CANON R1 – IS IT WORTH IT?

With Canon’s recent release of its flagship ‘R1’ series, I have received numerous emails and calls from clients wondering if the R140 000.00 camera is worth the upgrade from the R3, so I have decided to write up a short review for those still wondering. Much has been said online about the much-anticipated camera body, however I must admit I have watched no videos and read no articles, mostly due to lack of time – working out in the Okavango Delta, with very limited reception and time to do browsing! However after a few conversations with other expert sports and wildlife photographers have led me to think that a number of other photographers share my opinion. Please note however, that I have not actually used the Canon R1 and can therefore not review its performance, I am purely basing my opinion on the specifications released by Canon as well as the average cost going around online.

Over the last few years I have had several professional sports photographers join us on photographic safaris around Africa, giving me ample of time to learn about their profession and its refined requirements. The most predominant requirement I have realized for sports photography is speed! Professionals have only seconds to get the freshly taken image from the sensor to the employer who wants to release it as soon as possible in the media for pre, during and post-match releases. If you think about it, with regards to Rugby Union, when the All Blacks play in South Africa and they do the Haka, those images are sometimes posted online on Super Sport even before the match starts, which is a mere few second’s difference!!! Speed is money in sports, and that’s where I think the R1 comes in handy as you will see.

The reason why I have pointed toward sports photography during this article is because I believe that the Canon R1 is predominantly a sports camera. Yes I understand that Canon 1DX range was also aimed at sports photographers, however there are new modifications to the R1 that the DX range didn’t have which really pulls toward sports photography or even events such as weddings (where the bride and groom are focus points), concerts (artists) and other events with a particular focus on people.

 For instance with the introduction of Canon’s new Digic Accelerator processor, allowing for ‘Deep Learning Subject Tacking’ which makes it’s focusing system mind boggling and unparallel, a great addition to the above-mentioned photographers.  This new system allows ‘Register People Priority’ AF Tracking system which pre-registers a particular person or persons (by registering an image of their face), allowing the camera’s autofocusing system to ‘stick’ to that particular person(s) – which is great for tracking a particular sports star.

The Digic Accelerator also allows for ‘Action- Priority Mode’ that determines the subject action in Football, Volleyball and Basketball (no wildlife?). In basic, this means the camera’s autofocus system tracks where it thinks most likely the focus should be, pre-determined by which sport you have selected. For instance, if a football player runs with the ball, stops and gets ready to kick, the autofocus system predicts where the ball is likely to get kicked to and focuses accordingly. This mode can obviously be overridden however for sports photographers this is a massive bonus! Both the above-mentioned upgrades are incredible breakthrough for sports photography, however not applicable for wildlife.

With a newer 24.2 back illuminated stacked sensor, it is an improvement over the Canon R3’s 24.1 back-illuminated stacked sensor, however it lacks the high megapixel sensors of the Sony A’s 50MP and Nikons Z9 45.7 MP camera’s which you would think be typical for flagship camera bodies?

With a maximum of 40 frames per second (FPS) as opposed to the R3’s 30FPS (continuous shooting RAW), there is a slight increase in speed.

The Canon R1 also has a neat ‘pre shooting’ feature taking a total of 20 images half a second before you actually take the shot. Sadly the number of images taken and seconds prior to capture cannot be adjusted. This feature is simply activated by holding in the shutter release button half way and is an upgrade from the R3 that doesn’t have the feature at all. Personally for me this is a major improvement, as I enjoy photographing birds and my slow reaction time usually causes me to miss the take-off shot! I do hope to see Canon progressing with this feature, allowing a range of images to be taken at a time longer than only half a second.

Another new feature of the Canon R1 is the AI upscaling which converts a standard JPEG file to a larger 96-megapixel image. It is important to note that this cannot be done to RAW files (as we wildlife photographers usually take), only JPEG and is done inside the camera – which ironically would be perfect for sports photographers who shoot predominantly in JPEG for speed and lack of time to sit and edit images in Lightroom.

Many of the other specs are the same or very similar to the Canon R3, and therefore I won’t be focusing too much on them, however those key points above are what stand out to me most in the upgrading of this camera. Having not actually used the R1 camera, I cannot discuss the feel of it or how its performance compares against the R3 or newer R5 II, however this article is once again purely for those interested in an opinion about the R3 and newly released R1.

As mentioned before, for sports photographers it’s all about speed, and that is precisely what the new Canon R1 brings you – speed in imagery as well as getting the file from your card to the employer. In overview, the new flagship model is certainly an upgrade in performance, auto tracking and technology from the R3 (which was never intended to be the flagship camera), however  despite the incredible addition of the Digic Accelerator – Action and People Priority modes, this doesn’t help with wildlife, and unlikely ever will, with members of the same species so closely resembling each other it’s hard to differentiate family members even for humans. Imagine telling your focus system to track a particular zebra in a herd of 70 … that may be possible one day, but doubtful anytime soon.

It is easy to say, ‘Yes but I won’t use that mode or application,’ however whether you use it or not, you pay for it and that’s where I personally draw the line. The Canon R3 is currently priced at R100 000.00 and the R1 at R140 000.00, meaning a R40 000.00 jump. This being said there is also the new Canon R5 II which has also hit the market, with a 45 megapixel sensor, the pre-shoot option and advanced autofocus which also includes the Digic Accelerator and in camera upscaling, however lacks the illuminated back-illuminated stacked sensor of the R3 and R1. The R5 II body is priced at R90 000.00 and personally I would suggest it over the Canon R1, however as I do enjoy bumping up the ISO I personally choose the lower megapixel R3 over the R5 range.

In my honest opinion, when looking at speed, low light capabilities, comfort and cost, the Canon R3 is my preferred choice of professional equipment and having used it extensively, it is a nice upgrade from the Canon 1DX II which was for so long the flagship camera (and a trusty camera I still use today!).

I hope this helps clarifying any uncertainties and please do not hesitate to contact me for more information and photographic advice at armand@rhulanisafaris.com. If you have equipment and are also not yet 100% comfortable in using it, why not join one of our Art of Wildlife Photography Workshops or a Photographic Safari in some of Africa’s most inspiring and captivating landscapes?

Simply visit www.rhulanisafaris.com or contact me on the email provided above fore more info.

Professional photographer and media sensation Jared Polin describes in detail about the importance of speed in Journalist photography also, which you can view following this link. The event he uses as an example is the attempted assassination of Donal Trump, and how quickly the photographers managed to get their images out into the public eye – a perfect example of the point I am trying to make in the above blog.

CLICK HERE TO SEE VIDEO

Yours Sincerely,

Armand Grobler