CANONEOS R TEST
C anon kicked off the full- since then the company has been overshadowed by rivals chasing the filmmakingmarket. As Canonmade minor upgrades to the video spec of its 5D range, preferring to focus on its Super35 Cinema camera range, Sony quickly took over as champion of full-frame filmmaking thanks to its legendary A7 series. Panasonic has also recently thrown its hat into the ring. The past couple of months have seen the big guns of the stills camera world, Canon and Nikon, set their sights firmly on the full-frame mirrorless market. The assumptionmust be that this is the future battleground for the high- end consumer and professional market in both stills and video. The fact there were no big DSLR announcements at the recent Photokina trade show tells its own story. Maybe chatter suggesting a death knell for the DSLR is a little premature, but it’s clearly not where the main focus of technological progress is taking place any more. The Canon contribution to this mirrorless revolution is particularly interesting, since the EOS R is not just a freshmodel but marks the introduction of a new system and mount – the first in a generation for the company. There was also news of a quartet of new lenses designed from scratch to tap into the particular benefits of the RF format, and this is just the beginning. The RF 50mm f/1.2 and 24-105mm f/4 L IS are already available, while over time there will be a whole new generation of optics coming along. The diameter of the EF and new RFmounts is the same at 54mm, but the RFmount has a shorter mount flange to image sensor plane distance of 20mm compared with the 44mmof the EFmount, and has 12 contact pins compared to eight on the EFmount. This brings the opportunity for new lens designs, better optical performance, faster camera-lens communication and the option of using existing Canon EF/EF-S fit lenses via an adapter with no compromises. frame digital video revolution with the EOS 5DMark II a decade ago now, but
SPECIFICATIONS Price: £2349/$2299 body only Sensor: 30.3-megapixel CMOS full frame Image stabiliser: None for stills, digital IS for video ISO range: 100-40,000, expandable 50-102,400 Shutter speeds: 30secs to 1/8000sec LCD: 3.2in articulating touch screen, 2100k dots, 100% coverage Viewfinder: 3690K dot EVF Auto focus: 5655 points, on-sensor phase detect and contrast detect Recording format: 4KUHD 3840x2160 30p/24p/23.98p and 480Mbps and 120Mbps. HD 1920x1080 60p/30p/25p/24p, SD 1280x720p 120p/60p/30p Connectivity: USB 3.1, HDMI mini, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Storage:
LOG
WITH LUT
The camera’s sensor is a 31.7-megapixel CMOS unit giving an effective 30.3-megapixel resolution, with an optical low pass filter to defeat moire patterns and false colours. It is very similar to that in the EOS 5DMark IV, but the EOS R sensor has been updated and works with the newDIGIC 8 processor. The EOS R’s control layout and design has a familiar Canon look to it, especially when viewed from the back, but while those who use the systemwill soon find their way around the body there are significant innovations and changes incorporated as well. Weather sealing is included and the body is deep enough to achieve a firm, four-fingered grip. There are headphone andmic jacks, but if you use these the screen can’t articulate all the way out. Overall, the camera felt reassuringly solid. The most obvious design differences, compared with other Canon DSLRs, can be found across the top-plate. There’s no exposure mode dial, just a MODE button at the centre of a rotating collar. Push this andmake your changes via the front or rear input dial – there are the
IMAGES Flat Log footage is transformed with a LUT. An external recorder unleashes the real power of the EOS R.
1x SD/SDHC/SDXC slot Dimensions (wxhxd):
136x98x84mm/5.3x3.9x3.3in Weight: 660g/1.45lbwithbattery and card
“The EOS R is not just a freshmodel but marks the introduction of a new system”
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WINTER 2018 PRO MOVIEMAKER
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