Canon EOS R1 Review | 108 Data compared

The Canon EOS R1 is a rugged, high-speed 24.2MP stacked CMOS camera designed for professional sports and wildlife photographers, featuring exceptional tracking and a 40fps continuous drive with pre-capture. Pros include robust weather sealing, superior autofocus with cross-type points, and pro-level 6K60 Raw video. Conversely, the $6,299 MSRP is very high for its resolution compared to competitors like the 45MP Nikon Z8. Other cons include finicky Eye Control autofocus, limited in-camera AI upscaling, and a design that is not suited for landscape or studio use.

The Canon EOS R1 is a formidable 24.2MP flagship full-frame mirrorless sports camera that leverages a dual-processor system (Digic X and Digic Accelerator) to power a highly robust autofocus system. It introduces advanced AI-driven features, including Dual Pixel Intelligent AF with specialized "Action Priority" modes that predict player movements in basketball, soccer, and volleyball. Additionally, a "Registered People Priority" mode allows photographers to store up to ten faces and rank them by order of focus importance. While its maximum electronic burst rate of 40fps trails some competitors, it offers deep customization of slower frame rates to prevent cluttering memory cards. For video, the R1 excels with internal 6K 60p RAW recording and efficient internal heat dissipation sheets. Pros and Cons At a Glance The review highlights significant performance advantages alongside a few minor features that fell short during real-world testing: Pros: Highly effective 96MP in-camera upscaling for JPEG/HEIF files. Pros: Highly precise predictive AF tracking and Registered People Priority tracking. Pros: Robust video capability including 6K 60p with Canon-Log 2. Pros: Improved Eye Control AF system that tracks eyeball movement...

Despite its high-end pedigree and $6,299 price tag, the R1 carries a few notable drawbacks. The most prominent design choice is its 24-megapixel sensor, which limits extensive cropping flexibility in post-production compared to 45+ megapixel competitors, though this is partially mitigated by a JPEG-only, in-camera AI upscaling feature that extends files to 96 megapixels. Video shooters will notice the lack of a dedicated timecode port, missing waveform monitoring, no in-camera anamorphic desqueeze, and a lack of XF-AVC S choices at the 6K resolution. Furthermore, a frustrating operational flaw requires users to manually cycle into deep menus to turn off the "View Assist" feature before they can access the camera's built-in false color tool. Ultimately, the review concludes that while it lacks resolution for commercial print photographers, the R1's elite speed and reliability make it a superb asset for fast-paced action professionals.

Canon EOS R1 Field Review Summary The Canon EOS R1 stands out as a highly durable flagship mirrorless body that excels in extreme environments, offering superb ergonomics and an intuitive button layout easily operated with heavy gloves. Its deep-learning autofocus system delivers exceptional subject tracking, reliably locking onto eyes and heads of fast-moving wildlife even in low-contrast or heavily backlit conditions. Stills photographers benefit from a blackout-free electronic shutter capable of hitting a continuous 40 frames per second in full RAW format, backed by a drastically improved buffer that eliminates workflow slowdowns during critical behavioral sequences. Furthermore, its 24-megapixel sensor strikes a perfect balance between file size and post-processing flexibility, showcasing outstanding high-ISO noise reduction up to ISO 25,600 and a high-performance electronic viewfinder (EVF) that provides precise, real-time exposure previews.

The Canon EOS R1 is Canon's first-ever mirrorless flagship camera in the One Series, built primarily for professional news and sports photographers. The review highlights its incredible cross-type autofocus system which tracks subjects flawlessly by identifying faces, upper bodies, and specific sports poses using deep-learning AI. Other major pros include its superb pro handling, weather-resistant build with an integrated vertical grip, and 40fps silent continuous shooting. For videographers, it stands out by offering the unique ability to record full-frame internal 12-bit 6K/60p Raw video and capture high-resolution stills simultaneously with Full HD video. However, the camera has some notable downsides that might disappoint specific users. At 24.2 megapixels, its lower resolution lacks the massive pixel count of its competitors, causing it to score lower on paper for overall stills and video image quality. This low resolution means it falls short if you need to heavily crop your photos or want 8K video. Furthermore, its large, chunky, and heavy pro-body design makes it difficult to rig with cinema accessories like cages and matte boxes, and it likely will not fit on...

