# Bit the EOS R bullet!



## killswitch (Jan 1, 2019)

Ok, after a lot of back and forth and multiple trips to the local camera store to try out the camera, and compare it side by side with the 5D4, reading up countless reviews and user feedback - I have finally pulled the trigger and placed the order for the EOS R. It will be replacing my trusty 5D3. Anxious to find out if I made the right move or should have waited for the upcoming EOS R body that is rumored to be come in 2019? I was wondering when in 2019 it is coming? Any guesstimate?

I had few questions how other EOS R users customized the following things

1) Mfn Bar
2) Image playback in the viewfinder
3) What settings/mode are you using to track locked subject?
4) What are you guys using for Exposure Compensation? Control ring? I miss the wheel.


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## Viggo (Jan 1, 2019)

killswitch said:


> Ok, after a lot of back and forth and multiple trips to the local camera store to try out the camera, and compare it side by side with the 5D4, reading up countless reviews and user feedback - I have finally pulled the trigger and placed the order for the EOS R. It will be replacing my trusty 5D3. Anxious to find out if I made the right move or should have waited for the upcoming EOS R body that is rumored to be come in 2019? I was wondering when in 2019 it is coming? Any guesstimate?
> 
> I had few questions how other EOS R users customized the following things
> 
> ...


Congrats! You’ll love it. Give it a week or two and you won’t miss the DSLR. The focusing precision alone is worth the switch, imo.

1: left tap Level, right tap Histogram, swipe Kelvin adjustment.
2: no playback, review, I’ve set it to only show review when I press play.
3: I switch a lot between single point (with and without expansion) and face detect tracking. Switched off all “Zone”-modes, they suck for me.
4: with the RF50 I use, and love, the control ring. With EF I I use the top rear wheel around the mode button.


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## killswitch (Jan 1, 2019)

Viggo said:


> Congrats! You’ll love it. Give it a week or two and you won’t miss the DSLR. The focusing precision alone is worth the switch, imo.
> 
> 1: left tap Level, right tap Histogram, swipe Kelvin adjustment.
> 2: no playback, review, I’ve set it to only show review when I press play.
> ...



Thanks Viggo,

I currently have the EF 50 1.2 and is one of my favorite lens. How do you like the RF 50 1.2 on your R body? Is it front heavy. I am sooo getting it once the price comes down a bit!


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## Viggo (Jan 1, 2019)

killswitch said:


> Thanks Viggo,
> 
> I currently have the EF 50 1.2 and is one of my favorite lens. How do you like the RF 50 1.2 on your R body? Is it front heavy. I am sooo getting it once the price comes down a bit!


Best combo I’ve used ever, simple as that, and it includes 1dx2+200 f2.0.

It’s not frontheavy unless you shoot one handed. I really like the weight and feel of this combo. And for IQ and focus precision nothing comes close for me.


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## londonxt (Jan 2, 2019)

Similar boat to you, I sold my 5D MKIII and went for the EOS R with a bit of a leap of faith but the new mount and future possibilities pushed me (even if I find myself quickly upgrading to the next release... I mean I pretty much did that with the 5 series). I sort almost relished a fresh new start. I am a casual shooter and sort of just walk around with my camera so I have been tempted by size (ideally weight too, but this EOS R still has a heft) advantage of mirrorless for a long time now but didnt want to sacrifice too much on SLR handling and performance, so was waiting for an excuse to go for it.

I've taken it out on a few outings with the light weight 35mm RF and the budget 50mm 1.4 EF (the 35mm RF hadnt been realsed when I bought the body). My theory was that a budget RF lens would be inherently better quality than a budget EF lens.

I think the biggest blocker to perfection is battery tech, battery tech hasn't caught up and is struggling. I ended up buying a 2nd official battery after the first outing! So to get enough juice for a days shoot you need to have the power saving profile enabled all the time which means there is a lag from when you press the button and the EVF comes alive once the camera has gone into a power-saving sleep mode. I am not sure how much the EVF performance can be tweaked but when I turned off auto-power down on everything, the sensor turned the camera into a pocket oven lol. Now I am back home I will have more scope to play around.

