Canon commits to full-frame mirrorless with EOS R
If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery then Sony should be feeling pretty chuffed right now. Maybe not. In the space of two weeks it's gone from being the sole manufacturer of full-frame mirrorless cameras to being just one of three. First, Nikon joined the party announcing the upcoming release of the Z6 and Z7 models and now Canon has unveiled its new EOS R and four new lenses.
The EOS R is built around a 30.3-megapixel full-frame sensor and the same DIGIC 8 processor that debuted in Canon's M50.
The camera uses Canon's proprietary Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus and offers a whopping 5,655 manually selectable AF points. Paired with an f/1.2 lens, AF sensitivity is claimed to be as low as -6EV. With the RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM lens, Canon says the camera can focus in as little as 0.05 seconds making it the fastest autofocus speed in the world.
On the back there's a fully articulated, touch-screen, 2,100,000-dot LCD and a 3.69-million-dot electronic viewfinder.
Video capability extends to 4K 30p with 10-bit output via HDMI. Canon Log is also supported. Like the NIkon Z6 and Z7 the camera features just the one card slot.
The EOS R introduces a new full-frame RF mount, and while it features the same diameter as Canon's established EF mount it has a shorter flange back distance. Canon says this allows for better illumination of the corners meaning lenses can be designed with fewer elements and therefore deliver better optical performance.
The Canon RF mount features a high-speed 12-pin communication system which Canon says provides noticeably faster and more in-depth communication between the camera and lens compared to existing Canon mount systems.
The new system will launch with four native lenses initially, the RF 28-70mm F2L USM, RF 50mm F1.2L USM, RF 35mm F1.8 Macro IS STM and RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM.
As well as the new lenses, Canon has also announced three adapters to allow EF lenses to be used with the RF-mount cameras. One is a simple mount converter, the second includes a customisable control ring and the third includes a drop-in filter slot, making it possible to use variable ND or circular polarisers with any lens.
The Canon EOS R, 24-105mm f4 lens, and two of the adapters are scheduled for release in Australia on 9 October 2018. The 50mm is expected at the end of October while the 28-70mm f2 and 35mm f1.8 are expected in December. The adapter with the drop in filter slot is not expected until 2019.
Australian pricing has not been announced but, as a guide, in the US the camera will carry an estimated retail price of US$2299 (approximately AUD$3209) body only. In kit form with the new RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM it is expected to retail for US$3399 (AUD$4739).
SPECS: CANON EOS R
| Lens mount | Canon RF |
| Effective pixels | 30.3 megapixels |
| Sensor size | 36 x 24 mm (full frame) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Max resolution | 6720 x 4480 pixels |
| ISO range | 100-40,000 (expandable to 50-102,400) |
| Image stabilisation | No |
| Autofocus | Contrast Detect (sensor) |
| Phase Detect | |
| Multi-area | |
| Center | |
| Selective single-point | |
| Tracking | |
| Single | |
| Continuous | |
| Touch | |
| Face Detection | |
| Live View | |
| Manual | |
| Number of focus points | 5655 |
| LCD type | Fully articulated, touchscreen, TFT LCD |
| Screen size | 3.2-inch |
| Screen dots | 2,100,000 |
| Viewfinder resolution | 3,690,000 |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.76× |
| Shutter speed range | 30-1/8000s |
| Exposure modes | Program |
| Aperture priority | |
| Shutter priority | |
| Manual | |
| Built-in flash | No |
| External flash | Yes (via hot shoe) |
| Flash X sync speed | 1/200 sec |
| Drive modes | Single |
| High-speed continuous | |
| Low-speed continuous | |
| Self-timer | |
| Continuous shooting | 8fps |
| Metering modes | Multi |
| Center-weighted | |
| Spot | |
| Partial | |
| Exposure compensation | ±3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
| AE Bracketing | ±3 (3 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
| Video formats | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Video | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p 4K (MOV, H.264, AAC, Linear PCM) |
| Video formats | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| HDMI | Yes (Mini-HDMI) |
| Microphone port | Yes, stereo |
| Headphone port | No |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Card slot | 1 x SD card (UHS-II supported) |
| WiFi | 802.11b/g/n |
| Bluetooth | 4.1 LE |
| Remote control | Yes (via smartphone) |
| Body construction | Magnesium alloy |
| Battery | LP-E6N lithium-ion |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 660g |
| Dimensions | 136 x 98 x 84mm |