Canon hasn’t released their professional level EOS R camera yet, but when they do it will probably be like a little 1D series.
When I say that the professional Canon EOS R is going to be like a 1D series camera, I’m pretty well convicted in my opinion that this is what Canon will be releasing come later this year. Well, I hope it will be later this year and not next year for Photokina. But if Canon is going to enter the professional world of mirrorless cameras, then I’m pretty convinced that they’re going to do what they can to mimic what their 1D series is. This isn’t only in terms of performance and image quality, but also in terms of a camera body and build quality.
When we think about it, this could probably be very excessive; but on a counterpoint, Canon has found ways to make some of their most popular focal length zoom lenses pretty darned small. They also created the world’s smallest mirrorless full frame camera in the Canon EOS RP, and they’ve got a number of very small lenses too already. But with a professional level camera, I’ve got a serious inkling that Canon will go bigger. While the EOS RP is supposed to be like a 6D and an 80D and with the Canon EOS R the company tried to create a version of the 5D series and 6D combined. So the only other reasonable thought process here is for Canon to either:
- Create a professional camera with a high megapixel sensor like the Canon 5Ds
- Create a professional camera with a sensor like the Canon 1DX Mk II
But in addition to all of these, Canon is most likely going to really try to gun for the professional that needs to work all day. To that end, they’re going to make a lighter camera than the 1D series but something heavier than what Fujifilm, Nikon, Leica, Panasonic and Sony have been creating. In turn, I genuinely believe that the professional level Canon EOS R camera will have a vertical grip built into it but the camera itself won’t be as heavy as a 1D series option.
My extra inkling to this is from what the Sony a9 is–it is a small, lightweight camera with decent build quality and a modest sensor that is all about performance. Sony rightfully hit the hammer on the head with it, and a Canon version is bound to be on its way. This is what most working professionals demand. Studio photographers need higher megapixel sensors and for what it’s worth, the Canon EOS R does a decent job. At the same time, I don’t really see us getting a 50MP sensor EOS R camera from Canon this year. And that’s a shame; I genuinely want one because of my slower and more methodical way of working with subjects.
We’re most likely going to get that much wanted joystick on a professional level Canon EOS R along with silent shutter mode that works like the Sony a9’s. The silent shutter on the Canon EOS R is nice, while on the EOS RP it’s pretty crap due to it being a specific scene mode. Besides build quality and performance though, Canon is going to be able to charge forward with battery life. The battery life on all the EOS R cameras thus far has been pretty stellar. With the Sony a9, the photographer has the option of adding in a vertical grip; but I’m very sure that with Canon’s philosophy, we’re going to get the grip as a standard part of the kit.
In addition to all of this, we could even see a split in how the professional level cameras work and are released. Years ago, Canon had two different 1D series cameras: one was a full frame, high megapixel option while the other was a format called APS-H that was targeted to journalists. APS-H was a 1.3x crop factor and gave lenses that extra bit of reach that they needed. These days, that crop factor can be set in-camera if the photographer wishes. I doubt Canon will create an APS-H professional level Canon EOS R mirrorless camera, but it wouldn’t be a bad idea to offer a few variations with a vertical grip built in.