The EVF power-up lag and to a lesser extent battery time is what I am really stuggling with compared to the instant viewing and response of the SLR. I find myself having to half press the shutter button now and then in anticipation of a shot. I also noticed the EVF does not always pick out small moving details like distant birds flying around in the sky, I am not sure if this is another power saving thing (I know you can increase the performance of the EVF) or a technical limitation of the screen resolution and DR.

Settings wise, I was a bit frustrated at first. I certainly turned off auto-preview, and reverted to just viewing images using play button as and when I wanted to, I found having the image appear in the EVF just after taking a photo very disorientating almost nauseous! Others may differ. It may also save precious battery time. I love seeing the horizontal rule and other info in the EVF, that has been really useful for me. I havent yet got into a habit of changing options while viewing the EVF preferring to revert to the rear screen for that. Maybe an old habit not sure.

Ultimately I would prefer to have the option to turn the rear screen off completey and parked to save on battery and for protection when day-trekking but without any other viable option the rear touch panel is vital for AF point selection. I have mine set to top right corner, absolute for AF point selection, as I tend to jump around the extremes of the rule of thirds. Would be nice to have an option to just set the rear screen for AF point selection to save on battery juice. I quite like the touch panel for AF point selection but its not perfect, I find the reach to the left-side AF points awkward and the lack of alternative options for the reset-to-centre button bizarre. I struggle to reach the "Delete" button intuitively. There is a known bug where the AF selection suddenly moves to the far bottom corner which is frustrating.

The touch bar thing I havent used yet, I would have liked it as Exposure compensation bar but no option to do that (seemed to be an obvious use for it). I might set one end to activate face/eye focus as Ive found that surprisingly useful for doing al-servo portrait shots while on the move.

I keep forgetting that there is a dial on the 35mm RF, Ive set it to exposure compensation but it feels a bit awkward compared to the old wheel. I mostly put up with the slightly inconvenient default rear dial.

Ive started to notice the quality difference between my current low end lenses and my old L lens range but was shocked by the weight of the new RF L lenses, although the 24-70 looks like it might be a good compromise option. I can't afford any lenses at the moment so happy to wait and really enjoying the combined weight and size of my current kit.

Oh and I bought a new strap as the Canon one is awful!


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Jan 2, 2019)

I learned to turn off image review from using live view with my 5D MK IV and SL2. If image review is on, the delay before the next shot is very long. with it off, I can take shots one after the other at a slightly higher rate than my 5D MK IV (I'm referring to individual shutter button presses)

Be sure to try that and see how it works for you. I generally do not need to review images after a shot, I set the histogram to overlay the liveview screen, so I can see if exposure is reasonable.


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## Random Orbits (Jan 2, 2019)

killswitch said:


> Ok, after a lot of back and forth and multiple trips to the local camera store to try out the camera, and compare it side by side with the 5D4, reading up countless reviews and user feedback - I have finally pulled the trigger and placed the order for the EOS R. It will be replacing my trusty 5D3. Anxious to find out if I made the right move or should have waited for the upcoming EOS R body that is rumored to be come in 2019? I was wondering when in 2019 it is coming? Any guesstimate?
> 
> I had few questions how other EOS R users customized the following things
> 
> ...



1. Mfn Bar. For sliding, it goes through the AF modes... I use right tap the most, so that toggles on/off drag AF. I find it useful because I often inadvertently move/drag the AF point when I look through the viewfinder. This way, it's a quick tap, drag to new spot an tap again to lock it. Swipe is for AF modes. Usually, I set it to single point, but I can easily change it to eyeAF or multi-point by swiping while still looking through the VF. Right tap is set to AF point size, which I don't use often.

4. Isn't the ring around the mode button set to exposure compensation by default? If not, then that's what I'm using for EC. I use the control ring for ISO.


