expired
(bestbuy open box )Canon R8 mirrorless camera with 24-50mm kit lens $944
$944
$1,649
42% off
Best Buy
This Deal Has Expired We can notify you when similar deals are posted. Set up Deal Alert
Best BuyDeal Details
Canon refurb had it lowest sold at $1000, nowadays it is $1150 when on sale .
I see several in my area almost at every store with camera booth. They could be display units, so check the sensor with a flashlight.
https://www.bestbuy.com/product/c...ition=fair
I see several in my area almost at every store with camera booth. They could be display units, so check the sensor with a flashlight.
https://www.bestbuy.com/product/c...ition=fair
Community Notes
About the Poster
Deal Details
Community Notes
About the Poster
Canon refurb had it lowest sold at $1000, nowadays it is $1150 when on sale .
I see several in my area almost at every store with camera booth. They could be display units, so check the sensor with a flashlight.
https://www.bestbuy.com/product/c...ition=fair
I see several in my area almost at every store with camera booth. They could be display units, so check the sensor with a flashlight.
https://www.bestbuy.com/product/c...ition=fair
Community Voting
Deal
Score
-1
Good Deal
Bad Deal
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!
29 Comments
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Our community has rated this post as helpful. If you agree, why not thank
Less than compelling kit lens. Middling zoom range, unimpressive aperture. It's an expensive lens cap, and it would be the first thing I'd replace without hesitation. Remember, given this is a full-frame camera, you "should" be buying a full-frame lens....which are typically more expensive + larger + heavier than the typical APS-C lenses that most folks are used to buying.
Good zoom lenses to consider:
- Canon RF 24-240 IS USM (very decent performing travel zoom)
- Canon RF 28-70 f/2.8 IS STM (very decent wide aperture zoom -- semi-comparable to the older EF 24-70 f/2.8 II).
Both of these zooms are in the $600-1000 price range (depending on your ebay/used luck), and they both take advantage of the strengths of the R8. There are other budget zooms to choose from, but they all are a limiting factor when compared to this body. It's like buying a high performance race car, but using the cheapest Wal-Mart budget tires on it....get a lens that doesn't hold back the camera.
You can also use a whole bunch of RF primes.
- The ~$150 RF 50mm f/1.8 is a solid and cheap go-to lens. Nothing noteworthy about it, aside from it being a classic inexpensive "nifty-fifty".
- I'd nudge people towards the RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro. It has stabilization as well as macro ability, all in a very compact form factor with a very common focal length. Around $400.
- The RF 28mm f/2.8 is a great ultra compact pancake lens with rather amazing optics for its price and size -- however, no IS. Around $300.
- The newly released RF 45mm f/1.2 is a really nice way to dip one's toes into ultra-wide aperture. It's semi-comparable to the older EF 50mm f/1.2. Sub-$500.
You can adapt Canon's older EF glass (primes & zooms).
- Great if you already own a few high quality pieces of L-glass
- Not so great if you have consumer EF or EF-S glass.
- Personally, I'd rather go with native RF glass if buying a RF body -- it's lighter and typically better overall.
(If you have a good copy of the EF 24-70 f/2.8 II + EF 16-35 f/2.8 III sitting in your old DSLR bag...then sure, nab an adapter and have fun. You already know you have some of the best EF glass made. But that glass is fairly bulky & heavy, on top of using an additional adapter (more weight/size/cost).)
If you're dropping $1k on a camera, you should have a decent idea what sort of photography you tend to take and which type of lenses you should be getting. If the above all sounds like Greek to you, I'd take a massive step back, pause, and reconsider. Do your homework first. Or not, it's your money honey. 🤣
----------
Cons regarding the camera:
- No IBIS (in-body image stabilization)
- small battery = shorter runtimes (you'll need 2-3 extra batteries)
- smaller size = slightly worse ergonomics compared to a full-size mirrorless (like the R7 or R6) -- you can mitigate this with a first-party grip extension that was originally released for the Canon RP.
