Canon Announces That The Powerful Professional Full-Frame EOS R3 Mirrorless Camera Is On Its Way

Dragon

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The most interesting news from my perspective is "...a Canon-developed, full-frame stacked CMOS sensor with a back-illuminated design..." A BSI sensor would be a real move from Canon to an - at least theoretically - improved low light performance. So they would catch up with Sonikon sensor tech in that respect. I dunno why they hesitated so long, maybe they were waiting for some patents to end (like with IBIS). So I hope BSI will later trickle down to sensors in smaller camera bodies (which I personally prefer).
This could be the tech that the M5 II has been waiting for :).
 
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Michael Clark

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My guess is R3 being the high megapixel pro camera.
The later R1 might be using the rumored 21MP global shutter sensor.

I also assume Canon generally will keep a 4 years release-frequenzy for their high-end pro camera(s). Ignoring the current scheduling chaos from COVID and general abnormalities caused by change of technology from DSLR to mirrorless, I'm guessing one camera released up to FIFA World Cups and the other body up to Summer Olympics. That could mean development-annoncements and release years like:

1DxIII: 2020 (Originally scheduled OL year)
R3: 2021-2022 (VM)
R1: 2023-2024 (OL)
R3 II: 2025-2026 (VM)

or maybe Canon take the chaotic times (including high level of technology changes and progress) as a opportunity to swap, so R3 are will be the "olympic" body and R1 aligned with VM:

R3: 2021 (rescheduled OL)
R1: 2022 (VM)
R3 II: 2023-2024 (OL)
R1 II: 2025-2026 (VM)

Yeah, all just speculations :) But a global shutter sensor in R1 would clearly differentiate the R1 and R3 series.

I think you have it backwards.

The R3 is the new sports/action/pj model.

The R1 will be the higher resolution studio/fashion/commercial photography model.

Time will tell.
 
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Dragon

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Canon Japan and Canon UK have mentioned, "high sensitivity" along with high speed. In the Canon world, high sensitivity means better low light and high ISO noise performance and that usually means not very high resolution. Interestingly, Canon UK says "a new era for pro sports photography and film making", I think this also rules out a very high-resolution camera. My feeling is that the resolution will be below that of R5, but higher than R6, probably around 30 MP. If Canon prices it around 5500 USD it will easily outsell a1 and Z9.
That depends on how you define sensitivity. By most measures, it is an area function, not a pixel function, so resolution is pretty much irrelevant. It would be interesting if this turns out to be the 100 MP monster (i.e. 200 MP with DPAF) and it still reads out that fast. That would be consistent with the big R5 leap and would have the desired effect of making Sony look "dated". It would also cause all those 7D2 whiners to have to reconsider their budget :) , since the body is just about perfect for swinging big lenses and battery life should be decent. Throwing in an APS-c shooting mode with smaller files would be the coup de grace. Too early to know for sure, but the "3" moniker was used in the past for something with a lot of technological reach so many surprises could still be in store.
 
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I don’t think this camera shoots video. And if it does it will be extremely limited. No mention of video in the teaser and not a single microphone hole visible on the body.
"Combined with the power of its DIGIC X imaging processor, professionals using EOS R3 will achieve next-level, high-speed photography and filmmaking."
 
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I think you have it backwards.

The R3 is the new sports/action/pj model.

The R1 will be the higher resolution studio/fashion/commercial photography model.

Time will tell.
I think R1 willl be 20mpixel ,but pixel shift uses those quadbayers and makes 240mpixel picture. and with global shutter does it fast .
Maybe can even handhold shoot with wide angles.
 
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Michael Clark

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They can't claim it's between the R5 and the 1DX and then price it like the 1DX. The R3 has to be cheaper. It also can't be obviously worse than the R5. There won't be obvious features from the R5 missing.

If anything they might be planning to cut the price on the R5.

The R5 is still selling way to well to come down in price any time soon. There may be some temporary deals in November/Black Friday this year.
 
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H. Jones

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They can't claim it's between the R5 and the 1DX and then price it like the 1DX. The R3 has to be cheaper. It also can't be obviously worse than the R5. There won't be obvious features from the R5 missing.

