Cameras Archives - iJourneys

Canon R1 Spec’ Rumour

The rumour mill is beginning to turn with the news that Canon will soon announce a new flagship camera, the Canon R1. What we want to know is. What will the spec’ look like? To understand that we look at the Canon R3, the Sony A1 and the Nikon Z9

A Replacement for the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III?

Is this a replacement for the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III? This camera is a professional’s favourite. For those news and sports photographers that are still sticking with a DSLR then nothing can replace it. That is sadly because Canon is unlikely to produce a Mark IV.

Buoyed by the success of their mirrorless range which started with the R and RP in 2018. Canon has gone on to successfully launch the R5 and R6 which neatly replace their DSLR counterparts, the 5D and the 6D.

More recently Canon has introduced the R3 which is designed for sports and wildlife photographers.

Those flippy mirrors are becoming a thing of the past and the R1 will complete the range most likely replacing the 1DX.

What is the Canon R1 Spec?

As the Canon R1 has not even been announced, (we are expecting that later this year or early next with a 2022 Q4 rollout). The expected spec’ has to be one that will compete with the new Sony A1 and upcoming Nikon Z9. So what could it look like?

Sensor

There was disappointment that the Canon R3 has a 24MP sensor. The R3 is designed for sports photographers, who require lower resolution images that can be quickly streamed back to newsrooms. The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III has a similar 20MP sensor for the same reason.

The Canon R1 is going to be a more general workhorse, so more likely to compete with Sony and Nikon. The A1 has a 50.1MP sensor and the Z9 45.7MP. So the Canon R5 45MP CMOS sensor could be a contender, but expect Canon to push a new sensor to around 50+MP for their flagship offering.

Frame Rates & ISO

Frame rate is important for professional photographers. As a celebrity emerges from a night club you don’t want to get stuck with slow exposures. You need a high ISO and a fast frame rate. Looking at the R3, it has a top ISO of 102400 and a shutter frame rate (electronic) is 30fps.

However, the R1 will have to pull the stops out to catch the 120fps (restricted to 11MP) on the Nikon Z9. The Z9 achieves this with a processor which has the world’s fastest scan rate with what is claimed to be virtually no rolling-shutter distortion. Nikon claim this is equivalent to a mechanical shutter, which is why there is no mechanical shutter in the Z9.

Can the R1 make the same quantum leap? will it also have no mechanical shutter?

AI

What is beginning to set all cameras apart is AI. The R3 has eye controlled AF and subject tracking. What started with just eyes and faces has blossomed into planes trains and automobiles. The goal is to see the subject (any subject) in the viewfinder and let the camera track it in 3D i.e. from every angle. Sony, Nikon and Canon are all moving in a similar direction, which will win out will depend on their mastery of AI.

Other Stuff

What would we like to see?

We like the voice note recorder in the Z9. Surely the technology exists to turn to text and include with the image metadata.

If a camera has low light capability then illuminated controls and an illuminated viewfinder would be welcome.

Should we have to fiddle with the ISO. My phone just works whatever the light. Surely a restricted light mode would be useful.

We are just assuming weather sealing to the standard of the Canon EOS-1D X or better. Why not waterproof like mobile phones are?

If it can be manufactured so that it is really robust, we like the four-axis LCD touchscreen that tilts horizontally and vertically on the Z9. We can add that to our wish list.

Canon R1 Price

Let’s set some benchmarks. The Canon R3 is $5999 / £5879, the Sony A1 is $6498 / £6499, the Nikon Z9 $5496 / £5299. So the A1 and the Z9 are comparable with the R3.

The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III is currently $6499 / £6999. So expect the R1 to be fifteen hundred to two thousand dollars and pounds above the R3.

For that price, Canon is going to have to build a phenomenal camera, and it should be if they follow this spec’.

Canon September News

by John Gough

Finally this week after considerable prelaunch publicity the Canon R3 was announced in a burst of Canon September News. We had got most of the details right, except we did not know the price which will be £5879 in the UK, putting this camera clearly in a professional space.

Canon R3 Specification

A recap on the specification.

