The two biggest names in photography—Canon and Nikon—sat on the sidelines and watched as Sony became the hottest player in the full-frame mirrorless world. Both companies introduced new systems in the summer. The Nikon Z 7 is an excellent first attempt. We have already reviewed it. The Canon EOS R ($2,299, body only) isn't as polished or as featured, but does have one big advantage for Canon users—it works with your existing SLR accessories, as well as lenses via an inexpensive adapter. The EOS R offers a slightly higher resolution than the Sony a7III, which is our Editors' Choice.
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Canon Design Choices
The EOS R's silhouette looks like a Canon—it has the gentle, sloping lines we're used to seeing in the company's industrial design, a contrast to the more angled feel of the Nikon Z 6. The EOS R is sized similar to an entry-level DSLR, with the exception of the additional space needed for the mirror case. It measures in at 3.9 by 5.33 by 3.3 inches (HWD), and is 1.5 pounds. (Both figures do not include a lens).
Canon claims that the EOS R protects against dust and splashes. Although it is protected from dust and splashes, its weather sealing does not extend to the same extent as that of Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. Roger Cicala from Lensrentals took a teardown of the EOS R. Its seal is more consumer-grade and similar to that on the EOS 6D Mark II. It's no surprise that the EOS R costs between the 6D and 5D, which is why it has a higher-end sensor.
It is extremely comfortable to use the EOS R handgrip. It's the first thing I noticed, and a big plus—but the R falters in other ergonomic areas. Many manufacturers put the power switch around the shutter release—Canon doesn't. Its shutter releases tend to sit at a steep angle, at the top of the handgrip—a design choice that goes a long way to making the grip as comfortable as it is.
You will find the R's power button on the top plate to the right of the EVF/hot shoe. This simple, two-stage control takes up quite a bit of space. It's space I'd prefer to see dedicated to a different control—a programmable dial perhaps. Missing are any front control buttons—they can come in handy, like the dual programmable buttons that sit next to the Nikon Z 6's lens mount.
It's also mixed at the right end of the topplate. I love the trend of putting information displays on the top—it's something expected on an SLR, but often omitted from mirrorless designs. It is monochrome with an option backlight and displays the current mode of shooting, exposure settings and battery life.
To its right is a group of buttons. You will find the Backlight control closest to you, followed by the Record and Lock buttons. You can set how much of the camera's controls are locked down when you turn it on—by default it will prevent unwanted changes to the rear dial and lens control ring, but you can also add the front dial, touch screen, and M-Fn bar to the list of locked controls via the menu.
The top of the handgrip is perpendicular to its front dial. There's also the M-Fn and shutter releases ahead. M-Fn opens an onscreen menu that allows you to adjust the ISO, drive and autofocus settings. The latter are only for an external Speedlite—the EOS R has no built-in flash, a feature absent from almost all modern full-frame cameras.
The rear control wheel is what I find most problematic. The rear control wheel is flattened at the bottom of the topplate, but it's slightly angled so that you can reach and touch the steering wheel. The dial is just not in the correct place. The rear dial, at least for me, is an important control.
A button at the middle of the rear dial adjusts the shooting mode. This is a strange choice by Canon which uses Mode dials on all its high-end cameras except the EOS R. Nikon however, being a Mode button manufacturer, chose a dial for the Z 6 or Z 7. A dial would be a better choice, but that's just my personal preference.
You will find the Menu button in the back, just above the LCD. It is located at the upper left corner of the screen. The M-Fn Bar is located to the left of the EVF. This is a new feature from Canon and cameras all around. It responds to swipes and taps. You can adjust many sundry settings with the narrow touch-sensitive strip. It can be used to adjust my focus, as well as other settings such ISO, white balance and microphone sensitivity.
M-Fn's configurable nature is great. It's not useful, however. It has two operating modes—one where you have to touch it for a split-second before it becomes active, and a second where it's always active. Each has its own problems—if you go with the delay, you'll find the touch controls a little frustrating to use. You'll accidentally change the settings if you don't have any delay. You will experience it, and at the worst time. The bar is the same technology as touch screens, so you must have skin-to–skin contact in order for the bar to function. Make sure your gloves are compatible with touch screen technology or you will lose them.
The traditional rear controls can be found elsewhere. You can locate the AF-ON button by touching it. It is located on the thumb rest. The * (AE Lock), and the focus adjustment buttons are located to its left. The four-way directional pad with its four directions is located lower than Info, Play and Delete. The pad's centre is Q/Set which opens an on-screen control menu.
