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Canon launches its lightest full frame EOS R System camera

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3 years ago

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Canon

With a compact design similar to the EOS RP, this powerful combination gives photo/ video enthusiasts and students the tools they need to make the leap with their passion

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates, February 9, 2023/APO Group/ — 

Canon Europe announces the EOS R8 (https://apo-opa.info/3DPWeD6), a new full frame mirrorless camera, which inherits technology from the feature-packed EOS R6 Mark II. With a compact design similar to the EOS RP, this powerful combination gives photo/ video enthusiasts and students the tools they need to make the leap with their passion.

EOS R8 gives photographers the tools they need to step up creativity with full frame

Featuring a 24.2 megapixel full frame CMOS sensor, high ISO and improved dynamic range, the EOS R8 is the ideal choice for portrait, event and landscape photography delivering a wider, more artistic perspective. Accompanied by the launch of the RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM (https://apo-opa.info/3jK6JkG), a small lightweight RF series zoom lens, the pair create a compact yet powerful kit bag allowing photographers to explore creativity in full frame.

Full frame quality in a lightweight body

Offering all the benefits of full frame image quality, the EOS R8 (https://apo-opa.info/3DPWeD6) features a 24.2 megapixel full frame CMOS sensor capable of achieving the same resolution as the EOS R6 Mark II. The class leading sensor offers a fast read out speed to unlock a number of advanced features including a reduced rolling shutter that enables 40fps continuous shooting and low noise high ISO up to 102,400. This makes the EOS R8 perfect for shooting in environments which are dimly lit in which subjects are moving around. Improved dynamic range also enables capture of striking images with bold colours and the full frame sensor offers shallower depth of field that creates a soft background to help the subject stand out.

Weighing approx. 461g (with card and battery), the EOS R8 is Canon’s lightest full frame EOS R System camera to date. Measuring 132.5 x 86.1 x 70mm the camera has similar dimensions to the EOS RP, with a number of additional professional level features contained in its compact body. The EOS R8 has a high resolution 2.36m dot EVF working at up to 120fps and UHS-II SD card support. The intuitive interface makes the camera easy to operate on the go with a useful mode dial featuring 12 modes across still and video shooting and a dedicated switch for moving between photo and movie capture.

Capture life in motion

The advanced sensor of the EOS R8 captures full width 4K 60p footage that is oversampled from 6K sensor data for sharp, detailed video content, as well as 180fps Full HD recording for slow motion videos. To support those wanting to upskill in video, this camera supports Canon Log 3 at 10-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 H.265 internal recording which offers greater dynamic range and more flexibility post production. Alternatively, HDR PQ and HDR Movie modes can be selected to suit those with a HDR workflow and produces a clean HDMI output to compatible devices.

To combat focus breathing during move recording, the EOS R8 has a function that compensates for changes to the angle of view when adjusting the focus distance. The camera also gives extended recording times for up to two hours of normal video shooting1, ideal for capturing vlogs or shooting at events.

Featuring the same Dual Pixel CMOS AF II as the EOS R5 and EOS R6 Mark II, the EOS R8 focuses in as little as 0.03 seconds2 even at 40fps with the electronic shutter. This intelligent system detects and tracks a range of subjects including animals, vehicles and people, offering head, face and eye detection for precision focus. For greater control, it is even possible to select which eye to prioritise. To simplify detection across such a broad range of subjects, users can choose the auto setting which selects the subject based on the composition of the image. This performance extends to low light shooting scenarios as low as -6.5 EV3.

Enhanced connectivity

With built in 2.4GHz Wi-Fi® and Bluetooth® connectivity4 users can easily share their work and make use of the Camera Connect app, while the WPA/WPA2/WPA3-Personal authentication ensures a secure connection. For iPhone owners, the EOS R8 is iOS MFI certifiedTM 5 making direct download and operation possible. The EOS R8 can be used as a webcam with its USB video device class (UVC)/ USB audio device class (UAC) support. Users with an image.canon subscription can leverage the Neural Network Image Processing Tool6 for advanced noise and moiré reduction that achieves natural looking JPEG and HEIF images.

Canon has also made updates to image.canon, expanding its use to a number of new users with Adobe® Lightroom® movie and corporate support enabling compatibility with a range of services including Frame.io and Google Photo accountsTM 7.

