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Saturday, 10 February 2024

Ergonomic logic of the Canon EOS R8 10 February 2024

 


We can see all the R8 controls in this view except those on the side of the lens barrel.  There are enough to operate the camera efficiently. Fitting the EG-E1 grip extender makes the R8 feel like a different camera with improved holding and operation when a heavy lens is mounted

 

The EOS R8 full frame mirrorless interchangeable lens camera was announced in February 2023 two months after the R6.2 which uses the same 24Mpx sensor and autofocus system in a higher specified body.

The R8 has most of the photographic capabilities of the R6.2 but in a lighter, more compact package at  a substantially lower price point.

This makes the R8 one of the most interesting and versatile cameras on the market today.  We can think of it as having two functional modes with respect to both capability and the user experience.

In its entry level mode the R8 is light, small, moderately priced for a full frame model and not so burdened with buttons and dials and switches that it will intimidate a newcomer to the world of camera photography. 

In this mode the R8 can function very effectively as a compact camera.


The size comparison photo shows the R8 with a compact prime lens is smaller (and a whole lot less expensive) than a Leica Q2 while offering a fully ergonomic handle and thumb support, neither of which the Leica has.

It is not much larger than the Fujifilm X100V which has a smaller, APSC crop sensor and still needs an aftermarket accessory handle or thumb support or both.

In performance mode it has excellent image quality especially at high ISO sensitivity settings, super fast performance, better than most cameras on the market today at any price and super capable autofocus. Add the EG-E1 accessory grip and it feels like a different camera, with a deep handle, ready to work with any high performance lens we might wish to mount.

This post is about the ergonomic aspects of the camera however both performance and ergonomics work together to create the user experience.

In either mode the enthusiast photographer wants a camera which can be operated efficiently in Prepare and Capture Phases of use.

Prepare Phase is the minute or so during which we make changes to re-configure our camera for a new photographic situation.

Capture Phase describes the process of taking pictures. I divide this Phase into three ergonomic activities, Holding, Viewing and Operating.

In Prepare Phase the settings we might wish to alter depend on what type of photography is under way; sport. Action, landscape, astro, wedding, tabletop…..etcetera.  Photography is a broad church requiring that modern cameras can be rapidly re-configured.

The items which I want to adjust most commonly in Prepare Phase include:

Shutter mode, Image Stabiliser mode (if the lens lacks an IS switch), AF Area, AF Operation (One shot, Servo) , Subject to detect, Drive Mode.

I might occasionally want RAW Burst Mode, Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connection, Focus Bracketing and Anti-flicker shooting.

The ergonomic approach to Prepare Phase adjustments which I find most reliable is to congregate them all together in one place. In Canon-world, this is the Q Menu.

The ergonomic logic of this is that I can check 10-11 items on one screen and quickly be sure that each is set where I want it to be. When I am using a camera with many programmable buttons I disable most of them. The reason for this is that I find it much more reliable and in practice faster to have all these items in one place.

On the R8 we can have most, but unfortunately not all the above items on the Q Menu. This camera does not allow us to allocate Shutter Mode (EFCS,ES) on the Q Menu so it goes onto My Menu.

It does offer us the ability to select up to 11 items from a list of 30 and to arrange them as we wish. That is pretty good and allows us to get most items we need to adjust in Prepare Phase onto the Q Menu.

We access [Customize Quick controls] on screen 8 of the Shooting (Camera, Red) Menu. I think that item would find a more logical home on the Setup Menu.

The next task is to decide which button we should select to activate the Q Menu. By default this is the one labelled [Q Set] in the middle of the cross keys module. But that will not do at all. The R8 lacks a thumb stick so we want to be able to use the cross keys to move the active AF area and the [QSet] button to re-center the AF Area.

I allocate the [QMenu] to the AE Lock (*) button on the thumb support for quick access by the right thumb.

So now we have a camera which is set up so when I want to re-configure settings for a new photo situation I have a little 5 step routine:

1. Check Mode Dial.

2. Press Menu button, check Shutter Mode. Note, the camera has Menu Resume so the last item accessed will come up first next time we press the Menu button, even if the camera has been switched off in the meantime.

3. Press the Fn button (between the shutter button and the front control dial). I have ISO allocated to this button. Check ISO.

4. Press the (*) button to access the Q Menu and make changes as required.

5. Check the [AF/MF] and [IS ON/OFF] and  [Focus/Control]  switches on the lens barrel (Some lenses lack some of these switches, in which case these items are allocated to the Q Menu)

With practice this 5 step process can be done very quickly, ensuring we have all relevant settings ready to go.