- no mechanical shutter (only electronic and 1st curtain)
- just a single memory card slot
- camera tends to overheat when used for a prolonged period + for video -- especially in warmer weather.
----------
Canon alternatives to this camera:
- Canon RP --> predecessor to the R8, almost exactly the same shape and size. Can be found for sub-$500. It's older, and doesn't have the same higher performance. It's not "bad", but it's not "great" either. If you can nab a copy for sub-$400, it's a pretty compelling full-frame starter option.
- Canon R50 --> newer than the R8, carries over a few of the quality-of-life features (but still not as high performing as the R8). This is a crop-sensor APS-C sensor. It's smaller and lighter, and enables you to buy cheaper/lighter RF-S crop-sensor lenses. Around $400. This is what I'd suggest for those jumping into the Canon ecosystem, along with an RF-S 18-150mm lens as a starter travel zoom.
- Canon R6 Mark 1 --> Older version of the R6 series. The mark II is equivalent to the R8 (with improvements), and the mark III was just released as an incremental improvement. The nice thing is the R6 series is that's it's a semi-pro camera, and you can find this older mark 1 body sub-$1000 used. It's a feature-set tradeoff between the mark 1 and the R8...so you'll need to do homework before proceeding.
There are also other competitors to the R8 in the Sony, Nikon, Fuji, Panasonic, OM System, etc ecosystems. Each of those have their tradeoffs, good and bad, for the $1000 price point. If I could suggest anything -- unless you're a "pro", you probably don't need as much as you think you do. Check out older and cheaper models.
A floor model from Best Buy isn't always the most appealing either.
Less than compelling kit lens. Middling zoom range, unimpressive aperture. It's an expensive lens cap, and it would be the first thing I'd replace without hesitation. Remember, given this is a full-frame camera, you "should" be buying a full-frame lens....which are typically more expensive + larger + heavier than the typical APS-C lenses that most folks are used to buying.
Good zoom lenses to consider:
- Canon RF 24-240 IS USM (very decent performing travel zoom)
- Canon RF 28-70 f/2.8 IS STM (very decent wide aperture zoom -- semi-comparable to the older EF 24-70 f/2.8 II).
Both of these zooms are in the $600-1000 price range (depending on your ebay/used luck), and they both take advantage of the strengths of the R8. There are other budget zooms to choose from, but they all are a limiting factor when compared to this body. It's like buying a high performance race car, but using the cheapest Wal-Mart budget tires on it....get a lens that doesn't hold back the camera.
You can also use a whole bunch of RF primes.
- The ~$150 RF 50mm f/1.8 is a solid and cheap go-to lens. Nothing noteworthy about it, aside from it being a classic inexpensive "nifty-fifty".
- I'd nudge people towards the RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro. It has stabilization as well as macro ability, all in a very compact form factor with a very common focal length. Around $400.
- The RF 28mm f/2.8 is a great ultra compact pancake lens with rather amazing optics for its price and size -- however, no IS. Around $300.
- The newly released RF 45mm f/1.2 is a really nice way to dip one's toes into ultra-wide aperture. It's semi-comparable to the older EF 50mm f/1.2. Sub-$500.
You can adapt Canon's older EF glass (primes & zooms).
- Great if you already own a few high quality pieces of L-glass
- Not so great if you have consumer EF or EF-S glass.
- Personally, I'd rather go with native RF glass if buying a RF body -- it's lighter and typically better overall.
(If you have a good copy of the EF 24-70 f/2.8 II + EF 16-35 f/2.8 III sitting in your old DSLR bag...then sure, nab an adapter and have fun. You already know you have some of the best EF glass made. But that glass is fairly bulky & heavy, on top of using an additional adapter (more weight/size/cost).)