24MP Stacked CMOS Dual Pixel AF sensor
30 fps Electronic shutter
Eye Control AF and a 5.69M-dot electronic viewfinder
AF with subject recognition for humans animals and vehicles.
Low light capability: AF rated as working down to -7.5EV (with F1.2 lens)
Both CFexpress Type B and UHS-II SD slots
Ethernet, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
Canon’s new Multi-Function Shoe to which new accessories e.g. flash and mics can be fitted.
A one piece magnesium alloy body design, integrated with a grip section
Weather and dust resistance which is the same as EOS-1D.

Will the 24MP sensor be enough? This is what we wait to see.

Canon R3 Eye Control

This is a feature that cannot be demonstrated because you have to see it with your own eyes! In the video below from the irrepressible Chris Nichols and Jordon from DPReview, do their best, but we cant wait until these guys get their hands on a production model to see how it really performs. However, it feels like we are at the start of a new big change in camera design, and the old joysticks etc for moving the focus point around a screen, will seem so twin lens reflex in just a few years time.

That is if eye control works of course. If it does for wildlife shooters, this is a gamechanger.

Other Canon September News

It looks as though Canon is looking at both ends of the market, with the launch of the RF16mm f2.8 lens for just £319.

Excellent for vloggers, but also amazing for stills photographers with so many creative possibilities. As a documentary and street photographer, I cant wait to get my hands on it.

I use the RF35mm every day.

This video from Gordon Laing gives a preview

There is also a new 100-400 RF zoom at f5.6-f8 at £699. It seems a bit slow but considering the stabilisation on the latest R5, R6 and R3 then you have to ask why we need big glass. On the other hand, this lens may be a compromise too far. Let’s wait for the reviews.

Below Gordon does another excellent preview of this lens.

Canon’s Remarkable Prediction

Thinking about both ends of the market, there was an interesting snippet on Canon Rumours. Which was that Canon will announce a new R camera in January that is “going to annoy a lot of the [Canon] fanboys”.

What could this mean? A Canon R MkII, or a new Canon RP. My thinking is the latter as Canon may want to take on Olympus and Fuji with a smaller but fully functioning full frame or APSC mirrorless camera. This could replace the M-Series and bring their mirrorless cameras together in the R Series.

Remember you heard it here first!

Canon EOS R3 Features

by John Gough

We have researched all we know about the Canon EOS R3. The launch is about 2 months away, for what will be Canon’s fastest mirrorless full frame camera. The EOS R3 is going to be the go to camera for sports and wildlife professional photographers for years to come. To get this right, Canon is going for some pretty awesome features.

Although the R3 will probably be too expensive for many amateurs, some new features do give us an indication of how camera technology is progressing and what we might expect further down the line for Canon mirrorless cameras.

Canon EOS R3 Features:

So let us look at what is new.

Stacked CMOS Sensor on the EOS R3

The R3 will be the first EOS camera to feature an entirely new stacked BSI CMOS sensor. The advantage of this type of sensor is the fast readout speed. This boosts the camera’s maximum shooting rate. With no mirror constantly flipping up and down, mirrorless cameras are pushing burst shooting rates ever upward, but now with this sensor they have just got quicker.

Faster readouts also mean faster autofocus. So fast that it happens in the blinking of an eye. This means shooting 30fps with full AF/AE tracking using the electronic shutter. Canon claim that even at this speed there will be ‘minimal distortion’ of the type usually caused by a rolling shutter.

So this begs the question why do we need a mechanical shutter?

Eye Control AF with the EOS R3

Yes, autofocus in the blinking of an eye. Look at a subject and the AF will follow your eyeball and focus on what you are looking at! This feature is going to be the most talked about subject of all. in the R3 reviews.

The original technology was first seen in the 22-year-old Canon EOS-3 film camera, but never progressed to digital. One of the problems was the tracking of eyes through glasses. What about sun glasses?

This is the rear of the Canon EOS R3 and it can be seen just how big the viewfinder has to be to accommodate this technology.

Capturing Movement with the R3

Canon insists that the R3 can master fast movement. This will not only interest sports photographers in the Grand Prix arena, but wildlife photographers capturing birds in flight. Canon eye tracking is already good with the R5. It will be amazing to see an improvement in this area.

Canon R3 Sensor Size

Rumour has it that the R3 will be priced around $6000. Below the Sony A1. Why? Well the A1 has a 50.1MP sensor. We don’t know the size of the R3 proposed sensor, but it could be that the R3 will have a smaller sensor. Perhaps as low as 20MP to enable sports photographers to quickly transfer images from the touchline.

