EOS R first impressions - post your hands-on impressions here

Mar 25, 2011
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I went outside into bright sunlight for a few minutes and, with glasses on, could not see the image on the LCD nor the EVF. I have a different eye shade that works better for glasses, but did not expect a total inability to see the EVF. I have since increased brightness of the EVF, but I have yet to dig out my alternate eyepiece.

I think the issue is both light reflection off of my photo gray glasses which are new to me, and darken a lot in bright light combined with the dimmer viewfinder. I'll try my other non photo gray glasses first.
 
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Talys

Canon R5
CR Pro
Feb 16, 2017
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Didn’t notice any lag or flashing so far.

But can someone comment on the low light AF? I’ve tried with the 85 L IS with the standard adapter in it’s not even close to locking in low light... I had to expand the AF area to zone, nothing else would lock. And it was only in my kitchen, nowhere near -6, -4, -2 ev at all...
Is there any AF Flash illuminator love with the R? Will it work with standard illuminators (where there's a red pattern on the target), or is it hopeless, like Sony cameras?
 
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Dec 13, 2010
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Is there any AF Flash illuminator love with the R? Will it work with standard illuminators (where there's a red pattern on the target), or is it hopeless, like Sony cameras?
Indeed it is a red light thing and it worked. I was so surprised when it lit up, didn’t know it had one and I hardly ever use One Shot, lol.
 
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Dec 13, 2010
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I went outside into bright sunlight for a few minutes and, with glasses on, could not see the image on the LCD nor the EVF. I have a different eye shade that works better for glasses, but did not expect a total inability to see the EVF. I have since increased brightness of the EVF, but I have yet to dig out my alternate eyepiece.

I think the issue is both light reflection off of my photo gray glasses which are new to me, and darken a lot in bright light combined with the dimmer viewfinder. I'll try my other non photo gray glasses first.
You don’t by any chance have polarized sunglasses ?:cool:
 
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Jun 12, 2015
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Can anyone elaborate on the AF, when coupled with a wide open large aperture lens, when your subject is moving?

For now, I use the 1DXII to take pictures of my 8 month old daughter moving around, for the most part coupled with the 24LII, 35LII and 50L. I use single point AF in servo mode. It is a challenge to have her eyes in focus when using large aperture, and I guess my keeper rate is maybe 1-2 out of 10. Do you think I can expect a better keeper rate with the EOS R?
 
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vjlex

EOS R5
Oct 15, 2011
514
430
Osaka, Japan
I got to play around with a store copy of the EOS R today, but wasn't too impressed. Granted, 5 to 10 minutes of flipping through the menus and taking a couple shots isn't enough to assess this camera fairly, but it wasn't love at first shot or anything. It felt like a pared down 5D Mark IV (and really that's what it is, I guess)

One thing I couldn't figure out- turning the control ring by itself had no effect. It required that I half-press the shutter button to use it (I set it for controlling ISO). Is that how it's supposed to work? It kind of defeats the purpose for me if I have to simultaneously press another button to use the control ring. Is there a setting to change that?

Also, I didn't really like the EVF. It's the second Canon EVF I've tried, and the second one I've disliked. I think I probably am just not a fan of EVF. Staring at them makes me feel kinda dizzy. If I end up going FF MILC at some point, I'll probably stick to the LCD/live view for composing my shots.
 
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vjlex

EOS R5
Oct 15, 2011
514
430
Osaka, Japan
Why can't I make the dial around the mode button be an exposure comp dial? You can set the control ring on the lens/adapter to exposure comp but not the dial? Seems silly.

Hmm, I only played with it for a few minutes, but at least on the copy I used, the default function of the mode button was exposure compensation.
 
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Dec 13, 2010
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I haven’t tried any fast tracking, but AF is so much better than the 1dx for everything slow moving, I get sharpness every time I never got with the 1dx2. Very happy it just works... will be trying some low light soccer shooting this evening, it’s dark, artificial lights (outside), light rain and fast moving subjects, it will answer a few questions I’m sure.
 
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briangus

CR Pro
Apr 6, 2017
115
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So far mines has not seen daylight or anything below 1600
Quite impressed with low level handling and the output.

Was shooting both R and 5D4 at a gig on Sunday and when I switched to the 5D4 I thought I had left the lens cap on.
Shot some 4K video on both and the R looks much better, again in very low light levels.
Also none of those 4GB lumps to stitch together, just a single file which seemed to output faster in FCPX
 
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Jun 12, 2015
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I haven’t tried any fast tracking, but AF is so much better than the 1dx for everything slow moving, I get sharpness every time I never got with the 1dx2. Very happy it just works... will be trying some low light soccer shooting this evening, it’s dark, artificial lights (outside), light rain and fast moving subjects, it will answer a few questions I’m sure.