If you're dropping $1k on a camera, you should have a decent idea what sort of photography you tend to take and which type of lenses you should be getting. If the above all sounds like Greek to you, I'd take a massive step back, pause, and reconsider. Do your homework first. Or not, it's your money honey. 🤣
----------
Cons regarding the camera:
- No IBIS (in-body image stabilization)
- small battery = shorter runtimes (you'll need 2-3 extra batteries)
- smaller size = slightly worse ergonomics compared to a full-size mirrorless (like the R7 or R6) -- you can mitigate this with a first-party grip extension that was originally released for the Canon RP.
- no mechanical shutter (only electronic and 1st curtain)
- just a single memory card slot
- camera tends to overheat when used for a prolonged period + for video -- especially in warmer weather.
----------
Canon alternatives to this camera:
- Canon RP --> predecessor to the R8, almost exactly the same shape and size. Can be found for sub-$500. It's older, and doesn't have the same higher performance. It's not "bad", but it's not "great" either. If you can nab a copy for sub-$400, it's a pretty compelling full-frame starter option.
- Canon R50 --> newer than the R8, carries over a few of the quality-of-life features (but still not as high performing as the R8). This is a crop-sensor APS-C sensor. It's smaller and lighter, and enables you to buy cheaper/lighter RF-S crop-sensor lenses. Around $400. This is what I'd suggest for those jumping into the Canon ecosystem, along with an RF-S 18-150mm lens as a starter travel zoom.
- Canon R6 Mark 1 --> Older version of the R6 series. The mark II is equivalent to the R8 (with improvements), and the mark III was just released as an incremental improvement. The nice thing is the R6 series is that's it's a semi-pro camera, and you can find this older mark 1 body sub-$1000 used. It's a feature-set tradeoff between the mark 1 and the R8...so you'll need to do homework before proceeding.
There are also other competitors to the R8 in the Sony, Nikon, Fuji, Panasonic, OM System, etc ecosystems. Each of those have their tradeoffs, good and bad, for the $1000 price point. If I could suggest anything -- unless you're a "pro", you probably don't need as much as you think you do. Check out older and cheaper models.
A floor model from Best Buy isn't always the most appealing either.
You can get D810 even D850 at this price point, but 95% people wouldn't bring that out often. You can get used a7iii, but they get used more often by amateurs and are harder to tell the great buys. You can get z5ii with $200 more and another $200 for a starting lens.
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
You can get D810 even D850 at this price point, but 95% people wouldn't bring that out often. You can get used a7iii, but they get used more often by amateurs and are harder to tell the great buys. You can get z5ii with $200 more and another $200 for a starting lens.
Ok, I tried reading that a few times, and your entire lack of brands with the models had my head swimming. I'm an enthusiast, and even I don't have an encyclopedia treasure-trove of knowledge with all those models and abbreviations. Imagine how a non-photographer is going to feel.
Also "your assessment is also controversial" -- how?
Furthermore, you bring up smartphones. I'm not even talking about smartphones in the above, that's like comparing a moped to a Honda Civic. Sigh. I don't know what actual point you're trying to make.
----------
Look, there are a LOT of options out there that provide "more than good enough" quality -- and there's a ton of overlap between these options. Get what you like. Try it out before buying it, if you can. Especially if you're dropping $1k+ on it!
For example, there's some photography I do which I legitimately get by with a 2005 Canon 5D classic @ $100 and a 50mm f/1.8 @ $75 -- stopped down to f/11. It gives me nearly the same exact results as if I used a $2000 body and $2000 lens. And there are other situations where if I used that same setup, it would yield catastrophically poor results.
Bottom line: It depends on what you're doing. Use whatever you think is best. Make mistakes, learn from them, try again.
----------
Generally speaking, if someone is considering buying a mid-tier mirrorless like the Canon R8, they're typically not in the market for older DSLRs. Or maybe they might be, if they knew how nice some of it still can be in 2026. It depends.
Is the R8 perfect? No, absolutely not. Do those cons I mentioned affect everyone equally? Nope, didn't say they did. But you're at least aware of them and can make that decision for yourself.
(I own the R8. I'm not a professional. For example, I've never had dual card slots, so not having them on this camera isn't a deal-breaker. For a pro wedding photographer, I can absolutely understand if not having them is a 100% full-stop. Different strokes for different folks.)