A small, light, everyday zoom

The EOS R8 has a high resolution 2.36m dot EVF working at up to 120fps and UHS-II SD card support

The RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM is a small and lightweight lens with a 2x zoom and 24-50mm focal length, a great choice for improving photography and video skills particularly when shooting portraits, interiors or travel. It offers advanced image stabilisation up to 4.5 stops which increases to 7 stops when attached to an EOS R camera with IBIS, meaning creators and photographers can shoot video and stills in low light without the need for a tripod. The STM focusing motor is fast and quiet, with extra control from a customisable lens control ring that lets users switch between different modes so they can shoot and film like a Pro. Benefitting from the RF Mount, the RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM works with EOS R Series cameras to support a wide range of in-camera image enhancement features including panning in scene mode and focus breathing correction for movies.

Further detail about the EOS R8 is available here (https://apo-opa.info/3DPWeD6) and the RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM here (https://apo-opa.info/3jK6JkG).  

EOS R8 key features

  • Full frame 24.2 megapixel CMOS sensor
  • Full width 6K oversampled 4K 60p video recording and 180fps Full HD recording
  • High resolution 2.36 million dot EVF runs at up to 120fps maximum refresh rate
  • Intelligent subject detection for animals, vehicles and people
  • Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for always on connection

RF 24-50mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM key features

  • 2x standard zoom lens covering a wide-angle field starting from 24mm
  • Optical Image stabilisation up to 4.5 stops
  • Up to 7-stops with Coordinated control of OIS x IBIS
  • Leadscrew-type STM for smooth movie AF
  • Compact and lightweight easy to use design

1 Up to 5 seconds pre-record possible. If the camera’s internal temperature becomes too high the recording time may reduce. Shooting 4K UHD 59.94p for approx. 30 minutes without heat limit is possible if starting from +23°C. In other modes there is no limit due to heat.

2 Correct as of 8th February 2023. Based on CIPA guidelines, using an internal measurement method. At a focusing brightness of EV 12 (ISO 100), at room temperature, in M mode, with RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM, shooting still photos with the shutter button, 1-point AF (centre AF point), and One-Shot AF.

3 With an f/1.2 lens, centre AF point, and One-Shot AF, at 23°C / 73°F and ISO 100.

4 Equipped with Bluetooth® low energy technology. The Bluetooth® word mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Canon Europe Ltd. is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners. Wi-Fi® is a registered trademark of the Wi-Fi Alliance. The Bluetooth® word, mark and logos are registered trademarks owned by the Bluetooth SIG, Inc. and any use of such marks by Canon Inc. is under license. Other trademarks and trade names are those of their respective owners.

5 Apple, Apple TV, Apple Watch, iPad, iPad Air, iPad Pro, iPhone, and Lightning are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. tvOS is a trademark of Apple Inc.iPhone is trademark of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries. IOS is a trademark or registered trademark of Cisco in the US and other countries and is used under licence. QR Code is registered trademark of DENSO WAVE INCORPORATED.

6 Image.canon app and subscription is free, however the cloud raw image processing is a subscription based charged service that requires separate subscription on sas.image.canon. Canon’s Neural Network Image Processing Tool is available through DPP as part of the post processing workflow on a computer, or Neural Network Image Processing by image.canon that can be done straight from camera.

7 Google Play and Android are trademarks of Google LLC.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of Canon Central and North Africa (CCNA).

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Africa’s Grid Constraints Come into Focus as Regional Markets Push Toward Integration

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3 days ago

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June 26, 2026

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Africa

Regional power pools are advancing and renewable pipelines are growing, but the regulatory and financial architecture needed to connect them remains the continent’s most critical infrastructure gap – an issue central to the Power Africa Today conference at AEW 2026

CAPE TOWN, South Africa, June 25, 2026/APO Group/ –Africa’s electricity demand is projected to nearly double to 2,291 TWh by 2050, requiring an estimated $30 billion in transmission and grid infrastructure investment to unlock and integrate new generation capacity. Yet across the continent, grid systems are struggling to keep pace with rapidly expanding supply pipelines and rising demand.

In Nigeria, repeated nationwide grid collapses as recently as February 2026 underscore the fragility of aging transmission infrastructure. In East Africa, tower failures along the 428 km Loiyangalani-Suswa line temporarily stranded output from Lake Turkana Wind Power – Africa’s largest wind installation. Meanwhile, demand growth pressures are accelerating across North Africa, where electricity consumption is expected to rise by around 50% by 2035, driven by urbanization, desalination projects, and climate-related temperature increases.

Despite these constraints, generation investment continues to accelerate across Africa, particularly in renewables, gas-to-power and hybrid systems. However, without equivalent investment in transmission and interconnection, much of this new capacity risks being underutilized or stranded. This growing imbalance between generation and grid capacity is driving a sharper focus on system-wide planning and regional market design – issues that will be central to the newly launched Power Africa Today conference at African Energy Week 2026. The platform will bring together policymakers, utilities, investors and developers to explore how regional interconnection, cross-border trading frameworks and financing structures can better align generation growth with grid expansion.

