Let’s talk about the Canon EOS R3 [CR2]

[bernie_king]

A safe bet if you aren't too particular about which Olympics. Certainly not the ones scheduled for this year.

I'd bet on the one this year. There's not typically a big gap between development announcements and formal announcements. I expect we'll see the formal announcement around the Olympics complete with photos taken at said Olympics and sports shooters doing their testimonial videos about how great it was to use there. Kind of like the 1D4 announcement around the Winter Olympics. Us mere mortals will probably get a shot at one this fall. This camera's been cooking for some time now, it won't be as long as you think.

 

[Joules]

Hi,

Canon sent me this...

Canon EOS R3 – Spiegellose Profi-Kamera - Canon Deutschland

Die spiegellose Profi-Vollformatkamera EOS R3 wurde entwickelt, um die Anforderungen professioneller Sportfotografen mit hoher Zuverlässigkeit und Robustheit zu erfüllen.

www.canon.de

not sure you can find it in English

My takeaways:

The sensor is not global shutter, as they claim minimal rolling shutter (Nothing new about that, of course).

They are still calling it DPAF II, so it can't be that resolutionary. Something like alternating orientations or even 4 photo sites per pixel surely would have warranted a DPAF III or QPAF name.

Interestingly, they claim significantly reduced weight compared to a 1 series body.

Other than that, I don't think anything about it is new.

 

[usern4cr]

Definitely not a silly question... 1D users expect the best weather sealing and ruggedness/reliability. Would a R3 in 1D body have an articulating screen but a R1 not have one? All depends on whether Canon's build the quality.
If the screen is turned in then it is more rugged than a fixed screen. A tilt screen would be more rugged than an articulating screen but wouldn't make sense in portrait mode and the 1D form factor doesn't align with the shoot-from-the-hip street shooter

How it will fit is another issue. The 1DX III has the same 3.2-inch/. 2.1m dot screen but articulating.The R3's body is smaller than the 1DXiii so perhaps the jog wheel will be smaller to save space as the cards/screen can't reduce in size.

Personally the R5's screen is wonderfully useful. I am not sure that it feels rugged though. I am definitely careful with it when opened up.

I have had the fully articulating screen ("FAS") on my Oly EM1_II for 3 years, and on my R5 for a year. They are completely reliable (for my usage). Mind you, I'm not being so careless that I bang it around and expect it to survive any extreme carelessness or accidental disasters like dropping the camera onto concrete.

I do like to take lots of portrait shots at waist level (or other unusual angles) and you just can't do it (easily or sufficiently well) without a FAS.

I like it so much, that if the R3 has stacked BSI, QP AF and 45MP or more (my dream camera) but doesn't have a FAS then I will really be torn whether to buy it as a 2nd body or to wait until they come out with stacked BSI, QP AF & 45MP+ sensor with FAS (preferably without an integrated grip, but I could tolerate that if I had to).
I'm assuming the R3 will "only" have DP so if it doesn't have a FAS then I'll probably wait to see what the next body has.

 

[H. Jones]

The more I think about this camera, the more I’m getting excited. Just waiting on the key specs from the sensor resolution, video shooting options, and battery/card information. I pray that Canon considers a battery that could slide into and be utilized by the R5/R6 grip as well.It may not sound like that big of a deal, but if I could travel with 1 charger that would charge batteries I could use in both cameras I bring would be incredible....but I’m not holding my breathe on this one. I would selfishly love to see the tray for the LP-E6NH batteries have a more powerful alternative like Nikon offers with its D850, which can use the D5 battery for better performance.

The obvious answer for your charging issue is going to be USB-C charging. I'm confident Canon will release this with some kind of LP-E19NH battery that accepts USB-C charging. If that happens, could either leave behind the LP-E6 charger or the bigger LP-E19 charger and just charge the batteries in camera.

In a pinch, I charge my EOS R5 with my USB-C MacBook Pro charger. No issues since the end of July doing this occasionally when I need to, and it charges very quickly. The R5 also works with my Power Delivery USB-C charging bank, which can charge the battery several times over on one charge. So in the future, I could see myself charging my R5 with the power bank in the field, and charging my R3 with a MacBook Pro charger if I was somehow away from my battery chargers.

 

[john1970]

I'd bet on the one this year. There's not typically a big gap between development announcements and formal announcements. I expect we'll see the formal announcement around the Olympics complete with photos taken at said Olympics and sports shooters doing their testimonial videos about how great it was to use there. Kind of like the 1D4 announcement around the Winter Olympics. Us mere mortals will probably get a shot at one this fall. This camera's been cooking for some time now, it won't be as long as you think.

I agree. The Canon R5 had a development announcement in Feb 2020 and an official announcement date was July 2020. I would expect the same here with about 4-5 months between the development and official announcement. I would expect the official announcement in late Aug or early September with availability in the fall 2021.

 

[jam05]

I am expecting similar Pixel count to Sony A1 with similar video features to R5 and longer record times thanks to larger body. If there is a new battery type, battery life still wont be as good as A1 but massive improvement over R5.

