Canon EOS R1 and R5 Mark II unveiled with DIGIC Accelerator and more
[12:05 Wed,17.July 2024 by blip]
Canon is presenting two new top-of-the-range models for its EOS R system today - the EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II both bring improved autofocus capabilities and enhanced video support with 6K and 8K 60p RAW respectively, but are aimed at different user groups.
Thanks to a new imaging platform with an acceleration processor (DIGIC Accelerator, alongside DIGIC X) and deep learning, the cameras offer improved image quality and - in the photo sector - in-camera algorithmic upscaling. Noise reduction also relies on deep learning.
Both the EOS R1 and the EOS R5 Mark II feature the latest version of Dual Pixel CMOS AF - Dual Pixel Intelligent AF, which can track people even more precisely by recognizing faces and upper bodies. Using the “Action Priority” mode, the autofocus can even recognize the key moments in soccer, basketball and volleyball. Eye-Control AF is available in the EOS R1 and for the first time in the EOS R5 Mark II (photo only) and is said to have been improved in both new cameras to twice the level of the EOS R3.
Canon EOS R5 Mark II
The EOS R5 Mark II was developed for enthusiasts and professionals who want to record both photos and videos and is therefore positioned as a hybrid camera. According to Canon, it offers 8K 60p resolution across the entire sensor width, internal 12-bit RAW recording with four-channel sound and 4K video up to 120p with sound.
If you take a closer look at the supported video formats and resolutions, the R5 Mark II films internally in 8K (DCI) in RAW (up to 30p) or RAW lite (60p), and RAW is also offered for 4K, albeit SRAW. This format was previously only available in the photo sector and Canon has not yet provided any precise information about it. However, this cannot of course be a “real” raw format, as there are many more pixels coming from the sensor than can fit into the 4K resolution without being processed. A 6K resolution is not available with the R5 Mark II.
If not filmed in RAW, the camera records internally with max. 10bit 4:2:2 in 8K, depending on the encoding with different bit rates and maximum frame rates. With 4K formats, the question arises as to the sensor window used, i.e. whether downsampling is used for full readout or whether other methods such as line skipping etc. are used. The answer to this is: sometimes one way, sometimes the other - at frame rates up to 30p, downsampling in “fine” mode is used in some cases as far as we can tell, but not in others; the specification lists are very comprehensive here. 2K DCI is also supported, allegedly for the first time on a Canon non-Cinema EOS; it appears that up to 60p can be filmed here without cropping.
As with the R5, the full-frame sensor has an effective resolution of 45MP, but a high-speed image sensor is now installed, which enables a higher shooting speed and faster sensor readout. According to Canon, this reduces rolling shutter distortion by around 60% compared to its predecessor. As in the R5, the sensor is movably mounted and therefore stabilized (IBIS).
The Cinema EOS Movie Recording formats are now fully supported on both cards in addition to Canon Log 2 and 3 with proxy video recording. High-resolution photos and Full HD videos can be recorded simultaneously, and external recording is also possible via the HDMI Type A interface. A waveform and false color display is available. Incidentally, there is also a tally light (the latter also on the R1).
As is well known, the issue of heat development quickly came to the fore when the R5 with its 8K function was launched on the market. Now introduced with the R5 Mark II, the CF-R20EP fan grip has been specifically designed to extend recording times for event coverage, interviews and high-quality live streams. In addition, a heat-dissipating, robust magnesium alloy housing ensures temperature regulation.
Thanks to the ability to record video proxies and name files according to industry standards using structured folders, the camera is designed to fit into professional workflows. Recording in the VR environment should be simplified thanks to improved preview and playback navigation.
Other improvements include a twice as bright viewfinder with a larger eyepiece and the more powerful LP-E6P battery.
Canon EOS R1
With the EOS R1, developed for demanding sports photography, Canon is following on from the EOS-1 series. It is equipped with a 24.2MP high-speed image sensor (including IBIS) and a new autofocus system with cross-type sensors, which also focuses on smaller subjects and vertical details in situations where no horizontal data is available in the AF area. This new technology for Canon requires a new arrangement on the Dual Pixel CMOS AF sensor, where individual pixels are rotated 90 degrees to enable autofocus along both the horizontal and vertical axes.
The R1 records video in 6K RAW at 50p/60p (12-bit RAW internally on the memory card with four-channel sound, 6K DCI (17:9) 6000 x 3164), or in 4K 60p 10bit 422 from oversampling the 6K data (MP4). High-speed recording in 4K is supported with up to 120p. The R1 also supports Canon Log 2 / Log 3, dual photo and video recording and proxy recording.
The EOS R1 has a powerful electronic shutter that is said to enable continuous shooting up to 40 fps with RAW or in combination with JPEG/HEIF, full resolution and AF tracking, as well as with “pre-shooting continuous shooting” with 20 frames.
As mentioned at the beginning, image content can be scaled up to 96 megapixels with noise reduction internally in the camera using deep learning. According to Canon, the rolling shutter distortion of the EOS R1 has been reduced by 40% compared to the EOS R3 and should therefore be on a par with the mechanical shutter of an EOS-1D X Mark III.
The electronic viewfinder with uninterrupted subject view and 120 image repetitions per second offers a high resolution of 9.44 million pixels.
Connectivity
Both cameras have Wi-Fi 6E/11ax 6 GHz compatibility, making them the first cameras in the EOS series with this transmission speed in WLAN. The EOS R1 also supports 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet LAN and dual-thread FTP. For the EOS R5 Mark II, the 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet LAN connection is provided via an optional battery handle.
Price and availability
The EOS R5 Mark II is expected to be available from the end of August 2024 for 4,799 euros (body-only), the R1 will be released later in November and will cost 7,499 euros (body-only).
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