EOS R users please give me your feedback

[st87]

Thanks Tannin.

Sheesh! So if I'm getting this right. Somehow, eyeaf ON will render EL unusable? They're two different features!!! Sounds like a software engineer did a boo boo somewhere.

Anyway thanks for confirming about switching over the dial mappings. Yeah that was originally how I thought it was supposed to work - ring for Aperture, front for shutter, rear for ISO. At least, logically it is. And it kinda follows back to the traditional camera designs where there is a dial on the lens to physically adjust the aperture opening. Was rather shocked when all the reports were talking about using it for ISO instead.

Sent from my F8331 using Tapatalk

[Tannin]

Cheers ST. Yes, Eye AF renders AL inoperable. Apparently this is because the Eye AF uses 100% of the available processing power, leaving nothing spare for the EL, so they switch it off. (I read that somewhere; presumably it is true.) I'd have though the EL would use practically nothing by way of CPU cycles, but what would I know?

I agree with you re the ring and the rear dial default mapping being backwards. Possibly they reasoned that not everyone would have the ring adaptor, therefore they'd assume only two and bump ISO to the (optional) third one.

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I have very mixed feelings about the EOS R.

On the one hand, it's a cute little thing and takes a lovely picture, identical to the superb 5D IV for $1000 less and 40% less weight and bulk. The EVF can be superior to an OVF in a handful of circumstances (say 5% of the time) and near enough to just as good quite a lot of the time. The tilt-swivel screen can be handy too.

On the other hand, the viewfinder, albeit very good for what it is, is somewhat inferior to an 80D or a 7D (never mind a 5D) in many situations, often significantly so, and way, way off the pace in difficult light - strong backlighting really screws it up. The controls are badly thought-out and difficult to use; the handling is quite poor; and the focus system downright weird. (Possibly this last is normal for a mirrorless system, I wouldn't know.) It doesn't strike me as being up to the task of coping with tropical conditions, and I'd hate to get caught in a rainstorm with it.

In my case, it essentially competes for room in the bag with the 1D IV and the 5D II. The 5D IV is the clear go-to camera, first choice for practically everything; the 7D II is my only crop body and has its own niches (birding when focal-length challenged or where I need a very fast shutter; and matching up with my one and only remaining crop-only lens, the irreplacable Tokina 10-17 fish). After a month of regular use, the EOS R obviously hasn't come close to rivalling the 5D IV, but it hasn't even managed to displace either of my two oldest SLRs (5D II and 1D IV). Considering it's brand new, quite expensive, and the latest technology, finding myself as often as not reaching for one of the obsolescent dinosaur bodies instead is not pleasant.

In short, yesterday I decided to sell it and buy a new SLR instead. But which one? I have a superstitious dislike of owning two identical cameras (I've done that four times and each time the second one has come to grief: failed, stolen, blown shutter, always something. Silly I know, but largely for this reason I don't plan on getting a second 5D IV.)

What else is there? I'm over the massive bulk of the 1 Series bodies, and in any case they cost a fortune. A 6D II might do but I don't much fancy the very restricted focus area (a tiny little diamond in the middle, similar to the 5D II) and (rightly or wrongly) I've been a bit scared off by talk of poor dynamic range at base ISO. That leaves the 5D S and 5D SR, both quite old now and far from cheap. I really don't know much about them. (Kel, do you have thoughts here?) Or is it still worth considering a 5D III? Would that be enough of an upgrade over the 5D II to justify the expense of swapping?

On balance, I'll probably just keep the EOS R. After all, it takes a beautiful picture once you manage to make the damn thing do what you want it to do, and every photographer needs a most-disliked bit of kit to grumble about all the time, and if I retire the 5D II I won't have one.

[Brian500au]

Tony I realise this is a EOS R thread but I am happy to answer your question re the 5DSR.

I did not bond with my 5DSR but this might be for a few reasons - and none to do with the camera body itself. It is more to do with my style of photography and my impatience.

1. One of biggest draw cards for me on the 1D bodies is the ability to have the focus point also be the metering point for exposure. As far as I am aware the 1D body is the only canon body to do this. This does not suit my style of environmental portrait photography where I normally have the subject off centre and like to have the focus point on the eye of the person.
2. I found the 90mb files produced by the 50MP sensor just too large to work with. They not only take up more space but also require more processing power of your computer. For me personally the 50MP sensor was over kill.
3. I found the 50MP sensor multiplied any errors in my technique. There were many cases where I was comfortable using a shutter speed in my 6D or 1Dx but would miserable fail using the 5DsR. I bought the camera to use in Japan to photograph the cherry blossom and if I had good light I was ok but as soon as the light become a challenge, and with a cap on the ISO of 6400 I was disappointed with the results (blurred images through camera shake).
4. The above camera shake problem was evident with the longer telephoto lenses so my keeper rate when photographing wild life was poor compared to using the 1Dx. I am not talking about birds in flight - I am talking about stationary wildlife. Once again this is more technique rather than a fault with the camera itself.
5. Camera shake was also evident when mounted on a tripod and using longer shutter speeds. Quite often I needed a shutter speed over 30 secs so I would use live view (so mirror locked up) but the results were poor. This was mostly poor technique as I would hold down the shutter button with my finger as I had forgotten to carry the remote shutter cord with me. Again if I had used my 1Dx I could easily get away using my finger but not with the 50MP 5DsR. I missed some wonderful shots in both Japan and Cambodia because of this poor technique.
6. Even using a 50mm lens I needed a higher shutter speed compared to using the 6D or the 1Dx. Eventually it become a real trade off between shutter speed and high ISO (capped at 6400).

