Canon Registers a Second Unreleased EOS R Camera

[Del Paso]

Minolta was pioneer in bringing phase detection AF to the market. Leitz (Leica) developed that technology together with Minolta, and then the Leitz management decided that true photographers won't ever use AF. So they sold their patents to Minolta - and that was the beginning of the end of Leica as a pro photography supplier.

I believe it began much earlier, Leica's SLRs never had a real chance as a supplier to professionals. Especially Nikon F and F2 cameras, with their interchangeable viewfinders, their extremely wide range of lenses, including useful zooms, fisheyes, motor drives, film magazines etc... matched pro's needs much better than the Leicaflexes.
And then came the cooperation-born R3, nice, but technically behind most Japanese models, and later the unreliable R4.
Leitz had simply taken the SLR train too late, with little conviction and money.
Much earlier, Correfot could have become their chance to be ahead of competition again. Alas, the backwards thinking management, after having despised Japanese innovation, rejected their last chance.
PS: I had several Leica R winders and motor drives (made in Austria by Eumig). None lasted longer than a year or 2, and all my R cameras shed their brittle cheap plastic body parts very quickly.
But the APO lenses, still extraordinary on my EOS R 5II...

 

[Pampamia]

¿Soy el único que anhela una cámara de alta resolución enfocada en fotografía que restablezca el liderazgo de Canon en calidad de imagen y compita con la A7R vi? Canon es el fabricante de lentes de 35 mm con la calidad de cristal necesaria para aprovechar al máximo un sensor de 100 MP. Canon, por favor, dame una razón para quedarme.

Estoy exactamente en la misma situación. Tengo un montón de objetivos Canon y estoy casi listo para comprar la A7R.

 

[01Spino94]

So R100ii? Maybe with a fully articulated screen so Richard won't get mad

 

[SnowMiku]

I love my R8, the AF and image quality are amazing. I never missed IBIS. I would prefer other updates instead: a joystick, some weather sealing, improved EVF, bigger battery (Sony can do it in the similarly sized A7C), better app connectivity (it works but connection is slow, there is no excuse in 2026 for a bluetooth / wifi connection to take 10+ seconds and often to fail first time). IBIS and dual card slots can stay as R6 features.

Hopefully the R8 will get the update where you can choose either 2.4Ghz or 5Ghz Wi-fi. 5Ghz works a lot faster on my R6 II but it does disconnect sometimes.

 

[P-visie]

I am also with you when it gets to a retro camera. I posted recently an example from Nikon that is boldly overdesigned with wheels and buttons, obviously for young people who think that the original cameras from the 70s and 80s looked like that. But, in fact, the famous F series cameras from Nikon, as an example, had a very clean design with no bells and whistles. So I think Canon designers have too much a tradition to make cameras that support photographic flow to create such a ridiculous design accident like e.g. Nikon's Zfc. I am pretty sure if one tries to use this camera with its wheel "pyramids" on the top plate in a more manual mode, one has always to put down this camera before shooting and first seek the right wheel to rotate.

From a 2025 interview with Phototrend on retro camera’s: “And we really focus on the ergonomics of the grip, the positioning of the dials, the buttons and other elements. So if we were to do that with the design of the AE-1, would it really achieve the kind of ergonomics and usability that we need in a Canon camera? That's the big question.”

This suggest that a retro camera by Canon will have similar ergonomics to what we are used to in the R-series.

See: https://www.canonrumors.com/canon-executives-discuss-retro-camera-design-hello-canon-eos-re-1/

 

[MayerMP]

To save me from being disappointed, I only expect a silver top and better video specs.
But I hope for a style like my eos 50e or a box like the A7c.
Anyway, it needs an up-down tiltable screen to make me sell my R8.

 

[David - Sydney]

Maybe a R8a is not so weird? After a long shift away from astro, Canon has recently got back into the astro game with lenses like RF 14/1.4. A camera body to go with it makes sense to me.

The rf14/1.4 is canon’s only option and is expensive. Clearly not only for Astro and is a compromise compared to a dedicated Astro lens. Make it cheaper and lighter without AF. Add a focus lock, dew heater area and it would be more attractive to me for Milky Way. I’ll shoot at twilight for foreground or very long exposures at night / noisy or use the excellent rf20/1.4
14/1.4 would be great for aurora though

 

[Del Paso]

From a 2025 interview with Phototrend on retro camera’s: “And we really focus on the ergonomics of the grip, the positioning of the dials, the buttons and other elements. So if we were to do that with the design of the AE-1, would it really achieve the kind of ergonomics and usability that we need in a Canon camera? That's the big question.”

This suggest that a retro camera by Canon will have similar ergonomics to what we are used to in the R-series.

See: https://www.canonrumors.com/canon-executives-discuss-retro-camera-design-hello-canon-eos-re-1/

Sounds reasonable!
I can only hope Canon are not too late to the party.
Some trends and fashions are soon over...

 

[P-visie]

Sounds reasonable!
I can only hope Canon are not too late to the party.
Some trends and fashions are soon over...

Canon has good good information about the camera market. I suspect that the retro look will be with us for a while, Fujifilm’s appeal is, for a large part, based on the retro-look. Their X100-IV has good sales numbers.

 

[Noreaster]

This is today's camera market. One of my oldest cameras is my best looking camera.

 

[Swurre]

We need the RF 50mm f1,2 Mark II and the RF 85mm f1,2 Mark II, let´s hope they are on the way.

 

[candyman]

We need the RF 50mm f1,2 Mark II and the RF 85mm f1,2 Mark II, let´s hope they are on the way.

We need = I need

 

[MayerMP]

A clever move would be presenting the R8 mk2 and R10 mk2 at the same time in the similar retro design.

 

[roby17269]

We need the RF 50mm f1,2 Mark II and the RF 85mm f1,2 Mark II, let´s hope they are on the way.

Nope - many more holes to fill in the lineup before we "need" a mk II version of lenses that work great

 

[Del Paso]

Nope - many more holes to fill in the lineup before we "need" a mk II version of lenses that work great

TS 14mm, 35 f/1,2, 180 + 50 macro, 20-70 f/2, 400 f/2,8 and so on. Please Canon, no more STMs, but more, far more L lenses !

 

[AJ]

We need = I need

We need = I want

 

[candyman]

We need = I want

Or, it would be nice if Canon find the time to design and deliver a........but I understand they may have other priorities

 

[neuroanatomist]

We need = I want

I want = everyone needs. After all, this is the internet.

 

[MontereyBay]

Will Canon go all in and allow LUTs so one can add their own Davinci film simulation LUTs in camera.

 

[GMCPhotographics]

We need the RF 50mm f1,2 Mark II and the RF 85mm f1,2 Mark II, let´s hope they are on the way.

What is deficient with the current two models? The RF 50mm f1.2 L is one of the finest 50mm lenses ever made. It has beautiful rendering, sharp, amazing contrast and great AF. The RF 85mm f1.2 takes the 50mm up a notch. Why not refresh the RF 135mm f1.8 as well?

There are a few gaps in Canon’s lens line up, but a refresh of these two lenses surely is quite low on Canon’s “to do” list.
We know a 200-600mm is coming soon, we need a longer macro lens, most of the big whites are Looking a bit tired compared to the competition.