Canon unveils flagship EOS R1, one of their most improved cameras in a while

After a few months of speculation and rumours, the Canon EOS R1 is finally a reality. As previously reported, this flagship full-frame mirrorless features a new CMOS sensor, a “DIGIC Accelerator” image processor, and intelligent autofocus. But that’s not all, Canon’s improved almost everything compared to the R3. It’s got a 0.5 stop IBIS bump up to 8.5 stops with supported RF lenses, faster Eye Control AF, higher definition EVF (9.44 million dots), fastest connectivity with Wi-Fi 6E and 2.5G LAN support, and the fastest flash sync speed of any EOS camera at 1/400 sec. It even works when continuous shooting with the electronic shutter. The R1 is released together with the EOS R5 Mark II.

The R1 features a new 24-megapixel BSI stacked CMOS sensor with improved data readout and light efficiency. While the DIGIC X processor stays the same, Canon developed a new DIGIC Accelerator co-processor, which sits between the sensor and the DIGIC X. From what I understand, it acts like a first stage filter of the raw data from the faster sensor before being passed to the main DIGIC X image processor.

This is what allows the new in-camera processing capabilities such as 4x Upscaling and Neural Network Noise Reduction to work. With In-camera Upscaling, you can get up to a 96-megapixel equivalent image, while Neural Network Noise Reduction uses deep-learning algorithms to apply noise reduction on RAW images.

The R1 also gets a new Dual Pixel Intelligent AF system, adding deep learning algorithms for superior autofocus and subject tracking. There’s an Action Priority AF mode designed to better detect and focus on critical actions in sports like soccer, volleyball and basketball where there are multiple subjects constantly on the move and crossing each other. Additionally, the Register People Priority feature allows the camera to prioritize up to 10 pre-registered individuals, ensuring it maintains focus on key subjects even in dynamic environments. Enhanced AF and subject tracking capabilities extend to People, Animal, and Vehicle-priority modes. However, a key point to note is that these “intelligent” features are not powered by on-device gen-AI processing. They’re based on deep learning datasets already trained by Canon, which is why features like Action Priority AF only works on the three select sports mentioned above (for now).

Contrary to some early reports, the R1 has both electronic and mechanical shutters. The electronic shutter can shoot stills up to 40fps (up from 30fps on the R3), but the mechanical shutter caps out at 12fps. Video-wise, the R1 supports 6K 60p RAW, 2K and 4K DCI formats, plus 10-bit C-Log 2 and C-Log 3. It even supports dual shooting, recording Full HD 60p videos and capturing 17.8-megapixel still images simultaneously.

The R1’s body is made of a magnesium alloy and is said to be 23% lighter and 11% smaller than the EOS 1D X III. It has two CFexpress Type-B slots and uses Canon’s LP-E19 battery pack. Full specs in the table below.

The Canon EOS R1 has a recommended retail price of S$9,599, and will be available through Canon authorised dealers in November 2024.

Product Specifications

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