Canon R8 Accessories: What to Buy First, in Order

The first Canon EOS R8 accessories to buy are spare LP-E17 batteries and a way to charge them, because the small battery is the camera's biggest weakness. After that, buy a V60 UHS-II SD card for the single slot and a microphone for the 3.5mm input, then a cage, a variable ND filter and a strap.

Why the R8 needs its own shopping list

The R8 uses the same 24.2MP sensor and processor as the EOS R6 Mark II, in a much smaller body. Canon lists it at about 461g with battery and card, the lightest model in its EOS R full-frame series as of February 2023. Getting it that small meant cuts: the smaller LP-E17 battery, one SD card slot, no joystick, and no in-body image stabilization.

Those compromises set the buying order below. Fix power first, then storage, then sound, and leave the rest for later.

R8 limitation	What the research says	Accessory that addresses it
Small battery	Rated at 220 viewfinder shots, against 450 for the R6 Mark II	Spare LP-E17 batteries, LC-E17 charger or PD-E1
One card slot	Single SD slot, supports UHS-II	V60 UHS-II SD card, plus a backup routine
Sound	3.5mm external microphone input	DJI Mic Mini or Rode VideoMic GO II
No in-body stabilization	Canon relies on lens-based stabilization	A lens with IS in its name, a cage for steadier handheld grip

1. Spare LP-E17 batteries

Canon rates the R8 at 220 shots per charge using the viewfinder, while the R6 Mark II and its larger LP-E6NH battery are rated at 450. In Digital Camera World's review, a freshly charged battery gave 66 minutes of 4K recording using the rear screen and servo autofocus. That reviewer had only one battery and reported running out on casual photo outings around town. PetaPixel's reviewer named the small battery, along with the single card slot, as what keeps the R8 from being a "professional" camera.

The LP-E17 is rated at 7.2V and 1040 mAh. Many EOS models use the same battery, so spares you already own from another Canon body that takes it will work too.

Buy two spares so you carry three. For photo walks that means you will not end the day early, and for video it means you can keep recording while one battery charges.

For brand-by-brand advice on third-party and official packs, see the guide to spare batteries for Canon, Sony and Nikon.

Charging: the LC-E17 charger or USB-C with the PD-E1

Canon lists the LC-E17 among the chargers for the LP-E17. An external charger lets you refill one battery while the camera runs on another.

The R8 also has a USB-C port that handles charging. Canon's manual says the USB Power Adapter PD-E1, sold separately, charges the LP-E17 without removing it from the camera, and can also power the camera. Canon advises against charging the battery continuously for more than 24 hours. Canon's support pages recommend the PD-E1 or PD-E2 because commercially available mobile batteries and power adapters may not charge or supply power correctly.

If you can only buy one, get the LC-E17, since charging in the camera refills only the battery inside it. Add the PD-E1 later if you travel light or want to run the camera on wall power during long recordings.

2. A V60 UHS-II SD card

The R8 writes to a single SD card slot that supports the faster UHS-II standard. The slot sits on the bottom of the camera and shares its door with the battery.

The camera records 4K at up to 60p, oversampled from 6K and using the full sensor width, with 10-bit 4:2:2 recording and Canon's C-Log3. Imaging Resource notes that 4K/60p needs a UHS Speed Class 3 card or faster, and in some cases a V60 card. Buying a V60 card from the start removes the guesswork for every video mode.

SanDisk rates its Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II V60 card at Video Speed Class 60, with read speeds up to 300MB/s. SanDisk also lists it as IP68 water and dust resistant, with capacities up to 2TB.

With one slot, the camera cannot write a second copy as you shoot, so your backup happens afterward. The-Digital-Picture's review suggests buying several high-capacity cards and rotating through them, without reusing a card until its files are backed up, including an off-site copy. The guide to SD and CFexpress cards covers capacities, and external drives and backup accessories covers where the files go next.

Imaging Resource reports that the R8 can record two hours per video file, and about 30 minutes of 4K/60p at room temperature before overheating becomes a concern, with no such restriction at 4K/30p. If you plan long takes, a spare card matters as much as a spare battery.

3. A microphone for the 3.5mm input

The R8 has a 3.5mm external microphone input on its left side. Digital Camera World and The-Digital-Picture both list a 3.5mm headphone jack too, though Imaging Resource's early hands-on said the camera lacks one. Check the ports on your own camera before buying headphones for monitoring.

