Designed for first-time shooters, but capable enough for advanced imaging tasks, the Canon EOS Rebel T8i is a versatile DSLR with well-rounded photo and video capabilities. Featuring a 24.1MP APS-C-format CMOS sensor and DIGIC 8 image processor, high-resolution stills and UHD 4K video recording are supported, along with a wide ISO 100-25600 sensitivity range to suit working in a variety of lighting conditions. Benefitting the imaging attributes, the sensor's design also facilitates Dual Pixel CMOS AF, which uses phase-detection autofocus for quick, accurate, and smooth focusing performance when recording movies or shooting stills in live view. When shooting stills using the optical viewfinder, a 45-point all cross-type phase-detection system is used for quick and accurate focusing in a variety of shooting scenarios.

The physical design incorporates a 3.0" 1.04m-dot touchscreen LCD, which uses a vari-angle design to permit easier viewing from high, low, and even front-facing angles. Additionally, built-in Wi-Fi with NFC is available for quick and convenient pairing with a smartphone or tablet for wireless image sharing, and Bluetooth is also featured for image sharing to and remote camera control from a mobile device.