Here is the official marketing material for the Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM, Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM and accessories

Jul 21, 2010
31,091
12,855
Wow, thanks! I am still a bit miffed about this. I have the EL-1 and have the version 2 ST-E3-RT on pre-order to work with the EL-1. Fine for now, but I would reckon future cameras will have this new hotshoe?
I would assume they will use this multi functional one going forward. Makes me glad I did not jump on the EL-1 when it came out! Presumably there will be new flash units for the new hotshoe, at some point.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0

danfaz

Coffee Fiend
Jul 14, 2015
919
1,727
www.1fineklick.com
I would assume they will use this multi functional one going forward. Makes me glad I did not jump on the EL-1 when it came out! Presumably there will be new flash units for the new hotshoe, at some point.
Ugh, now I'm kicking myself. Well, just need to keep my current kit for a few years I guess.
 
Upvote 0
Jul 21, 2010
31,091
12,855
There is a part of me that wonders what happens if you just take the rubber gasket off the flash or transmitter. I seldom use flash in the rain anyway. :)
Seems you can leave it on, the combination just won't be weather sealed. If that's true, I may not bother with the AD-E1 since that would only be needed for use in inclement weather, and I don't think I've ever used a flash in the rain.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0

FrenchFry

Wildlife enthusiast!
Jun 14, 2020
484
603
Wow, thanks! I am still a bit miffed about this. I have the EL-1 and have the version 2 ST-E3-RT on pre-order to work with the EL-1. Fine for now, but I would reckon future cameras will have this new hotshoe?
No way to know for sure, but a lot of people on this forum have posted that they expect to see the new hotshoe on all new Canon cameras moving forward.
I think (based on a hunch but no evidence) that this might become a differentiating feature in the future. So I predict that we will see it on higher level bodies (R6ii, R5ii, R3, R1, etc.) but probably not more budget-friendly bodies like the RPii and upcoming rumored $800 camera.
I'd love to be pleasantly surprised to see it in all bodies here on out, but I don't know how realistic it is to expect budget bodies to have premium hotshoes.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 users
Upvote 0

unfocused

Photos/Photo Book Reviews: www.thecuriouseye.com
Jul 20, 2010
7,184
5,483
70
Springfield, IL
www.thecuriouseye.com
Seems you can leave it on, the combination just won't be weather sealed. If that's true, I may not bother with the AD-E1 since that would only be needed for use in inclement weather, and I don't think I've ever used a flash in the rain.
Yeah, I preordered the AD-E1, thinking that if I didn't, and I needed it, I might not be able to get one for another year. :) After the R3 arrives and I try it out, I should have plenty of time to cancel and the cost is minimal even I decided to keep it.
 
Upvote 0
Jul 21, 2010
31,091
12,855
Yeah, I preordered the AD-E1, thinking that if I didn't, and I needed it, I might not be able to get one for another year. :) After the R3 arrives and I try it out, I should have plenty of time to cancel and the cost is minimal even I decided to keep it.
I ordered the shoe adapter from Amazon and it was listed as released on Nov 30 just like R3.
 
Upvote 0
The R3 is not solely designed for "sports & news".

In the marketing release for the R3, Canon refers to wildlife and nature photographers. And they absolutely do buy the biggest big whites. While most sports photographers are happy with 200-400, wildlife shooters often go to 1200mm. It's a pity the R3 doesn't have the resolution to make that more effective.
These bodies are used, only very rarely, by wildlife shooters, and the ones that do do typically only use them with the very longest lenses, like the 600mm f/4... which is already out in RF mount and which most of those users already own in EF. The question that was asked is why would Canon release this body without big pro sports+ lenses at the same time, and the answer remains the same: the people who buy this body don't rush to buy a whole lot of lenses and the few lenses that they do regularly use already exist and are not due for an update. That you step outside what Canon have said is the primary market and also included wildlife shooters does not change that.

Also, if you check out the wildlife pros who play with cameras at this sort of budget, you'd know that even with 600mm + 2x TC available, most are still opting for the additional 'reach' of high-density sensors like the R5, 7D2 and 5DS R—24mp 35mm is categorically not made for them—while most 1D X wildlife shooters who were not yet convinced by the existing R bodies are also not the market that will be swayed by this, since the major hurdles stopping them from switching mostly come down to the continuous battery life in the field and the lack of an optical viewfinder, which obviously are not problems the R3 sufficiently solves to beat the 1D X in those areas. (And it'll be a fair few generations before any mirrorless camera can, if ever.)
 
Upvote 0

FrenchFry

Wildlife enthusiast!
Jun 14, 2020
484
603
These bodies are used, only very rarely, by wildlife shooters, and the ones that do do typically only use them with the very longest lenses, like the 600mm f/4... which is already out in RF mount and which most of those users already own in EF. The question that was asked is why would Canon release this body without big pro sports+ lenses at the same time, and the answer remains the same: the people who buy this body don't rush to buy a whole lot of lenses and the few lenses that they do regularly use already exist and are not due for an update. That you step outside what Canon have said is the primary market and also included wildlife shooters does not change that.

