Should you buy the Canon EOS R1!?
So let’s talk about the Canon EOS R1, Canons flagship mirrorless camera. A camera that should represent the best Canon can offer in terms of image quality, speed and performance. And to be honest here… the real question is not “Is the R1 good?”. The real questions is “Is the R1 a Camera for your specific needs?”. Because buying one just because it is a great camera on paper can be a very expensive mistake.
So let’s talk about what the Canon EOS R1 actually is, what it does better than other Canon cameras and who should consider buying it (and of course who shouldn’t).
The Big Picture
The EOS R1 is not designed to be your next general purpose camera. I mean you can absolutely use it for all kind of photography genres, but it’s not meant to replace cameras like the R5 or R6. The R1 is a camera that exists for one reason…uncompromising performance.
It’s a camera for Sports Photographers, Wildlife Photographers, Photo-Journalists and people working in extreme conditions. It’s a camera you bring when failure is not an option. That’s in my opinion a very important mindset.
Design & Build Quality
And yes….The Canon EOS R1 is big and heavy. But every button, every dial is placed with speed and muscle memory in mind. I totally love the Layout of the Canon EOS R5 and I also use the R5 in combination with a Battery Grip. Just because I really like the additional buttons, the handling and the extra battery life. If you’ve used such a setup, the R1 will feel instantly familiar. For me the bigger body makes things way easier, especially when I try to take photos of birds with long lenses like the RF 200-800mm. I also took photos in the rain and in cold/snowy environments and never had any issues to take photos.
Sensor & Image Quality
I totally understand that a lot of people where disappointed that the Canon EOS R1 doesn’t chase high MP. And sure. More Megapixel would be awesome, don’t get me wrong here. Especially for some heavier crops more MP are great. But it’s simply not necessary in most cases.
The balance between resolution, speed, dynamic range and Low-Light performance is way more important. And yes. The R1 is not a studio camera and it’s not meant to compete with high MP cameras (like the Canon R5) when it comes to fine details. Instead the R1 is a camera you grab when you need the performance.
The Canon R1 files are absolutely great. Especially in challenging lighting conditions the dynamic range is excellent. The high ISO performance is one of the biggest strengths here. I took a lot of photos in a variety of conditions and even with high ISO settings I never had a problem. You can check out some sample shots in the YT Video and of course on my Instagram page.
Autofocus
The Canon R1 Autofocus is fast. The Subject detection is amazing. The Eye tracking is sticky and even in chaotic scenes with multiple birds in the frame I still got great results. It basically lets you focus on composition and timing instead of worrying about technical limitations. You can easily trust the camera to do its job. So you can do yours.
Speed
But what’s about Speed? Well…You can shoot long bursts of RAW files and the camera just handles it. And yes if you use this camera you will notice how easy it is to fill up your CF-Express cards. On top the responsiveness of the camera is absolutely great. The Menu navigation is fast. Switching between settings feels fluid. No matter how fast the situation unfolds. So yeah this is not a camera that slows you down. And thats something that I personally really like. It’s a camera that actually pushes you on and on to get better every single day.
Video
Let’s quickly talk about Video. Yes. The R1 can record high quality video footage. The Colors are beautiful, the AF is also super reliable and I personally really like to use the R1 to capture some footage of birds when I’m out there. But of course the Canon R1 is not a cinema focused camera. The main focus is photography. So (in my opinion) if your main focus is “Video”, there are better and more affordable options in Canons Lineup.
Additional Things
The Battery life on the Canon EOS R1 is excellent. The large battery means you can shoot for long periods without constantly worrying about swapping batteries. I personally have two Batteries and so far that’s all I need. On top Dual CF Express card slots are still great and the menus are familiar, customizable and designed to get out of your way once you’ve set things up the way you like.
Who should buy the Canon EOS R1!?
Well. If you are a Sports Photographer, Wildlife Photographer or Photojournalist who relies on speed, durability and performance… The R1 is a great choice. But if you are a casual photographer who doesn’t need these extreme features… the R1 is overkill. Especially cameras like the R5 or R6 can deliver great results at a fraction of the cost and yes I also still use my R5 Mark I because it is still a great camera.
On top it’s also not just the Camera Body. If you are buying the Canon EOS R1 you are buying into a high end ecosystem. Including high end lenses. So the Flagship Camera doesn’t make sense for everyone. So if you are not in any of these high end categories, the R1 is not the best choice for you. At the end of the day the R1 is about trust. Trust that when the moment happens, the camera will deliver.
