Canon EOS R Body

With a 30MP sensor, fantastic color reproduction and on-sensor autofocus, the EOS R can produce some beautiful photographs with pinpoint-accurate focus. But it's Canon's first mirrorless full-frame camera, and in many ways, it shows. The ergonomics feel unfinished, and for the same or less money, you can find better video, more dynamic range and faster burst speeds elsewhere. But we have to admit that Canon's new RF lenses are simply spectacular, and at this time, the EOS R is the only way to get to use them.

The EOS R is Canon’s first full-frame mirrorless camera and heralds an all-new lens mount system. As the first batch of lenses show, it’s loaded with potential to produce beautiful, sharp images and video. The camera itself is a bit disappointing, though. It feels great in hand, and you can definitely take fabulous photos with it. However, 4K video is crippled by a 1.8x crop, 30 fps max shooting speed and bad rolling shutter. On top of that, it lacks in-body stabilization, putting it at a disadvantage to rival models from Sony and Nikon. It’s not a bad first effort, but Canon must up its game for the next model.

The Canon EOS R is a very capable camera, and should satisfy many EOS DSLR owners looking for a solid mirrorless alternative. If we weren't bound by a system, however, it would be hard to pick the EOS R over its rivals, especially when you consider the price premium over the likes of the excellent Sony Alpha A7 III. Things could well change with the next model though, when Canon has had the opportunity to smooth out a few rough edges.

Canon's new Canon EOS R full frame mirrorless camera is off to a great start with this superb camera..

The Canon EOS R is a full-frame mirrorless camera that both impresses and disappoints. On the plus-side it delivers good-looking photos, has a promising new mount with two exotic lenses at launch, great video autofocus, and the best performance from adapted EF lenses on a mirrorless camera. On the downside, there’s no built-in stabilisation, only a single SD card slot, severely cropped 4k video, modest action shooting capabilities, and lacklustre face and eye-detection - plus those first native lenses don’t exactly make for a compact system. Be under no illusions, if you’re not brand-loyal and are simply looking for the most capable full-frame mirrorless camera around, then the Sony A7 III comfortably out-performs it in almost every regard, has way more native lenses and also does a fair job with adapted EF lenses; it’s slightly cheaper too. If you’re a faithful Canon owner though, the EOS R becomes more compelling and is their best mirrorless camera to date. Still photographers will enjoy one of Canon’s best sensors coupled with its excellent colour science, while videographers will appreciate the fully-articulated screen and C-log with 10-bit output at a much lower price than a Cinema camera. I’d say it makes most sense to EOS 5D I, II or III owners, or those with mid-range APSC bodies like the EOS 80D who are looking for an upgrade as well as a smooth transition to mirrorless that works well with existing lenses. It’s also appealing to Canon Cinema owners looking for a B-camera to match their output. Ultimately the EOS R a version one product entering a market where Sony is comfortably selling its third generation bodies and an extensive range of native lenses. As such, the EOS R inevitably struggles to compete, but still shows promise in some key respects. Right now this first body only makes sense to specific Canon owners, but certainly there’s a lot of promise - especially with the lens mount - and I look forward to seeing where Canon takes it.