UPDATE: We are now pretty confident that the sensor size will be 24MP

Just a thought, but what if the size of a sensor in the future is no longer linked to image quality? What if Canon’s new sensor is low in megapixels but has stunning image quality? Maybe through the use of new technology, perhaps even AI as employed on camera phones? There has been considerable research going on into this phenomena over the past few years. What if Canon has cracked it?

Canon EOS R3 Summary

What is quickly becoming apparent is that the R3 is an expensive specialist camera with awesome technology. It is not an amateur camera. We will not be seeing many at the local camera club outing to Clacton. However, what we can expect is that many of its new features will be headed for a Canon camera near you in the near future.

Canon EOS R Long Term Review

by John Gough

The Canon EOS R was launched about two years ago (September 2018). I have been using a Canon EOS R now most of that time. I have taken thousands of photographs in all conditions and of all genre: street to portrait, landscape to travel. So, I thought it was about time that I summarised my experience with an EOS R long term review.

I am not going into specs or lab tests, this is just an honest user review, warts and all. Except that there are not many warts. I have concentrated on stills photography, not video. I use my phone for video, and it works just fine. The top line is I have come to love this camera, so much so that when the R5 and R6 came out, I did not even consider changing. Why?

Hype vs Long Term Reviews

When the camera first came out there was so much negativity around it not having two card slots etc, that it eclipsed just how good a camera this was. Since then long term reviews have been much more positive and balanced.

EOS R Build Quality

The Canon EOS R was the first full frame mirrorless camera that Canon produced. There was a lot riding on its success. Canon had invested heavily to move into this growing market. So, nothing was left to chance and in my view, the EOS R was over engineered to ensure its success. This means you get a lot of camera for your money.

The camera has a solid weather sealed magnesium alloy body. The closures are well fitting. The grip is comfortable, and the camera is well balanced. You could walk for hours with this camera in your hand. I have done so.

The EOS R Sensor

The EOS R may not have the biggest sensor, best low light performance or dynamic range, but it is just right in all these areas to provide a competent all round capability. After all the EOS R has the same sensor as the Canon EOS 5 MKIV which is so highly regarded, it is placed on a pedestal or at least a very tall tripod. The files are not too big or too small, plus there is the advantage of the vivid Canon colours, regarded as the best in the business.

This was a tricky lighting situation in Venice, but the sensor has the dynamic range to cope.

Canon EOS R Handling

What is the touch bar all about. I have never got mine to work. I think this is a feature that Canon will soon forget. The buttons on the EOS R are however fully customisable, so there is plenty of real estate to play with.

Some people will want to stick with an optical viewfinder, which is one reason why the Canon EOS 5 MKIV is still popular. I tend to forget that the EVF on the EOS R is an electronic viewfinder.

I love the fully articulating flippy touch screen which is great for street photography.

Canon Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R

Older EF lenses can be converted to the R system using the EF-EOS R adapter. In my experience connecting to Canon EF lenses is seamless.

The control ring on all R lenses can be set to change the camera functions. I have mine set to exposure compensation so that through the EVF, I can judge the amount of light to suit the image. This bypasses the technology and returns some manual control and creativity to image making.

Canon EOS RF Lenses

Spoiler Alert: We are going to talk about flange distances

The RF mount flange focal distance is just 20mm from the image sensor. This has given Canon lens designers a lot more flexibility.

According to Canon:

The rear element of RF lenses can be larger in diameter, improving image quality at the corners and outer edges of the frame. Larger rear elements mean front elements can be smaller, meaning less strong refracting and bending of light rays within the lens, enhancing optical performance.

We know how good Canon L lenses are, but they are expensive. Consider then the more affordable RF lenses, which because they are freer of the design constraints are excellent.

This is my review of the Canon RF 24-240mm lens and the Canon RF 35mm macro lens.

However, do not take my word for it, look at this review of the Canon RF 85mm f2 Macro (£649) vs RF 1.2 (£2799) vs EF 1.8. The top line is that the cheaper lens beats the other two, and the RF wins over the EF lens hands down.

To sum up the R system give you access to some fantastic quality but affordable lenses.

Canon EOS R vs R5 vs R6

There is a summary of the specs of each camera here, but I have not seen the need to change to this second generation of the R series.

