# Canon EOS-R or How Canon Nailed the Entrance into the Mirrorless FullFrame Market



## JoFT (Oct 28, 2018)

Maybe a bit provocative title of my review of the EOS R. I have it in use since almost 3 weeks now. I am really excited about this camera!

Here is my verdict:

Wow, what a camera... It delivers all what I expected to get. Using the EOS M5 since almost 2 years as my main travel camera I knew that Canon is delivering great gear on the mirrorless side as well. Therefore the R is definitely the next level for my "always with me travel camera"! The great thing is that it delivers those features which I missed mostly on the M5:Better low light performance and more bokeh and that's just related to sensor size. And weather sealing... But unfortunately the first RF-mount lens to come will be the 35mm f1.8 - and this one comes without weather sealing...

The EOS-R is a remarkable camera. Tt can be a work horse for all "normal" needs - and I believe for working professionals as well. I would think it will become a believed camera for travel photographers, who do want to be a bit more discrete and do won't to carry less.

For many topics which are critizised in the online community there are workarounds or solutions built in which are made pretty awesome. But you have to figure them out and maybe to learn how to use them....

I do expect more glass for the RF mount. And the list if the expected glass to come is impressive:

Zooms: the holy trinity is more ore less confirmed to come in 2019
16-35mm f2.8
24-70mm f 2.8 - as IS-Lens!
70-200mm f 2.8
I do expect a new Super Zoom lens... like the 28-300mm

Prime Lenses are rumored to come in late 2019 or early 2020 as well
24 mm f1.2
85mm f 12.

These glimpse of rumors show clearly that Canon is filling up the RF mount with stunning and awesome glass - and I do hope for more consumer grade glass as well...

And therefore: i am happy to have it and to use it in the future....

If you are interested in my full review, please read my full Review of the EOS R


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## dak723 (Oct 28, 2018)

I rented the camera for 4 days and was also quite happy with it. Unfortunately, as is so often the case with any Canon product, it is sad to see is the incredible negative response it gets on the internet (whether organized, subsidized or just due to Sony fanboy enthusiasm). So it is always good to see people who are actually using the product give their reviews and comments. I am waiting to see what future versions of the R will be upcoming (hopefully a lower priced version) before I decide which R camera to get. The Image quality was excellent, handing was better than I expected since I don't like big and heavy cameras, and the choice of adapters with extras is truly innovative and benificial to photographers (unlike many so-called innovations). For the first time since owning mirrorless cameras (which I have done since 2014), I feel completely at ease changing lenses in the field due to the closing shutter protecting the mirror. Another actual useful and beneficial innovation.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Oct 28, 2018)

Mine is as expected, a solid camera that does the job. I tether my camera for a lot of its everyday shooting, USB, not wifi. Canon has the tethering down very well, so its the right model for me.


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## Graphic.Artifacts (Oct 28, 2018)

Seems like a good alternative to the 5D Mark IV for anyone who doesn't rely on continuos focusing or shooting. If those are important you would probably be better off waiting for a later model as those aspects of the camera significantly underperform Canon's DSLR's. If you are primarily a "single shot" type of shooter that doesn't need to track movement it might be worth picking one up for access to the RF lenses. That's my opinion based on a few trials. I don't think I could live with the continuous shooting performance as a Canon DSLR user but YMMV.


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## JoFT (Oct 28, 2018)

Graphic.Artifacts said:


> Seems like a good alternative to the 5D Mark IV for anyone who doesn't rely on continuos focusing or shooting. If those are important you would probably be better off waiting for a later model as those aspects of the camera significantly underperform Canon's DSLR's. If you are primarily a "single shot" type of shooter that doesn't need to track movement it might be worth picking one up for access to the RF lenses. That's my opinion based on a few trials. I don't think I could live with the continuous shooting performance as a Canon DSLR user but YMMV.



It is definitely an alternative to the 5D4. I think the 5 D4 will be used only for sports events like skiing or field hockey. 
I personally believe that the already announced update on continuous shooting for instance for eye detect will help. I think we will seen faster mirrorless cameras form Canon in the future....


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Oct 28, 2018)

Mine tracks better than my 5D IV for normally moving objects. The 5D MK IV works better in extreme cases. I can't track out to the edge of the sensor nor to the top/bottom with my 5D IV either. 

Those who need high fps will not find it with the R. I stopped machine gunning years ago because of the work of going thru hundreds of photos, and taught myself to be patient and anticipate the moment with a single shot. Of course, there are cases where that doesn't work, but photographers have managed with one shot for over 100 years. Its just like autofocus and auto exposure, they make it easier, but some do very well with all manual. If its a money shot, then any tool that increases the odds of the perfect moment should be used, for me, its a hobby.

I remember when AF and AE came out, there were lots of those who criticized the functions as for the lazy. I see it as a way to increase the number of people doing photography, easier is good.


