Nikon Z8 VS Canon EOS R5: A Full Comparison Review (2024)

Both the Nikon Z8 and Canon EOS R5 provide the best of their respective brand’s flagships in smaller bodies and at a much more affordable price. They’re great options for those who want the latest autofocus performance and exceptional photo and video capabilities but don’t necessarily want to splurge on the top-level cameras. We look at the key standout features of both these cameras and how they compare against each other.

If the Nikon Z9 or the Canon EOS R3 are priced out of our reach, these two cameras are probably the next best options for you. Both the Nikon Z8 and Canon EOS R5 can be considered baby flagships. They have almost all of the best features of their big brothers and can churn out stunning images when used correctly. Let’s look at what we felt about both of these during our tests with them. While we enjoyed our Nikon Z8 testing experience, we did feel it should have been released earlier than it did. In our review, we said:

“The Nikon z8 is a camera that many photographers have been waiting for. In some ways, it feels like a camera that should’ve come out last year. “…all this is a long way of saying that the big three companies more or less do things so similarly,” is what we stated in our first impressions report. And overall, I still kind of agree. With that said, you can’t really go wrong with the Nikon z8. It’s a good old reliable camera that can do a job very well. Photojournalists, portrait photographers, wedding photographers, sports photographers, wildlife photographers, event photographers, and so many others will be very happy with the results you get.”

The Canon EOS R5 delighted us in many ways. It’s arguably the best value-for-money camera from Canon aimed at professionals. Our review noted that:

“The Canon EOS R5 is a fantastic camera in pretty much every regard. It does everything that photographers want it to do. If you want good colors, this camera boasts that ability. If you want good dynamic range, the Canon EOS R5 delivers if you just know how to meter a scene. If you’re looking for fantastic autofocus, we can’t find a major fault with the Canon EOS R5 within reason. The camera can take so much abuse and keep snapping images. Not only is the camera reliable, but it’s also very capable.”

Innovations

What’s innovative in these two cameras?

There’s nothing particularly innovative that the Nikon Z8 or the Canon EOS R5 bring to the table. Many of the features in there already exist in higher-end models from their brands’ lineups. If anything, they do manage to get these features across to consumers and fans at a slightly lower price, at the cost of a few other features.

Ergonomics

A look at the ergonomic highlights these two cameras sport.

Beefier Than Most

The Nikon Z8 is the largest Nikon mirrorless camera to not have a built-in battery grip. This means the hand grip is more than suitable for those with large hands. This wasn’t the case on their Z6 and Z7 series of cameras. Even for my small hands, I had to always have an L bracket on them to ensure my pinky finger had something to comfortably hold on to. What’s interesting here is the additional button at the bottom of the Nikon Z8. You can use this like an autofocus joystick when holding the camera in portrait orientation mode. There’s no raised dial on the top of the Nikon Z8 like on the Nikon Z9. The LCD here also tilts out precisely like the one on the Z9 does.

A Modern Classic

The Canon EOS R5 inherits many of the ergonomic marvels we used to drool over in their 5D series. It’s noticeably smaller and lighter than the Nikon Z8. There’s no magic touchbar on the EOS R5 like on the EOS R. Instead, it’s been replaced by a joystick. The hinge of the variable angle LCD prevents any buttons from being placed to the camera’s left. Canon makes some of the best grips of any camera, and the EOS R5 is no different. We only wish that the dial on the back was a little bigger. That and the unorthodox placement of the joystick.

Build Quality

Our build quality tests can seem brutal. Especially weather sealing tests. But really, we’re just checking to see if manufacturers are sticking to their self-proclaimed weather ratings.

Not As Heavy As You’d Expect

The weight benefit of the Nikon mirrorless system is due to its lightweight lenses. And the extra few grams in the Nikon Z8 (compared to the Z6/Z7 series) isn’t quite noticeable thanks to this. It’s also fantastic that the Z8 has the exact shutter-down mechanism when you change lenses to protect your sensor from dust. Of course, this isn’t an actual shutter, as the Z8, like the Z9, utilizes only an electronic shutter to take images.

Rock Solid Performer

The weather resistance of the beefy EOS R5 is stellar, but this is best when paired with the weather-resistant L-series lenses from Canon. You may experience a bit of overheating after recording video for close to 30 minutes or so. But the same wasn’t observed during our five-hour timelapse test with the Canon EOS R5. Photo or video, expect this camera to perform flawlessly for a long time.