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## londonxt (Jan 2, 2019)

Mt Spokane Photography said:


> I learned to turn off image review from using live view with my 5D MK IV and SL2. If image review is on, the delay before the next shot is very long. with it off, I can take shots one after the other at a slightly higher rate than my 5D MK IV (I'm referring to individual shutter button presses)
> 
> Be sure to try that and see how it works for you. I generally do not need to review images after a shot, I set the histogram to overlay the liveview screen, so I can see if exposure is reasonable.



Yeah I have auto Image Review turned off as I find it too disconcerting to see the EVF with a static picture in it while I am on the move. I was meaning the "wake up" delay once the power save has kicked in after X minutes which seems to put the EVF into some sort of sleep state. I find I am walking along, 20 mins after the last photo, and I see something happen infront of me that I want to snap, a split second moment, I lift the camera to my eye quickly, while pressing the shutter button half way and the EVF is black, press fully and nothing happens, a second later the EVF comes on and I can take the photo but usually that photographic moment has gone. Its clearly a power save issue and an archillies heel with mirrorless and current battery tech. I could probably turn off the power save profile for normal street shooting (must try it) but I was doing long day trips and trekking before where battery life was more important.


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## killswitch (Jan 2, 2019)

londonxt said:


> Yeah I have auto Image Review turned off as I find it too disconcerting to see the EVF with a static picture in it while I am on the move. I was meaning the "wake up" delay once the power save has kicked in after X minutes which seems to put the EVF into some sort of sleep state. I find I am walking along, 20 mins after the last photo, and I see something happen infront of me that I want to snap, a split second moment, I lift the camera to my eye quickly, while pressing the shutter button half way and the EVF is black, press fully and nothing happens, a second later the EVF comes on and I can take the photo but usually that photographic moment has gone. Its clearly a power save issue and an archillies heel with mirrorless and current battery tech. I could probably turn off the power save profile for normal street shooting (must try it) but I was doing long day trips and trekking before where battery life was more important.



So it is possible to turn of the split second image preview in the EVF? I sure hope Canon figures a better solution to the disorienting image preview through EVF. I think Sony A9 has no blackout, I don’t know what Sony is doing but if Canon finds a way to resolve this it will make using the system more enjoyable. 

I have a toddler who is zipping around all the time, with my 5D3 I can go from sleep state to actual shot in less than a sec. you are right those fraction of a second in these situations are always useful. Excited to play with the R!!!


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## killswitch (Jan 3, 2019)

londonxt said:


> Similar boat to you, I sold my 5D MKIII and went for the EOS R with a bit of a leap of faith but the new mount and future possibilities pushed me (even if I find myself quickly upgrading to the next release... I mean I pretty much did that with the 5 series). I sort almost relished a fresh new start. I am a casual shooter and sort of just walk around with my camera so I have been tempted by size (ideally weight too, but this EOS R still has a heft) advantage of mirrorless for a long time now but didnt want to sacrifice too much on SLR handling and performance, so was waiting for an excuse to go for it.
> 
> I've taken it out on a few outings with the light weight 35mm RF and the budget 50mm 1.4 EF (the 35mm RF hadnt been realsed when I bought the body). My theory was that a budget RF lens would be inherently better quality than a budget EF lens.
> 
> ...



I have been harping about the inability to the left most AF regions even if the AF is set to top right corner. The only way through my several testing was to let go of the grip a bit so that my thumb could reach the left most AF. So the only way to reset to center point is by pressing the delete button? Can it be assigned to the touch bar?


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## Viggo (Jan 3, 2019)

killswitch said:


> I have been harping about the inability to the left most AF regions even if the AF is set to top right corner. The only way through my several testing was to let go of the grip a bit so that my thumb could reach the left most AF. So the only way to reset to center point is by pressing the delete button? Can it be assigned to the touch bar?


I have it assigned to the *-button. And AF-mode selection to the button right beneath, they work nicely together.


