Canon Finally Launches EOS R1

2024.07.17

After teasing and announcing the development of a flagship RF system digital camera for a really long time, the Canon EOS R1 was finally announced this morning. Rumors of specifications have been swirling for a while and today the truth was announced.

This professional mirrorless digital camera is built around a new 24 megapixels Stacked Cross-Type Dual-Pixel BSI-CMOS sensor combining on-board memory, a dual-pixel design that can distinguish phase in two directions and Back-Side-Illumination for increasing light capture. Together this delivers performance improvements over a variety of features, starting with a huge ISO 100-102,400 standard sensitivity range that expands to 50-409,600. The fast read-out and hybrid shutter boosts the maximum shutter-speed to 1/16000s too.

Huge cameras like the Canon EOS R1 are designed for sports and action photography. Canon made sure that their newest flagship would deliver on speed. Continuous drive is now a blazing 40 FPS with ½s of prebuffering. A deep buffer and fast Digic X processor allow the R1 to capture bursts of RAW files or JPG images exceeding 1000 frames. The new Cross-Type AF system presents 4897 autofocus points and is claimed to both faster and more sensitive than previous cameras.

Image-Stabilization, when coordinating with a optical stabilization, can now compensate for 8½-stops, so far the highest performance claimed by any manufacturer. Canon shrunk slightly the rear LCD to 3" while improving the EVF substantially. The new electronic viewfinder boasts 9.4 megapixels seen at 0.9X magnification which is comparable to EVF units used in flagship cameras from other companies. Although the efficiency of the IBIS alone is not known, we expect it to be 8-stops. Much of the features of this mirrorless come from the Canon EOS R3 with extra additions related to video.

Along the R1, the Canon EOS R5 Mark II also launched. This is the successor to the very first Canon Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera. This model, despite a four-year gap, delivers much more incremental improvements, all stemming from a new Stacked BSI-CMOS sensor. Continuous speed is now 30 FPS, compared to 20 FPS, and the frame-rate of 8K video capture doubled to 60 FPS.

The new Canon EOS R5 Mark II gets on extra stop of standard sensitivity and two extra of extended sensitivity. A immense jump in shutter-speed is also achieved. The Mark II version can new capture images in 1/64,000s! The rear LCD and EVF have been upgraded to match the R1 too, making it much more comfortable to work with.

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II is scheduled to arrive first next month for $4300 USD. The availability date for the Canon EOS R1 is stated as Fall 2024. It will sell for $6300 USD. It is already possible to preorder these cameras:

• Canon EOS R5 Mark II: Adorama - B&H Photo
• Canon EOS R1: Adorama - B&H Photo

• Digital Camera