Ok, I tried reading that a few times, and your entire lack of brands with the models had my head swimming. I'm an enthusiast, and even I don't have an encyclopedia treasure-trove of knowledge with all those models and abbreviations. Imagine how a non-photographer is going to feel.
Also "your assessment is also controversial" -- how?
Furthermore, you bring up smartphones. I'm not even talking about smartphones in the above, that's like comparing a moped to a Honda Civic. Sigh. I don't know what actual point you're trying to make.
----------
Look, there are a LOT of options out there that provide "more than good enough" quality -- and there's a ton of overlap between these options. Get what you like. Try it out before buying it, if you can. Especially if you're dropping $1k+ on it!
For example, there's some photography I do which I legitimately get by with a 2005 Canon 5D classic @ $100 and a 50mm f/1.8 @ $75 -- stopped down to f/11. It gives me nearly the same exact results as if I used a $2000 body and $2000 lens. And there are other situations where if I used that same setup, it would yield catastrophically poor results.
Bottom line: It depends on what you're doing. Use whatever you think is best. Make mistakes, learn from them, try again.
----------
Generally speaking, if someone is considering buying a mid-tier mirrorless like the Canon R8, they're typically not in the market for older DSLRs. Or maybe they might be, if they knew how nice some of it still can be in 2026. It depends.
Is the R8 perfect? No, absolutely not. Do those cons I mentioned affect everyone equally? Nope, didn't say they did. But you're at least aware of them and can make that decision for yourself.
(I own the R8. I'm not a professional. For example, I've never had dual card slots, so not having them on this camera isn't a deal-breaker. For a pro wedding photographer, I can absolutely understand if not having them is a 100% full-stop. Different strokes for different folks.)
"I was just saying this is cheap for what it offers to ametures among similar options, by $200-300 if measure in money is needed." <-- What do you mean by "this"? You rattled off...let me count them...seven different cameras (including a smartphone). I said very clearly -- there are cheaper options, get what works for you within your budget. If you don't like the price of a Ferrari, don't buy one.
But the R8 has been reviewed by many, and it's still considered to be an excellent value for the features & quality it provides. To use a boxing metaphor, "it hits above its weight class."
"But you are expressing like people don't deserve cheap and modern camera like this except you who can click better." <-- What does that even mean? Buy what you like, buy what you enjoy, buy whatever you need to get the job done. I never once mentioned what people "deserve". Never once crossed my mind. Seriously, relax.
"Instead, you are saying people can start with cheaper things that are much harder to use, with much longer learning curves to get good results with." <-- A lot of cameras are cheaper than the R8, both current and previous generations. I wouldn't argue they're any harder to use. In fact, some of them are really easy to use, like the aforementioned Canon 5D Classic -- it has a SINGLE page in the menu system + all the manual controls are easily accessible. No video, no complicated gimmicks or in-depth features.
I'd even go so far as to say the R8 is a somewhat complicated piece of technology, since it has so many (albeit nice) features buried in tiered software menus. I've had it for a few years, and there are absolutely features on it that I'm not entirely familiar with since I don't use them frequently.
As for a "learning curve", there absolutely is one when it comes to photography + video -- exposure, composition, technique, etc. It's something that can take a while to master. Learning isn't about always getting the perfect shot every time -- it's about knowing HOW and WHY a shot works, and being able to learn from one's mistakes.
If you're looking for a "you press the shutter and we do the rest" experience, there are plenty of mobile phones which will generally outperform most DSLRs/Mirrorless cameras on "automatic mode", given the software processing done on each image. There's nothing wrong with that either, as long as that's what you're expecting.
If one is afraid of the process -- don't be. It's easy to get into it...so many great tutorials & resources out there. Find one that fits your learning style and enjoy.
Happy shooting!
Sign up for a Slickdeals account to remove this ad.
Join The Conversation
Share your experience with the Slickdeals community
Share information with the community. Please follow our Community Guidelines and be kind!