Power Markets Experiment with Reform

Alongside infrastructure challenges, Africa’s electricity sector is undergoing gradual – but uneven – market reform. Most countries still operate vertically integrated systems dominated by state utilities, but a growing number are introducing competitive frameworks to attract private capital and improve efficiency.

Zimbabwe opened its electricity market to full private participation across generation, transmission and distribution in 2025, targeting $9 billion in new investment. South Africa is advancing one of the continent’s most ambitious grid expansion programs, with plans for 14,500 km of new transmission lines and 133,000 MVA of transformer capacity by 2034, alongside mechanisms designed to crowd in private financing. Kenya, meanwhile, has introduced open access regulations enabling independent power producers to wheel electricity directly to multiple off-takers, reshaping how generation assets interface with the grid.

Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future

Regional Integration Remains Fragmented

Efforts to connect Africa’s fragmented power systems are progressing, though at different speeds across regions. In Southern Africa, the World Bank’s RETRADE SAPP program, approved in 2025, is deploying $12 million to strengthen renewable integration and transmission capacity across 12 member states. In East Africa, the Ethiopia–Kenya–Tanzania Electricity Highway is now in trial operations at up to 2,000 MW, marking a significant step toward a more interconnected regional grid.

West Africa is also moving toward deeper integration, with permanent synchronization of the West Africa Power Pool expected in 2026. Analysts, including the African Finance Corporation, argue that such synchronization is critical to unlocking large-scale hydropower potential and industrial demand across the region. Longer term, full synchronization between the Eastern and Southern African power pools – targeted for the end of 2026 – could create one of the world’s largest cross-border electricity trading corridors.

Building Bankable Financial Architectures

While interconnection is advancing, infrastructure alone is not enough to create investable electricity markets. Investors consistently cite the lack of standardized offtake structures, creditworthy counterparties, and cross-border payment guarantees as key barriers to scaling capital deployment.

New models are emerging to address these constraints. Africa GreenCo, operating across Zambia, Namibia and South Africa, is helping to aggregate independent power producers under a single creditworthy intermediary, standardizing power purchase agreements and reducing counterparty risk. At a broader level, AUDA-NEPAD estimates that Africa requires around $30 billion in additional investment to complete priority transmission corridors and establish three fully interconnected regional trading blocs by 2030.

“Interconnected electricity markets are the foundation of Africa’s industrial future,” said NJ Ayuk, Executive Chairman of the African Energy Chamber. “The question at Africa Energy Week is not whether integration is possible – the evidence is already there. The question is which regulatory frameworks and financial structures will get projects to financial close, and which markets will be ready when capital is looking to move.”

The Power Africa Today conference will run alongside AEW 2026, taking place October 12–16 in Cape Town, and will focus on the regulatory, financial and infrastructural architecture needed to build interconnected electricity markets capable of attracting institutional capital and delivering reliable, cross-border power at scale.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Energy Chamber.

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African Development Bank Group and La Francophonie Sign Partnership Agreement to Promote Youth Employment in Francophone Africa

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June 26, 2026

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Remove term: African Development Bank African Development Bank

The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah in Paris, France

PARIS, France, June 25, 2026/APO Group/ –The African Development Bank Group (www.AfDB.org) and The International Organization of La Francophonie (OIF) on Wednesday entered a strategic partnership to strengthen digital skills, employability, and entrepreneurship of young people and women in five African countries: Benin, Cameroon, Guinea, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Madagascar.

 

The agreement was signed during a meeting between the Secretary General of La Francophonie, Louise Mushikiwabo, and African Development Bank Group President, Dr Sidi Ould Tah in Paris, France. The agreement will address a major challenge faced by countries in the Francophone world and across Africa: providing young people with access to opportunities offered by the digital economy and fostering the emergence of a new generation of entrepreneurs.

The partnership calls for the implementation of training programs in digital professions and entrepreneurship, in fields such as web and mobile development, cybersecurity, artificial intelligence, and data analysis. Participants will also receive guidance toward employment and self-employment, as well as support for innovation and business creation, notably through training camps, prototyping activities, and partnerships with incubators and accelerators.

The African Development Bank Group and OIF will also work with national authorities in these five countries and training institutions to sustainably strengthen local capacities and promote ownership of the programs by national stakeholders. An initial pilot phase, lasting 12 to 24 months, will be rolled out in the five partner countries, followed by a gradual expansion to other member states depending on the results achieved.

