The Canon EOS R3 is out in the wild

Apr 25, 2011
2,510
1,885
Guess he's not tempted to try use adapters to get his lenses to work on the R3 then. Wonder what this type of commentary will do to the mindset of those looking to buy old DSLR gear. Damn. And to all of those people who say that buying lenses is an investment, just saw your investment value drop. Obviously also not convinced that Nikon mirrorless was worth the jump. Canon RF, and in particular R3, is where it's at. EF, thank you for the good times, but you're history baby. p.s. EF-S and EF-M, sorry, you're EF too.
My EF lenses work well on my R5, tyvm.

(time to buy that filter adapter, by the way... long overdue)
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0

RunAndGun

CR Pro
Dec 16, 2011
497
187
Guess he's not tempted to try use adapters to get his lenses to work on the R3 then. Wonder what this type of commentary will do to the mindset of those looking to buy old DSLR gear. Damn. And to all of those people who say that buying lenses is an investment, just saw your investment value drop. Obviously also not convinced that Nikon mirrorless was worth the jump. Canon RF, and in particular R3, is where it's at. EF, thank you for the good times, but you're history baby. p.s. EF-S and EF-M, sorry, you're EF too.

I know it’s been talked about on here before, becaue I’ve brought it up, but buying equipment itself is not an investment. People that say they are “investing in ‘piece of gear X’” are just saying that either 1) out of ignorance or 2) to make themselves feel better/justify to themselves about spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on something.

You are buying tools to use to make money, presuming you are a professional. If not, you are just buying equipment. On the whole, camera/electronic gear and the related accessories rarely appreciate, which is one of the major defining commonly accepted traits(hopefully) of an investment.

If I looked at the individual pieces of equipment I’ve purchased as investments, then I’d probably be the worst stock broker that ever lived, because almost NONE of it is worth anything close to what I paid for it, with the exception of a few used items. But even then, I have some used equipment that has depreciated to roughly 25% of their purchase prices in only a few years. Now, do I continue to make money WITH that equipment? Yes! But that is different than it being worth more money than I paid for it.
 
  • Like
  • Love
Reactions: 8 users
Upvote 0

Rocksthaman

Eos R , R6 , R5
Jul 9, 2020
159
206
I realize that I must be interpreting this post wrong. Are you suggesting that the R3 will not be able to take EF glass coupled with a converter?
Not in the slightest.

I just think of how much better it was to move from optical to R to the R5 , autofocus, lenses, eye control, FPS in the ways that Canon has done it vs the competition.
 
Upvote 0
I've got my credit card out and waving it around but the deal killer will be the sensor resolution. If this comes out to be a 20Mp camera then I'm sticking with my R5! I'm not paying $6K to drop the resolution down to 1DX specs.
I can't imagine Canon making it 20MP. They wouldn't want it to have the same MP as the much less expensive R6. Since it's a sports camera my guess is 30MP, which would make it more than a 1DX or D6.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Upvote 0
This is a good sign and makes me think that an announcement closer to the Olympics makes sense. I am planning on 1 or 2 photo trips in 2022 so I do see a R3 in the future. Depending on features, begs the question does it compliment or replace a R5 for wildlife photography...
My guess would be compliment. While I'm still holding out hope for 45+ mp, I'm guessing probably around 32. Quite frankly it would be better there than 45 for moving subjects. 45mp brings additional challenges to things that move. For a fast action camera I would rather have 32mp and not have to worry about motion blur between the pixels as much. I'm pretty sure the ultimate wildlife kit from Canon will include an R5 and an R3. R5 for the slow moving (perched birds, etc...) and the R3 (BIF, running animals, etc...). If so I will sell my R6 and keep my R5 with the R3. If the R3 is an absolute replacement I may sell the R5 and R6 and buy 2 R3s
 