This is my thinking.

IBIS

Yes, I would like in body stabilisation (IBIS), it should totally eliminate the need for a tripod. However, my lenses all have stabilisation, and the R is capable of shooting at incredible ISO’s with low noise, so do I really need it now.

Sensor Size

The EOS R5 with a 45MP sensor size is too big. I don’t think I need it even though I crop a lot. I worry that the big file sizes could slow my workflow down to a crawl.

The EOS R6 21MP sensor is just a bit light. It works well in the Canon EOS 1DX Mk III, because sports and news photographers prefer smaller file sizes that can be streamed back from remote places on earth quickly.

The EOS R fits that Goldilocks category with a 30.3 CMOS sensor.

Price

I have mentioned that the EOS R IMHO is over engineered for the price. I think Canon produced it as a loss leader to persuade Canon users to switch. As a result, the EOS R5 (£4199) and EOS R6 (£2499) which followed the EOS R are more realistically priced. This makes the EOS R real value for money at £1879.

EOS R Long Term Review Summary

The Canon EOS R is two years old now, and technology moves on, but it is an extraordinarily robust camera, that can cover most bases well. What matters to me is a camera that feels good, and that you can forget about, because you know it just works.

This is a camera that puts you in charge because you are confident that the images will look good

Canon R5 Reviews: 5 Things We Learnt

by John Gough

Reviewers are finally getting their hands on the EOS R5, the new mirrorless full frame flagship from Canon. The Canon R5 reviews are just beginning to come in (August 2020), following the release of production versions at the end of July.

We knew a lot of stuff about this camera and its sibling the Canon EOS R6 from the drip drip of information from sites like CanonRumours. Then there was the big Canon specification reveal earlier in the month, where the mind blowing features of this camera were fully revealed.

Ken Rockwell describes the full specification here.

So what have we learnt from reviewers putting the R5 through its paces in real world situations?

Canon EOS R5 Does Not Catch Fire

When we reviewed the spec’ of the Canon EOS R vs R5 vs R6 we suspected that the much trailed 8K video could cause the camera to overheat, and surprise surprise it is true.

Well sort of.

There are endless vlogs out there discussing whether the R5 overheats when shooting 8K video.

Tony Northrup got heated about the issue in this video

However, it was followed by a disclaimer in this video, because it turns out that it was the CFexpress card that was to blame?

This article from canonwatch confirms there is no issue. Personally, I think it is irrelevant. The only time I would be likely to use 8K video, would be if I caught sight of a unicorn.

The video from Tony Northrop, however, does confirm that the quality of the 45MP sensor on the R5 blows the competition out of the water. Especially at low light and in terms of dynamic range.

Talking of water.

Weather Sealing: How Good is Good?

Weather sealing is too often taken for granted. We are told the weather sealing on the R5 is good, but how good? There should be a weather sealing standard. Then we could properly compare cameras and lenses.

However, this video from the excellent Chris Niccolls at DP Review describes that the weather sealing on the R5 is equivalent to the Canon EOS 5D IV. Now that is good. The 5D IV should represent the gold standard. I have friends who are landscape photographers who stand out in all weathers with their trusty 5D IV. I have yet to hear any complaints.

Of course, Chris has not tested the camera in a shower, but then it does cost over £4000.

Shoot 8K Video Stills

We thought it was theoretically possible to get decent still pictures from a burst of 8K video, but Digital Camera has proved that on the Canon EOS R5 it really works.

Not much has been said about the Frame Grab function. but on the R5 it is possible to flip through the 8K footage in camera. Highlight the frame required. Then select and produce a 35MP image.

Digital Camera was very impressed with the quality of the image. The downside is that it is a JPG, so there are not the opportunities to process shadows and highlights in post.

There are not yet any Canon R5 reviews that demonstrate this feature working. However, it is important because this could fundamentally change photography in the future.

Imagine a time when photographers use video stills rather than photographed stills. Imagine a time when an AI algorithm selects the video still on your behalf.

The R5: Balanced on a Gimbal

The in body stabilisation (IBIS) on the R5 has been tested and applauded by many reviewers. IBIS works with lens optical stabilisation to achieve 8 stops (Canon claim). Testers have found that although it may be difficult to achieve that exact spec’, the system works well. Down to 1/4 of a second they say.