It will more than likely be way better than the A1. There's more room for a larger capacity. Obviously. Any speculaton otherwise is simply ignoring physics and electronics.

 

[jam05]

Given I shoot a lot of video, I’m not sure what to think of this offering. Canon didn’t go into the video specs at all. And there does not appear to be any microphone holes on the front of the body. All other Canon cameras have these holes. And since we know that iPhones are water resistant to 30’ we can safely assume this has nothing to do with weather sealing.
I’m disappointed this camera will not offer global shutter. That would have been awesome. Granted, it will have a stacked sensor, so readout speed should be acceptable. It’s just something I would have liked to see. I have a Red Komodo arriving on Friday and at this point I’m still struggling with weather I should keep it or sell it. While I like the image, it’s all so close anymore that things like AF, low light... become more relevant.

Every camera isn't for everyone. Being a RED owner of their new Cine offering why be concerned about a non-Cine camera that is somewhere between the R5 and upcoming R1? This camera isn't designed for the Cine shooter. Would suggest using the right device for the designed application. Hybrid cameras without active cooling have basically plateude and topped out. Their days have past because of size and heat limitations. This device wont be shipping to regular consumers for quite awhile. It will be showcased in Tokyo during Japan's Olympics but dont expect it shipping global before then. Chasing specs is an never ending venture. An about, weather sealing. It has nothing to do with submerged devices. Submerging a smartphone is purely a marketing ploy. IP 64 ratings don't include being submerged. Weather sealing doesn't mean " Water Proof". Those visual indents most often contained gaskets within that only open when a connector is inserted. Rain or IP 64 direct showering of water won't enter. Sealing or internal gaskets for mic holes have been around for decades.

 

[randym77]

Hi,

Canon sent me this...

Canon EOS R3 – Spiegellose Profi-Kamera - Canon Deutschland

Die spiegellose Profi-Vollformatkamera EOS R3 wurde entwickelt, um die Anforderungen professioneller Sportfotografen mit hoher Zuverlässigkeit und Robustheit zu erfüllen.

www.canon.de

not sure you can find it in English

It does sound very much like the R3 will be a mirrorless 1dx. I'd be happy with a lighter weight. Love my 1dx, but it's heavy.

 

[neuroanatomist]

A safe bet if you aren't too particular about which Olympics. Certainly not the ones scheduled for this year.

I’m curious, what is the basis for your certainty?

For the 1D X, the development announcement was in Oct 2011 and the camera launched in Jun 2012, 8 months later (my pre-order arrived in early July). The development announcement for the 1D X III was in Oct 2019 and the camera officially launched in Jan 2020 – just 3 months later, which is about how long we are from the Olympics. Wider availability for the 1D X III was in Mar 2020.

Personally, I think it’s quite possible we’ll see a formal launch this July and lots of R3 bodies in use at the Olympics, with wider public availability in September.

 

[PureClassA]

I was really waiting to see the R1 but this thing seems like it might be perfect. A RF mount in a 1D body type. Perfect. Cant wait to get some sensor specs. We already know the AF will be outstanding.

 

[Bonich]

So You are thinking this camera will get under 80 minutes of recording time? I somehow doubt that.

Battery will be the same as 1DXIII.

 

[Bonich]

The R3 would make for a strange high-res camera since landscape shooters typically want the smallest/lightest setup – especially in light of the small form factor for the GFX 100S. Wonder if the R5s will still be a separate camera or if it's dead for now.

This body never for a high res landscape focus.
This body is for sport & wildlife.

 

[Bonich]

I am excited about this R3. I like it when camera companies innovate. I look back on past cameras, like the waist-level cameras and cameras that shot square frames and I dream big. I want a camera that shoots native squares, using the absolute best part of the lenses.


I know that mirrorless cameras shoot a 1:1 square image when shot through a digital viewfinder, but does anyone else besides me have an interest in a BSI sensor that is for RF lenses but measures square, like a 30mm x 30mm sensor, something also high megapixel (60+) for cropping? With the RF mount, larger than 30mm x 30mm may be possible. I know I will never likely see this, but when I see innovation like the r3, I get inspired.

RF lenses are not made to handle a 30x30 sensor.
Tale off the cap ant take a look!

 

[Bonich]

It has a dual battery bay. It the SMOKE the A1's battery life

Battery is identical/exchagable to 1DXIII

 

[jayphotoworks]

Battery will be the same as 1DXIII.

Assuming all else is equal, I think battery life will largely be similar if you grip the A1 as the NP-FZ100 batteries are 16.4Wh each and you can use two of them and a single LP-E19 is ~30Wh.

 

[chasingrealness]

Completely different production lines. Big Whites are (I believe) hand built. Cameras are not. I expect a release around the Olympics

So it would have to be end of June I would think to give time for pre-orders and shipping? And could that mean they would need to start letting people know what we are looking at in early/mid-May?

