Canon EOS R8 Mark II Finally Gets IBIS, and a $1,899 Price Tag

Canon announced the EOS R8 Mark II on September 15, fixing the most conspicuous omission from the original R8: in-body stabilization. But Canon didn't simply add IBIS. The Mark II gets a redesigned body, an AF joystick, a larger shooting buffer, and stronger video capabilities.

The Mark II adds 5-axis IBIS, rated by Canon for up to 7.5 stops of correction at the center of the frame under its CIPA test conditions, while still weighing roughly 1.2 pounds. Canon calls it the lightest EOS body with IBIS to date.

Canon hasn't changed the imaging core, but it has substantially changed the body around it. The sensor stays the same 24.2-megapixel full-frame chip as the original R8. The most important control addition is a dedicated AF joystick, something the original R8 lacked. Electronic burst speed remains 40 fps, but Canon has expanded the buffer, claiming roughly 30% more continuous RAW frames and 58% more JPEGs than the original R8. Video gets a notable upgrade too: uncropped 4K/60p oversampled from 6K, plus Full HD at up to 180 fps with audio.

There's a consequence to all of this. At $1,899 body-only, the R8 II also moves well beyond the price territory that made the original R8 such an easy entry into Canon full frame. With the new RF24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM kit lens, it's $2,099. The R8 was compelling partly because Canon stripped away features to make full frame unusually accessible. The R8 II puts some of those features back, and moves considerably upmarket in the process.

Availability is late October. Canon also released two accessories alongside it: the EG-E2 Extension Grip ($99.99) and the Speedlite EL-5 Ver.2 flash ($379).

PetaPixel's review, based on a pre-production body, praised the new controls, grip, autofocus, and IBIS while criticizing battery life and the unchanged displays. The reviewer stopped short of detailed image-quality analysis because the test camera was pre-production.

The original R8's missing IBIS was its biggest compromise. Canon has now removed it, but also removed some of the price advantage that made the R8 so compelling. At $1,899, the question isn't whether the R8 II is a better camera. On paper, it's substantially better equipped. The harder question is whether buyers are better served by paying roughly $550 more than the original R8's $1,349 street price at the time of writing for IBIS, improved controls, and the other upgrades. We'll revisit that value equation once production cameras are widely available.