  • Like
Reactions: 2 users
Upvote 0

unfocused

Photos/Photo Book Reviews: www.thecuriouseye.com
Jul 20, 2010
7,184
5,483
70
Springfield, IL
www.thecuriouseye.com
I keep coming back to this site for news on what watered down newly released spec-d camera can I buy with my $1000 budget and the majority of the posts are all on the cadillacs. I understand there are people who make their living needing the very best equipment. I am in a different category - average guy who needs a reason to ditch the IPhone and pick up a camera that costs just as much as the IPhone but gives me good pics and 4K video. No such thing from Canon besides maybe the M6 mark II. I have an M5 and my iPhone does just as well for the majority of the shots and gives me 4K video. I don’t want to carry a brick just to get marginally better results. Like having something that fits in a pocket. I think I am probably done owning a stand alone camera. I think I am the majority but this site caters to the pro’s who can’t make that choice for obvius reasons - which is why this site will have a hard time growing.
Echoing @privatebydesign 's comments. The stand-alone camera market for casual users is pretty much dead. If you are pleased with your iPhone photos, you might as well stick with the phone. There are no cameras that can compete in terms of both size and quality and certainly none that lets you make a call from them. I would correct your impression though that this site caters to professionals. The professional market is also shrinking and most of the people on this site are not professionals, but rather enthusiasts who earn little to nothing from their hobby, but are willing to spend lots of money to capture pictures in niche categories, like birding and wildlife. Or they are simply people who like owning the best and have sufficient disposable income to do so. Camera manufacturers are following the dollars and the dollars, as PBD pointed out, are in the enthusiast market.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 6 users
Upvote 0

unfocused

Photos/Photo Book Reviews: www.thecuriouseye.com
Jul 20, 2010
7,184
5,483
70
Springfield, IL
www.thecuriouseye.com
Japan is determined to hold the Olympics in July, even if Japan's coronavirus situation is still bad. That would be the obvious time to officially launch the R3.
Unless Canon doesn't want to be associated with a potential health disaster.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0

Dragon

EF 800L f/5.6, RF 800 f/11
May 29, 2019
1,224
1,719
Oregon
bodies ha
I keep coming back to this site for news on what watered down newly released spec-d camera can I buy with my $1000 budget and the majority of the posts are all on the cadillacs. I understand there are people who make their living needing the very best equipment. I am in a different category - average guy who needs a reason to ditch the IPhone and pick up a camera that costs just as much as the IPhone but gives me good pics and 4K video. No such thing from Canon besides maybe the M6 mark II. I have an M5 and my iPhone does just as well for the majority of the shots and gives me 4K video. I don’t want to carry a brick just to get marginally better results. Like having something that fits in a pocket. I think I am probably done owning a stand alone camera. I think I am the majority but this site caters to the pro’s who can’t make that choice for obvius reasons - which is why this site will have a hard time growing.
If you can't get better pictures with your M5 than with your iPhone, you must not know how to use the M5. Are you shooting JPEGs in Auto mode? Do you have any longer glass? Do you have a RAW editor?. In a bright light, wide angle shot, the IPhone will look pretty good (if you don't mind overly processed images), but once the going gets tough (i.e. long distance, bad light, etc.), the M5 is a much better choice, but you do need some glass to go with it.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 5 users
Upvote 0
Can't agree with you more on this.
It would be odd marketing to hold out on that info as they have only to find it’s a 20-24 MP sensor. The reaction will likely either be neutral or negative, but it’s hard to imagine there are folks that specifically would not buy it just because of, say, a 45 MP sensor. Especially when you can make an electronic sensor that outputs smaller files if needed. If it has what will be a disappointing spec, saving that to the end seems like a poor marketing choice. A well known adage in crisis management is that bad news doesn’t get better with time.
 
Upvote 0

usern4cr

R5
CR Pro
Sep 2, 2018
1,376
2,308
Kentucky, USA
It's repeatedly reported that the R3 will downsample to 4K (and I'm sure it'll have 3 x 2 aspect ratio for stills). Since it wouldn't make sense (to me) to downsample 5K to 4K, then I see 6K to 4K being the minimum, and a 6K x 4K sensor would be 25MP minimum - so that (to me) is the bottom MP possible for the R3. If they downsampled 7K (is there such a thing?) then 7K x 4.67K = 33K minimum, so that might be a possibility. The one I hope it is is 8K downsampled, so 8K x 5.33K = 43K minimum (maybe 45K like the R5). Anything downsampled to 4K will have a better image than ordinary 4K as well as less data transfer to cards and less heat if power is better managed (a crucial thing to improve after the R5). I could see downsampled 4K at 60 FPS without time limit being a goal they've set.