To see how well. The gimbal comment came from this video from no life

Shoot Like a Wildlife Photographer

It goes without saying that the R5 autofocus has face and eye detection. Afterall that is available on the Canon EOS R (with the latest firmware upgrade).

Animal eye detection, however, is a whole new ball game. Canon has used Deep Learning to ‘train’ an algorithm how to recognise animal eyes,

“It’s been taught,” explains Mike Burnhill, technical support manager for Canon Europe. “You put it into a computer, it creates the algorithm that’s then loaded into the camera. So it’s different from AI – AI is a continual learning; deep learning is basically, it teaches itself, and gives you an end result that is then loaded into the camera.”

The result has been tested by Jared Polin at FroKnowsPhoto.

This amazing video demonstrates how the R5 can track and lock on to an animal eyeball It is truly incredible. I have seen a video with it working on fish!

What’s Next?

This camera is a bridge between the mirror up traditional DSLR and mirrorless cameras. Canon obviously see their future as mirrorless. They will not want to continue to develop both systems.

The R5 will tick most boxes for most professionals, and Canon will want to see them beginning to make the transition. As professionals change, the enthusiast market will follow.

This is an important camera for Canon.

Canon EOS R vs R5 vs R6

by John Gough

Canon with great fanfare announced two flagship cameras last week. The Canon EOS R5 and the Canon EOS R6. They join their range of mirrorless full frame cameras which include the Canon EOS R and EOS RP. The R5 and R6 are not on sale yet but are available for preorder.

We ask which would you choose when selecting between the Canon EOS R vs R5 vs R6

Would You Preorder?

Both new cameras are available for preorder before the cameras go on sale at the end of the month. (July 2020). Unusually the cameras have not been available to independent reviewers. There is now some suspicion that Canon may have launched too early and there is now some kind of hitch, but that aside.

Would you preorder the R5 or R6 just based on what we know about their specification?

Furthermore, if you were already a Canon EOS R user would you preorder and replace your existing camera?

Specification: Canon EOS R vs R5 vs R6

The new EOS R5 and R6 certainly have some brilliant new features. 8K video is the big new innovation on the R5. No other camera has this. Remember though, I will be looking at these cameras as a stills photographer who does a little bit of video.

Processor

The R5 has been described as a computer with a lens. Certainly, the new DIGIC X processor will have to be beefy to handle 8K video. Whether it can do so without overheating? We await the reviews to find out.

Sensor

The EOS R seems to be the Goldilocks of the three cameras, with a sensor that is neither too big nor too small at 30MP. The RAW files from the R5 45mp sensor could be too big for many workflows. This may mean upgrading hardware. The smaller 21MP sensor on the R6 is after all a similar sensor to the Canon 1D X III, which has worked well for thousands of professional photographers.

In Body Stabilisation

Motion sickness is when you pull up that special shot in Lightroom only to find that there is camera shake. Stabilisation has been on lenses for years, but now Canon has a system on the EOS 5 and 6 that can provide 8 stops of compensation, by combining both systems. Handheld shots at low shutter speeds will now be even more possible and passable.

AF

Following the firmware upgrade to the EOS R. All three cameras now have similar face and eye AF detection capability.

Shoot in the Dark

The low light performance of the EOS R was already impressive at EV-6. The EOS R6 takes that a tad further to EV-6.5, coupled with an impressive maximum ISO of 102400. Add in IBIS, and the EOS R6 really can shoot in the dark.

EVF

Could it be that eventually, an electronic viewfinder will see the world more clearly than a traditional DSLR via mirror and prism? It must be getting close with the impressive 5.69 million dot resolution on the miniature OLED display on the R5.

Video Replaces fps.

Is video now good enough for stills? The 8K video on the R5 could be the biggest game changer for photography this decade?

Each frame in an 8K video is a 35 megapixel still image.

The fps on the R5 and R6 are impressive especially for sports and wildlife photographers. However, why not take a burst of 8K video and choose your optimal image from hundreds of frames. This is possible on the R5 which has a frame grab function that enables you to take high-resolution 35.4MP stills from 8K footage.

How well will this work? Again we await the reviews.

