Canon EOS R1 Review

Introduction

Having ditched development of its DSLR range, Canon is putting everything into its EOS R mirrorless camera system. And in the case of its flagship R1, I do mean everything. 

With the self-stated aim of being ahead of the game, this behemoth of a camera body, principally aimed at sports photographers, arrived too late for last summer’s Olympics but has endeavoured to make a splash since.

It’s lighter than Canon’s alternative in the quick-shot EOS-1D X Mark II DSLR, while featuring the same degree of weatherproofing. On practically every level, it’s also claimed to outperform Canon’s closest mirrorless contender, the EOS R3.

Naturally, in being the R series flagship, the R1 has a full frame sensor at its heart. And, while a 24.2-megapixel resolution may seem modest in the context of a 100MP medium format compact like the Fuji GFX100RF that costs less than this Canon, the focus here is on swiftness of capture. The R1 can deliver up to 40 fps images for online or print use, rather than the provision of detail that can be blown up to billboard size.

So, given the competition from the best cameras, does the Canon badge on the EOS R1 justify what’s being asked of potential purchasers?

Design and Handling

• Classic DSLR-like design with rechargeable battery incorporating handgrip
• 9.44 million dot resolution eye-level electronic viewfinder
• HDMI output and 2x CFExpress card slots

The Canon EOS R1’s shape deliberately apes that of a classic DSLR, signalling that this is a serious tool for photographers.

The inclusion of both vertical and horizontal grips, the latter incorporating a large rechargeable lithium-ion battery, bulk it out further while aiding handheld portrait or landscape ratio shooting. And that’s before the addition of a chunky, yet stunningly sharp Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM zoom lens.

Feeling solid enough when gripped to withstand any accidental knocks in the heat of the action, operational controls, including familiar command dials and a plethora of back and top plate buttons place key functions immediately at finger or thumb tips.

I love a top plate LCD screen, so I can quickly glance down and check settings without needing to look through backplate menus.

Another thing I love is an eye-level viewfinder for composing shots without side distractions; on the EOS R1, the electronic version provided is not only huge in scale at 0.64-inches compared with most mirrorless cameras but has an equally gargantuan 9.44 million dot resolution to go with it.

The result? A life-like, naturalistic view. After all, the audience for this camera wants to focus on their subject/s, not the camera’s workings.

Features

• Full frame 36x24mm CMOS image sensor
• Body integral image stabilisation equivalent of 8.5 stops
• Accelerated capture’ to deliver faster, more precise AF

While an almost overwhelming number of physical buttons are placed within quick and easy reach, many of which are customisable, there’s also a useful consumer camera feature in the swing-out and twist LCD screen, which extends the possibility of creative compositional angles.

It’s likewise generous in size at 3.2 inches and boasts an anti-smudge coating, useful should the tip of our nose encounter it.

But with this class of camera it’s equally what’s on the inside that counts, especially with camera manufacturers leaning increasingly on AI to enhance and refine performance.

Canon claims that a combination of the most powerful processing system incorporated in its cameras to date, plus deep learning technology, enables it to deliver what it calls ‘Accelerated Capture’, meaning not only faster but more precise auto focus. A registered people mode aids editorial sports photographers further in giving priority of focus to ‘important’ people in the scene using AI face recognition, with up to 10 different faces being able to be prioritised at a time.

Further handy and practical features include body-integrated image stabilisation equivalent to 8.5 stops, meaning that whichever lens is attached immediately becomes stabilised too, improved white balance and metering in both models, plus deep learning and noise reduction equivalent to two stops.

A further first for its EOS series and an advantage of having dual CFexpress media card slots is that stills can be taken during the recording of a video sequence without said sequence being interrupted; stills are saved to one memory card and video to the other. 

Image Quality

• 24.2 effective megapixel images
• 1053 available Auto Focus areas
• AF tracking available for humans, animals, and vehicles with both People Priority and Action Priority settings

The Canon EOS R1’s full frame sensor provides imagery comprising a maximum 24.2 million effective pixels, from a total of 26.7 million, while its default image aspect ratio is 3:2. With up to 40 frames per second in electronic shutter mode or 12fps utilising mechanical shutter. The camera does a great job of maintaining focus on a subject-in-motion at all times – and even when in single frame capture mode.

For videographers, which wedding and sports photographers are also regularly called on to become, there is the ability to capture 6K video at up to 60fps, 4K up to 120fps and 2K or Full HD video up to 240fps for slow motion playback.

The built-in microphone is mono, but there is the ability to add an external microphone and a port for headphone monitoring.

I was rather spoilt here in being able to twin the EOS R1 body with a large and chunky piece of premium glass in the Canon RF 70-200mm f/2.8 L IS USM lens.

This allowed me to really make the most of the sensor and AI-enhanced focus tracking performance. Photographing skittish wildlife down at my local pond, I noticed the camera’s AF would stay on target as they waddled back and forth, even if the duck or goose quickly turned so that I was only witnessing the back of their head.

Sharpness is such that I was able to witness water droplets rolling off feathers and insects caught buzzing in the golden sunrays of early spring evenings. Naturalistic, almost 3D-like images are the order of the day with the R1, even if you do have to fork out a king’s ransom for the privilege.

Should you buy it?