The EOS R doesn't have a focus adjustment joystick. This is because it's not included with the Sony a7 III and Nikon Z 6. It's a shame—adjusting focus points with the rear directional pad is a slow chore, and while the LCD supports touch-and-drag focus area adjustment when you're framing shots with the EVF, it's difficult to use if you're left-eye dominant—too much of your face covers the control that you should be using to move the focus point.
The EOS R's native lenses include an on lens control ring. You can program it and you have detents. It is more appealing than similar rings found on Nikkor Z lenses Nikon introduced with the Z mirrorless system. The detents allow you to lock into adjustments with confidence—if you want to adjust the aperture or EV compensation by a third of a stop, you can do so easily with a one-click turn. However, the lens ring system may not be perfect.
I found it worked quite well, but confirmed a bug that others have reported when using it as an ISO control adjustment—the EOS R can sometimes slip in or out of automatic ISO control, seemingly at random, when setting ISO using the lens ring. This issue will hopefully be addressed by Canon via firmware updates.
Vari-angle rear LCDs are available. They can be angled to face forward or backward, swing to the sides, tilt up or down and can even reverse. The screen can then be tucked against the body for transport or storage. It's the only full-frame mirrorelss camera we've seen with a screen of this type—rivals around this price point, the Sony a7 III and and Nikon Z 6, feature screens that tilt up and down, but don't swing out to the side or face forward. The screen design of Panasonic's new full-frame mirrorless camera will be similar to that used by the Canon. It is expected to arrive next year.
Sharp display of the EOS R at 3.2 inches. The 2.1 million dots provide plenty detail. You can magnify it to verify critical focus. You can touch it. It can be used to navigate through menus and swipe through images while reviewing them. You also have the ability to tap to change a focus point. It also serves as an EVF focus control surface, allowing you to frame images with the EVF.
The viewfinder is very good, although not the best we've seen around this price point—I give some preference to the Nikon Z 6 there. With a magnification of 0.71x, the EOS R has a smaller viewfinder than the Nikon Z 6, which offers a 0.8x magnification, and the Sony a7III's 0.78x.
My complaint isn't with the viewfinder—it's not class-leading, but it's not substandard by any means. The eye sensor is what I am having problems with. It does its job—switching from the LCD to the EVF—a little too eagerly. On several occasions, I received a blank LCD screen because the camera was too close to me to activate the eye sensor.
Similar issues were experienced with the previous-generation Sony a7 II. However, it was resolved in the a7III model. Other cameras have addressed this problem by either disabling or decreasing the distance that activates an eye sensor when it is tilted, swung out or moved from its body.
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Connectivity and power
The EOS R includes built-in wireless connectivity—an expected feature in today's world. The Canon Camera Connect app is available for free on iOS and Android. You can use the QR code shown on the EOS R LCD to accelerate the setup.
You can pair your smartphone with the camera to transfer photos and videos and remotely control it. When using the phone as a remote, you have complete access to all settings including manual exposure, autofocus, and video mode.
EOS R has not been designed to be a professional model. It doesn't come with the PC Sync socket that we are used to from high-end models. It is not a problem if your off-camera flashes are still wired. The industry has moved towards wireless flash control.
The left-side has 3.5mm microphone and headphone ports as well as mini HDMI and remote controls. On the right is where you will find your memory card slot. One UHS-II SD/SDHC/SDXC Card can be supported by the EOS R. If your workflow requires the redundancy delivered by dual card slots—a failed memory card is not something a wedding photographer would ever want to deal with—wait for Canon to release a model for pros, or opt for the Sony a7 III, which does have dual slots.
Canon chose to use the same type of battery as its SLRs, the LP-6N. The battery is capable of taking 370 photos with an LCD and 350 images with the EVF. It is comparable to the Nikon Z 6 (405 shots LCD, 330 EVF shots), but it falls behind the Sony a7 III (720 shots per charge).
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RF Lens System
New lens mounts are introduced by the EOS R, called RF. The EOS R is not compatible with Canon's EF-M mount, dubbed EOS M. However, you can still use SLR lenses (both EF and EF) via an adapter. Canon offers a variety of adapters. There is the basic Mount Adapter EF-EOS RF for $99.99 and an upgrade version with a control ring that costs $199.99.
