Canon EOS R1

I have owned the R1 for a year and a half and it is a great tool. That being said, I also own the R5 II and for me as a wildlife photographer , this combination is perfect. The R1's auto focus is amazing and out performs every Canon pro-body I have owned ( 1D2, 1D4, 1Dx2,1Dx3 ). The viewfinder blows everything else out of the water, so big , bright, crisp. Would I like more meg pix, of courseI would, but I understand why it is low compared to today's standards, but 30 meg pixel would have been sweet . For action photography, the R1 is the one for me.

I have been shooting the R3 for over two years now and love it, by far the best camera I've owned. [...]

[...] Its a fantastic camera. [...] The battery life has far exceeded my expectations. [...] I look down at the camera and its changed (down, usually) by 1/3rd stop But I've gotten confirmation from R5 Mark II users that they experienced the same thing and a recent firmware fixed the issue, so I'm hopeful mine with get in line with the next firmware update. [...] Will be getting a second R1 in the very near future to have two bodies to do my photo work with.

[...] The diopter even adjusted to my vision to where glasses were not needed!..Its a large expense as im not making money taking photos but this camera will allow me to fully enjoy my hobby again

[...] I rented the camera for a week and it felt great in my rather large mitts , so it was off to shoot some jets . [...] I let a few friends try it out who were there and each one just shook his head at the focus and speed of the camera and how it just performed flawlessly . [...]

[...] I’m kind of in love with this camera, even though every forum was basically either saying “but that isn’t enough to crop with” or “but the dynamic range/ high noise performance sucks”. 2 months later and honestly I’ve come to the conclusion that neither of these are dealbreakers. Although to be fair my other camera handily crushes it for resolution and dynamic range…. [...] Back to the R1, I suppose the real deciding factor between these two cameras for enthusiasts with fat pockets really should come down to ergonomic preferences and lens selection. [...] The 120fps the A9III isn’t exactly useful if the alternative already gets to 40fps (I cannot stress just how many photos that is), and while global shutter is really cool it’s not like the R1 doesn’t have readout speed enough to compete in a lot of situations. [...]

[...] I can confidently say that in low light the R1 has a two stop and more dynamic range advantage over those cameras. [...] The noise of those cameras render images an uneven appearance with considerably more noise in deep shadows whereas the little noise there is to be seen in the R1 is much more uniformly distributed across the frame, giving its images a much more appealing look which is both more organic, cleaner and film-like at once. [...] That said, I profile my cameras myself and create ICC and DCP profiles for them, which I have been doing for many years. Doing so you is the only way to achieve a color palette and look very similar to the Canon jpegs or how the Canon RAW files are processed in Canon's proprietary DPP software. Using the Capture One or Lightroom profiles is wasteful of your camera sensors color potential.

I initially owned two Canon R3 cameras, but after using the Canon R5 Mark II (I already had the R5), I decided to sell both R3s and my R5. I replaced them with two R5 Mark IIs, along with battery grips. [...] Additionally, each R5 Mark II is about $1,800 cheaper than the R1. [...] I'll never go back to 24 MP cameras again.

Is it really too much to ask that Canon releases a camera that prioritizes image quality over speed? I actually own a former flagship camera and I would like to replace it with a camera that has the best image quality technically possible. [...] Mirrorless cameras in general already sacrifice some image quality, as the sensor is constantly read out and that produces heat and noise. [...] Imagine cars where only optimized for speed and not for comfort.

[...] The R3 didnt work with the eye detection focus for my eyes and didnt find a use for it when i got the R1 but they told me it was better now. [...] the details when zooming in on your photo is crazy and really holds up. [...]

[...] As for readout speed, I'm still getting rolling shutter, and this matters in movies and when I'm shooting flickering LED lights. I want to use electronic shutter to overcome the sensor bloom issues that all EOS R cameras seem to have when shutting with EFCS or mechanical (vertical flare), but for live music and video game events, this is still a problem. [...] I find 24 megapixels slightly restrictive, but it hasn't broken me completely yet. [...] Agreed on the precapture - I wish I could just reduce the precapture buffer size, and have a single button to toggle on/off - the menu steps to turn it on/off is the main reason I avoid using this feature. I love the bigger camera body. This is something I missed coming from the 1 series DSLRs, and a welcome improvement when pairing it with the 28-70 f/2L. [...] I want to go for an R3 for the low light IQ but I don't think I can give up that AF system. I wish the R1 had the flip-out screen from the Sony - not a deal breaker, but makes a flip out screen somewhat less useful. I also like to move to single point AF (as I'm used to from the 1DX IIs) - I still haven't found the best way to toggle between the two modes with one button. [...]

I love my R1 except for frequent overheating warnings and the fact that it went into a deep sleep 2-3x a day while out on safari 12 hr/day) 😢. [...] The AF is way more hyperactive then the R3 which is battery draining (even WITHOUT pressing/activating AF-On focus/eye tracking yet😮) and I had to turn off eye detect/use one shot or locked point at times when waiting for cheetah cubs to lift heads/turn towards me, move ears forward, wait for grass to blow away from faces and/or get multiple subjects to look in my direction aka often. In the meantime, AF is bouncing all over locking on ears and/or the wrong eye/subject - yes, with continuous/pre cap off - and I’d have to take my eye away from the VF to save battery in intervals to avoid risking the R1 going into a deep sleep (where I’d have to remove the battery for a nano-sec). [...] Thus, I came home with a boatload of sharp images and I got to bring home some behavior memories images as well (in pitch dark at 25k ISO/slow TV/wide open…noisy but still focused fast/correctly). [...] I’ve shared all this detail in case anyone has some insight as to whether my R1 is defective and/or the AF is suppose to start hunting for subjects/eyes even before I press the AF-On button (half press focus/full press to start tracking) aka just by looking through the VF whereas the R3 is more linear (watch the subject through the VF, press AF-On to focus, and then turn Tracking On if subject starts to move). [...]

