Like its competitors Nikon Z7 and Z6, the Canon EOS R feels more like a mirrorless Full Frame Camera for current Canon DSLR owners instead of attracting new customers or former customers of other brands. We understand that this is a new system, with a new lens mount and new lenses on the go, so it makes sense that Canon takes a slow and calculated approach to this camera.
Two Technologies Find Together
Suppose you come from an APS-C camera or an older full-frame DSLR. In that case, you will notice a big difference: the Canon EOS Rs do not offer as much improvement in image quality compared to cameras such as Canon 6D Mark II, which is on a par with the 5D Mark IV. On paper, the EOS R seems to be a mirrorless version of Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. Although the two cameras share some similarities, there are also some critical differences between them. The most obvious difference is the unique technology: The EOS R is a mirrorless camera that directly feeds images from the image sensor into an electronic viewfinder (EVF). At the same time, the Mark IV is a DSLR camera that reflects images in the optical viewfinder (OVF) through a pentaprism.
The Future Of Consumer Cameras
Canon’s original mirrorless camera was the EOS M. It had interchangeable lenses and a crop sensor with a resolution of 18 megapixels. Mirrorless technology is the future, and Canon must invest enough time and resources to develop a desirable, future-proof camera system that will replace Canon EOS DSLRs one day. To fill this gap, Canon and Nikon have introduced a new optical line that offers adapters that allow you to use your SLR lenses with newer compact cameras.
The New Lens Mount
The EOS R is the first step in the mirrorless evolution of Canon. It consists of two newly developed lens mounts, an updated Full Frame image sensor, and a unique and sophisticated multimedia camera system. While Canon has already dipped its toes into the mirrorless water with its modest range of EOS M sensor-based APS-C cameras (including the EOS M6 and EOS M5), the EOS R is the debut model of a new series of mirrorless full-frame cameras based on a new lens mount, the so-called RF mount. The Canon EOS R focuses on the camera itself and has a full-frame 30.3MP camera with a DIGIC 8 image processor with high resolution.
The Canon EOS R is compatible with the RF lenses (EF-S, TS-E, and MP-E) and adapters, making it a versatile Full Frame video camera. The new lens mount, the RF, is not compatible with the EF-M bayonet used by Canon’s APS-C mirrorless camera line (called EOS M ), and neither can SLR lenses be used with the EF / EF-S adapter. The camera was also released with the first available accessory, the Canon Mount Adapter for the EF-EOS R. It is a simple adapter that allows you to use Canon EF, EF, S, TS, and E lenses with any RF camera in order.
Adapter
The first accessory available for the EOS R was the Canon Mount Adapter for the EF-EOS R when its first full-frame mirrorless camera was launched in October. A simple adapter allows you to use EF, EF-S, TS, and E lenses on RF cameras. This adapter works in many cases with existing EF lenses, and you would hardly notice a difference in performance between the Eos R and Canon DSLR camera bodies.
Video
The Extender EF-2X III f / 8 to f / 1.1 Compatible AF Area The autofocus of the EOS R cameras works with compatible f / 4, f / 9, and f / 11 lenses over the entire image range. This means that the camera with lenses with smaller apertures, compatible with selected extenders, can achieve sharp autofocus for uncompromising shooting over an extended focal length range. For example, when the camera recognizes a human face, it uses the subject’s eye as an autofocus point to maintain focus even when the subject moves inside and outside the frame.
This expansion enables compatibility with multiple lenses regardless of front diameter. It allows filter insert for lenses such as the ultra-wide EF 11-24mm USM lens and the tilt-shift TS-E 17mm f / 4L lens that do not accept filters on the front. EOS R features a newly developed and produced 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor (approx. Combined with the camera’s remarkable AF performance, video can be shot in various locations in dark situations. The camera and its digital lens optimizer work with both RF lenses and EF to RF lenses mounted on adapters, resulting in significant improvements in image quality.
ISO
The EOS R camera features a standard ISO range of 100-40,000 for still images, 100-25,600 for video, and 100-12,800 for 4k video recording, which means efficient performance, phenomenal image quality for large prints, impressive 4K video, and much more.
Color Space
The Canon EOS R has been around for a while as the company’s newest mirrorless camera with an updated feature set. It sits alongside decent Full Frame cameras at an affordable price point. It’s a price that gives you access to additional mirrorless features that you can’t get with a DSLR without a brand new bag of lenses, not to mention the fast autofocus and strong image quality we are used to Canon’s high-end cameras. On top of that, dual-pixel CMOS AF is still one of the best video autofocus systems ever used.
The camera is the cheapest Canon body with C-Log 10-bit HDMI (helpful for those who want to compare footage from Canon as cinema cameras) and thus a good aperture enhancement (which we forgot about at the time of writing). And it is the only mirrorless full-frame camera with a swivel screen that can be flipped up paired with reliable facial recognition, which makes it very unique.
A Perfect Choice For Traveling
The Canon EOS R is the lightest full-frame Canon camera ever produced. It is ideal for travel, landscape and portrait photography, videography, and any kind of creativity that comes with it. As a first step in the mirrorless evolution of Canons, the EOS R combines a newly developed lens mount with an updated Full Frame image sensor for a unique and sophisticated multimedia camera system.
