Canon R8 vs SL3

The Canon EOS R8 and the Canon EOS Rebel SL3 (labelled Canon 250D in some countries) are two digital cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in February 2023 and April 2019. The R8 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the SL3 is a DSLR. The cameras are based on a full frame (R8) and an APS-C (SL3) sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon R8		Canon SL3
Mirrorless system camera		Digital single lens reflex
Canon RF mount lenses		Canon EF mount lenses
24 MP – Full Frame sensor		24 MP – APS-C sensor
4k/60p Video		4K/25p Video
ISO 100-102,400 (100 - 204,800)		ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Optical viewfinder
3.0" LCD – 1620k dots		3.0" LCD – 1040k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Swivel touchscreen
6 shutter flaps per second		5 shutter flaps per second
220 shots per battery charge		1070 shots per battery charge
133 x 86 x 70 mm, 461 g		122 x 93 x 70 mm, 449 g

Check R8 price at
amazon.com
Check SL3 price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS R8 and the Canon EOS Rebel SL3? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Canon R8 and the Canon SL3 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three successive views from the front, the top, and the rear are shown. All width, height and depth measures are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

The SL3 can be obtained in two different colors (black, white), while the R8 is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon R8 and the Canon SL3 are of equal size. However, the SL3 is slightly lighter (3 percent) than the R8. In this context, it is worth noting that neither the R8 nor the SL3 are weather-sealed.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

The power pack in the R8 can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger along when travelling.

The following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon R8	133 mm	86 mm	70 mm	461 g	220	n	Feb 2023	EUR 1 799	amazon.com
2.		Canon SL3	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	EUR 549	amazon.com
3.		Canon 77D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	540 g	600	n	Feb 2017	EUR 899	ebay.com
4.		Canon 200D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	EUR 599	ebay.com
5.		Canon 2000D	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	EUR 499	amazon.com
6.		Canon G1 X Mark III	115 mm	78 mm	51 mm	399 g	200	Y	Oct 2017	EUR 1 199	ebay.com
7.		Canon M5	116 mm	89 mm	61 mm	427 g	295	n	Sep 2016	EUR 1 129	ebay.com
8.		Canon M6	112 mm	68 mm	45 mm	390 g	295	n	Feb 2017	EUR 799	ebay.com
9.		Canon M50	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	390 g	235	n	Feb 2018	EUR 779	ebay.com
10.		Canon M50 Mark II	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	387 g	305	n	Oct 2020	EUR 599	ebay.com
11.		Canon R10	123 mm	88 mm	83 mm	429 g	450	n	May 2022	EUR 979	amazon.com
12.		Canon RP	133 mm	85 mm	70 mm	485 g	250	n	Feb 2019	EUR 1 499	amazon.com
13.		Canon SL2	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	EUR 599	ebay.com
14.		Canon T7	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	EUR 499	amazon.com
15.		Canon T8i	131 mm	103 mm	76 mm	515 g	800	n	Feb 2020	EUR 899	ebay.com
16.		Sony NEX-7	120 mm	67 mm	43 mm	400 g	430	n	Aug 2011	EUR 1 199	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will obviously take relative prices into account. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The SL3 was launched at a markedly lower price (by 60 percent) than the R8, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down.

Sensor comparison

The size of the sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be more expensive and lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon R8 features a full frame sensor and the Canon SL3 an APS-C sensor. The sensor area in the SL3 is 61 percent smaller. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.0 and 1.6. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

In terms of chip-set technology, the R8 uses a more advanced image processing engine (DIGIC X) than the SL3 (DIGIC 8), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

Even though the R8 has a larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 24 megapixels. This implies that the R8 has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 5.98μm versus 3.72μm for the SL3), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. In addition, the R8 is much more recent (by 3 years and 10 months) than the SL3, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The Canon EOS R8 has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 102400, which can be extended to ISO 100-204800. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS Rebel SL3 are ISO 100 to ISO 25600, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-51200.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon R8	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4k/60p	24.5	14.7	3295	93
2.		Canon SL3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
3.		Canon 77D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.3	971	78
4.		Canon 200D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
5.		Canon 2000D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	11.9	1009	71
6.		Canon G1 X Mark III	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.8	13.2	1649	81
7.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262	77
8.		Canon M6	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.6	1317	78
9.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
10.		Canon M50 Mark II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.6	1939	83
11.		Canon R10	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/60p	24.1	13.8	2085	84
12.		Canon RP	Full Frame	26.0	6240	4160	4K/30p	24.3	11.9	2977	85
13.		Canon SL2	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
14.		Canon T7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
15.		Canon T8i	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.5	1873	83
16.		Sony NEX-7	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60i	24.1	13.4	1016	81
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras cannot only take still pictures, but also record videos. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the R8 provides a higher frame rate than the SL3. It can shoot video footage at 4k/60p, while the SL3 is limited to 4K/25p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the R8 has an electronic viewfinder (2360k dots), while the SL3 has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinder in the R8 offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the SL3 (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the R8 has a higher magnification (0.70x vs 0.54x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon R8, the Canon SL3, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon R8	2360	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	n	n
2.		Canon SL3	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
3.		Canon 77D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
4.		Canon 200D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon 2000D	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon G1 X Mark III	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/2000s	9.0/s	Y	Y
7.		Canon M5	2360	n	3.2 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon M6	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon M50	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon M50 Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon R10	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/8000s	15.0/s	Y	n
12.		Canon RP	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
13.		Canon SL2	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
14.		Canon T7	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
15.		Canon T8i	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	7.5/s	Y	n
16.		Sony NEX-7	2359	n	3.0 / 921	tilting	n	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The SL3 has one, while the R8 does not. While the built-in flash of the SL3 is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the R8 is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Canon R8 and the Canon SL3 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the R8 and the SL3 write their files to SDXC cards. The R8 supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the SL3 can use UHS-I cards (up to 104 MB/s).

