ~ 1x, while r6ii ~0.70x. I'll find out tomorrow the real world effect.

EVFs really have to be experienced in real life. For example, the M50 and RP shared the same screen inside the EVF, but had vastly different optics in front of it.

For me, the R8 EVF is "good enough", I only notice the (lack of) resolution right after I use the R5II, it doesn't elicit strong feelings from me either way. Same for the R7 EVF, it never bothered me, but it also didn't stand out.

 

[eninja]

Thank you for the input.
This past month, I had continuous argument with myself on which camera get.
My FL sweet spot is 20mm to 30mm, for group pictures.
I love DoF and wide EVF that full frame brings, but shorter lens is also a must.
RF24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM will work on r8, but R8 share the same EVF dot with R50 which is too small for my liking.
RF-S14-30mm F4-6.3 IS STM PZ is perfect if proved to have way larger EVF than R8
then there is r6ii which is heaviest.

From Canon USA Website:

Camera	Dots (M)	Magnification	Angle of View (deg)
R50	2.36	0.96	28
R10	2.36	0.95	28
R7	2.36	1.15	33
R8	2.36	0.7	33
R6ii	3.69	0.76	35.2

 

[candyman]

the R8 EVF is "good enough"

Agree. I only had some annoyance with the EVF blackout when photographing animals and birds. But if you are familiar with it, you can take it somewhat into account.

 

[eninja]

I notice no difference at all between R7, R8, and R6ii EVFs. Magnifications, angle of view, pretty much the same, but want to note that R6ii is a bit brighter and sharper. - though I am pretty sure, EVF of R50 looks smaller and undesirable (it have same specs with R8 and R7).

I've got asian, average skinny hand, R8 is light and fits perfectly when holding it one handed, I am sure I won't drop it, even if I relax my hand a bit.
I can say the opposite with R7, R6ii. They are heavier than I like, and really need to grab firm.

I don't like the RF 24-50, it is short only when in keep position, but stays longer in shooting position throughout the range.

Finally, I put a nail to my gear dilemma.
I bought R8 with RF28mm pancake.
I plan to buy Powershot V1 when it re-stock.

 

[AlanF]

You have been true to your initial objectives. However, I was surprised that the actual performance of the camera was not one of them, just the feel of the camera and the viewfinder being the only considerations. But, on reflection that probably is the case for many, if not most, as they all perform more than well enough for general use.

 

[ZephyrWentworth]

From April 30 to May 7, 2025, I’ll test Canon gear focusing on viewfinders of the R8, R7, and R6. I’ll compare lenses: RF 24-50 on R8, RF-S 10-18 on R7, and test the RF 24mm f/1.8 on R7. Coming from a 6D, I prioritize fun with a large viewfinder and compact size for family and street shots over extreme image quality. Engaging in online courses requires consistent participation. I relied on Academized to write my discussion board post and found their service efficient and professional. Their experts at https://academized.com/write-my-discussion-board-post created well-written posts that matched course requirements perfectly.