Review: Canon EOS R

This article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.

Canon Nederland gave me the opportunity to test the Canon EOS R. This included the RF 24-105mm, RF 24-240mm and RF 15-35mm lenses, as well as the control ring mount so I could use my own lenses too. These are my findings.

Canon launched its first proper mirrorless camera a year ago. With a 30-megapixel full-frame sensor, autofocus with no fewer than 5,655 focus points and a new line of four L lenses with a special RF mount, Canon has brought a camera to the market with solid specifications.

The advantage of the RF mount, compared with the EF mount, is that the lenses sit closer to the sensor. This means they can be considerably faster at similar sizes and weights.

This camera is positioned between the Canon 5D Mark IV and 6D Mark II. Elja also got to play with it briefly in 2018. He also wrote his own Canon EOS R review earlier.

I was also curious about this camera, hence this additional review. I am also completely used to the DSLR line. I normally work with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III. I can find everything blindly and love the fact that everything is in the same place on this camera.

Once it is out of the bag, the EOS R clearly feels a little smaller than my trusted workhorse. It is thinner and, above all, lighter. The grip is still comfortable and it certainly does not feel too small.

I always like being able to feel the weight. The build and body are also solid and pleasant. The flip-out screen is a nice feature too. With my 5D Mark III, I still have to make do with a fixed screen.

This is of course more robust and easier to make weatherproof, and I never really needed it. But I noticed that I actually used it a lot with the EOS R. You can also easily take photos upside down this way.

Looking at an LCD screen in the viewfinder takes some getting used to, but of course that is the essence of a mirrorless camera. You no longer look directly through the lens. But it all works perfectly well. The image is clear and the colours are beautiful and deep.

You do occasionally see some lag when moving quickly from side to side. The LCD image also sometimes trails slightly. I think this is certainly not due to the quality of the camera, but rather to my lack of experience with it.

Dual pixel autofocus

No in-body image stabilisation

Video

Sensor

Pros

• Very lightweight construction;
• Durable, weather-sealed body;
• Very good grip;
• Large, high-resolution OLED electronic viewfinder;
• Beautiful rear LCD screen with polished touchscreen functionality;
• Fully articulated screen is perfect for vlogging;
• Interesting FV exposure mode;
• High image quality from a proven sensor with good dynamic range and very strong high-ISO performance;
• Pleasing Canon colours;
• Impressive autofocus in One-Shot AF with the very best focusing in low light;
• Good autofocus in AI Servo in many situations, although this is very limited by the lack of a live feed in the EVF and low burst speeds;
• Good buffer depths;
• 4K video recording up to 30p;
• HDMI with 10-bit 4:2:2 colour;
• USB 3.1 Type-C port;
• Excellent 24-105mm f/4L kit zoom lens;
• Works very well with adapted EF lenses.

Cons

• Weather sealing is not as robust as on the Canon 5D Mark IV;
• Frustrating ergonomics: poor button placement, no dedicated AF joystick, recessed rear control dial, new Touch Bar is impractical to use;
• Touch controls are very limiting for taking quick action photos or shooting in cold weather;
• No IBIS, in-body image stabilisation;
• Only one SD card slot;
• Slow buffer clearing times;
• Top burst speed of 8 fps only available in One-Shot AF. Only 5 fps with continuous autofocus;
• Evaluative metering is inconsistent;
• Moderate battery life;
• Although it still performs well, the sensor has worse high-ISO and dynamic range performance than its competitors;
• Approximately 1.8x 4K video crop;
• Severe rolling shutter distortion in 4K video;

Conclusion

My only reservation is the handling. Especially at first, I often had to search for the right button. I often did not find it very intuitive. I do find the shortcuts on my 5D Mark III very useful.

It is also inconvenient that you often unintentionally change your focus point and other camera settings. But on closer inspection, it turned out that you can lock this, so that was a matter of studying the manual properly.

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