Tough love lorikeet style


Now let us move on to Capture Phase of use which involves Holding, Viewing and Operating.

My requirements for this Phase are:

* That we have a secure, comfortable grip on the device at all times without undue need for muscle tension. In most modern cameras this is provided by a properly shaped handle and thumb support.  The R8 provides this with no problems. With a small lens mounted we can go without the EG-E1 grip to keep the kit compact. With a big lens mounted we improve holding security by fitting the EG-E1 grip. This also allows our right hand to shift down the handle a little, making the cross keys more accessible.

* We need a clear view of the subject in the viewfinder and on the monitor screen, accurate as to color and lightness, with user selectable camera data information clearly displayed.    Both the EVF and the monitor screen need to provide a sufficiently accurate preview of the effect of exposure variation to enable the need for and the effect of exposure compensation to be directly visible without the need to invoke a histogram or zebras.

The R8 EVF is not class leading as to resolution but it does not need to be. It provides a clear view of the subject which generally does meet these requirements.

* We need to be able to adjust all primary and secondary zoom, focus and exposure parameters without removing our eye from the viewfinder and without harmful disruption to our grip on the camera.

The actions required are:

* Operate zoom ring or motorised zoom control.

* Select Aperture, Shutter Speed, ISO, Exposure Compensation.

* Move active AF area to the required location and initiate focus.

* Operate the shutter.

The R8 mostly satisfies these requirements with two caveats.

The first is that without a thumb stick (a.k.a. joystick) we must use either the cross keys or the Touch and Drag feature on the touchscreen to move the AF area. Both these methods work just fine but each does disrupt grip with the right hand to the extent that the right thumb must move away from the secure position.  This is not a serious issue but a thumb stick or ergonomic equivalent such as we see on the R3 is better.

In practice the absence of a joystick on the R8 is not as much an issue as it might be on some other cameras. The reason for this is that if we want the camera to track a moving subject the usual technique is to locate the active AF area in the center of the frame (on the camera) , place it over the subject and initiate tracking with a half press on the shutter button. We can now re-compose and the camera will keep tracking the selected subject. So in many cases we don’t actually need to move the AF Area away from mid frame.

When we are doing more contemplative work such as landscape or portraiture we have plenty of time to use the cross keys with no significant disadvantage. In these and similar situations where tracking is not wanted, the AF Area tab in the QMenu has a little message which says [Info. (Tracking symbol)] Enable (which actually means enabled) or Disable (which means Disabled). Thus we can quickly toggle tracking on or off as desired.

We can also allocate [Start/stop whole area AF tracking] to a button.  I use the Movie button for this. It can be useful to disable tracking if the camera tries to initiate tracking on a still subject of unidentified type thereby sending the AF area all over the place.

The second is that the AF-ON button is simply in the wrong place.

Look at photos of the back of the RP and R8  which have AF-ON button right over on the side of the thumb support. This is entirely wrong. It is not possible to pick up or hold the camera comfortably without pressing on that button. So I have to disable it altogether.

Now check out photos of the back of the R5, R6, R7, R10. See the button has moved to the left and up a bit, closer to the joystick. I never press the AF-ON button inadvertently with these cameras but it is easy to press the button when required simply by flexing the interphalangeal joint of the thumb. 

So the user interface of R8 is not as good as it could be but is nevertheless  easy to use once we understand how to set up and operate all the available controls to best effect.

Notwithstanding all these considerations operating the  R8 is actually a very user friendly process.

We can easily adjust Shutter speed (in Tv Mode) or Aperture (in Av Mode) with the front control dial. I set the camera up so the rear control dial is used for direct exposure compensation in Av and Tv modes.  In Manual Mode the front control dial changes shutter speed, the rear control dial changes aperture and for exposure compensation in M Mode we turn the lens control ring while half pressing the shutter button.

The active AF area is moved with the cross keys or the touchpad function while viewing continuously through the viewfinder. With a bit of practice this becomes second nature and works well.

The old adage says that perfect is the enemy of good. I doubt anyone would claim the R8 is perfect but it is certainly is good enough to get the job done quickly and efficiently in just about any kind of photographic scenario.

 

Although the R8 has "only" 24 megapixels it can transfer vast amounts of detailed information from subject to image file. For this photo I used the much unpraised RF 24-105mm f4-7.1 STM kit lens which is actually rather capable if used thoughtfully


 

 



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