I really wish they'd add "motion trigger" ability to video (or high FPS continuous stills) so that you could leave a camera on a tripod and have it only record with sufficient motion happening (like a hummingbird landing on a feeder). Then you'd only have small bits of video or stills to worry about in post instead of gazillions of "nothing" to store and wade through in post.
 
Last edited:
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
Upvote 0
D

Deleted member 381342

Guest
I believe Z9 is supposed to go against A1 from Sony but R3 will be sitting below these 2 so it might be a value proposition to entry with seamless compatibility with older EF compared to Z cameras and iffy F mount compatibility.
The R3 and Z9 will most likely compete with each other. The A1 isn't even a consideration without a built in grip and that naff lens selection.
 
Upvote 0
I know it’s been talked about on here before, because I’ve brought it up, but buying equipment itself is not an investment. People that say they are “investing in ‘piece of gear X’” are just saying that either 1) out of ignorance or 2) to make themselves feel better/justify to themselves about spending hundreds or thousands of dollars on something.

Investing in capital assets and measuring a return on investment is standard practice for all businesses. Capital appreciation is just one form of return on investment. Income is another way of generating return on investment. Even if an asset depreciates in value, in can still serve to improve efficiency, take on work that they may not have been able to get before, or simply make work more enjoyable. Regardless, if you generate income with your equipment, buying equipment is an investment.

Trucking companies invest in new trucks. Medical offices invest in medical equipment. Photography businesses invest in cameras, lighting, and other gear.

If photography is a hobby, your premise is correct and it’s just an expense. A fun one, sure. But not an investment.

When one buys a bond and holds it to maturity to generate income, it doesn’t make it not an investment just because it didn’t go up in value. The investor realized a positive return while they held the investment.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
Upvote 0

unfocused

Photos/Photo Book Reviews: www.thecuriouseye.com
Jul 20, 2010
7,184
5,483
70
Springfield, IL
www.thecuriouseye.com
I don't think so. Canon doesn't like to mention it, but in both the USA and Japan their best selling mirrorless camera is the M50.
While it is the best selling mirrorless camera, "best selling" represents a much smaller universe than it was just a few years ago. There is no denying that the market has been bleeding customers for years now. Most, if not all, camera manufacturers have said they are concentrating on the enthusiast market, where the margins are better.
 
Upvote 0
Aug 7, 2018
598
549
I would not really expect a neutral review by someone who got early access to a camera. If he said that the camera is shit, he would not get an early access next time.

Why should DLSRs be dead? Only DLSRs are real cameras. A mirrorless camera is just a smartphone camera with a bigger sensor. I might buy one, but only as a second camera. You can't replace an OVF. No digital copy of reality is as good as reality.
 
  • Haha
Reactions: 2 users
Upvote 0

usern4cr

R5
CR Pro
Sep 2, 2018
1,376
2,308
Kentucky, USA
Let's hope one of the R3 shooters at the G7 sends an anonymous file to CR containing an image file at full resolution to finally answer one the world's most important questions.

Come on people! We know you read this. Throw us a bone!
Let's hope we (at CR) don't see a R3 photo posted here at "full resolution". If so, the longest side would only be around 2048 pixels! - YOWZA! :LOL:
 
Upvote 0
I would not really expect a neutral review by someone who got early access to a camera. If he said that the camera is shit, he would not get an early access next time.

Why should DLSRs be dead? Only DLSRs are real cameras. A mirrorless camera is just a smartphone camera with a bigger sensor. I might buy one, but only as a second camera. You can't replace an OVF. No digital copy of reality is as good as reality.
Maybe you should try out an R5 or even an R6 before making that statement. I used to feel the same way... then I made the move. Haven't missed the OVF one time. Your image is a digital copy of reality. The only difference is with mirrorless you will see exactly what that's going to look like when you hit the shutter. Add in better AF/Tracking and its hard to beat. The DSLR is absolutely dead. Nobody is going to make another serious DSLR so unless you are happy with using what you have or what's available now until the end you'll have to go mirrorless eventually.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 3 users
Upvote 0