The Drop-In Filter Mount Adapter costs $199.99. These adapters are already available. The Drop-In adapter will ship in March 2019. It comes with a choice of either a variable power neutral density (399.99) or a circular Polarizer ($299.99).
The adapters are important—they allow you to use Canon's extensive line of lenses with the EOS R, with absolutely no detriment to optical quality or autofocus speed. The EOS R worked flawlessly with all of my EF lenses, not only Canon, but also from Sigma and Tamron.
The adapters are very affordable and of high quality, making them attractive to Canon-owned photographers. Canon EF lenses can be used with an adapter for the Sony mirrorless camera system. However, autofocus performance is not as good with adapters like the Sigma MC-11.
The native lenses are also a reason to look at the RF system—even if the EOS R isn't the most earth-shattering debut. Standard zoom the RF 24-105mm F4 F4 USM is of excellent quality and offers a greater reach than the F4 24-70mm F4 Nikon. It is expensive and can be purchased as a set for $1,099
The RF35mm F1.8 Macro ISSM STM is included with it, as well as the premium RF50mm f/1.2L USM (priced at $499) and the RF75mm F2 L ($2,299). It's the most ambitious and unique RF lens. The 28-70mmF2 L is massive and heavy and costs just under $3,000.
Sigma's 24-35mm F2 DG SM Art is the only full-frame zoom that we have seen. It can be combined with an EF adapter to use the EOS R. Canon's zoom isn't as broad, but it zooms closer. This is also the only RF camera I haven't tried yet, so it's hard to judge its quality. It is expected to be an event photographer's favorite, given the quality of the three other lenses and its price.
Canon's RF lens range is making quite a splash. However, I am a little concerned about the potential EOS R buyers being scared off by the high prices of these lenses. A 24-70mm zoom or 28-70mm zoom would be a great way to start. Budget shoppers might consider EF glass with the $100 adapter.
EOS R apart with Dual Pixel AF
Dual Pixel AF is the same system used in Canon SLRs. Dual Pixel AF uses a single pixel instead of multiple masked pixels as with mirrorless cameras that have on-sensor phase detector. Instead, each pixel is split in half so they can each act as phase detection sensors due to the slight offset. This means that any of the camera's 30 million or so pixels can check focus, although not all are active—it'd be overkill and the too much for the camera's processor to handle. Canon instead made 5,666 pixels active to focus with almost complete coverage.
The EOS R's Dualpixel AF can also support Canon's Dualpixel Raw format. We looked into it when the EOS 5D mark IV was released ($2,699.00 Amazon). In short, it's not a very useful feature—it gives you some ability to adjust the focus point, but not by much, and comes at the cost of greatly increased file sizes and slower operation. It's a nice feature that Canon doesn't have to drop it. Some photographers might find it useful, but not as a selling point.
Dual Pixel AF's speed is very impressive. Although it locks onto targets in an average time of 0.1 seconds, I noticed some inconsistency when using the EOS R. However, Dual Pixel AF would lock onto our focus speed target test target often in less than a minute, and could sometimes slip to a 0.2 second lag at times. The EOS R hits focus in 0.4 seconds when it is dimly lit.
You have a variety of options for focusing. The default focus area mode for the EOS R is wide, which includes face detection. It does an okay job detecting faces—definitely not as good as the Sony a7 III. The EOS R was able to detect a subject's head turning easily.
There were also times when the camera couldn't locate a face even though it was looking towards the lens. Although eye detection is available, it lacks the functionality and performance of the Sony a7 III. Even in AF, the a7III can keep the eye of a subject in focus, even when using AF-C. The EOS R, however, doesn't have eye detection for tracking subjects with its AI Servo mode.
Other focus areas are fairly standard. There are two levels of flexible spots available. You will need to manually set your focus point using the rear directional pad or touch screen. You will also get two thin focus strips, one horizontally, and one vertically, through the frame.
Continuous drive and speed
The EOS R is fast in terms of power, focus, and time to capture an image. It takes just 1.4 seconds. This is a very typical speed mark for a mirrorless camcorder, and it eliminates any fears about the EOS R shutter design slowing down startup. Mirrorless cameras tend to leave the sensors exposed when they are powered down.
This gives them an advantage in speeding up power-up. When the camera is turned off, the EOS R automatically closes its mechanical shutter to cover the sensor. It will be interesting to see if dust is less likely to get on the sensor of the EOS R. I'm not convinced it will make a huge difference—I've seen dust on sensors of all types, from SLRs to rangefinders to mirrorless designs.