I think if the 5DsR was my only body then I would have had to adapt my technique to match the 50MP 5DsR but because I had the choice and found I could use the 1Dx (or the 6D) and get more keepers with no distinguishable difference in picture quality I eventually lost confidence in using this body. I would NEVER use it as my primary body when I travelled as I was never confident of the results.

In my honest opinion this body shines when using it in the studio with strobes or by a patient landscape photographer with good technique. In the end this camera body just did not suit my style of photography so I sold it. No regrets.

[Tannin]

Thanks Kel, that's a really useful post. I think I can cross a 5DS/5DSR off my list now.

I spent an hour or so mucking about with the EOS R control system trying to make it more usable. Essentially, I just want to be able to get at the main photographic controls quickly and easily: aperture, exposure compensation, ISO, and AF mode (this last both spot, area, etc., and moving the focus point). I reckon I've nearly got that nutted out now. It will never be as usable as (say) a 5D II, but I'm hopeful that the result will be good enough to be practical.

I'll post details of the new setup after I've tried it out in anger.

[nardes]

Here are a couple of EOS R images taken at ISO 12,800 in the Qld Museum (I wanted F8 for DOF). I still can't get my head around how well they turned out for such an insane ISO setting. The lighting was dim, patchy and of mixed type.

They cleaned up quite nicely using Topaz DeNoise AI.

I like the smaller form factor for these types of outings and I think that the images are sharper due to lack of mirror slap?

Cheers

Dennis

EOSR4895 Crop 1200.jpg

EOSR4905 Crop 1200.jpg

[Brian500au]

ok I thought I would add to this thread. I have been lucky enough this week to borrow both a EOS R and a 5DIV to do a side by side comparison. Let's start with why and what I am looking for in a camera body.

I currently own a 1Dx and have done so for around 5 years. Instantly I fell in love with this camera - and to be truthful it is still the best camera I have ever owned (by a long shot). Recently I sold a 5DsR - a camera I never fell in love with. I am going to Kenya in Feb 2020 to do a photography safari and then I am heading to Rwanda to spend a couple of hours trekking to spend time with the silver back gorillas. I need a second body to take on this trip.

My requirements for a second body are, it must be a Canon (to match my current lenses),good build, fast and reliable focus, quality output in files, smaller footprint than my 1Dx and preferable full frame. Both the new EOS R and the 5DIV fit this criteria.

On Saturday I shot over 500 shots with the EOS R down at the local lake. In summary I can agree with everything both Tanin and Nardes have mentioned above. My first impressions were feeling a little awkward but being from the Canon family I can say more familiar than unfamiliar. I missed quite a few shots (focus wise) but when I did nail one it was high quality. This camera is not a sports nor a bird in flight body - it is a slow moving / still shot camera. I did not want to change the settings in the camera but then again I did not feel I needed to. The camera was well set up. I did like the rotating rear screen - this was very nice and I did use it more than I thought I would.

The next day I picked up the 5DIV - well this feels like an old friend. This is a 1Dx in a lighter package. How could anybody who has shot with Canon not instantly fall in love with this body. Light (not as light as the EOS R), fast and accurate focus, reliable and beautiful colour files. This is the fourth generation of the 5D series and Canon have got it right.

I plan to go out again this weekend to put these cameras through a real life test - photographing down the Werribee treatment plant. I doubt I will find a clear winner. To be honest I am not sure you could make a bad choice here.

A couple of examples with the EOS R (very little PP):

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[Brian500au]

I am really enjoying using the EOS R. Recently my wife has taken up an interest in succulents and this gives me ample opportunity to keep honing my skills with this camera.

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[Tannin]

Having warmed to mine, I've gone a bit cold on it again. The controls remain small and awkward and it will never be pleasant to use. Bearable, but always faintly unpleasant.

The mysterious refusal of the AF system to work at all sometimes - it just plain refuses to focus on a perfectly straightforward scene, you can try and try but it gets as stubborn as a donkey - makes it hard to trust. It does lovely work when it wants to, but Canon have a lot of work to do before this work in progress is ready for prime time. Maybe the EOS R Mark III.