We’re missing out on a big camera: the Canon EOS R1. Everyone else is just calling it the Canon R1. Considering that the Olympics are in 2024, we’re expecting to see a camera that can outperform every single camera on the market. The Nikon z9 does a great job and so too does the Sony a1. But when the Sony a1 came out, Canon said that that was a camera that would moreso compete with their R1 and not their Canon EOS R3. But we really hope that that’s indeed going to be the case. In fact, I’d hope that the R1 outdoes the A1 in every regard.
It Will Push the Rest of the Industry to Move Forward
Sony these days is starting to feel like Canon did for most of the 2010s era until the Canon EOS R came out. That’s to say that they’re not really pushing for photographers or for features for that market. They and Canon both seem to be going after content creators. But the Canon R1 can’t be a camera designed for those folks. Content creators tend to reach for lower-hanging fruit while working professional photographers, artists, and journalists tend to work to release something of higher quality. Of course, the Canon EOS R1 will be a camera targeting this audience.
What We Want in the Canon R1
This list is specifically for photographers. Because after all, we’re an online photography magazine. So here’s what I’d want to see for photographers:
- An actual shutter unit still inside the camera
- 60fps shooting for stills: I know this sounds nuts, but it will ensure that you really never lose the possibility of the shot. Specifically, I’d want this at a lower resolution mode like at 30MP ot 60MP. I wouldn’t want this mode to be a crop of the sensro.
- An 85MP full frame sensor: I’d want this for the future proofing and because it will give photographers all they need for stills. At this mode, of course, I wouldn’t need to get a higher megapixel camera body.
- An APS-H crop mode: because the 1D series of cameras had this option for several years. And it was just under full-frame. Perhaps this could be a 60MP crop or something like that.
- Excellent high ISO output: Canon often lags behind other brands in this department
- A return of the colors and feel of the 5D Mk II: every time I go back into my archives and look at photos from that era, I’m in awe of what I made. No other camera could reproduce that.
- A better bird detection mode which can find ways to search for birds when they’re obfuscated by tree branches and leaves.
- Better low light autofocus for people of color who move around in a dark venue with little contrast detection. I’ve heard engineers tell me about the focus algorithms instead.
- IP-rated durability for weather resistance
- Built-in SSD memory
- A higher resolution EVF with a great diopter that works well using the Eye Detection autofocus mode if you’re wearing glasses, transitions lenses, or sunglasses
- So much color depth that I won’t have a problem shifting things like green into purple. This is really hard to do, considering where Green is on the ROYGBIV scale.
- Make handholding the camera at a second-long exposure possible with a 70-200mm f2.8 lens because the image stabilization is just that good.
- Better focus peaking that can show you a clearer idea of what’s in focus when using Canon’s Tilt shift lenses. As it is, Canon’s focus peaking is the best on the market. But it could be even better.
- A higher resolution LCD screen on the back that’s larger and more touch capable
- A slight redesign of the menu system and it’s starting to get very large to access items.
- More work to be done for the menu system for photographers who are visually impaired.
- All the buttons to light up in the dark
- A failproof hot shoe system
- Built-in radio control for Canon’s flashes
- Zero-rolling shutter issues
Some of these features might seem like I’m really dreaming. But I’m not. I truly believe that Canon could make a camera that would make photographers want to create the greatest images of their lives so much so that an AI imagery-based software just couldn’t compete. They’ve had more than enough time to do so as well.
Will the Canon EOS R1 Be Enough for Photographers?
Whatever it is, I’m positive that the Canon R1 will be more than capable for photographers. But what I’m not positive of is that Canon will do enough to make the other brands’ product managers quake with enough fear that they need to innovate. And more specifically, the rest of the industry needs to not rely on Sony as much for innovations.