With focus locked, the EOS R can shoot at 8fps. The buffer size is large, however the maximum number of photos you can take before your camera stops changes depending on what file format the files are.
Compressed Raw, JPG and Uncompressed Raw were tested (60 shots), Uncompressed Raw or JPG (45 shot), Compressed Raw (99 and 52 shots), Uncompressed Raw (552 shots), JPG (99 and 99 shots), Compressed Raw (99 and 52 shots), Uncompressed Raw (652 shots), JPG (99 and 999 shots), JPG (99 and 199 shots), JPG (99 and 99 shots), Uncompressed Raw (52 and 92 shots), JPG (199 shots) and JPG (99) and JPG respectively), JPG (99 and JPG) and JPG (226 shots), JPG (32) and JPG), Uncompressed Raw (495 shots), JPG and JPG (99 and JPG), JPG and JPG -compress Raw+JPG and Uncompressed Raw+JPG and JPG a total).
You can expect to wait approximately 12 seconds before filling your buffer and writing all the files to your fast memory card if you are shooting Raw+JPG/JPG. It will take about 10 seconds for Raw+JPG.
The burst rate can be slowed down by enabling AI Servo which follows subjects while they move. In this mode the EOS R can achieve 5.3fps with excellent accuracy regardless of whether the subject is moving towards or away from it. The Sony a7 III achieves the same feat at 10fps for less, making the EOS R appear less powerful than its competition.
An Image Sensor That Has Been Proven
EOS R has a similar image sensor as the popular 5D Mark IV. Although the resolution and the size of the image are identical, this new implementation uses a Digic 8 image processor. This processor can support a higher top-native sensitivity (ISO 4000) and power the EOS R's quicker Dual Pixel focus, burst rate and dual Pixel focus.
JPG files are great for images with low noise (1.4% to ISO 12800), but you will notice a decrease in image quality when you push the camera too far. The ISO 100 setting will give you the best results. You can also push the ISO 1600 setting without losing clarity.
Although there is a small softening of ISO 3200 it is not too bad. The ISO 6400 setting makes details less clear, but ISO 25600 maintains a similar quality. The ISO 40000 standard setting causes more blurring. An extended ISO 51200 setting will also cause significant blurring. ISO 102400 is the farthest setting you can make the EOS R sensor. The blurring becomes more noticeable.
Raw formats eliminate the camera noise reduction which blurs high ISO JPG output. However, it captures images that have more visible grain and higher ISO settings. You will need to use software to edit the images before you share or print them. As our default Raw converter, we use Adobe Lightroom Classic CC.
The raw quality is similar to JPG. Best results are at ISO 1600 and lower. We see just a tiny bit more grain at ISO 3200 instead of losing some detail. Although the output from ISO 6400 or 12800 are less detailed than JPGs, it still shows more detail. ISO 25600 still has strong detail, although grain can be heavy but it isn't overwhelming.
The grain at ISO 40000 is larger and more difficult. It can also be large enough to obscure fine details in images. As you press further, the rough appearance only gets more severe. ISO 51200 results are much grainier and ISO 102400 images have very few details.
Against the competition, the Sony a7 III shows just a little bit less grain at top Raw settings, but also has fewer pixels than the EOS R. It's a wash in my book—both image sensors are extremely capable, although you'll enjoy a bit more latitude pushing shadows with the Sony.
One of the aspects we don't hit too heavily with most camera reviews is metering—for the simple reason that it's typically not a problem. The default Evaluative settings caused some inconsistencies with EOS R's meters. The camera's default metering method reads the entire scene, calculates exposure and then repeats this process as long as the lighting is constant.
EOS R relates its metering to an active focus point. This can cause wildly different readings in scenes with shadows and highlight areas. There are some cameras that let you turn on this behavior as an option—it's long been a feature in Pentax SLRs—but with the EOS R you don't have the choice to turn it on or off. The metering patterns can be narrowed to either Partial or spot, but these modes only focus on a smaller area in the frame and are not able to perform as sophisticated, intelligent metering than the Evaluative mode.