Also, if you check out the wildlife pros who play with cameras at this sort of budget, you'd know that even with 600mm + 2x TC available, most are still opting for the additional 'reach' of high-density sensors like the R5, 7D2 and 5DS R—24mp 35mm is categorically not made for them—while most 1D X wildlife shooters who were not yet convinced by the existing R bodies are also not the market that will be swayed by this, since the major hurdles stopping them from switching mostly come down to the continuous battery life in the field and the lack of an optical viewfinder, which obviously are not problems the R3 sufficiently solves to beat the 1D X in those areas. (And it'll be a fair few generations before any mirrorless camera can, if ever.)
A lot of wildlife photographers use the lenses that have not been released in RF mount yet, like the 200-400 F4, 500 F4, 400 F4 DO II, and 300 F2.8. If any of these had been announced alongside the R3, I am sure that there would have been lots of preorders from sports and wildlife shooters who are also preordering the R3.
All of the lenses above are due (overdue!) for an update.
 
Upvote 0

entoman

wildlife photography
May 8, 2015
1,998
2,438
UK
I guess people loved adapting their EF lenses to the new RF mount SO MUCH that now they have the opportunity of adapting their old hot shoe accessories to the new hot shoe mount! (Must be a lucrative business model that keeps people buying new equipment so they don't have to adapt.)

I'm a bit shocked to see that the new multi-function shoe does not appear to be backwards compatible with Canon's existing speedlight transmitter (ST-E3-RT) and top of the line speedlights, such as the Speedlite EL-1?

The adapter AD-E1 won't be available until February of next year (per Nokishita), which kind of leaves people with the R3 a bit stranded from a flash perspective for several months, unless they buy the new ST-E10, which may or may not be possible to get at the same time as the R3 due to high demand and low availability.

Hopefully the silver lining from this is that Canon may develop some new flash units specifically with the multi-function shoe. The downside is that the new flashes would not work with older bodies (same dilemma as buying RF lenses for the R). I would love to see some smaller mid-grade flashes released with rechargeable lithium-ion batteries.

p.s. I hope I have mis-interpreted the lack of backwards compatibility. I've based my comments on the description for the AD-E1.
Not sure why you think new guns won't work on older bodies - the flash contacts are unchanged, and the extra contacts don't seem to serve any flash-related purpose, unless I've missed something. Are you concerned that the extra contacts might *physically* prevent new guns being mounted on old cameras?
 
Upvote 0
Jul 21, 2010
31,091
12,855
Not sure why you think new guns won't work on older bodies - the flash contacts are unchanged, and the extra contacts don't seem to serve any flash-related purpose, unless I've missed something. Are you concerned that the extra contacts might *physically* prevent new guns being mounted on old cameras?
Have you seen the bottom of the ST-E10? Look Ma, no pins!

B66374BF-F5FF-4A1B-B0A0-EC7B2BE819A2.jpeg

Here’s the ST-E3-RT for comparison (scale is different).

887A3ED8-03EE-4067-878B-0AAC2CE698BD.jpeg

While the new R3 hotshoe replicates the pin contacts of the old one, for the new flashes (if the ST-E10 is representative) all of the communication appears to be via the new ‘Lightning connector’-type contacts.

Also, those new contacts protrude toward the front of the camera, and I think that means they’d come up against the front of the old-style hotshoe and not allow a new flash to slide far enough forward to engage the locking pin (even if new flashes differ from the ST-E10 and have actual pin contacts).

So, I think there are both electronic and physical reasons that new flashes won’t work in old (pre-R3) cameras.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 1 user
Upvote 0

FrenchFry

Wildlife enthusiast!
Jun 14, 2020
484
603
Not sure why you think new guns won't work on older bodies - the flash contacts are unchanged, and the extra contacts don't seem to serve any flash-related purpose, unless I've missed something. Are you concerned that the extra contacts might *physically* prevent new guns being mounted on old cameras?
This comment was based on the product description, which seemed to suggest an adapter would be needed for the hotshoe accessories that we already owned. Information subsequently released suggests the adapter is recommended to keep the system weather sealed but is not necessarily needed if you are OK not having weather sealing. I said in the comment that I hoped I was misinterpreting the description, and my hope came true.

Canon AD-E1​

For a seamless transition from your current hot shoe accessories to the multi-function shoe, the Multi-Function Shoe Adapter AD-E1 is the answer. The Multi-Function Shoe Adapter AD-E1 provides a reliable connection for dust and drip-proof Speedlite accessories that you may already own such as the
Speedlite EL-1, Speedlite 600EX II-RT, Speedlite 600EX-RT, Speedlite 580EX II, ST-E3-RT or OC-E3 flash cord..The shoe adapter will also hold current accessories such as shotgun mics and on-camera LED panels securely to the camera body with dual locking pins on the multi-function shoe side.
 
Upvote 0

entoman

wildlife photography
May 8, 2015
1,998
2,438
UK
Have you seen the bottom of the ST-E10? Look Ma, no pins!

While the new R3 hotshoe replicates the pin contacts of the old one, for the new flashes (if the ST-E10 is representative) all of the communication appears to be via the new ‘Lightning connector’-type contacts.

Also, those new contacts protrude toward the front of the camera, and I think that means they’d come up against the front of the old-style hotshoe and not allow a new flash to slide far enough forward to engage the locking pin (even if new flashes differ from the ST-E10 and have actual pin contacts).

So, I think there are both electronic and physical reasons that new flashes won’t work in old (pre-R3) cameras.
Thanks, I hadn't seen the illustrations.

I hope those lightning-type contacts aren't as fragile as they look. My wife just managed to snap off the lightning connector when unplugging it from my Mac keyboard...
 
Last edited:
Upvote 0