Card Slots

The EOS R has just one card slot. This was a contentious issue when the camera was first launched. Canon has however made amends. The R6 now has 2 SD card slots. The R5 has an SD card slot and a CFexpress card slot. A CFexpress card is however very expensive, a 256GB card could set you back £500.

Decision: Canon EOS R vs R5 vs R6

If I was choosing which camera to buy based on price, then the R wins hands down. It may be a couple of years old, and although it started out a bit shakily because it was a revolutionary step for Canon, it has now become a favourite of many photographers. If you are not bothered about IBIS. Plus if you can survive with just one card slot. Then the R is the choice.

What though if you already have an R and are looking to upgrade? Is it the R5 or the R6? There is no doubt that if you are a stills photographer, if you go for the Canon EOS R5, you are buying a lot of video capability that you may not need.

However, if you are a wildlife or sports photographer then the 8K to stills option on the R5 may be revolutionary. If that works it would make the R5 a worthwhile purchase.

If you go for the Canon EOS R6 you get most of the spec of the R5 but without the video capability. Although the sensor is smaller than the other two. It is a proven performer from the Canon 1D X III, but without the workflow concerns of the 45MP sensor on the R5.

For a photographer rather than a filmmaker. The R6 has a lot of photography capability, for two thirds the price of the Canon EOS R5. We await the reviews but the Canon EOS R6 is the choice.

Canon EOS R5 What You Don’t Know

by John Gough

This is my research about the Canon EOS R5. The camera is not released yet. So there are some details about the camera that we know, and there are other details that are still rumours and we don’t know.

My thanks to Canonrumors for what we don’t know.

Specification: Canon EOS R5

Newly designed 45MP full frame CMOS sensor rumoured A sensor of this size is evidently required for 8K video.
20fps electronic shutter burst or 12fps mechanically confirmed
In body stabilisation (IBIS) confirmed up to eight stops rumoured “a newly Canon-developed, in-camera image stabilization system – which works in combination with the lens stabilization system, making sure that whatever the situation stills and video content captured is shake-free.”
Builtin WiFi confirmed. 5GHz ?
Bluetooth 5.1 rumour
Dual card slots confirmed. One or both slots are CFexpress rumour.
Similar battery to the 5D Mark IV rumour.
8K video confirmed @30fps unconfirmed 4K @ 120fps unconfirmed.

Differences with the Canon EOS R

I have moved to the Canon EOS R from Sony. I know the camera very well so I am not surprised at the rumoured design changes. These are what users have been asking for:

Similar size (based on photographs)
Multi-function bar to be replaced by a scroll wheel rumour
Larger capacity battery rumour
New Digic processor from the new Canon 1D X Mark III rumour

Positioning

This camera is being introduced by Canon as a professional mirrorless camera. Their tagline is ‘Professional Mirrorless Redefined’ (confirmed). The R5 shares a similar name to the Canon EOS 5D which has had success in the professional/strong amateur market for many years. Could the Canon EOS R5 be aimed at a similar market positioning (conjecture)?

Launch

The Canon EOS R5 will be on show at The Photography Show in Birmingham. (confirmed). The launch date is July 2020 in time for the Olympics in Japan (rumoured). The timing is tight, as many professionals have not yet made the move to mirrorless. The Canon shooters amongst them will likely be using the new Canon 1D X Mark lll.

There is a distant rumour that Canon are working on the Canon EOS R1 for launch in 2021.

The advantage of the R5 at the Olympics would be the 8K video. Which would allow quality stills to be produced from 8K footage. (Is this true?) Canon reportedly said that it is possible to “extract high-resolution still images from video footage”.

The recently launched Samsung Galaxy S20 smartphone does this. As they say on their website: “Shoot videos in 8K resolution at a huge 24FPS. And with Single Take, turn them into 33MP stills in an instant”.

Pricing

There is no confirmation on pricing, but the Canon EOS 5D is priced at £2549 body only. The EOS R5 is likely to be a similar price plus a premium e.g £3K (conjecture).

Camera Wrist Strap

I have avoided dropping my camera so many times using a simple inexpensive wrist strap like this one. Cameras and expensive lenses do not bounce!

USA

Canon EOS R Ten Positive Points

by John Gough

Canon EOS R

The Canon EOS R is Canon’s first foray into the world of full frame mirrorless cameras. It was launched to stem the flow of sales to the amazing Sony 7aIII.

