EOS R, Canon strikes back

After all rumors, a week after Nikon, Canon has released the EOS R, that appear to be a 5D MarkIV stuffed into a mirrorless package; some people say it is more like the 6D MarkII. The EOS-R feature the new RF mount, and 4 RF lenses have been announced, as well as 3 EF to RF adapters. At US$ 2,300 body only (CAD 3,000 up North), it is a bit more expensive than its competition.

All of this is based on the specs as I haven’t had the privilege to see one, even less touch one.

• 30 Megapixels full frame sensor
• 4K movie mode, not using MJPEG, but crop 1.7x
• Canon C-log
• New RF mount 20mm flange that allow a much slimmer design
• Control ring on the lens
• Fast dual pixel autofocus with many focus points

Early reviews say the autofocus works fast, whether in stills or movie mode, as well as with adapted EF lenses. This is good news.

Here is the 4 lenses lineup:

• RF 35mm f/1.8 IS STM Macro (CAD 650)
• RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM (CAD 1,450)
• RF 50mm f/1.2 L USM (CAD 3,000)
• RF 28-70mm f/2 L USM (CAD 3,900), it is huge and fast.

Only the two cheapest one have IS.

Now the EF to RF adapters. Plural as there are three. There is the basic one for CAD 130 that just connect the lens, a second one that for CAD 260 provides the control ring that EF lenses are missing, and a third one that provide drop in filters (but no control ring) for much more money depending whether it is a ND filter or a circular polarizer. This is an essential part to convince Canon DSLR users that the don’t lose their heavy investment in lenses.

What is the control ring? It is an extra ring on RF lenses that can be mapped on the camera to perform a specific function. You can use it to change the aperture, the ISO, the shutter speed or other things. And this is the same ring that one of the EF adapter provides so that you have the functionality with EF lenses.

Hit

• Flip out screen
• Mic and headphone jack
• EF adapter
• Initial lenses appear to be high quality
• Optional control ring EF adapter
• The RF 28-70mm L f/2 lens, is that the fastest zoom lens ever?

Miss

• 4K is x1.7 crop
• 120 fps is 720p only (they call it HD just to confuse people, while 1080p is FullHD)
• Battery life
• No in body image stabilisation
• Only the 35mm and the kit 24-105mm lenses have IS
• Limited slow motion to 1080p60
• One card slot
• A bit more money than the Nikon or the Sony
• Initial lens lineup quite pricey

While far from perfect, Canon seems to have released a compelling and capable package. It really feels that they deliberately crippled some features (like the video capabilities) to protect higher end system. With a steep starting price, there is no guarantee that this will have the success they hope given the fierce competition ; with patience it might just become in a few years, the only interchangeable lens camera system sell.