Canon EOS R Review for Photography

 
 
 

Canon’s first full frame mirrorless camera is a funky little thing, and if you’re considering buying it to use mainly for photography or hybrid with video and want to know the photo features, I’m going to go through what I like and don’t like about this camera, plus share who I think should buy it.

For a little background, I run a video production company full-time and I’ve been using Canon cameras for both photo and video for over 7 years.

My wife is a wedding and portrait photographer who has been shooting on two 5D Mark III’s for hundreds of thousands of photos, and we own 9 Canon brand lenses.

You can watch the full video review above or on YouTube.

 
 

Features & Pro’s

You can expect similar performance to the 5D Mark IV since it has basically the same 30 megapixel sensor.

What I like about this camera for photography and the new features that would sway someone to buy an EOS R over the 5D Mark IV though are:

  • Electronic Viewfinder (3.7 million dots)

  • Increased focus area (100% vertical, 88% horizontal) and points (5,655)

  • New RF lenses

    • Customizable ring on the RF lenses

  • Eye Autofocus

  • Using the touch-screen to choose a focus point.

  • Flip-out LCD

  • Focus peaking & focus guide

  • Mount adapters:

    • Backwards compatibility of all EF and EF-S lenses.

    • Control ring

    • Drop in filter (like a variable ND)

  • Silent shutter

  • Charging via USB-C (which you have to pay separately for, or use a newer macbook pro cable)

  • 35mm has both IS and Macro focus

  • FV mode

 
 

Con’s

What I didn’t like about this camera:

  • The trackpad “Manual Function” bar

    • You can use it to change/adjust ISO, white balance, check focus/disp. info, flexible-priority AE, AF modes.

  • Overall ergonomics except for main 3 dials for aperture, shutter speed & ISO

    • No joystick

    • The AF, exposure lock, and focus area buttons are hard to reach

    • Mode dial placement and switching to video mode

    • Record button is hard to reach

    • Too small without the battery grip, especially with the front heavy lenses

  • Eye Autofocus is only in single shot focus, not continuous or servo.

  • Only one SD card slot.

  • The size of most of the new L series lenses is enormous.

  • No built-in intervalometer. (There is a 4k timelapse mode, but that spits out a video file, not individual photo files.)

 

Summary

Overall, the EOS R to me is kind of like a top rated freshman college basketball player. There is a lot of potential and they aren’t quite ready for the pro’s yet. But in another year after working on a few of their flaws, they’ll be great.

If you’re looking to step up to a prosumer Canon camera body for a couple thousand dollars from a T6i or 80D level body, this is a great camera and will create beautiful images.

If you already own a 6D or 5D, I’d stick with what you have and wait for the next, higher end profesional Canon mirrorless camera to come out in 2019 or beyond. Unless you’re really excited about switching to mirrorless to use an EVF, the new RF lenses wouldn’t be duplicates of what you already own, or think some of the autofocus features are game changers for you.

 
 
Photography, Gear / Equipment, My YouTube VideosCaleb Wojcik