There were months of speculation in the photography press about whether and when Canon would join the mirrorless revolution and launch a FF mirrorless camera. So it was more a relief than a celebration when the Canon EOS R was introduced. At last Canon (and Nikon) were now embracing mirrorless, and there was much conjecture about how the traditional DSLR with its old fashioned mirror mechanism would be consigned to history.

The reviews from the press and vloggers have been mixed, which makes a decision of whether to buy all the more difficult. If you are researching which camera to buy next, and you have read all the Canon EOS R reviews. Here are 10 positive pointers that you may have missed and which may just sway your decision.

1 Ken Rockwell Endorsement

Ken Rockwell who is not often given to hyperbole was particularly positive about Canon’s move to mirrorless, and he is a big advocate for the Canon EOS R. His advocacy alone is a reason to buy. This is probably the best review of the camera you will ever read or ever need. Furthermore, he does a comparison vs the Sony A7III and the Nikon Z7 / Z6. I thought the Sony was bound to win, but the Canon wins outright.

2 Adapters

The Canon EOS R comes with three adapters to attach legacy lenses to the new camera. The feedback from users is all positive. Amazingly the adapters will accommodate every EF lens since 1987! This means that for Canon owners that have lenses tucked away in cupboards and drawers, these can be dug out and used again and again.

3 New Fv Mode

There is no longer a mode dial on the Canon EOS R, but press the mode button and turn the outer dial you will notice a new innovation the Fv exposure mode. This is a flexible exposure setting which is like Program, but enables the adjustment of Aperture, Shutter Speed, Exposure Compensation and ISO. As one is changed the others update automatically. This is entirely appropriate for a mirrorless camera, because as the changes that are made the result can be viewed through the electronic viewfinder (EVF)

4 Electronic Viewfinder.

An impressive spec’ a 3.69M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder, is especially effective when used with the high speed display option. However, a downside of the EVF is that the brightness control needs changing as the camera is moved from inside to outside, but note that this can be set up with a custom button.

5 Multiple Exposures

The EOS R bastardises the functionality of the Canon 6D2 and the Canon 5D MKIV. It borrows features from each. One feature taken directly from the 5D is full function multiple exposures in camera. The unique feature however with the EOS R is to be able to view the effect of one exposure on another in the viewfinder. One of the chief exponents of this creative technique is Doug Chinnery who explains how.

6 Shutter

Dust particles on the sensor are a nuisance to clone out in post. A small point but the shutter on the EOS R closes when switched off, so the sensor is not as prone to dust particles. Unlike say the Sony A7III which stays open.

7 C-RAW Format

Latest Digic 8 processor allows for C-RAW compressed Raw format. This means better compression and smaller file sizes. This is technical so read up here.

8 Lens Extender

I am picking up that teleconverters / extenders which increase the focal length of a lens, autofocus more effectively than a traditional DSLR cameras. For wildlife and aircraft photographers this is a big deal. Again this is technical so read up here.

9 Battery Life

Batteries are generally improving on mirrorless cameras to take the load that the EVF which gobbles up resources. Ken Rockwell claims over 1000 shots are possible in ECO mode. Battery life is CIPA-rated at 370 shots per charge (450 using Power Saving mode).

10 On Sensor Autofocus

One of the impressive features on the Canon EOS R is low light performance. The Dual Pixel AF system has a whopping 5655 selectable AF points and it can focus at light levels as low as -6EV. To put that into context this is a night time scene with no moon or street lights but just some starlight i.e. equivalent to a 2 minute exposure, at f1.4, ISO 3200.

Summary

The reviews of the Canon EOS R have tended to focus on what the camera does not have e.g. dual card slot, IBIS, video capability etc. There have been plenty of negative comments, my own included, but sometimes in the words of the late great Jiminy Cricket.

“You’ve got to accentuate the positive
Eliminate the negative
And latch on to the affirmative
Don’t mess with Mr In-Between”

Where I Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex because of their exceptional customer service. I once returned a camera after 30 days, and the next day they called to return my money to my account. Their prices are always competitive and they offer good prices on the trade in of your used gear

Sony Big Disappointment: Sony a6400

by John Gough

Sony a6400

We were geared up to hear about the Sony a7000, a new APS-C camera that was billed as being a mini A9. However, journalists and vloggers were wooed away to be told instead about the Sony a6400 which is an mid level camera set to replace the a6300 in the Sony APS-C range. With rumours abounding for months now, that Sony was about to launch a ball busting APS-C camera, the news was a big disappointment for Sony Alpha fans looking for a camera to compete against the game changing Fujifilm X-T3.