Lab test
In our laboratory tests, the EOS Rs 30.3MP sensor, DIGIC 8 processor, and RF lenses blew the Canon 5D Mark IV, Sony A7R III, and Nikon Z7 in terms of ISO noise and performance. Still, the 5D and Mark IV are older cameras, and A7Rs and Z7 is designed for resolution, not low light. While I would have liked the Eos 5DS and 5DS R to match a resolution of 50MP, Canon does not produce a dual pixel version of the image sensor for these cameras, so 50MP is economical, making the 5d and IVs sensors a good choice for this camera.
The Canon EOS R faces a tricky decision and finds itself in a kind of no man’s land between high resolution, a more expensive full-frame camera such as the Nikon Z7 and Sony A7R Mark IV and cheaper, lower-resolution models such as the Canon Z6 and Panasonic S1. Known pixel counts of 30 MP have been used in at least one other Canon camera, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, suggesting that Canon uses the same sensor or variants of it in the EOS R. Our tests seem to confirm this, with the results of the EOS sensors coming close to those of the Mark IV.
Specs:
| Sensor Type: | CMOS-Sensor (36 x 24 mm) |
| Pixels: | ca.30,3 Megapixel |
| Spect Ratio: | 3:2 |
| Low-Pass Filter: | Fixed |
| Sensor Cleaning | EOS integrated |
| Colour Filter Type | Primary Color |
| Dimensions: | |
| Operating Environment: | 0 – 40 °C, 85% or less humidity |
| Dimensions (W x H x D): | 135.8 x 98.3 x 84.4mm |
| Weight: | 580 g |
| Lens Mount: | RF |
| ISO Sensitivity: | Auto 100-40000, ISO can be expanded to L:50, H1: 51200, H2: 102400 |
| Shutter: | Electronically-controlled focal-plane shutter and silent CMOS sensor readout |
| White Balance settings: | AWB (Ambience priority/White priority), Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten light, White Fluorescent light, Flash, Custom, Colour Temperature Setting |
| White balance compensation: | |
| 1. Blue/Amber +/-9 | |
| 2. Magenta/Green +/-9 | |
| Viewfinder: | 0.5-inch OLED color EVF |
| 3.69 Million dots (1280×960) | |
| LCD Monitor: | 8.01cm (3.15″) Clear View LCD II, approx. 2.1million dots |
| Movie Type: | MP4 Video: 4K (16:9) 3840 x 2160, Full HD, HD |
| MPEG4 AVC/H.264 variable (average) bit rate, Audio: Linear PCM | |
| Movie Size: | 4K (16:9) 3840 x 2160 (29.97, 25, 24, 23.98 fps) intra or inter frame7 |
| Full HD (16:9) 1920 x 1080 (59.94, 50, 29.97, 25, 23.98 fps) intra or inter frame | |
| Full HD (16:9) 1920 x 1080 HDR (29.97, 25 fps) inter frame | |
| Full HD (16:9) 1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25) light inter frame | |
| HD (16:9) 1280 x 720 (119.9, 100 fps) intra frame | |
| Colour Sampling (internal recording): | 4K – YCbCr4:2:0 (8-bit) |
| Full HD/HD – YCbCr4:2:0 (8-bit) | |
| Canon Log: | Yes Log1 |
| Movie Length: | 4K and Full HD – Max duration 29min 59sec. (excluding High Frame Rate movies). No 4GB file limit with exFAT SDXC |
| High Frame Rate Movie: | MOV Video: HD – 1280 x 720 at 100fps or 119.9fps |
| Recorded as 1/4-speed slow motion movie | |
| Single scene maximum recording up to 7min 29sec. | |
| Microphone: | Built-in stereo microphones (48 Khz, 16-bit x 2 channels) |
| Focusing: | Dual Pixel CMOS AF with Face Detection and Tracking AF, Movie Servo AF Manual Focus |
| ISO: | 4K – Auto: 100-12800, H: 25600, H: 32000, H1: 51200, H2: 102400, |
| Full HD/HD – Auto: 100-25600, H: 32000, H1: 51200, H2:102400 | |
| Storage Type: | 1x SD/SDHC/SDXC and UHS-II |
| Batteries: | Rechargeable Li-ion Battery LP-E6N (supplied)/LP-E6 |
The Bottom Line
The bottom line is that Canon’s first mirrorless full-frame camera, the EOS R, provides strong image quality and autofocus but is slowed down by its ergonomics and video system. The Eos R is Canon’s fourth full-frame camera with a dual-pixel CMOS sensor. It is the first brand to capture 4K images and take advantage of the outstanding subject tracking of DPAF.
The Canon EOS R is a mirrorless camera with a full-frame 30-megapixel sensor with dual CMOS AF that works with an F1.2 lens, photographs at five fps with continuous AF, has an SD card slot for 4K video and 10-bit output via HDMI, and a 3.69 million-point electronic viewfinder with 0.76x magnification and a 3.1-inch touchscreen display. If you love Canon lenses and Canon color science and do not yet have a Canon full-frame body, the Eos R is an excellent midrange Full Frame camera with good value for money at a price below $2,000. Choosing between them can be a tricky decision as it is a kind of No Man’s Land between higher resolution, more expensive Full Frame cameras such as the Nikon Z7, Sony A7R Mark IV and cheaper lower resolution models such as the Nikon Z6 and Panasonic S1.