The African Development Bank Group is pursuing a bold agenda based on “Four Cardinal Points” developed by Dr Ould Tah, the third of which is ‘Turning Demographics into a Dividend.’ This is about strategically converting Africa’s rapidly growing and youthful population into a decisive engine of inclusive growth, productivity, and innovation through large-scale investment in human capital—particularly youth and women.

 

It sees Africa’s growing young population not as a risk, but as a major asset. With the right policies and investments, this potential can create jobs, help small businesses grow, bring more informal businesses into the formal economy, and equip young people with the skills needed for the future. By investing more in education, science and technology, vocational training, entrepreneurship, finance, and digital tools, Africa can help its people drive economic transformation, stay competitive, and build lasting, resilient growth.

The OIF said the agreement marked the first concrete step in its initiative to mobilize innovative and additional funding for its most impactful projects.

Distributed by APO Group on behalf of African Development Bank Group (AfDB).

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Paddles up! Hong Kong marks 50 Years of international dragon boat thrills

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3 days ago

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June 26, 2026

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Hong Kong

HONG KONG SAR – Media OutReach Newswire – 25 June 2026 – With top teams from around the world gearing up for the hotly contested Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races this weekend (June 27-28), participants and spectators can expect a bumper programme of action, fun and entertainment along the Victoria Harbour waterfront in Tsim Sha Tsui – one of the city’s most vibrant districts known for its iconic skyline views and tourist attractions.

There is much to celebrate. This year marks the 50th anniversary of the Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Races as well as 35th anniversary of both the co-organiser, Hong Kong China Dragon Boat Association, and the sanctioning body, International Dragon Boat Federation (IDBF). The IDBF added to the occasion by announcing earlier this year the relocation of its headquarters back to Hong Kong.

Riding on the wave of excitement, the organiser, Hong Kong Tourism Board (HKTB), extended the annual Hong Kong International Dragon Boat Festival period to 13 days (June 19 – July 1), beginning on the historic Tuen Ng Festival (Dragon Boat Festival) and concluding on July 1, which is the 29th anniversary of the Establishment of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR).

As the headline international flagship event of “Hong Kong Summer Fun”, Dr Peter Lam, Chairman of the HKTB, said the Festival not only ran over a longer period, but also featured a stronger race line-up and more vibrant entertainment programmes than in previous years, offering an experience found only in Hong Kong for locals and visitors, while showcasing Hong Kong’s position as the Events Capital of Asia.

More than 220 teams from 16 countries and regions will compete for top honours in the world‑renowned setting of Victoria Harbour. This year’s event also introduces the special 50th Anniversary Fishermen Invitational Cup and the 50th Anniversary Championship, paying tribute to the traditional spirit of dragon boat racing.

Visitors will be able to enjoy a series of thematic activities along the Avenue of Stars, including a 22-metre traditional wooden dragon boat, a dragon boat-themed installation in collaboration with the new film Minions & Monsters, live music performances and a line-up of intangible cultural heritage performances, including martial art Wing Chun, Chinese juggling diabolo, traditional musical instruments ruan and guzheng.

Highlighting Hong Kong’s reputation as the birthplace of modern international dragon boat racing, as well as its strengths as a global hub city, the IDBF has taken a significant step in its long‑term global strategy with the formal incorporation of International Dragon Boat Federation Limited in Hong Kong on 29 April 2026.

“Incorporation in Hong Kong is not a conclusion, but a beginning. It anchors our Federation in the city where our international story started and strengthens our ability to serve our members and the global dragon boat family,” said Claudio Schermi, President of the IDBF.

As part of this new chapter, the IDBF has applied for funding under “the Pilot Scheme to Strengthen the Presence of Hong Kong in Asian and International Sports Associations”, which was recently introduced by the HKSAR Government’s Culture, Sports and Tourism Bureau. The Pilot Scheme is an initiative designed to support Asian and international sports associations establishing their headquarters or regional headquarters in the city.

The Dragon Boat Festival has a long and colourful history dating back more than two thousand years. Held each year on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month, the day commemorates the patriotic poet Qu Yuan.

According to legend, Qu committed suicide for his beliefs by throwing himself into the Luo River. The villagers nearby raced out on their dragon boats, banging gongs and drums to scare away fish and other underwater creatures to stop them from eating Qu’s body. The tradition continues to this day, with dragon boat competitions taking place at locations across Hong Kong, each reflecting the unique characteristics of its neighbourhood.

Traditional dragon boat treats feature prominently during the festival, notably zongzi. These glutinous rice dumplings, traditionally wrapped in bamboo leaves and steamed or boiled, are widely available during the festive period.

 

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