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS R8 and Canon EOS Rebel SL3 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon R8	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
2.		Canon SL3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
3.		Canon 77D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
4.		Canon 200D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
5.		Canon 2000D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Canon G1 X Mark III	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Canon M5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
8.		Canon M6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
9.		Canon M50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
10.		Canon M50 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Canon R10	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
12.		Canon RP	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
13.		Canon SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
14.		Canon T7	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
15.		Canon T8i	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
16.		Sony NEX-7	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the R8 has a headphone jack, which is not present on the SL3 This port makes it possible to attach external headphones and monitor the quality of sound during the recording process.

Both the R8 and the SL3 are recent models that are part of the current product line-up. The SL3 replaced the earlier Canon SL2, while the R8 does not have a direct predecessor. Further information on the features and operation of the R8 and SL3 can be found, respectively, in the Canon R8 Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon SL3 Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon R8 and the Canon SL3? Which camera is better? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS R8:

• Better image quality: Features a larger and more technologically advanced imaging sensor.
• Richer colors: The sensor size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
• More dynamic range: Larger sensor captures a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Larger sensor produces good images even in poorly lit environments.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (DIGIC X vs DIGIC 8).
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (4k/60p versus 4K/25p).
• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.70x vs 0.54x).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1620k vs 1040k dots).
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (6 vs 5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can take a broad range of non-native lenses via adapters.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.2 vs 2.0).
• Faster buffer clearing: Supports a more advanced SD data transfer standard (UHS-II vs UHS-I).
• More modern: Reflects 3 years and 10 months of technical progress since the SL3 launch.

Advantages of the Canon EOS Rebel SL3:

• Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (1070 versus 220) out of a single battery charge.
• Easier fill-in: Has a small integrated flash to brighten shadows of backlit subjects.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (60 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in April 2019).

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the R8 is the clear winner of the match-up (18 : 5 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional sports photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a street photog, and a person interested in family portraits has distinct needs from a landscape shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon R8 and the Canon SL3 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best DSLR Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the R8 and the SL3 in practical situations. User reviews, such as those found at amazon, can sometimes inform about these issues, but such feedback is often incomplete, inconsistent, and biased.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon R8	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	87/100	4/5	4.5/5	Feb 2023	EUR 1 799	amazon.com
2.		Canon SL3	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	EUR 549	amazon.com
3.		Canon 77D	4.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	EUR 899	ebay.com
4.		Canon 200D	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	EUR 599	ebay.com
5.		Canon 2000D	3/5	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	EUR 499	amazon.com
6.		Canon G1 X Mark III	5/5	+	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2017	EUR 1 199	ebay.com
7.		Canon M5	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2016	EUR 1 129	ebay.com
8.		Canon M6	..	..	..	80/100	4/5	4/5	Feb 2017	EUR 799	ebay.com
9.		Canon M50	..	+	4/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	Feb 2018	EUR 779	ebay.com
10.		Canon M50 Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	3.5/5	Oct 2020	EUR 599	ebay.com
11.		Canon R10	4/5	..	4.5/5	87/100	4/5	4.5/5	May 2022	EUR 979	amazon.com
12.		Canon RP	4/5	+	4/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2019	EUR 1 499	amazon.com
13.		Canon SL2	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	EUR 599	ebay.com
14.		Canon T7	..	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	EUR 499	amazon.com
15.		Canon T8i	4.5/5	+	3/5	80/100	4/5	3.5/5	Feb 2020	EUR 899	ebay.com
16.		Sony NEX-7	5/5	+ +	..	81/100	4.5/5	5/5	Aug 2011	EUR 1 199	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. A score, therefore, has to be seen in close connection to the price and market introduction time of the camera, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

Check R8 price at
amazon.com
Check SL3 price at
amazon.com

Other camera comparisons

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