 

[DBounce]

Every camera isn't for everyone. Being a RED owner of their new Cine offering why be concerned about a non-Cine camera that is somewhere between the R5 and upcoming R1? This camera isn't designed for the Cine shooter. Would suggest using the right device for the designed application. Hybrid cameras without active cooling have basically plateude and topped out. Their days have past because of size and heat limitations. This device wont be shipping to regular consumers for quite awhile. It will be showcased in Tokyo during Japan's Olympics but dont expect it shipping global before then. Chasing specs is an never ending venture. An about, weather sealing. It has nothing to do with submerged devices. Submerging a smartphone is purely a marketing ploy. IP 64 ratings don't include being submerged. Weather sealing doesn't mean " Water Proof". Those visual indents most often contained gaskets within that only open when a connector is inserted. Rain or IP 64 direct showering of water won't enter. Sealing or internal gaskets for mic holes have been around for decades.

We have no idea what this camera will be or how capable it will be for video. While Komodo is great, we are still talking S35 vs full frame. And honestly, there are many places where shooting with a Red is not going to be welcomed, whereas a hybrid will go largely unnoticed.
As for weather sealing, I’m not talking about a microphone input jack... I’m talking about a “built-in” microphone... which would require holes to let sound in. All other Canon cameras seem to have these holes, somewhere on the front of the camera... this one does not.

 

[DBounce]

Battery will be the same as 1DXIII.

While I want this to be true, as I have a few spares and accessories; we have no confirmation of this at present.

 

[jayphotoworks]

Given I shoot a lot of video, I’m not sure what to think of this offering. Canon didn’t go into the video specs at all. And there does not appear to be any microphone holes on the front of the body. All other Canon cameras have these holes. And since we know that iPhones are water resistant to 30’ we can safely assume this has nothing to do with weather sealing.
I’m disappointed this camera will not offer global shutter. That would have been awesome. Granted, it will have a stacked sensor, so readout speed should be acceptable. It’s just something I would have liked to see. I have a Red Komodo arriving on Friday and at this point I’m still struggling with weather I should keep it or sell it. While I like the image, it’s all so close anymore that things like AF, low light... become more relevant.

I struggled with that decision making process as well. I got my Komodo early last year as I was one of the original Stormtrooper pre-orders. While they later offered improved AF performance and compatibility with RF lenses, it was always meant to operate best using MF. There are certain quirks too with the AF where you have to toggle it on and off in the UI to respond and it doesn't play well with certain Sigma lenses. I would say the AF is a few generations behind current MILCs in terms of both performance and flexibility so it wouldn't be a great match for certain types of shooting. But obviously, as you know, R3D raw workflow is well established and the IQ the comes with it.

The only other issue I had was with the fixed monitor on top because unless you are 7ft tall, you won't be able to operate the camera once it is on sticks so you will need an external monitor. The control ring variable-nd RF-EF functionality was great with my older Canon EF lenses, so I shot a number of projects on it over the summer.

Later in the year, with the long back-order from RED, I was able to sell it and break even, so I finally decided to consolidate all of my shooting equipment to Sony after supporting two mounts for so many years. I think current Canon filmmakers shooting narrative mainly would be a good match for the Komodo, but for a system that can do a bit of everything from docs, run-n-gun,etc, and way better AF, a C70 would probably be a better choice.

 

[DBounce]

I struggled with that decision making process as well. I got my Komodo early last year as I was one of the original Stormtrooper pre-orders. While they later offered improved AF performance and compatibility with RF lenses, it was always meant to operate best using MF. There are certain quirks too with the AF where you have to toggle it on and off in the UI to respond and it doesn't play well with certain Sigma lenses. I would say the AF is a few generations behind current MILCs in terms of both performance and flexibility so it wouldn't be a great match for certain types of shooting. But obviously, as you know, R3D raw workflow is well established and the IQ the comes with it.

The only other issue I had was with the fixed monitor on top because unless you are 7ft tall, you won't be able to operate the camera once it is on sticks so you will need an external monitor. The control ring variable-nd RF-EF functionality was great with my older Canon EF lenses, so I shot a number of projects on it over the summer.

Later in the year, with the long back-order from RED, I was able to sell it and break even, so I finally decided to consolidate all of my shooting equipment to Sony after supporting two mounts for so many years. I think current Canon filmmakers shooting narrative mainly would be a good match for the Komodo, but for a system that can do a bit of everything from docs, run-n-gun,etc, and way better AF, a C70 would probably be a better choice.

Interesting, I was originally on the list for the Orange, then baby blue then storm trooper then black production version... but I turned them down, because I wanted to see some compelling footage and get user feedback. Pioneers get the arrows, settlers get the land. During the wait the C70 and Sony FX6 came out... and I bought both. I ended up parting with the Canon. The C70 is a fantastic camera, to be sure, but the Sony was the better fit for me. The Sony is currently my go to run n gun camera.

So after all this, I’m still not 100% sold on the Red, but I figured I can test it out, and if I’m not convinced I can always sell it. I love my Sony, and I’m hoping that Sony finally releases the WDR (Wide Dynamic Range) firmware update... that could be game changing.

When I purchased my RF glass, I did so hoping for the elusive “Pro” body that was around the corner. I’m still waiting; But I’m also hoping that perhaps, the R3 might actually be that unicorn.