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## londonxt (Jan 3, 2019)

Viggo said:


> I have it assigned to the *-button. And AF-mode selection to the button right beneath, they work nicely together.


Interesting, I was looking everywhere to re-assign the re-centre AF point to a different button!


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## londonxt (Jan 3, 2019)

killswitch said:


> So it is possible to turn of the split second image preview in the EVF? I sure hope Canon figures a better solution to the disorienting image preview through EVF. I think Sony A9 has no blackout, I don’t know what Sony is doing but if Canon finds a way to resolve this it will make using the system more enjoyable.
> 
> I have a toddler who is zipping around all the time, with my 5D3 I can go from sleep state to actual shot in less than a sec. you are right those fraction of a second in these situations are always useful. Excited to play with the R!!!



Yeah you can just turn off image preview and manually press the play button instead. Works fine.

With regards to the wake up response time, even the Sony EVF would have to turn off at some point surely, this is probably more to do with a deep-sleep state for the whole device, after X minutes of no activity that struggles with response time. Would be nice if you could wake it up (not necessarily turn on the EVF) with a motion detector ie as you are raising the camera to eye-level. So the EVF is ready when you half-press the shutter button.


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## killswitch (Jan 4, 2019)

Viggo said:


> I have it assigned to the *-button. And AF-mode selection to the button right beneath, they work nicely together.



I have to try this as soon as it arrives. Can't wait, supposed to be delivered next week but arriving today anytime now much to my surprise. And I happen to be WFH today


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## Larsskv (Jan 4, 2019)

The best use for the touch bar for me, is in image preview mode, where I set it to a “rate” function. I use the rate button all the time on my 5DIV, and missed it with the EOS R. I was happy when I could assign the touch bar to “rate”. 

I have assigned the two upper right buttons to AF functions, one for switching between AI Servo and one shot, and one for focusing mode. The MF-N button is assigned to burst modes. 

My control ring is assigned to exposure compensation.


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## killswitch (Jan 5, 2019)

Got mine delivered today. Loving the R so far! Spent some time customizing the layout. Here are some initial thoughts/questions and impressions. I shoot mainly in Aperture priority or Manual when needed.


Even when the R is turned off, the top display shows my last used mode, which is Av mode and the wifi icon. It goes away if I open the battery door. Is this normal?
When I went into the author name page, it had someone's name "Thang Tran". That shouldn't be if its brand new correct? I bought this off ebay seller that was recommended by CanonPriceWatch.com. Is there a way to check R shutter count to verify usage?
I actually love Mfn-bar. This was one of the two thing I had some concern about, fortunately so far I like the sensitivity. I have to see how it feels in the field. switched it for the AF method. Sooo good. Next to it I have the AF-On button, and as someone here suggested I use the * button for Reset AF-point to Center. The button underneath it I have it set to AF Type (Servo/One Shot)
Control ring on my EF-RF adapter is set to Exposure Compensation. I have to get used to the placement of the ring. I tried the ring on the RF 24-105, and it was awkward as it was far away. For the EF-RF adapter it felt better but I feel the hand gets a bit crammed. Maybe need to adjust my holding technique coming off of 5D3 (which I loved for its ergonomics).
How do you folks use the Eye-AF tracking? I drag my thumb around the face, the camera detects tracks the face(shows a square box) and if it detects the eye it tracks that as well (shows a smaller box within the first box). I then tap back AF-On to bring the eye into focus and press shutter button. I was expecting I have to hold back AF-On with Eye-AF turned on in One Shot Mode. When locked, press the shutter. It seems like you cannot assign the shutter button to just take the shot, as you cannot disable AF-On for the half-press. Unless I missed something here.
Sooo, the elephant in the room. My understanding was in the AF Page 1, the Active Touch Area under Touch and drag AF settings was to set a smaller region (sort of like superimpose the entire screen into a tiny area) like Bottom Right, or Top Right for AF selection instead of using the entire screen. It does not seem to work, as you can still drag and select AF around the entire screen. This is because you cannot reach the left part of the screen without letting go of the grip! Am I missing something here?
I will read the manual to get some insight as to what that setting is actually meant for.


