Canon EOS 850D/Rebel T8i - £799/$749

Can this affordable DSLR fend off competition from mirrorless rivals?

- Peter Travers

Specifications

Sensor: 24.1MP APS-C CMOS (22.3 x 14.9mm)

Image processor: Digic 8

AF points: 45 cross-type (viewfinder), Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Live View)

ISO range: 100-25,600

Max image size: 6,000 x 4,000px

Metering zones: 384

Video: 4K UHD at 25p, 24p; 1080p (Full HD) at 60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, 24p

Viewfinder: Pentamirror, 95% coverage, 0.82x magnification

Memory card: SD, SDHC, SDXC (UHS-I)

LCD: 3-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 1,040k dots

Max burst: 7.5fps (Live View), 7fps (viewfinder)

Connectivity: Wi-Fi 2.4GHz, Bluetooth 4.1, USB 2.0, mini HDMI, 3.5mm microphone jack

Size: 131 x 103 x 76mm

Weight: 515g body only (with card and battery)

1 The 850D’s battery is good for taking 800 shots using the viewfinder; this drops to just 370 shots in Live View.

2 The built-in pop-up flash has a guide number of 12 at ISO 100, which isn’t bad by today’s standards.

3 The 850D is available body-only, or with Canon’s decent EF-S 18-55mm f/4-5.6 IS STM kit lens, which gives you a versatile focal range.

We’ve been waiting to test the Canon EOS 850D since it was first announced in February 2020. The global pandemic meant worldwide supplies came to a grinding halt; however, while we still wrestle with weekly challenges and evolving restrictions, Canon has been able to finally release the EOS 850D.