NEWS AGENDA Canon raises
its game Two new high-end EOS R models make their debuts to coincide with the Paris Olympics C anon’s traditional plan of launching its flagship models to coincide with the Olympic Games every four years continues with
There is also the option to register specific faces and track and prioritise them consistently over other players. Action priority identifies common action poses in basketball, football and volleyball, identifying and tracking the main subject. Eye control AF now features in the EOS R5 Mark II and is also found in the EOS R1. This is twice as good as the EOS R3 in both models and includes a higher-pixel-count sensor, larger eye detection area and an updated detection algorithm allowing an instinctive way to select a subject to track in a complex scene. Each camera offers new sensors, resulting in faster shooting speeds and sensor readout with a 40% reduction of rolling shutter in the EOS R1 compared to the EOS R3. Canon claims that this puts it on the same level as the mechanical shutter in the EOS-1D X Mark III. There is a claimed 60% reduction in rolling shutter on the EOS R5 Mark II. A new pre-continuous stills shooting function offers up to 20 frames on the EOS R1 and 15 frames on the EOS R5 Mark II. These will come in HEIF/JPEG or Raw format at any frame rate before the shutter is pressed. Since they have stacked sensors, both cameras feature blackout-free viewfinders, with the EOS
the 24-megapixel EOS R1 pro camera. It’s also joined by a higher-resolution EOS R5 Mark II that now features a stacked 45-megapixel sensor for speed, as well as 8K movie performance. The £6999/$6299 EOS R1 is Canon’s first-ever 1-series mirrorless flagship, heralding the official end of the EOS 1 SLR range. This came out in 1989 as a film camera, then went digital with the EOS-1D in 2001. Both new cameras have what Canon calls the Accelerated Capture platform, comprising a new processor – the Digic Accelerator – and the high-performance Digic X image processor and new high- speed image sensors. The Digic Accelerator is made to support the large volume of data as well as deep-learning AI technologies. It has been built to improve autofocus, continuous shooting and image quality. The EOS R1 and £4499/$4299 EOS R5 Mark II feature the latest version of Dual Pixel Intelligent CMOS AF that’s ideal for sport. This includes the ability to track subjects by identifying the face and upper bodies of players and avoiding obstacles.
R1 at 9.44 million dots and the EOS R5 Mark II offering twice the brightness of the EOS R5. Both models are claimed to have improved stills quality with in-camera image upscaling and noise reduction, providing an additional four times resolution or reduced noise in camera when using JPEG or HEIF formats. The pair also boast a claimed 8.5 stops of image stabilisation. Video spec is crucial While Canon’s 1-series of professional DSLR cameras may have always offered excellent video performance, the move to mirrorless sees a further improvement in movie performance demanded by image makers nowadays. The EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II each offer video in 12-bit Raw recorded to the memory card internally, as well as Cinema EOS Movie Recording formats such as XF- AVC-S and XF-HEVC-S alongside C-Log2 and 3 with proxy video recording, as well as four-channel audio. The two cameras are even able to record high-resolution stills and Full HD video simultaneously, with the option to record externally via the HDMI Type A ports present on both. This can offer something new and useful to hybrid shooters who want stills as well as video. There is in-body Wi-Fi6E/11ax 6GHz, making the new duo the first EOS series cameras to provide this level of transfer speed. Additionally, the EOS R1 supports 2.5Gbps Ethernet connectivity and dual- threaded FTP in the body, while the EOS R5 Mark II provides 2.5Gbps Ethernet via an optional grip.
BODY CONSCIOUS The EOS R1 has a pro DSLR-style body (left) while the R5 Mark II is smaller and easier to rig (right)
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PRO MOVIEMAKER
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