I consider replacing my 1DXII for the EOS R. As much as I love the 1DXII, it is an expensive camera that for me doesn't offer too much over my 5DIV. I don't shoot much action and I don't need many fps. In many situations, I find the 5DIV to suit my needs better.

What I hope to get with the EOS R is larger AF area coverage, and more precise AF-servo when using large aperture lenses.

I would love to get your input on how you think the 1DXII and EOS R compares when shooting kids moving indoors, when trying to get their eyes in focus, at f1.4-f2. Thanks!
 
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Dec 13, 2010
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I consider replacing my 1DXII for the EOS R. As much as I love the 1DXII, it is an expensive camera that for me doesn't offer too much over my 5DIV. I don't shoot much action and I don't need many fps. In many situations, I find the 5DIV to suit my needs better.

What I hope to get with the EOS R is larger AF area coverage, and more precise AF-servo when using large aperture lenses.

I would love to get your input on how you think the 1DXII and EOS R compares when shooting kids moving indoors, when trying to get their eyes in focus, at f1.4-f2. Thanks!
I tried some of that just now and it works, quite simply. I have loads and loads of shots in focus that would have been “almost” with the 1dx2. I love this camera already, seriously. I find that shooting priority and 5 fps yields more shots in focus than with the 1dx2 with tracking priority and 14 fps.... I use the single point or zone and it finds faces and everything looks great.

Battery info : 300 shots , 84% left. And I’ve been playing a lot with it too.
 
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Jun 12, 2015
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I tried some of that just now and it works, quite simply. I have loads and loads of shots in focus that would have been “almost” with the 1dx2. I love this camera already, seriously. I find that shooting priority and 5 fps yields more shots in focus than with the 1dx2 with tracking priority and 14 fps.... I use the single point or zone and it finds faces and everything looks great.

Battery info : 300 shots , 84% left. And I’ve been playing a lot with it too.

Thank you very much! You just made Canon a sale. ;)
 
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Mar 25, 2011
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You don’t by any chance have polarized sunglasses ?:cool:
No polarization. They do play havoc with LCD displays.

I thought I'd mention it in case someone else saw it as well. I have no issue with the viewfinder except in the bright sunlight, yesterday was a beautiful fall day and very bright.
 
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Mar 25, 2011
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I'm very interested in this - please let us know when you have formed a view.
I tried my 50mm Macro and 100L with the camera briefly, snapping a hand held shot of a couple of flowers that have not yet been frozen this fall. It seemed to AF very well at relatively close distances. I also tried a 55mm Nikkor AI macro with adapter and focus peaking. That was no go, the focus peaking is just not precise enough, or I am moving slightly so I'll need a tripod to check that.

This is the 50mm f/2.5.

Canon%2050mm%20f%202.5%20Macro2-X3.jpg


100mm L

Canon%20100mm%20L%20Macro2-X3.jpg
 
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May 4, 2011
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Brian posted his EOS R review: "I have a lot to say about this camera and most of it is very positive."
https://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EOS-R.aspx

Thanks for sharing. Interesting note, which might help explain why the images I took the other day appeared so soft: he compared the R and 5D4 side by side with the 200 f2 IS and the 5D4 image appears a bit crisper. I noticed this with the Nikon comparisons as well; looks like the Z7 output *may* be a bit softer than its D850 counterpart even though they are both 45MP and neither has an AA filter...

Hmm...I admit, I do not like soft output. The 5D4 output is already a bit softer than I would like...I have to do noticeably more USM tweaking with the 5D4 and M6 than I did with prior cameras. If the R is even softer than that......excitement tempered further. but still, it looks like folks are getting awesome results when using the RF 50 1.2 with it. Clearly we haven’t begun to see the real potential of that lens!
 
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Dec 13, 2010
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Thanks for sharing. Interesting note, which might help explain why the images I took the other day appeared so soft: he compared the R and 5D4 side by side with the 200 f2 IS and the 5D4 image appears a bit crisper. I noticed this with the Nikon comparisons as well; looks like the Z7 output *may* be a bit softer than its D850 counterpart even though they are both 45MP and neither has an AA filter...

Hmm...I admit, I do not like soft output. The 5D4 output is already a bit softer than I would like...I have to do noticeably more USM tweaking with the 5D4 and M6 than I did with prior cameras. If the R is even softer than that......excitement tempered further. but still, it looks like folks are getting awesome results when using the RF 50 1.2 with it. Clearly we haven’t begun to see the real potential of that lens!
Did you not read WHY it was soft? It has nothing to do with the raw files (y)
 
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