After all the rumors, the leaked specs, the official release, the videos, white papers, etc. all I can say is...
Meh.
I'm looking for a FF backup to my 5Ds. I held off to see what Canon's new FF MILC would be like. If it had checked certain boxes at $2,300 it would have been an easy preorder. Instead I have no interest. Worse, I find myself wondering if Canon really is screwing up like the shills have been screaming.
When it comes to video the EOS R is dead on arrival. Reading more about it the 4k crop is closer to 1.8x than 1.7x. At that point you might as well shoot a GH5 or BlackMagic PCC. It can't do 4k/60p, it can't do 1080/120p, and it can't do 4:2:2 internal. The ONLY video feature it has going for it is DPAF. That's it.
What about stills? It does deliver the 5D4 sensor at $2,300. That's a good sensor at a good price for someone who wants Canon glass and a USA warranty. But if my backup is for stills only I can gray market another 5Ds or 5Dsr, get considerably better IQ, and save a couple hundred. Or spend a bit more on a gray market 5D4 and get higher fps. What does the EOS R bring to the table? EVFs are inferior to OVFs. I don't need Eye AF. It doesn't have IBIS for adapted glass. What does it offer me on stills? Nothing really. Don't get me wrong, it will be a solid stills camera. So if it had solid video specs it would be an easy buy. But with crippled video there are simply better options.
Right now I'm in a situation where I might as well split my kit between stills and video. Do I get an A73 since I can adapt all my EF lenses and it can serve as yet another stills backup in a pinch? (Even though I hate Sony color science and ergonomics.) Do I get a Fuji XT3 and have a Canon FF stills kit and a lightweight Fuji crop stills/4k video kit? Will Panasonic win me over with their new FF camera? I don't know. But I do know there's a high probability I will be adding non-Canon equipment soon. And that is entirely Canon's fault.
There's no excuse what-so-ever for crippling the video features on the R. I don't want to hear "but the 5D4." You know what would happen if the R blew the 5D4 away on video? 5D4 owners would add the R and keep shooting both, just for different things. And Canon might feel some pressure to bring out a 5D5 sooner. That would be a good thing.
For the record: I love my 5Ds and my L glass. The 5Ds model is now three years old. Go ahead and show up with a brand new D850 or A7R III. Talk about DxO scores all you want. I'll make prints all day long that match or beat them on IQ, from the lowest to the highest ISO. The IQ off that 50mp sensor with Canon's best glass in front of it is jaw dropping. It beats 6x9 film, holds its own against MF digital (in the same resolution class), and can even hold its own against 4x5 except at really huge print sizes. It's phenomenal. Even at high ISO (contrary to many reviews).
And Canon's lens library? Awesome. Best in the business.
So why did they insist on blowing it when it came to their first FF mirrorless?