The Digitec review highlights the Canon EOS R1 as a heavy-hitting, sports-oriented flagship that introduces innovative, AI-driven autofocus capabilities, including a "Registered People Priority" mode that flawlessly tracks pre-selected faces, and 40 fps shooting. Key pros include the sticky face-tracking, a bright, blackout-free 9.44-million-dot viewfinder, and a robust yet lightweight build. However, the reviewer found the AI-driven "Action Priority" mode and updated "Eye Control AF" to be inconsistent in real-world testing, while labeling the lower-resolution 2.1-million-dot rear screen a regression. Other cons include the inability to customize the duration of the 20-frame pre-release burst setting.

In her review on Canon Australia, sports photographer Alisha Lovrich highlights the Canon EOS R1 as a top-tier camera for high-speed action, praising its exceptional autofocus, 40 fps continuous shooting, and 20-frame pre-continuous shooting capabilities. The camera is lauded for its robust ergonomics, minimal rolling shutter distortion from the stacked CMOS sensor, and the ability to manage large volumes of data, including in-camera sequence deletion. While overwhelmingly positive, Lovrich notes challenges in her workflow, particularly the logistical hassle of using ND filters during fast-paced shooting scenarios. Additionally, the camera's extreme speed creates a "problem" of an overwhelming volume of high-quality images, necessitating efficient sorting, and poses a minor learning curve regarding automated Servo AF settings for traditional users.

The DPReview field test of the Canon EOS R1 during a football match highlights the camera's exceptional tracking, with the Action Priority AF mode acting as a major pro by intelligently locking onto players with the ball, outperforming standard subject tracking. Additionally, the camera offers incredible battery life, capable of capturing thousands of images over 90 minutes while maintaining high power levels. However, the trial revealed that Action Priority AF is not entirely flawless, sometimes locking onto the wrong player and requiring manual intervention. Another con noted was the inconsistent performance of the Eye Control autofocus system during fast-paced, real-world action.

The Canon EOS R1 is a highly responsive, professional mirrorless camera designed for sports and news photography, acting as the flagship successor to the EOS-1D X Mark III. It features a 24.2 MP full-frame stacked BSI CMOS sensor powered by two processors (Digic X and Digic Accelerator) to capture high-speed action with minimal rolling shutter distortion,. Key strengths highlighted in the review include its customisable continuous shooting speeds of up to 40fps using an electronic shutter, a Pre-continuous shooting mode that buffers 20 frames before a full button press, and a highly advanced Dual Pixel Intelligent AF system featuring cross-type sensors. It also benefits from upgraded Eye Control Autofocus, deep-learning-based Action Priority tracking modes for specific sports, 6K raw video capabilities, up to 8.5 stops of image stabilisation, and a brilliant 9.44 million-dot blackout-free electronic viewfinder. On the downside, the reviewer notes that the camera is heavy and large, weighing 1,115g with a battery and memory card, which requires large hands to comfortably navigate all right-side rear controls,. The lack of a second Quick Menu (Q) button for the integrated...

The Canon EOS R1 flagship camera delivers exceptional speed and performance, notably outclassing its siblings like the EOS C400 and EOS R3 in key technical metrics. In terms of pros, the camera achieves an impressive rolling shutter readout speed of 8.3ms in 6K CRAW, which drops to an astonishing 4.1ms when recording in 4K 120fps. Its dynamic range is equally impressive, yielding 13.3 stops at SNR=2 and 14.2 stops at SNR=1 when using the internal compressed 4K Fine codec, which benefits from highly clean internal noise reduction. When shooting in uncompressed 6K CRAW, the sensor retains an organic noise profile with excellent resolution retention. Furthermore, its real-world exposure latitude caps out at a competitive 9 stops, placing it on par with top-tier consumer full-frame sensors. However, the camera exhibits notable cons when pushed to its absolute exposure boundaries. At 4 stops of underexposure, fine noise begins to heavily creep into the image. By 5 stops of underexposure (the limit of its 9-stop latitude), the shadow areas suffer from severe noise corruption, a distinct pinkish color cast that is difficult to...

The Canon EOS R1 is a flagship camera designed for professional action, offering a 24.2-megapixel BSI stacked CMOS sensor with a 2.7 ms readout speed that eliminates rolling shutter. Key advantages include 40 fps raw shooting with pre-continuous mode, a 9.44-million-dot blackout-free EVF, enhanced Eye Control AF, and up to 8.5 stops of IBIS. Conversely, the R1's 24.2 MP resolution may limit cropping compared to high-resolution alternatives. The camera is also notably heavy, chunky, and expensive, designed specifically for heavy-duty field use rather than general-purpose photography.