Ease Of Use

The Nikon Z8 has almost all the features of the Nikon Z9 and all the usefulness of it. But there were some quirks we noticed. One of our biggest problems with it was the inability to assign a custom button to change the subject detection mode quickly. We did figure out a workaround that you can read here. Hopefully, a future firmware update can fix this. Something I enjoyed when using this camera is the variable angle tilting LCD; I hope this feature can trickle down to future models. The menu system is distinctly familiar and user-friendly.

Canon has had the best menu system for a while now, and the one on the R5 is understandably great. If you’re new to the Canon system, you’ll need to navigate through a bit. We’re huge fans of the image stabilization in the R5. A 4-second image at 105mm was taken handheld and produced very little visible shake. For a handheld 4-second exposure, that’s nuts. We’re not kidding – take a look right here. Zoom in to see the results better; there’s no noticeable blur on the model’s face. With more recent firmware updates, you also received the ability to tether the EOS R5 to Capture One. Canon also added vehicle detection autofocus capabilities and IBIS High-Resolution Shooting modes, among other valuable features.

Autofocus Comparison

The autofocus performance often makes or breaks your decision to buy a camera. Here’s what these two great cameras have to offer in this department.

The Nikon Z8 Has All The AF Power Of The Z9 IN A Smaller Body

Autofocus tracking in meager light is the best we’ve seen in any Nikon camera. In good lighting, it’s terrific. And that’s due to the Expeed 7 processor’s magic, something that the Z6/7 series of cameras miss out on. It’s got a 120 fps (jpeg only, however) stills frame rate and also all the awesomeness of pre-capture. You’d be hard-pressed to see many missed frames with moving subjects with the Nikon Z8. It’s excellent for several subjects, as there are various AF subject detection modes available in this camera. In short, throw anything at it, and you will return with more than a handful of excellent frames.

On Par With The Best Now

Since the EOS R5 received the firmware update 1.4, its autofocus performance has been fantastic. Whatever the subject, it tracks it fast and accurately nails focus. We think it outdoes any Sony camera at autofocusing in low light. Using its Animal AF setting, you can use the Canon EOS R5 to track butterflies, chipmunks, squirrels, birds, and cats with no trouble. Sadly, there’s no Eye-Control AF yet. But the R5 stands out as one of Canon’s best cameras for almost everything you could want to photograph with it.

Image Quality

Spoiler alert: they’re both great!

Great Results As Expected

The images we took with the Nikon Z8 remind us of the glorious colors of the D3 and D700 we used to love. High ISO output is immaculate in RAW and jpeg files. Have a look at more of these in this link.

So Good. Just So Good

The RAW files from the Canon EOS R5 remind us of the ones we’d see in Canon 5D Mk II files. Skin tones look very natural and require minimal editing on the whole. We’re so in love with the in-camera results the EOS R5 produces. Even at ISOs as high as 51200, JPEG images are pretty clean. It saves us so much time that would otherwise be spent on post-processing. RAW files open up a whole new ballgame in editing. See what we did with some intentionally underexposed raw files.

Conclusion

Our overall thoughts.

Potential To Be Nikon’s Best

It’ll be interesting to see what future firmware updates will bring to the Nikon Z8. On one hand, this is the D850 mirrorless equivalent that Nikon users were hoping to receive for over 4 years. On the other hand, Nikon can’t exactly add everything the Z9 has into the more affordable Z8. That would entirely be shooting themselves in the foot. Already, the Z9 has distinguished itself by adding the Auto Capture feature, something that sports and wildlife photographers will embrace. But the Z8, as it is right now, is a camera that can really do no wrong. Only time will tell how much more the Z8 can take on in terms of features. It might not make other brand users jump ship yet, but existing Nikon users can expect much to upgrade to with this. Interested in buying one? Check it out on Amazon.

Can Do No Wrong

It’s got great dynamic range, world-class autofocus tracking, and colors that will delight your eyes. The Canon EOS R5 really has it all. We’re also fans of the timelapse feature that it has. It’s not just a reliable camera; it’s pretty capable of a lot. And it delivers the goods consistently without faltering. The battery life isn’t anything to worry about. Ever tried Canon’s Mobile App? Sending even HD video files to your smartphone is quick. Canon really made something close to perfection with the EOS R5. Especially in the autofocus department, Sony has something to learn from. This camera took home our Editor’s Choice Award. Get yours over at Amazon.

Tech Specs Comparison