Cropped 4K video
Although I don't have much to complain about the EOS R image quality, it's difficult to be negative when it comes down to video. First, let's talk about the good—the 4K video is very crisp and shows excellent colors out of camera, and the 1080p video is also quite good, given its resolution limitations—each frame of 1080p is 2MP, versus about 8MP for 4K. The video autofocus works well and the EOSR does an excellent job of keeping attention on moving objects. You have the option of frame rates from 24 to 30 FPS at 4K and as high as 60 FPS at 1080p.
The camera also applies a heavy 1.6x crop of 4K video to the full frame sensor, effectively turning it into an APS/Super 35 chip. If you wish to capture 4K footage at wide angles, then you will need to use EF-S lenses or adapt Canon's huge EF 11-24mm f/4L lenses. Even though I cropped the footage, there was some wobble to the video, which is due to the rolling shutter effect. This effect is usually reduced by cropping the sensor area.
In-camera stabilization is not available on the EOS R. This means that you will get blurry video from your lens if it doesn't offer stabilization. While stabilized lenses can be better, I have found that a combination lens-sensor stabilization gives handheld video the best results. The EOS R does offer additional digital stabilization, but turning it increases the crop and softens details—I'd only consider using it if working handheld with a lens that omits stabilization.
You can use high quality video at a huge file size. Files will take up to 3GB for 4K, and 2GB for 1080p. If you are going to be using the EOS R to capture video, make sure you have a large memory card. You can use higher compression levels to reduce file sizes, but this comes at the expense of quality.
The pros will find some useful features in the camera, such as a microphone input. I noticed a clicking sound in some footage recorded with the RF 50mm F1.2 L USM—the focus motor is to blame. You can get around it by adding an external microphone. It's much less likely that it will be an issue if you choose a lens equipped with a more quiet STM motor.
When you add all of this together, it becomes clear that the EOS R is not a good choice if your primary interest in videography is serious. The Sony a7 III is our favorite camera for video in this price range—it shoots 4K without a crop, offers Log and HDR capture, includes proxy recording, and most importantly, in-body stabilization. Although we haven't yet tried it out, initial reports indicate that the Nikon Z 6 offers similar features.
A Debut That's Not Overwhelming
Canon stumbled with its very first mirrorless camera, the long-discontinued EOS M. Like the EOS R, it wasn't as capable of a camera as those from competitors—all of whom had a head start in the space. However, engineers at Canon went back to the drawing boards and developed Dual Pixel AF. It was then implemented in the EOS M5.
It makes some similar mistakes here with the EOS R. They are not with the focus system—it may not be on the level of the Sony a7 III, but the a7 III shattered expectations of what autofocus in an affordable full-frame camera could be. In-body stabilization is a huge oversight that I consider a major mistake. There's no reason for 4K video with such severe cropping in today's digital world.
Canon is known for being a slower company than its rivals. After all, it was the last big player to launch a mirrorless camera. The Sony a7 III was also released in the earlier part of this year. It has made a significant impact on what consumers can expect from a full frame camera with this price.
Sony decided to not limit features to encourage customers to purchase a higher-priced camera. Instead, it incorporated most of its functionality from the more costly a7R III III and a9 models into their a7III. Nikon follows a similar strategy with the Z 6. It shares the same design and quality build as its Z 7, which is pricier but offers higher resolution.
My belief is that the future will see an RF-mount camera with higher professional specs and a more expensive price. Just look at the prices of the initial batch of RF lenses—the customers who will spend $3,000 on a huge f/2 zoom are likely working professionals who will pair it with a body that can be used for weddings, sporting events, and other demanding situations.
It's this bit of identity crisis with the RF system, coupled with my issues with the EOS R—ergonomics and its video system chiefly among them—that lead me to caution potential customers. The EOS R body is an excellent choice if you are looking for a full-frame affordable camera. However, the 24-105mm lens adds a significant cost and there's no discount bundle. Canon is sure to release an affordable zoom soon, however we might see another body before then.
The EOS R is a good choice for some customers. You may be tempted to buy a 6D Mark II if you already own Canon lenses. However, the EOS R offers a better image sensor and 4K video. You can use Canon lenses on the a7III with an adapter similar to that Canon offers for the EOS R.
Canon needs to do better. The EOS R, as it stands now, is not a threat to the Sony a7 III. This mirrorless full-frame camera is among the best available at any price. It's a remarkable value at $2,000, making it our Editor's Choice. Although we haven't tested the Nikon Z 6 yet, our work has been completed with the Z 7 camera. The cameras share quite some tech so it is expected to compete with the a7III.