The Canon EOS R8 is a great camera for enthusiasts. It takes the compact, light and user-friendly body of the EOS RP but crams in pretty much all the high-tech processing, autofocus and video tech of the much bigger Canon EOS R6 Mark II.
The Canon R8 is not the cheapest full frame mirrorless camera in the Canon range – that's the EOS RP. But the EOS R8's combination of power, performance and price are still very affordable and enough to make it one of the best Canon cameras today.
There is just one thing in particular, however, that the EOS R8 does not have, and that's in-body stabilization. Given its huge power and performance in other respects, that's hardly a huge price to pay – but it does mean you should be a little more selective when choosing lenses. We've given priority to lenses that incorporate Canon's IS image stabilization, though we wouldn't rule out non-stabilized lenses either. The EOS R8 has excellent noise control, and we wouldn't hesistate to ramp up the ISO setting to get 'safe' shutter speeds in poor light.
Other thinks we're looking for in this selection are affordable pricing and light weight. The EOS R8 itself is a pretty inexpensive camera for what it offers, and extremely light and compact too, so we reckon users will look for similar qualities in the lenses they choose to go with it.
And there's plenty of choice. The best Canon RF lenses can get pretty expensive, but Canon also makes a lot of very affordable 'consumer' lenses which are also very good. You'll find a lot of them in our list.
You will also find frequent complaints from use about a lack of weather sealing and lens hoods being a pricey extra. This goes with the territory, alas, and reflects these lenses' highly competitive prices.
That aside, these are great lenses for Canon R8 owners, and at prices that might be a pleasant surprise if you've been shopping around other camera brands.
On with the list!
Best lenses for the Canon R8 in 2023
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It's not hard to find compact full frame mirrorless cameras like the EOS R8, but it can be hard to find a kit lens that matches the size of the body. That's where the Canon RF 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM comes in. Like a whole series of compact retracting kit lenses from other makers, it does compromise on zoom range and maximum aperture, but it does give EOS R8 owners a walkaround kit lens that is as compact and light as the camera itself. The 2x 24-50mm zoom range means you lose out a little for longer focal lengths, and the f/4.5-6.3 maximum aperture range is on the mean side too, but this is an inexpensive and lightweight lens that delivers better optical performance than you might expect. If you're considering getting an EOS R8, then for the small additional outlay, this compact kit lens is practically a no-brainer. One word of warning though – like many modern lenses, this one relies on digital corrections. These happen automatically with in-camera JPEGs, but with raw files you'll need raw software that has a suitable correction profile. Lightroom does, for example, while Capture One does not.
If the Canon RF 24-50mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM doesn't offer the range you need, take a look at the Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM instead. This is normally sold separately or with the Canon EOS RP, but it's a great lens for the EOS R8, too. The f/4-7.1 maximum aperture might look a little mean, but the built in IS is very effective and helps make up for that. The advantages of this lens are its low cost, light weight, compactness and unexpectedly good image quality. There is a more expensive Canon RF 24-104mm f/4 lens you might want to consider which offers Canon's L-series build and image quality, but it does cost more than twice as much and is a bigger lens that might not balance quite as well on the compact EOS R8 body.
One of the great things about the Canon EOS R system is that it includes a lot of very affordable non-professional lenses which are also rather good. The Canon RF consumer lenses are significantly cheaper than those from other brands. This makes the ultra-wide Canon RF 15-30mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM especially effective. This would make a great lens for travel, interiors and landscapes, combining very wide angles of view with lightweight build with a very competitive price for a full-frame lens of this type. It even has image stabilization built in, which will be an advantage on the EOS R8, which doesn't have IBIS. The maximum aperture is a little limited at f/4.5-6.3, but it's easy to forgive that given this lens's price and portability.
The fast burst speed and powerful AF of the EOS R8 make it a great camera for sports and wildlife photography, and Canon has just the lens for this. The Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM has a 4x zoom range, which is great when shooting subjects at varying sizes and distances, and while the maximum aperture range is modest, especially at 400mm, this helps keep the lens light and portable – and affordable too. Be aware, though, that there's no weather sealing, so if you do expect to be standing in rain-soaked fields for hours on end waiting for wary wildlife, then it might be wise to save up for one of Canon's premium L-series telephotos instead. But for casual animal or sports fans, this is a terrific 'starter' lens to help develop a hobby.
Canon did get a bit of criticism when it launched this lens and its companion 800mm f/11 optic. It's the fixed f/11 aperture that caused all the controversy, with many users assuming it would be way to dim for usable shutter speeds. Not at all! This is a lens that you have to try in order to appreciate it. On a DSLR that f/11 aperture would produce a very dim viewfinder image, but a mirrorless camera like the EOS R8 has an electronic viewfinder that responds automatically to produce an image as bright as if you were using a much faster lens. The stabilization is very effective and the optical quality is very good too – and where else will you get a 600mm supertelephoto prime at this price? The Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM is not exactly small, but it's very light for a lens of this focal length and can be used handheld without straining your arms.
Prime lenses are making a comeback. This is especially true for full frame cameras like the EOS R8, where the larger sensor size inevitably means that zoom lenses are pretty big too. And amongst prime lenses, the 35mm focal length is one of the most popular, especially for fans of travel and street photography, where its semi-wide angle of view is ideal for a range of subjects. The Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM also has a fast f/1.8 maximum aperture ideal for low-light shooting in bad weather, in dark interiors or at night. It goes further than other 35mm prime lenses, though, but adding image stabilization (though we don't find this as effective as Canon claims) and a half life-size 'macro' capability that lets you focus much closer than normal with this kind of lens. Best of all, the RF 35mm f/1.8 Macro IS STM is not expensive, and it's small enough and light enough to easily carry in a pocket or a corner of your camera bag.
A 50mm lens is reckoned to give a field of view closest to that of the human eye and is often suggested as the best 'standard' lens. Be that as it may, camera makers have long included an inexpensive 50mm f/1.8 lens in their line-ups, including Canon. There's nothing cheap about the build quality or the optical performance of the Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM, though. It has a metal mounting plate, smooth controls and a recessed front element that means you don't need a lens hood – which is just as well because, as with so many of its lower cost lenses, Canon makes you pay extra to get one. This lens has no image stabilization, but then we wouldn't expect it in a 50mm prime lens. What it does have is a compact, lightweight design, strong optical quality and a price tag which makes it hard to resist.
If you're a wedding, events or portrait photographer, an 85mm 'portrait' lens is bound to be on your shopping list, ideally one with a maximum aperture of f/1.4, or f/1.8 if necessary. The Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM looks like it falls slightly short in that respect, but honestly, even at f/2 the depth of field is extremely shallow, with terrific background blur. Besides, this lens has another trick up its sleeve – a 0.5x close-focusing 'macro' capability that means you can be photographing the bride and groom one moment and a close-up of the ring the next, and without swapping lenses. The RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM is more versatile than the average 'portrait' lens, then. It's also a lot lighter and cheaper and, thanks to its in-built image stabilization, a great companion for the EOS R8.