If you film people talking, a microphone is the purchase that changes your footage most. Choosing a budget mic comes down to one question: is the mic going on the speaker or on the camera?

DJI Mic Mini: wireless, for people talking to camera

DJI's spec page lists battery figures of approximately 11.5 hours and 10.5 hours, both measured with noise cancellation off and the receiver connected to a camera through the 3.5mm TRS Camera Audio Cable. DJI lists a range of 400 m in an open area free of interference, a figure it describes as for reference only. DJI says a fully charged charging case can recharge two transmitters and one receiver approximately 3.6 times.

The kit listed here is the 1 TX + 1 RX version, so check whether it includes the charging case before you count on it. A transmitter worn by the speaker keeps the mic near their mouth even when the camera is across the room, which suits vlogs, interviews and tutorials.

Rode VideoMic GO II: on the camera, nothing to pair

The Rode VideoMic GO II is an on-camera shotgun microphone. It points wherever the lens points, so it suits filming events, travel clips and anything where you cannot put a mic on a person. Check Rode's own spec sheet for its power and cable details before buying.

Buy one type first, not both. For more choices at lower prices, see best budget microphones for beginner filmmakers and the top 10 shotgun microphones for on-camera audio.

4. A cage

A cage earns its place once you start hanging a mic receiver, a light or a handle off the camera.

Before you buy any cage, confirm two things. The battery and card share one door on the bottom of the R8, so the cage must leave that door usable. The microphone input, USB-C and HDMI ports are all on the left side, so the cage should leave those open too.

5. A variable ND filter

A variable ND is mainly a video tool. It lets you keep a wide aperture and a normal video shutter speed outdoors in bright light, instead of stopping down or raising the shutter speed.

Filters screw onto the front of the lens, so match the filter size to the thread size printed on your lens or its cap before you order. Buy the filter after the lens, not before.

6. A strap

The R8 weighs 461g with battery and card, so it does not need a heavy-duty strap. PetaPixel's reviewer called it the perfect travel camera, and a quick-adjusting sling strap suits that kind of use. The Peak Design Slide Lite is a sensible pick if you switch between carrying the camera at your side and shooting.

The first lens: RF50mm F1.8 STM or RF28-70mm F2.8 IS STM

If you bought the body alone, the lens is really item zero, ahead of everything above. Imaging Resource lists the R8 at $1,499 body only and $1,699 in a kit with the RF 24-50mm zoom. PetaPixel's reviewer shot portraits with that 24-50mm and judged the quality good enough for a paying job.

The R8 has no in-body image stabilization, and Canon relies on stabilization in its lenses instead. For video, lens IS can be combined with Canon's digital stabilization, at the cost of a slight crop. PetaPixel's reviewer found that the R8 paired with Canon's image-stabilized lenses performed very well for portrait and landscape photography. PetaPixel also notes that Canon does not license its RF mount, which limits third-party lens options.

Lens	Type	Best first use
RF50mm F1.8 STM	Prime, fixed 50mm	Portraits, low light, learning to frame with your feet
RF28-70mm F2.8 IS STM	Zoom, IS in its name	Video, travel, events, one-lens kit

Pick the RF50mm F1.8 STM if photos come first and you want a small, inexpensive prime with a wide aperture.

Pick the RF28-70mm F2.8 IS STM if you shoot video or want one lens that covers wide to short telephoto. Its IS label matters more on the R8 than on bodies with in-body stabilization.

The guide to the best first lens for the Canon EOS R8 goes deeper on each option.

What to skip early

A gimbal

Wait until you know you need one. PetaPixel's reviewer noted the R8 would suit the 795-gram maximum load of the DJI RS 3 Mini, so the light body keeps that option open later. Digital Camera World points out that post-production stabilization in Adobe Premiere and iMovie has become very good.

Cheap power banks as your only charger

Canon recommends its PD-E1 or PD-E2 adapters because commercially available mobile batteries and adapters may not charge or power the camera correctly. Try a power bank as a backup if you like, but do not rely on it alone.

An EF adapter with no EF lenses to use

Canon's Mount Adapter EF-EOS R makes EF lenses work on the R8. It is a smart buy if you already own EF glass and money wasted if you do not.

Headphones before you check the ports

Sources disagree on whether the R8 has a headphone jack, so confirm it on your camera first.

A second lens, lights and a monitor

Shoot with your first lens for a few months before adding more. The guide to accessories beginners buy too early covers the common mistakes, and the Canon EOS R8 first-time setup guide helps you get the camera itself configured.