Canon Interview: EOS R1 is the true flagship

[nickditoro]

I had seriously hoped for a \"master of all\" R1 as the mirrorless successor to my 1DX Mark III. As a Leica M11 owner, I know the technology exists to allow setting file size from 60, to 36, and even down to 18 megapixels, so I thought that a true flagship from Canon might take a similar approach. This would enable me to shoot whatever I needed, from portraits to products, landscapes, architecture and events, each with the most productive megapixel size. But since for Canon, \"flagship\" means sports pros, they decided to deal folks like me out (I shoot sports but not for money). I\'ve ordered the Leica SL3 and will be trading in my 1DX Mark III, R5 and 5DSR to get it. The only Canon body I\'m keeping is the 7D Mark II, which will be my only \"sports\" APS-C body.

 

[koenkooi]

Can you list them?

Making a small table because I am bored

Spec	R5ii	a1	Z9
Max fps raw	30 (14 bit) lossless compressed	20 (13 bit) lossless compressed 30 (13 bit) lossy compressed	20 (14 bit) lossless compressed
EVF	5.76M dots 0.76x @120 fps	9.44M dots 0.9x @60 fps (resolution decreases to 5.76M dots while focusing or shooting) 5.76M dots 0.9x @120 fps 5.76M dots 0.76x @240 fps	3.69 M dots 0.8x @120 fps
LCD	3.2" 2.1M dot Fully-articulated	3.0" 1.44M dot Tilting	3.2" 2.1M dot Two way tilting
Resolution	45 MP	50 MP	45 MP
Video specs	Up to 8K60 with limitations	Up to 8K30	Up to 8K60
Internal Raw video?	Yes	No	Yes
Max ES flash sync (linked to RS)	1/160	1/200	1/200
Price (today at B&H)	$4,299.00	$6,498.00	$5,496.95

And then there is AF, that from reviews the R5ii took a considerable step above the others.

And then you also have the Eye control AF, not found in any of the other brands.

FWIW, with Canon brand flashes you can have the R5II sync at 1/200s in ES mode: https://cam.start.canon/en/C017/manual/html/UG-03_Shooting-1_0100.html#Shooting-1_0100_5

 

[KAS]

I just want an R1 with a 45MP sensor.

I don't think I'm alone here.

I'm with you on this.

 

[koenkooi]

I had seriously hoped for a \"master of all\" R1 as the mirrorless successor to my 1DX Mark III. As a Leica M11 owner, I know the technology exists to allow setting file size from 60, to 36, and even down to 18 megapixels, so I thought that a true flagship from Canon might take a similar approach. [...]

Since the 36MP and 18MP aren't RAW anymore, you can achieve the same by selecting HEIF as image format in the R5II and then picking 'M' or 'S' as output size. Smaller files, a lot more latitude than JPEG, done!

That's practically speaking on-par with the fake RAW modes Leica uses and Canon thankfully stopped using (mRAW/sRAW).

 

[dougsv]

FWIW, with Canon brand flashes you can have the R5II sync at 1/200s in ES mode: https://cam.start.canon/en/C017/manual/html/UG-03_Shooting-1_0100.html#Shooting-1_0100_5

That's interesting. I wonder if they boost the sensor RS in this mode now, or there is some detail that goes beyond the RS = flash sync speed idea we, as a bunch of armchair sensor engineers, don't know of

 

[neuroanatomist]

…whether the R3 was intended to be the R1 and was changed in positioning and name to R3…

So, one bit of industry gossip explicitly denied, one carefully not contradicted.

It wasn’t denied because there was no need. Not only is it a ridiculous suggestion, Canon debunked it at the launch of the R3.

I think your tinfoil hat is too tight.

 

[koenkooi]

That's interesting. I wonder if they boost the sensor RS in this mode now, or there is some detail that goes beyond the RS = flash sync speed idea we, as a bunch of armchair sensor engineers, don't know of

I suspect Canon is very confident in the tolerances for the flash output duration done by their flashes, less so for other brands. My big flash is a godox one, so I'm slightly annoyed by this

 

[neuroanatomist]

Since the 36MP and 18MP aren't RAW anymore, you can achieve the same by selecting HEIF as image format in the R5II and then picking 'M' or 'S' as output size. Smaller files, a lot more latitude than JPEG, done!

That's practically speaking on-par with the fake RAW modes Leica uses and Canon thankfully stopped using (mRAW/sRAW).

But a ‘true flagship’ should be able to make fake RAWs, shouldn’t it?

 

[Nemorino]

with Canon brand flashes you can have the R5II sync at 1/200s in ES mode

No, if You want to pimp the specs as Sony does, it is 1/320s*

* only in crop mode

 

[MikeGalos]

It wasn’t denied because there was no need. Not only is it a ridiculous suggestion, Canon debunked it at the launch of the R3.

Seeing that gossip was still going on here in the discussions of the R1 at its announcement nearly three years after the R3 release, Canon did (and continues to do) a spectacularly bad job at debunking it.