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## Del Paso (Oct 28, 2018)

dak723 said:


> I rented the camera for 4 days and was also quite happy with it. Unfortunately, as is so often the case with any Canon product, it is sad to see is the incredible negative response it gets on the internet (whether organized, subsidized or just due to Sony fanboy enthusiasm). So it is always good to see people who are actually using the product give their reviews and comments. I am waiting to see what future versions of the R will be upcoming (hopefully a lower priced version) before I decide which R camera to get. The Image quality was excellent, handing was better than I expected since I don't like big and heavy cameras, and the choice of adapters with extras is truly innovative and benificial to photographers (unlike many so-called innovations). For the first time since owning mirrorless cameras (which I have done since 2014), I feel completely at ease changing lenses in the field due to the closing shutter protecting the mirror. Another actual useful and beneficial innovation.


It seems to be a standardized and well- routined way to proceed:
You take a well designed Canon product, check it, find a missing feature or spec, and decide that nothing is more important than what the product lacks.
And above all, never really mention the important features, like excellent ergonomics, the superb new lenses plus the best customer service existing.
No, all that matters in a camera is uncropped 4k...
Sorry youtubers and self-declared experts: I love my EOS R !!!


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## Viggo (Oct 28, 2018)

Just wanted to chime in, and I too find this camera to be a truly excellent performer. I sold my 1dx2 and left behind what I’ve known and slept and breathed for a decade.... and I don’t miss calibration, limited af point spread and even the OVF, which is very weird to admit, really...

There’s nothing I really miss, of course the 14 fps on occasion, but considering what I had to sacrifice to get that, it’s an easy choice for me, personally.

It’s a shame Canon gets trashed always no matter what, because it’s idiotic and might make people who would love this camera, buy something else.

Going from a OVF and 1dx2 to this smaller, much cheaper midrange with an EVF shouldn’t have been this great, but it really is....


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## AlanF (Oct 28, 2018)

Some of these posts remind me of nations proudly announcing that they have achieved something that the USA did thirty years before or a group of new converts at a revivalist meeting who have suddenly seen the light of the one true god and have to proclaim it to all and sundry. Canon has produced its first entry level product in an established area, which is competent but not particularly innovative and behind the competitors in some areas. Please keep the discussion in proportion. It's not a question of trashing Canon over this new product but it seems like some are trashing all of Canon's past cameras because this one is so much better.


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## Graphic.Artifacts (Oct 28, 2018)

Glad it's working out for you guys. The still images appear to be very similar to the 5DIV which I own and an very happy with. My issue with the R was that it was not as responsive as my DSLR's. Not in term of frames per second but that I was always waiting for it to catch up. Maybe it was my imagination or you get used to it but I personally found it very frustrating to work with and had to give up and walk away a couple of times. If you are a careful deliberate type of shooter that might not be a problem but I found it interfered with my ability to get into a flow. I think that's something I would want to hear from a fellow shooter if I was considering purchasing it. Certainly not bashing. As I said, YMMV.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Oct 28, 2018)

The setup of the camera is important to getting decent performance. 

Turn off the review function, it delays the ability to take the next shot. I can actually take successive photos pressing the shutter button as fast as possible faster than with my 5D MK IV. I set them up side by side, used the same lens and same subject / settings, confident that the 5D IV would blow away the R, but the R was faster. I learned to turn off the image review on my 5D MK IV when using liveview, otherwise, its frustrating to take quick successive shots.


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## Viggo (Oct 29, 2018)

Well, people that haven’t used it can think whatever they want. I know that I switched for a better AF system, and it is, all the other things was just on top of that. Fortunately everything else is great too. 

What I don’t like is the touchbar, all the buttons on top instead of at the back (and front) very hard to figure out which button is which on top, and hard to reach them. I also don’t like all the noise in the images even at 200 iso... the 1dx2 was far better. But higher mp etc, I knew it wouldn’t be as good. However the DR of this camera is superb. So nice! And I don’t like having a camera I need to charge as often as my phone and that I can’t use my Broncolor without green banding. Anything else? Hmm, potential weak weather sealing ....


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## AlanF (Oct 29, 2018)

Imaging-resources.com report the R cycles at 0.3 s per shot for RAW + Jpeg, and the 5DIV at 0.37 s in single shot mode, consistent with Mt Spokane’s observations. 

For continuous shooting with AF tracking, the R is 5 and the IV 7 fps. However, I often use silent mode for speeds between 1/100 - 1/1000s, which slows down the 5DIV, to minimise shutter shake or not disturb birds.


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## AlanF (Oct 29, 2018)

How small is the spot focus at the centre? I find the centre spot focus on the 5D/7D ranges very useful for pinpointing the focus of small birds or insects against busy backgrounds and would like to know if the R can point or it is a larger focus square.


