The EOS R is Canon’s first full-frame mirrorless camera and is intended to entice you away from competing products such as Nikon’s brand-new Z6 and Sony’s outstanding Alpha A7 III.
The EOS R is the first model in Canon’s new line of full-frame mirrorless cameras, which will be based on a new lens mount known as the RF mount. Although Canon has already begun dabbling in mirrorless photography with its modest lines of APS-C sensor-based EOS M cameras, such as the EOS M6 and EOS M5, the EOS R is the first model in this new line.
Even though many Canon EOS R variants were released more recently, the original EOS R is still one of the most excellent Canon cameras and can be purchased reasonably.
Canon EOS R Features
A full-frame sensor with 30.3 megapixels and no optical low-pass filter is utilized in the EOS R. Although Canon emphasizes that this is not the same sensor, the EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR shares the exact pixel count, so if it sounds familiar, the reason is that it is because Canon shares the exact pixel count. However, we strongly suspect that it is very closely connected to the chip used in the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. This is not a terrible thing, considering that this chip is one of Canon’s sensors that performs the best.
Additionally, there is a new DIGIC 8 processing engine and a robust native ISO range of 100-40,000, which can be enlarged to settings similar to ISO50 and 102,400 – precisely matching the capabilities of the EOS 5D Mark IV.
Canon EOS R Performance
The EOS R has a maximum frame rate of 8 fps, making it quicker than Canon’s EOS 5D Mark IV, which is only capable of 7 fps, but slower than both Sony’s Alpha A7 III (10 fps) and Nikon’s Z6 (12 fps) (11fps). This slows down to 5 frames per second with focus tracking and even further to a pedestrian three frames per second if you wish to utilize the ‘tracking priority’ setting on the EOS R.
However, the buffer on the EOS R is pretty good, allowing the user to record up to 100 JPEGs or 47 raw files before taking a break to process the data.
On the other hand, the touchscreen capability of Canon’s products is relatively well-developed. In contrast to the restricted touchscreen functionality found on Sony’s mirrorless cameras, the technology found in the EOS R enables you to operate a wide variety of the camera’s functionalities.
This not only covers shooting and reviewing images (including utilizing the back screen to touch and drag the AF point), but it also covers navigating the menu system and Quick menu of the EOS R. The touch screen, on its own, is quite lovely to use and very sensitive to touch.
Canon EOS R Image Quality
It should not come as a surprise that the Canon EOS R delivers image quality equivalent to the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, given that the two cameras share a sensor. This is very encouraging news because, even though it may not quite reach the same heights in terms of resolution and dynamic range as the more expensive 42MP and 45MP sensor competitors from Sony and Nikon, it is unquestionably the most capable sensor that Canon currently has in its arsenal.
What exactly does it mean when applied to the outside world? If you have the right post-production tools, you shouldn’t rule out the possibility of printing an A2 size document, and making a Super A3 print with a high level of detail shouldn’t be too difficult either.
Moving on to the sensitivity performance, we find that the EOS R has reasonable control over picture noise. The results indicate no evidence of noise up to an ISO of 800, with only a hint of luminance noise (grain-like appearance) showing at an ISO of 2000. Light noise becomes more evident when the sensitivity is increased to ISO 10,000, chroma noise, color noise, and luminance noise.
The dynamic range is excellent, but the EOS R does not provide you the same freedom as the full-frame megapixel monsters produced by Sony and Nikon. It is still feasible, through post-processing, to restore a respectable degree of information in the shadows while still preserving detail in the highlights.
We have come to expect perfect color reproduction from Canon cameras, and the EOS R delivers lovely, natural tones, with skin tones faithfully reproduced as well; in addition, there is a wide variety of Picture Styles to select from if you are going to be shooting JPEGs, and there is also a tilting touchscreen.
The metering system of the EOS R works effectively, resulting in well-balanced exposures. On the other hand, the automatic white balance system of the camera does not throw any unpleasant shocks into the mix. White priority auto settings provide neutral pictures even when working with tungsten lighting, but the Ambience priority auto settings tend to keep some warmth in the image. White priority is one of the two automatic settings that the user may select.
Canon EOS R Specs
| Body type | SLR-style mirrorless |
|---|---|
| Body material | Magnesium alloy |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 6720 x 4480 |
| Other resolutions | 4176 x 2784 (1.6x crop) |
| Image ratio w:h | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 |
| Effective pixels | 30 megapixels |
| Sensor photo detectors | 32 megapixels |
| Sensor size | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Color space | sRGB, Adobe RGB |
| Color filter array | Primary color filter |
| Image | |
| ISO | Auto, 100-40000 (expands to 50-102400) |
| Boosted ISO (minimum) | 50 |
| Boosted ISO (maximum) | 102400 |
| White balance presets | 6 |
| Custom white balance | Yes |
| Image stabilization | No |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| JPEG quality levels | Fine, normal |
| File format | JPEGRaw (14-bit Canon CRW)C-Raw (Canon compressed Raw) |
| Optics & Focus | |
| Autofocus | Contrast Detect (sensor)Phase DetectMulti-areaCenterSelective single-pointTrackingSingleContinuousTouchFace DetectionLive View |
| Autofocus assist lamp | Yes |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Number of focus points | 5655 |
| Lens mount | Canon RF |
| Focal length multiplier | 1× |
| Screen / viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Fully articulated |
| Screen size | 3.2″ |
| Screen dots | 2,100,000 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Screen type | TFT LCD |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | Electronic |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.76× |
| Viewfinder resolution | 3,690,000 |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000 sec |
| Exposure modes | ProgramAperture priorityShutter priorityManual |
| Built-in flash | No |
| External flash | Yes (via hot shoe) |
| Flash X sync speed | 1/200 sec |
| Drive modes | SingleHigh-speed continuousLow-speed continuousSelf-timer |
| Continuous drive | 8.0 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes (2 or 10 secs) |
| Metering modes | MultiCenter-weightedSpotPartial |
| Exposure compensation | ±3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
| AE Bracketing | ±3 (3 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
| Videography features | |
| Format | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Modes | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 480 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 120 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 480 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 24p / 120 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 480 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM3840 x 2160 @ 23.98p / 120 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 180 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 60 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 90 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 30 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 90 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 24p / 30 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 90 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM1920 x 1080 @ 23.98p / 30 Mbps, MOV, H.264, AAC1280 x 720 @ 120p / 160 Mbps, MOV, H.264, Linear PCM |
| Microphone | Stereo |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | SD card (UHS-II supported) |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 3.2 Gen 1 (5 GBit/sec) |
| USB charging | Yes (With some chargers) |
| HDMI | Yes (Mini-HDMI) |
| Microphone port | Yes |
| Headphone port | Yes |
| Wireless | Built-In |
| Wireless notes | 802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth 4.1 LE |
| Remote control | Yes (via smartphone) |
| Physical | |
| Environmentally sealed | Yes |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | LP-E6N lithium-ion battery & charger |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 370 |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 660 g (1.46 lb / 23.28 oz) |
| Dimensions | 136 x 98 x 84 mm (5.35 x 3.86 x 3.31″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| GPS | None |
Canon EOS R Verdict
The Canon EOS R is a compelling camera that should fulfill the needs of many EOS DSLR owners searching for a reliable mirrorless option. However, if a system didn’t constrain us, it would not be easy to choose the EOS R above its competitors. This is especially true when considering the price premium over other outstanding cameras, such as the Nikon Z6 or the Sony Alpha A7 III. However, things are likely to change with the subsequent model when Canon has had the chance to refine some aspects of the product and make it more user-friendly.