The Sony a6400 Launch

The launch was an strange affair. It looked as though it had been hastily cobbled together. The sets looked dodgy, and the major speakers had obviously not had time to learn their scripts. The videos which accompanied the presentation looked generic and dated. The videos did not even feature the new camera. My guess is that following a long time without any mirrorless camera product launches, and faced with strong competition from Fujifilm, Canon and Nikon. Sony was under intense pressure just to say something. So the a6400 was introduced and a new firmware package for Sony full frame mirrorless cameras was also bundled into the mix. Very odd.

Just a note that the new firmware update looks awesome, with auto eye tracking for humans and animals. This feature is included in the a6400

Sony a6400 Summary

Principally aimed at vloggers, the camera has a new flip up screen which can rotate 180 degrees so that vloggers can frame themselves in the shot.

Sony a6400

For photographers, the most exciting addition is the new tracking capability. The AF is claimed to be the fastest in any camera with no fewer than 425 phase detection AF points and 425 contrast AF points covering 84% of the frame. This is paired with a new generation BIONZ X image processing engine and together they enable the camera to acquire focus in as little as 0.02 seconds.

The new eye tracking technology can detect and process eye data in real time. This mode utilises Sony’s latest algorithm which includes AI based object recognition. This processes colour, subject distance (depth), pattern (brightness) as spatial information to ensure focusing accuracy.

Sony have also tried to move away from needing multiple settings for autofocus. This one tracking AF mode will cover a range of bases. When linked with its 11fps capability this looks ideal for street photography where there is no time (well only 0.02 seconds) to get the shot right.

Sony a7000

This camera is still on the cards, probably a February launch. It is building up to be quite a camera. Set above the a6xxx range it will no doubt have the new tracking technology. Add to that IBIS and weather sealing. I cant wait.

Where I Buy

Sony a7000 Delay Due to Fujifilm X-T3

by John Gough

Fujifilm X-T3

Just what is Sony up to with the launch of the Sony a7000? Normally so assured the company seems to have got jittery about the launch of their new replacement for the Sony a6500. First, we heard speculation that the launch may be at Photokina earlier this month, then the launch date was confidently predicted to be yesterday the 16th October. But nothing. Sony is being very tight lipped.

Sony is used to being years ahead with their cameras. The launch of their full frame mirrorless Sony a7III threw the industry into despair and forced both Canon and Nikon to respond with $2000 full frame mirrorless cameras of their own.

The forums and rumour mills have been bubbling with the prospect of the Sony a7000 with a spec which would blow existing APS-C cameras out of the water. Sony is used to having an upper hand. It is their ethos to be ahead with stunning technology. Sony has the advantage of being able to leverage the technology which is being developed across the corporation and bringing it to bear in new products. So perhaps the launch of the Fujifilm X-T3 has taken them by surprise.

The Launch of the Fujifilm X-T3

In many ways, the Fujifilm XT-3 delivers the functionality and specification we expected on the Sony a7000. As DPReview commented, ‘this model is way more than an upgrade; rather, it’s a dramatic step forward’.

Specifically:

26.1MP Sensor
425-point hybrid AF system
Three-axis tilting touchscreen
4K/60P 4:2:0 10bit internal SD card recording
Full HD 1080/120p slow motion recording
30 fps continuous shooting with a 1.25x crop (electronic shutter)
20 fps continuous shooting at full resolution
3.69-million-dot high resolution EVF
Dual UHS-II SD card slots
£1349 price tag

Sony will have to pull out some stops to beat this mindblowing spec. Furthermore, the rumours are that Sony is moving away from the Sony a6500 iconic design, back to a central prism type viewfinder layout, no at all dissimilar to the Fujifilm XT-3!

So it may be that Sony is in a dilemma, do they launch a me too Fujifilm equivalent, or do they get back to the drawing board. Rumours are that the Sony a7000 may now be delayed to 2019.

Where I Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex because I have genuinely found that they offer great advice and customer service.