Canon EOS R full-frame - New bayonet, new possibilities
The photography world also speculated a lot about Canon. What's new at Photokina 2018? Will it be the long-awaited full-frame system? Over the last few days, there have been leaks that have revealed quite a lot, and today we have official certainty: Canon has unveiled a new system for full-frame format with the EOS R. This means that Canon is now also sending out an important signal in the mirrorless system camera market after Nikon already presented the Z system two weeks ago. With its Alpha 7/9 series, Sony has overtaken both manufacturers in recent years, so that many users have switched. Now Canon and Nikon are following suit.
The new Canon EOS R system at a glance
In contrast to Nikon, the bayonet diameter remains the same at 54mm. The Nikon Z bayonet is 55mm. The Sony E-Mount, on the other hand, is considerably smaller with a diameter of 46 mm. The special feature of the new RF bayonet is the flange focal distance of only 20mm. This provides more options for fast lenses and creates better sharpness right up to the edges. Canon thus promises more freedom and possibilities in the design of lenses. Another new feature is the 12-pin mount, which has been completely redeveloped. This ensures optimum communication between camera and lens and makes the system faster. However, the most important aspect of the new system remains the size advantage. The elimination of the mirror reduces the flange focal length to 20mm. This makes it possible to build cameras that are significantly lighter and more compact, which will please photographers who travel a lot. Silent photography is also possible. This is a huge bonus, especially in situations where the clicking of the mirror is a nuisance. This allows you to photograph weddings, animals or situations while traveling more inconspicuously. If you already have some Canon lenses, you can continue to use them with one of the adapters, which makes it easy to make the switch.
The Canon EOS R camera
Visually, the camera has a relatively clear design, which is reminiscent of previous Canon cameras. The recessed grip appears relatively large in the pictures and is similar to that of the EOS 5D Mark IV so that the Canon EOS R will presumably sit comfortably in the hand. There is a shoulder display on the top for the most important settings and the 3.1-inch touch display can be rotated and tilted. The viewfinder is electronic and delivers clear images with 3,690,000 pixels.
But what does the system camera have under the hood? The full-frame sensor offers a resolution of 30.3 megapixels, which should be an ideal size for most people. The camera allows 14-bit RAW images and offers an ISO range of 100 to 40,000 (expandable to ISO 50 - 102,400), and is said to be very low-noise up to high ISO ranges. In terms of speed, it delivers up to eight images per second, which we expected to be a little faster, but is perfectly adequate for 95% of photographers. One highlight is the Dual Pixel CMOS AF autofocus system. This is extremely fast and ensures particularly smooth and precise focus transitions, especially for videos. The number of autofocus measuring fields offers new dimensions: 5,655 positions. We have never seen such a high number before and this will enable precise selection of the focus point. Canon also promises accurate focusing in dark situations with -6 EV (low-light AF). The EOS R is also capable of Dual Pixel RAW, which allows the focus plane to be easily corrected afterwards. Focus peaking, which displays the sharp areas in the image, will be a great help when shooting. Video enthusiasts can look forward to 4K resolution with 10 bit and 30p. 60p is possible in FullHD and 120p in HD resolution. The Canon EOS R also has WLAN and Bluetooth. Storage is on an SDHC/SDXC card. What is unfortunately missing is an in-camera image stabilizer, where Nikon has an advantage with the Z6 and Z7. At 580 g, the Canon EOS R is even lighter and there will be an optional Battery grip BG-E22.
The Canon RF lenses
Technical specifications or not, a great camera is all well and good, but it's the lenses that matter most. And there will be four different ones to start with. The most interesting is certainly the RF 28-70 mm F2 L USM. The standard zoom impresses with a continuous speed of f:2.0. There is also an RF 24-105 mm F4 L IS USM which will be a very good travel zoom with image stabilizer and two fast fixed focal lengths: RF 50 mm F1.2 L USM and RF 35 mm F 1.8 Macro IS STM. The latter also has an image stabilizer and special features for macro photography. Here, too, we see that Canon has designed the R system for the highest demands, as three of the four lenses belong to the infamous Canon L series.
All info & order
The adapter
Existing Canon photographers can rejoice, because there is a very flat and uncomplicated adapter for lenses with EF and EF-S mount. This is simply placed between the camera and lens and expands the lens options to a huge selection. The adapter will be available in several versions: Canon lens adapter EF-EOS R, with control ring, with drop-in filter circular polarizing filter and with Drop-In Filter Variable Neutral Density Filter. There are three matching filters: Canon drop-in filter for lens adapter EF-EOS R circular polarizing filter, Clear filter and Variable neutral density filter,
All info & orderConclusion
Canon is taking the long overdue step of launching a new full-frame system with the new EOS R and RF lenses, which offers more options in lens design and image quality. Above all, however, the full-frame cameras can now be built much more compactly. This means that Canon, like Nikon, is preparing for the future and is standing up to Sony in the system camera market. The user now has the choice between Canon, Nikon and Sony (and Leica). We have not yet been able to test the image quality of Canon and Nikon ourselves, but we assume that it will be outstanding. Otherwise, the manufacturers would have made some mistakes during the long development period, which we can't imagine with the best will in the world. When switching to a mirrorless full-frame system, most Canon SLR users will probably stay with Canon and most Nikon users with Nikon. If you have a lot of lenses, this also makes sense with the respective lens adapter. However, newcomers now have a choice: if you need fast continuous shooting or an in-camera image stabilizer, you are better off with Nikon and Sony. Anyone looking for more options in the extremely fast lens design should opt for the large bayonet diameter of Canon and Nikon.
Brent Stirton
Katya Mukhina
Richard Walch
Guia BesanaDK 09|18
Photokina 2018 - Always be up to date with Foto Koch!
