The Canon EOS R is a full-frame mirrorless camera with a fully-articulated screen that you can tilt and flip based on the image you're trying to capture. It's very well-built, and it takes pictures with amazing image quality. Also, its excellent photo autofocus system helps keep moving subjects in focus. It also has decent video quality when you record in 4k and FHD, though it struggles a bit to capture clear footage in low-light settings.
Our Verdict
The Canon EOS R is good for travel photography. This well-built camera takes clear, detailed images that are mostly free of visual noise. Its excellent autofocus system helps keep moving subjects in focus, too. Unfortunately, it's a bit bulky and heavy, so it may not fit easily into your bag.
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Well-built, sturdy design.
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Amazing image quality.
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Excellent photo autofocus performance.
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Not very portable.
The Canon EOS R is great for landscape photography. This well-built camera may be a bit heavy, but it's still pretty easy-to-use. It also has excellent image quality, so your photos are sharp, detailed, and free of visual noise. That said, its lens has some light falloff, so the edges of your image may appear a bit darker than the center.
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Well-built, sturdy design.
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Amazing image quality.
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Not very portable.
The Canon EOS R is good for sport and wildlife photography. It takes clear, sharp images, and its autofocus system helps keep track of fast-moving subjects. Unfortunately, it doesn't have a very high continuous shooting speed, and its buffer takes a bit of time to empty, so it's not really ideal for burst photography.
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Well-built, sturdy design.
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Amazing image quality.
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Excellent photo autofocus performance.
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High continuous shooting speed of 7 frames per second.
The Canon EOS R is decent for vlogging. You can flip its screen to face you while you record, which is handy. It also has decent overall video quality in 4k and FHD, but your videos may have some visible noise if you're recording in low-light settings. Also, if you're recording in 4k while walking, your video may not be very stable, though it has a better stabilization performance in FHD.
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Well-built, sturdy design.
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Good stabilization performance while walking in FHD.
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Not very portable.
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Disappointing stabilization performance while walking in 4k.
The Canon EOS R is very good for studio video. Video quality is great in 4k and decent in FHD when shooting in controlled lighting conditions, but it struggles a bit to capture sharp video if you're filming in low-light settings. On the upside, its video autofocus system can help keep moving subjects in focus. It also has lots of inputs for hooking up additional accessories like headphones or a microphone.
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Lots of inputs for accessories like headphones and a microphone.
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Impressive video autofocus performance.
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Struggles to capture sharp video in low-light settings.
The Canon EOS R is poor for action video. This bulky camera isn't very easy to bring with you on the go, and it can't really be mounted on a helmet. It isn't waterproof, so you can't really use it in the elements, either. It has decent overall video quality in 4k and FHD, but there may be some visible noise, especially if you're recording in low-light settings.
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Well-built, sturdy design.
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Not very portable.
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Not waterproof.
- 7.7 Travel Photography
- 8.3 Landscape Photography
- 7.3 Sport & Wildlife Photography
- 7.5 Vlogging
- 8.2 Studio Video
- 4.1 Action Video
- Updated Dec 14, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.12.
- Updated Nov 21, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.11.
- Updated Sep 23, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.10.
- Updated Aug 16, 2022: After running into issues with RawTherapee during retesting for Test Bench 0.9, we decided to process the 'Photo RAW Dynamic Range' test scene in Lightroom instead. The test scene photo has been reuploaded.
- Updated Jul 29, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.9.
- Updated Apr 22, 2022: Converted to Test Bench 0.8.
- Updated Jan 12, 2022: Updated '4k Video Quality' score after reevaluating the 4k test scene extract.
- Updated Mar 08, 2021: Corrected the Max Aperture (Full Frame Equivalent) result.
- Updated Feb 08, 2021: Review published.
- Updated Feb 08, 2021: Early access published.
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Differences Between Sizes And Variants
The Canon EOS R comes in 'Black'. We tested the variant with the RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 is STM lens, and you can see the label for the model we tested here.
You can also purchase this camera with an RF 24-105mm F/4L IS USM lens, or without any lenses at all. However, we haven't tested the camera in any other configuration, so we can't confirm its performance.
If you come across another version, let us know in the discussions so we can update our review.
Compared To Other Cameras
The Panasonic LUMIX FZ80 and the Canon EOS R are different camera types. The Canon is an interchangeable lens mirrorless camera with a full-frame sensor, while the Panasonic is a fixed-lens budget bridge camera with a small sensor. The Panasonic offers convenience for those who don't want to switch out different lenses, giving you a lot of zoom range in an all-in-one package. However, the Canon is a significantly better camera, giving you better image and video quality, sturdier weather-sealed construction, longer battery life, and quicker, more accurate autofocusing, to name some advantages.
The Canon EOS R and the Nikon D780 are both premium full-frame cameras, though they use different camera technologies. The Canon is a mirrorless camera, while the Nikon is a DSLR. The Nikon uses an optical viewfinder, giving you a direct lag-free view through the lens, while the Canon has no mirror mechanism and relies on an electronic viewfinder, which lets you preview exposure settings live through the viewfinder. The Canon is lighter and more portable, but the Nikon has much longer battery life. Unfortunately, the Canon can only shoot 4k video with a severe 1.75x crop and only has a single SD card slot, unlike the Nikon, which has two. Otherwise, they both deliver excellent image quality and effective autofocus performance.
The Canon EOS R and the Sony α6600 are both mirrorless cameras, but they use different-sized sensors that each come with advantages and disadvantages. The Canon is a full-frame camera with a fully articulated touchscreen and a larger, higher-resolution EVF than the Sony. It delivers better overall image quality and performs a bit better in low light. However, it doesn't have in-body image stabilization like the Sony camera, and it's less portable. The Sony also has a longer battery life and a faster continuous shooting speed for quicker burst shooting.
Test Results
- Body is made of magnesium alloy and plastic
- Solid hinged door covers SD card and battery compartment
- Buttons and command wheels offer good physical feedback
- Screen mechanism feels quite sturdy
- No hot shoe protection cover
- Output compartments covered by rubber flaps
- Canon EOS R camera body
- Canon RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM lens
- Lens cap and lens cover
- Instruction manual
- Shoulder strap
- Battery charger
- Cable protector
- USB-C to USB-C cable
- Sensor cap
- Textured handgrip is big enough for most hand sizes and provides a secure hold
- Rubber pad on the viewfinder for comfort
- All frequently-used functions available in the Quick Menu on the screen
- Changing aperture and shutter speed via the command dials is easy with your eye pressed up against the viewfinder, but adjusting the ISO requires an extra button input beforehand
- Can navigate the menu using the touchscreen, which makes it simple to use
- Guide Mode can provide additional information about settings and functions
- Autofocus menu is separated from the general shooting menu
Update 03/08/2021: While the maximum aperture (full frame equivalent) was previously listed as 7.1, this was inaccurate. We updated the result to correct our error.
Update 01/12/2022: We've reevaluated and updated the score for 'Test Scene Extract in 4k' to be more in line with our current testing standards.