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## Viggo (Jan 5, 2019)

1. It’s normal to shwonahooting mode on top when Off. The WiFi Only switch on to use and then turn it off to not drain the battery.

2. I think the ShutterCount app supported the R, and I would check, because there shouldn’t be any name there on a brand new camera.

5. Go into the Button setup in the orange menu and display the screen where you choose what button does what, and then you can set the shutter button to only AE and not AF.

6. I initially thought then Top Right area would be smaller than it is, but it does work and there’s nothing happening if I move my thumb to far to the left.


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## killswitch (Jan 5, 2019)

Viggo said:


> 1. It’s normal to shwonahooting mode on top when Off. The WiFi Only switch on to use and then turn it off to not drain the battery.
> 
> 2. I think the ShutterCount app supported the R, and I would check, because there shouldn’t be any name there on a brand new camera.
> 
> ...



Thanks a lot Viggo. After reading your comments I went back and did some more test. Yes, you are right it does work and for me I like the Right section for touch and drag AF instead of Bottom Right or Top Right.

Thanks I set the half press to AE which works for me.

I also turned off wifi and blue-tooth so when I turn off the camera those icons disappear. The last used program mode only remains which you said is normal.

I bought the ShutterCount app, and it gave me this reading Shutter Count <= 1000 (0%). So anybody know what this means? The app cannot quantify anything below 1K clicks? I clicked maybe 25 times or 30 max for testing.


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## killswitch (Jan 5, 2019)

One of my SD card (32GB SDHC Lexar Platinum II 300x 45mbs) which I have been using on my 5D3 gives an error on my EOS R. When I turn on the R with that card in (I have not reformatted it yet) after a minute I get the Error 070. Looking it up online reveals that error is associated with problem with reading the image detected and typically says to remove and reinstall battery. I am going to try reformatting this card before I get the error to see if that helps. All my other SD cards did not have any issues on R even when I did not reformat. If anyone experienced this before, let me know what your finding was. Is there an issue with the body, should I return it just to be safe?

I need to get UHS-II cards for this badboy. I remember seeing an article about the fastest cards and was highly recommended. Any advice on which ones you all prefer and find them highly reliable?

I found ProGrade, Sony and Lexar among the top 3 for UHS-II. Never heard of ProGrade before, but supposedly they are pretty good?


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Jan 5, 2019)

killswitch said:


> One of my SD card (32GB SDHC Lexar Platinum II 300x 45mbs) which I have been using on my 5D3 gives an error on my EOS R. When I turn on the R with that card in (I have not reformatted it yet) after a minute I get the Error 070. Looking it up online reveals that error is associated with problem with reading the image detected and typically says to remove and reinstall battery. I am going to try reformatting this card before I get the error to see if that helps. All my other SD cards did not have any issues on R even when I did not reformat. If anyone experienced this before, let me know what your finding was. Is there an issue with the body, should I return it just to be safe?
> 
> I need to get UHS-II cards for this badboy. I remember seeing an article about the fastest cards and was highly recommended. Any advice on which ones you all prefer and find them highly reliable?
> 
> I found ProGrade, Sony and Lexar among the top 3 for UHS-II. Never heard of ProGrade before, but supposedly they are pretty good?




I did not but the fastest cards, but instead bought 2 mid range UHSII cards, first a Delkin Prime 64GB 1900X for $50, and then a Lexar 128Gb 1000x when they went on sale for $45 at B&H. The Delkin is rated 1900X, its 100 MB/sec write and 300 MB/sec read, while the Lexar is 90 MB/sec write and 150 MB/sec read, both are V60.

V60 is the recommended speed for 4k video in the R, faster cards download faster, or clear your buffer faster, but are no better for video.

Both cards are overkill for me.


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