If anything they might be planning to cut the price on the R5.

I really hate to make Sony comparisons, because I know Canon doesn't spend much time worrying about the competition, but in an ideal world this would occupy the same market segment as the A9, which is only $4500. With a grip and higher res, I could see this being $5000, if it is truly between the 1D and the R5. It would make sense for me if Canon competed with both the A9 and A1 at a lower price point, and then the R1 blows both of them out of the water for $7000-8000 in a year or two.
 
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Michael Clark

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That depends on how you define sensitivity. By most measures, it is an area function, not a pixel function, so resolution is pretty much irrelevant. It would be interesting if this turns out to be the 100 MP monster (i.e. 200 MP with DPAF) and it still reads out that fast. That would be consistent with the big R5 leap and would have the desired effect of making Sony look "dated". It would also cause all those 7D2 whiners to have to reconsider their budget :) , since the body is just about perfect for swinging big lenses and battery life should be decent. Throwing in an APS-c shooting mode with smaller files would be the coup de grace. Too early to know for sure, but the "3" moniker was used in the past for something with a lot of technological reach so many surprises could still be in store.

This is the "low resolution" 30-45 MP sports/action/pj model. The R1 will be the high MP studio/fashion/commercial photography model.
 
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Ozarker

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I wonder if this camera would have been called the R1 had the Sony A1 not come out beforehand. I'm guessing that now Canon will make the R1 a super-expensive do it all camera that excels for all types of photography, not just sports.
I don't think the A1 influenced Canon's name choice at all. What does Sony make? Steak Sauce?
 
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Stig Nygaard

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I think you have it backwards.

Well, that's why I wrote it. Most people think opposite, but that doesn't make much sense to me.

First of all, this is following very close to the release of the 1DXIII, and it doesn't sound like it is meant to replace that.

Secondly, with the R5, Canon has demonstrated they have technology for very fast sensor-readout now, even using non-stacked design. The readout speed from R5's 45MP sensor is actually very similar to the 12MP sensor in Sony A7S3 and to the 24MP stacked sensors in the A9II (and much much faster than the 20MP sensor in R6/1DXIII). So why waste stacked sensor design on a low megapixel sensor, unless it is for a completely insane fast camera? And yes, the promised 30fps is really fast, but not insane fast.

My guess is R3 could be using a stacked variant of R5's 45MP sensor design.

Time will tell.

Yes, we are all guessing and speculating :)
 
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macrunning

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Hope we see a new firmware upgrade for the R5 and R6 for improved subject recognition and tracking. My R5 does pick up some of the local wildlife.
I totally agree. Small birds have been very difficult to track, even at 3-5ft away with a 24-105 lens. I'm sure many are using the big zooms and are would provide better tracking but right now my pockets are empty just from the R5 and few lenses I do have now. With that said it would seem to make sense for Canon to issue firmware updates to their cameras like Apple provides updates for it's software for it's computers. This not only extends the life of the camera but reaffirms to customers that they are dedicated to providing the very best equipment. We are no longer in just the mechanical space of cameras but the software space.
 
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st jack photography

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After I shot with my Sony rx1rm2, I swore to never buy a Canon body until they got their head around a BSI sensor, so to see this brings tears to my eye.
With innovation like this, I would love to see Canon dabble in medium format. Affordable MF competition is low, so it might be doable if it was priced at Fuji levels (not Hasselblad.) IMO, which is fairly worthless, a Canon medium format would only need a few good, innovative lenses and competitive prices, coupled with its reputation, in order to beat the competition, which is stagnant and lackluster at present. Fuji seems to be the only real innovators in affordable MF. I think that market as a whole is ripe for innovation if the prices are good and the gear decent.
Of course, it seems everybody instead wants a ridiculous aps-c RF-mount, which makes no sense to me with mirrorless being small and light and more affordable, but there are probably reasons that a bokeh-obsessed, narrow DoF-loving, wide open shooter like me cannot see.
I doubt I will buy this, still waiting on a high MP body to replace my old 5DSr, but this gives me hope that the high MP camera has this body shape and a BSI sensor.
 
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