[...] The differences are mostly preferential, as both the A9III and R1 are excellent cameras, when it comes to high speed action photography. [...] So either of these cameras are fine.

As a game ranger and field guide that's been taking photos while on the job since 2018, I have only taken around 40K photos over the past 6-7 years 😂 not one Safari

Got my R3 for $4300, very happy with it, and not upgrading until I see more megapixels. Speed is irrelevant to me with what I shoot, it’s all about resolution and image quality for me. Maybe they will come out with a higher megapixel professional body someday so I can replace my 5DSR.

thank you very much , I got tired of my R5 overheating and decided to pull the trigger on the R3 - this and the other R3 videos really helped me make up my mind!

[...] Been following a long time. I have owned every flagship Canon has put out since the 1DX, and I have fallen in love with my R3. [...] Thanks for all of the amazing info.

[...] I got into cameras again through the DJI Mini 3 pro and even got a license to take that commercial so I picked up the Canon R8 over the R7. I also got the Pocket 3.

I own an R3 But I always feel that the AF accuracy of the camera has been significantly reduced after the firmware update. Degradation means that the focus failure rate becomes so high that you can feel its failure rate. I wonder if other R3 users feel the same way?

[...] At used prices it's absolutely a steal. [...] The R1 would be great, but for 2x the cost and given I'm just a heavy using ameture, it's just not worth the money. [...]

Very good video, I followed your opinions about it a lot and I can confirm everything you said, I'm satisfied with my R1 and of course my R3 too, soon another upgrade to have 2 Canon R1.

[...] I was surprised by the good noise performance and the beautiful colors of the Om-system combination. [...]

[...] My R5 is now the backup camera. [...]

When i still used my R6 (that i gifted to my GF) i wanted to see how far you can go. Printed an uncropped landscape with good clarity on 2x1m photo paper and unless you know where to look up close, you dont see the 20mp And soneone putting their nose in touching distance to an image is weird anyway. Remember: R6 has 20mp I use the R5 now and for wildlife, 45mp helps a lot, but i think 24/26 especially for a pro that churns out thousands of images, file size also matters.

Eye-AF for me is a game-changer for team sports. I shoot RollerDerby and the packed action with a lot of players in frame suits the Eye-AF. Needs some getting used to bc I used to "look around" for shots. Have to half-press the shutter for that now bc otherwise the Eye-AF would switch. (I use the R5II not the R1)

[...] The AF, the low light capability is un matched.

[...] Having an R3 i agree that it is a great camera and does everything I need. [...]

[...] Additionally, I find your real world reviews to be inspiring and also a major factor in how I choose cameras. [...]

[...] I do think the Sony rear screens are a pretty big deal. I wish my Nikons had that style of screen. If I were in the market for a new flagship camera (the Z9 is showing some age) and was not Invested in the Nikon ecosystem, it would be a hard choice. [...] The rear screen 2. [...] Higher flash sync speed (especially on A9III) As for Nikon, I would like to see the Sony style screen and higher flash sync speed in a Z9II. [...]

[...] i really like how you explain the good and the bad ont mostly every camera and accesorie. [...]

Seems like an interesting camera. I use the sony rx 10 iv and my smartphone for my work. Love the sony rx 10 iv for my shooting style.

I'm glad I upgraded my R5 to R5MII, but the R3 is still my main camera. I just love the size of the R3, esp as my daily. I'll get a loaner R1 from CPS but I'm not in a hurry to upgrade.

I ended up with an r3 I got for $2600 it’s in excellent condition. I upgraded from my r6 I shoot youth sports mainly. I wish that the r3 had dual cfexpress cards, but I have plenty of sd from my r6. I’ll get it take it out next week for an npl crossover which should be fun.

Great video! I had the same concerns before getting my R1. As you said, the more I use it the more like it.

This is one of the best reviews I’ve seen from you Jared thank you for your thoughtful response to you having used this camera for months now I have the R52 but looking forward in the near future to own the R1 and this review just did it for me I myself a hobbyist but from time to time I get hired for weddings here and there and school sports and portraits but I’m finding myself going out to events on my own more and I just want what will work properly in any situation and I believe these cameras do the job not knocking on any other brands but been with canon for years and I’ve never had any problems the ergonomics is just world class you get what you pay for and that I believe is with any brand but again loved this review and can’t wait for your R52 review I love that camera

[...] I love my R1 and I am glad I switched from Fujifilm. AF is just too good!

on my r1, i use the multi-function button to switch from M (pre-capture off) to C3 (pre-capture on)

9k photos at a concert....I take 7k photos for each event at a CrossFit gym every time I go to them. I don't delete photos either so I have probably over 100K photos for their events just last year. [...] I could probably even tone it down a bit too with how many photos I take, but with that file size I don't think I'd be saving much space since they are almost double the size of my R6

My personal review if you have an R3 don't upgrade.. it's almost same😅