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## Fred Strobel (Oct 29, 2018)

AlanF said:


> How small is the spot focus at the centre? I find the centre spot focus on the 5D/7D ranges very useful for pinpointing the focus of small birds or insects against busy backgrounds and would like to know if the R can point or it is a larger focus square.


The focus points are about the same size as that on my 6d. I believe in one shot autofocus you can set it to a smaller size. I believe all of the focus points are the same so the center one does not matter.


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## Act444 (Oct 29, 2018)

AlanF said:


> How small is the spot focus at the centre? I find the centre spot focus on the 5D/7D ranges very useful for pinpointing the focus of small birds or insects against busy backgrounds and would like to know if the R can point or it is a larger focus square.



R owners should confirm this, but I think that while you can get the AF point size down to DSLR-viewfinder size, I don’t think you can utilize the same type of focus precision with the ultra-small point that you can with a 5D, for instance. Then again, I don’t think the 6D offers it either so for its price range, it’s probably acceptable.

One theme I’m seeing is that this is a somewhat polarizing camera, even among people who have used it. Some seem to swear by it and prefer it to their 5D or 1D; others find it sluggish by comparison or “a work in progress” so to speak. I guess it comes down to what you shoot/what you’re comfortable with.


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## Viggo (Oct 29, 2018)

While I’m happy with the AF point size in One Shot, because I actually have a choice then, and can select a smaller point. In Servo mode I absolutely wish I had the same size af point options as in One Shot, it’s to big for some things...


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## jjct (Oct 30, 2018)

Has anyone tried astrophotography with it? How about banding in low light? There was a post somewhere (I can't find it now) suggesting the banding correlated to flash or wirless remote in the hot shoe.


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## Viggo (Oct 30, 2018)

jjct said:


> Has anyone tried astrophotography with it? How about banding in low light? There was a post somewhere (I can't find it now) suggesting the banding correlated to flash or wirless remote in the hot shoe.


I suggested that, and I still haven’t seen banding without anything in the hotshoe. Haven’t tried Astro because rain/snow and I hate the cold, lol..


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## jjct (Oct 30, 2018)

Viggo said:


> I suggested that, and I still haven’t seen banding without anything in the hotshoe. Haven’t tried Astro because rain/snow and I hate the cold, lol..



How does the EOS R compare to your 5DSR?


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## Viggo (Oct 30, 2018)

jjct said:


> How does the EOS R compare to your 5DSR?


I had a 1dx2, have only barely tried the 5dsr I’m afraid..

But in all honesty, I don’t miss my 1dx2 at all. There is too much I like more with the R to miss it...


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## jjct (Oct 30, 2018)

Viggo said:


> I had a 1dx2, have only barely tried the 5dsr I’m afraid..
> 
> But in all honesty, I don’t miss my 1dx2 at all. There is too much I like more with the R to miss it...



Ok. thanks. I have a 5DSR, which I love. Awesome IQ. However, I do a lot of night shooting. It's good, but not great for astro. I was thinking about a 5Div, but bought a Pentax K-1 for astro for half the price. It's great at night. Cleaner and better dynamic range than the 5dsr. However, two systems is kind of a headache. The EOS R seems like it might do the trick. Decisions, decisions.


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## JoFT (Oct 31, 2018)

jjct said:


> Has anyone tried astrophotography with it? How about banding in low light? There was a post somewhere (I can't find it now) suggesting the banding correlated to flash or wirless remote in the hot shoe.


I am going to try this on the over next weekend. I will be in New Hampshire and - hopefully- we will have some clear sky....


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## JoFT (Nov 9, 2018)

JoFT said:


> I am going to try this on the over next weekend. I will be in New Hampshire and - hopefully- we will have some clear sky....


One first unedited shot yesterday night....


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## JoFT (Nov 9, 2018)

Sorry but here is yesterday nights shot, unedited transferred to toad and then uploaded...


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## JoFT (Nov 14, 2018)

JoFT said:


> Sorry but here is yesterday nights shot, unedited transferred to toad and then uploaded...




Here3 comes the edited one....


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## Jack Douglas (Feb 5, 2019)

JoFT said:


> Maybe a bit provocative title of my review of the EOS R. I have it in use since almost 3 weeks now. I am really excited about this camera!
> 
> Here is my verdict:
> 
> ...



Late to the party - I've paid minimal attention to the R but having read your comments (review), I'm becoming more interested. Have now read most of the negative press, most of it claiming the R doesn't even match the Sony R III from dummies like Tony but I couldn't care less about Sony. I really want the ND filter adapter and the 30 MPs, the size/weight and the use of my EF lenses. I expect I'll be very happy with it given I don't anticipate parting with the 1DX2 for wildlife and video. But I must have the ND filter adapter and so far, where is it?

You did a good job with the Review!


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Feb 5, 2019)

Jack Douglas said:


> Late to the party - But I must have the ND filter adapter and so far, where is it?



Its scheduled for Feb 28, a preorder is advisable


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