 

[Scenes]

I don´t get some of the statements from Canon tbh.

So they decided to use 24MP because of easier editing? I've never run into any issues on my "still" M1 MBP when editing images even from Sony R Body with 60MP. And a Sony A1 or A9 III is not even considered a competitor? Why? Because there is no vertical grip in a big body?

I don´t know what Canon is thinking in 2024 but I'm a bit disappointed by both new Cameras and will stick with my R5 until I probably move brands.

Genuine question: do you edit and deliver sports or images for professional news organisations? Are you the target market for the R1?

Presumably if you are.. shooting next to someone at the Olympics with a lower megapixel camera than your Sony they would be able to deliver their images quicker than you being they are shooting lower megapixel?

The criticism of the R1 seems to come from people who aren’t its target audience? Has anyone asked Getty images ect what resolution they prefer?

 

[koenkooi]

But a ‘true flagship’ should be able to make fake RAWs, shouldn’t it?

It has the next best thing: AI upscaling!

 

[Canon Rumors]

I had seriously hoped for a \"master of all\" R1 as the mirrorless successor to my 1DX Mark III. As a Leica M11 owner, I know the technology exists to allow setting file size from 60, to 36, and even down to 18 megapixels, so I thought that a true flagship from Canon might take a similar approach. This would enable me to shoot whatever I needed, from portraits to products, landscapes, architecture and events, each with the most productive megapixel size. But since for Canon, \"flagship\" means sports pros, they decided to deal folks like me out (I shoot sports but not for money). I\'ve ordered the Leica SL3 and will trading in my 1DX Mark III, R5 and 5DSR to get it. The only Canon body I\'m keeping is the 7D Mark II, which will be my only \"sports\" APS-C body.

Yeah that's a cool feature, but that sensor is mind-numbingly slow. Readout speed would be a big issue at higher MP. As would the binning.

I mean if you use an M11, any other camera is a "do it all"... because that thing does nothing.

*Proud FORMER M11 owner

 

[dougsv]

The criticism of the R1 seems to come from people who aren’t its target audience?

It's crying just for the sake of crying. Look at how many people in this thread are crying about the R1 not having higher resolution while the R5ii is there with 45 MP 30 fps for a cheaper price. If they wanted a fast high resolution camera so much, they would just get the R5ii.

 

[john1970]

Yeah that's a cool feature, but that sensor is mind-numbingly slow. Readout speed would be a big issue at higher MP. As would the binning.

I mean if you use an M11, any other camera is a "do it all"... because that thing does nothing.

*Proud FORMER M11 owner

..and the Leica SL3 has a maximum of 5 fps burst rate in 14 bit with continuous AE/AF. Definitely not an all-in-one camera!

 

[Canon Rumors]

..and the Leica SL3 has a maximum of 5 fps burst rate in 14 bit with continuous AE/AF. Definitely not an all-in-one camera!

The SL3 autofocus is only a bit better than the disaster that was the SL2.... again... *Proud FORMER owner of the SL2-S. Why on earth would anyone buy an SL3 for sports?

 

[Richard CN]

The SL3 autofocus is only a bit better than the disaster that was the SL2.... again... *Proud FORMER owner of the SL2-S. Why on earth would anyone buy an SL3 for sports?

Is chess considered a sport?

 

[Canon Rumors]

Is chess considered a sport?

haha.... Yes! But it couldn't keep up to speed chess, the clock smacking would be too much for it.

 

[Tony5787]

That's the R5ii.

The R5 II is as fast as the R3, I want a camera that has the ability to shoot 60fps if not more. I don’t need that speed 95% of the time but there are situations where it would be amazing to have. The R3 can do almost 200fps with exposure and AF locked so I refuse to believe that the R1 couldn’t do more than 40fps with tracking, the R6 II does 40fps. I think the R5 II is a great camera and after seeing it and the R1 I’ll probably end up buying one but it will replace my R3 most likely unless low light performance is somehow terrible (I had no issues with the R5 in that regard so I’m hoping the same will be true for the Mark II).

 

[Canon Rumors]

The R5 II is as fast as the R3, I want a camera that has the ability to shoot 60fps if not more. I don’t need that speed 95% of the time but there are situations where it would be amazing to have. The R3 can do almost 200fps with exposure and AF locked so I refuse to believe that the R1 couldn’t do more than 40fps with tracking, the R6 II does 40fps. I think the R5 II is a great camera and after seeing it and the R1 I’ll probably end up buying one but it will replace my R3 most likely unless low light performance is somehow terrible (I had no issues with the R5 in that regard so I’m hoping the same will be true for the Mark II).

I'm sure the R1 will get an FPS boost at some point like the R3 did. The 195fps is fun once in a while, but I too would like 60fps, as you said, there are times for some creative outputs.

I recently shot some golf with friends, and I did the 195 for their swings off the tee... they loved it.