Same 24.2 megapixels, same 1,053-zone autofocus, same single SD slot, and Canon lists both bodies as dust- and water-resistant. The Mark II adds in-body stabilisation and a deeper 40 fps buffer, and it weighs 85 g more.
Updated: October 2026
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Choose if: you shoot handheld with unstabilised lenses, or want 20 frames of pre-capture and a deeper buffer at 40 fps.
Choose if: your lenses are stabilised or you work on a tripod or gimbal anyway, and you would rather carry 85 g less for the same sensor resolution, autofocus and 4K60.
| Spec | Canon R8 II | Canon R8 |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 24MP FF | 24MP FF |
| Video | 4K60 | 4K60 |
| AF Points | 1053 zones | Dual Pixel II |
| Burst | 40 fps | 40 fps |
| IBIS | 7.5 stops | None |
| Buy | Check price at Amazon | Check price at Amazon |
| Specification | Canon EOS R8 Mark II | Canon EOS R8 |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 24.2MP full-frame CMOS, 36.0 x 24.0 mm | 24.2MP full-frame CMOS, 35.9 x 23.9 mm |
| In-body stabilisation | Up to 7.5 stops centre / 7.0 periphery (CIPA 2024, with the RF 24-105mm F2.8 L IS USM Z at 105 mm) | None (digital IS only) |
| Burst | 40 fps electronic, 6 fps electronic first curtain | 40 fps electronic, 6 fps electronic first curtain |
| Buffer at 40 fps | 190 JPEG / 73 RAW | 120 JPEG / 56 RAW |
| Autofocus | 1,053 zones, down to EV −7.5 | 1,053 zones, down to EV −6.5 |
| 4K video | Up to 59.94p, full width, from 6K | Up to 60p, full width, from 6K |
| Full HD | Up to 179.82p | Up to 180p |
| Sealing | Dust- and water-resistant | Dust- and water-resistant |
| Card slot | 1x SD UHS-II | 1x SD UHS-II |
| Viewfinder | 2.36M-dot OLED, 0.70x, up to 120 fps | 2.36M-dot OLED, 0.70x, 120 fps |
| Battery (LP-E17, CIPA, 23 °C) | 340 shots screen / 220 viewfinder (power-saving mode) | 370 shots screen / 220 viewfinder |
| Weight | 546 g with card and battery | 461 g with card and battery |
Spec figures from the makers: Canon EOS R8 Mark II (canon-europe.com, checked 16 Oct 2026) · Canon EOS R8 (canon-europe.com, checked 25 Sept 2026)
The R8 has no sensor-shift stabilisation; it relies on lens IS and digital IS. The Mark II moves the sensor, and Canon rates it at up to 7.5 stops in the centre and 7.0 at the edges.
That figure comes with a condition: Canon measured it with the RF 24-105mm F2.8 L IS USM Z at 105 mm, a lens with its own stabiliser. It describes body and lens together, and Canon publishes no body-only number. What is not in doubt is the direction. With an unstabilised prime, the R8 has nothing steadying the frame and the Mark II does.
Winner: R8 Mark II, by having stabilisation at all.
Canon lists the same two shutter modes for both: electronic first curtain at 6 fps and fully electronic at 40 fps. The difference is how long the 40 fps burst lasts. Canon gives 190 JPEG or 73 RAW frames for the Mark II and 120 JPEG or 56 RAW for the R8.
The Mark II also lists pre-continuous shooting: in H+ mode it keeps the 20 frames before the shutter button is fully pressed. Neither Canon sheet gives a sensor readout time, so how the two compare on rolling-shutter distortion in the electronic mode is not something the specifications answer.
Winner: R8 Mark II, on buffer depth and pre-capture.
Canon lists both bodies as dust- and water-resistant, as long as the covers, the shoe cover included, are fitted, and it describes both bodies as mainly magnesium alloy.
Both take the LP-E17. Canon rates the Mark II at 340 shots on the screen and 220 through the viewfinder, in power-saving mode at 23 °C; for the R8 it gives 370 and 220. The Mark II weighs 546 g with card and battery, 85 g more than the R8's 461 g. Both write to a single SD UHS-II slot.
Winner: R8, for weight and the screen battery rating. Canon lists both as dust- and water-resistant.
On the headline numbers the two match: 4K at up to 60p across the full sensor width, oversampled from 6K, and Full HD up to 180p. For the Mark II, Canon also lists Canon Log 3 and HDR PQ, 10-bit 4:2:2 over HDMI with either, and a clip limit of six hours below 100 fps unless overheating stops the recording first. Canon publishes no overheating times.
The practical gap for video is stabilisation again: handheld clips on the R8 depend on lens IS and digital IS, on the Mark II the sensor moves as well.
Winner: R8 Mark II for handheld work; otherwise even.
Canon does not say. Both have 24.2 megapixels at 6000 x 4000. Canon prints 36.0 x 24.0 mm for the Mark II and 35.9 x 23.9 mm for the R8, which on its own is not evidence of either the same sensor or a new one.
Both use the LP-E17. Canon notes that USB charging in the Mark II does not work with batteries the camera cannot authenticate.
Canon lists electronic first curtain and fully electronic modes for both, and states for the Mark II that it has no mechanical first curtain. The electronic first curtain runs at 6 fps on both.
Canon Germany lists it as available from 20 October 2026.
For handheld work: the R8 Mark II. In-body stabilisation is the one thing the R8 cannot add later.
For stabilised lenses and lighter kit: the R8 keeps the same resolution, autofocus zones and 4K60, 85 g lighter.
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