EOS R3

CANON TEASES A ‘HIGH SPEED AND HIGHLY SENSITIVE’ CAMERA

Similar to last year’s piecemeal announcement of the EOS R5 camera, Canon has once again taken the step to release snippets about its next evolution in camera design. Let’s delve into the details released so far about the EOS R3, a new professional full-frame mirrorless camera that is due for launch later this year.

Let’s start from the top. Or the bottom. We can see at-a-glance that this is definitely a pro camera body. That’s evident from the design, given that it features a built-in camera grip, with a second set of controls for vertical shooting. Canon has confirmed that the EOS R3 will sit between the EOS R5 and the fl agship DSLR, the EOS-1D X Mark III.

Pro-specced

The EOS R3 may not be a 1-series camera, but it shares many of the pro features. The body is made from magnesium-alloy and has the same level of weather resistance. There are dual card slots; one SD, one CFexpress. For faster workfl ow, there’s a wired LAN port and 5G Wi-Fi, and the R3 is compatible with Canon’s new Mobile File Transfer app. The EOS R3 even shares the same LP-E19 battery as the EOS-1D X Mark III.

Borrowing another feature from the 1D X Mark III, the R3 is the second camera to deploy a Smart controller. Essentially, this is an AF-ON button on steroids – it is touch sensitive and can be used to move the AF point around the frame with the touch of a finger or thumb. If you’ve used a trackpad on a laptop, then you’ll be familiar with the idea.

Sensor first

While we don’t yet know the sensor resolution, what we do know is that the EOS R3 is the first Canon camera to use a back- illuminated stacked (BSI) CMOS sensor. We’ll have to wait for more details, but the benefits of moving to a BSI sensor could include better lowlight performance – and Canon has already said the R3 focuses down to -7 EV – less noise, faster read-out speeds and improved electronic shutter performance.

As well as the Smart controller (circled), there’s another notable feature – a vari-angle screen. This is the first time that an EOS camera with a built-in grip has offered this, making it an even more versatile tool.

Primarily for stills?

Canon isn’t making much of the R3’s video capabilities, after going big on the 8K announcement for the EOS R5. In fact, the first announcement made no mention of video. However, it has since said that the R3 will be able to capture oversampled 4K video, as well as capture RAW footage internally. For serious production sets, Canon Log 3 is natively available in-camera. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, the same subject AF tracking features are available for video as well as stills shooting.

And for stills? Well, we know from Canon that the electronic shutter feature (see EOS magazine ‘Silent shutters’ article, July-September 2020, pages 52-57) is being improved, with the aim to reduce distortion for moving objects when in use. It will also enable flash sync with a Speedlite, something which previously caused banding.

The R3 can shoot at 30 frames per second (fps) – even for RAW files – when using the electronic shutter. And all of this is powered by Canon’s latest generation of processor, DIGIC X.

The EOS R3 truly is a hybrid, next generation camera for the sports and news photographers of today and tomorrow.

Motorsports AF added

With the EOS R3 shaping up to be primarily a sports camera, focusing performance is key so that fast action is captured pin-sharp. Canon has made mention of several key features that will aid this, calling the EOS R3 ‘ultra-responsive’.

One of the big stories for the R5 and R6 cameras was the addition of Animal AF. The R3 has its own new subject AF tracking, in the form of vehicles – specifically cars and motorbikes – making it ideal for capturing fast-paced motorsports.

There are a number of ways in which to control the focusing position. The Smart controller is one way; there’s also a multi-controller on the rear controls. In addition, Eye Control AF (see right) will provide an alternative way to move the AF point simply by moving your eye, ideal for switching quickly between subjects. We don’t know as yet whether Touch & Drag AF will be available, but it’s likely.

IBIS

Like the EOS R5 and R6, the R3 offers up to 8 stops of combined image stabilisation (IS) – using both in-body IS (IBIS) and optical IS. This will be a powerful combination with the promised better low-light focusing and performance.

The EOS R3 offers vehicle tracking alongside Animal and People subject detection, which makes shooting events such as motocross much easier.

NINA BAILEY

EYE CONTROL AF

In the first product reveal, Canon stated that the EOS R3 would feature ‘a pioneering new autofocus Eye Control Function’. This means that you will be able to set the focus point in the viewfinder simply by looking at it. Eye control focus was first used by Canon in 1992 on the EOS 5 – its purpose back then was to reduce the need for manual focusing point selection. Wherever you looked on the focusing screen was the point on which the camera would focus the lens. Move your eye and the focus changed instantly. It worked by using two infrared light-emitting diodes (iREDs) to illuminate your eye, which in turn were used to calculate the position of the centre of the pupil. There were actually up to eight iREDs in total, positioned around the eyepiece frame – and we suspect that’s why the viewfinder on the R3 (below left) appears to be so much larger than the EOS R5 (below, right). Of course, this is only conjecture at present, albeit based on past fact.

For more details, visit: bit.ly/eye-control

The original version wasn’t perfect. Initially it only worked when shooting in horizontal format, and some users couldn’t get on with it at all. In total, six EOS film cameras offered Eye Control AF. The R3 is the first digital camera to do so.

Canon has already said that the feature may not work in all shooting conditions or for all people, particularly those who wear glasses or hardtype contact lenses – even eye shape can be a factor.

The viewfinder of the EOS R3 (above) looks significantly larger than that of the EOS R5 (below), possibly to accommodate hardware needed to enable Eye Control AF.

So, what don’t we know?

The two press releases – the first on 14 April and second on 2 June 2021 – have given us a fair few details about the EOS R3. However, there’s quite a bit yet to uncover:

• Sensor resolution – our best guess is that it’ll be along the lines of the 1D X Mark III or R6. Shooting at up to 30fps means you need to prioritise the power for processing speed, not processing huge files. But with no real detail shared about the new BSI sensor as yet, this is up in the air.

• Eye Control AF – will it work the same as for film SLRs?

• Price – clearly higher than the R5, but how much more?

• New accessory shoe – Canon has hinted at this, stating only that there will definitely be a new accessory of some kind coming for the R3. Maybe for streaming, or other type of output?

What’s in a name?

Despite its pro status, note that this camera is not a 1-series. Instead its nomenclature harks back to the days of film. The EOS 3 was launched in September 1998 and had many innovative features. It incorporated the world’s fi rst area AF system, higher-speed Eye Control AF than its predecessors, and improved high speed focus tracking. (There was no EOS 3D... for obvious reasons.)

Recognise any of that in the EOS R3?