Canon U.S.A. has recently introduced an EOS full-frame, mirrorless camera system digital camera. The compact EOS R boasts 30.3 megapixels and lightning- fast autofocusing. It also has a redesigned camera mount that accommodates four new RF Series lenses, in addition to all existing EF, EF-S, TS-E and MPE lenses via adapters.

Compact, Lightweight, Yet Powerful

The EOS R, the first camera in this series, became available in October. It weighs approximately 1.46 lbs. (camera body only, including battery and memory card), is about 5.35 inches wide, stands 3.87 inches tall and is 3.32 inches deep.

The new EOS R features a 30.3- megapixel CMOS sensor that is powered by Canon’s latest image processor, DIGIC 8, enabling shooting at up to 8 frames per second. The camera inherits a great deal from Canon’s legacy in both EOS and Cinema EOS. Videographers can capture stunning 4K UHD video up to 30 fps and record in 10-bit 4:2:2 (with an external recorder).

Recognizing that optics are the foundation for any camera system, the RF mount features the same size diameter as the EF mount (54mm) and shorter back focus distance. This allows lenses to sit closer to the sensor and enabled the Canon optical engineers to redesign larger rear lens elements to produce an image on the full-frame sensor. This new optical formula has paved the way for higherperforming lenses.

Exciting New Features

The new EOS R has a wide range of capabilities, including Dual Pixel CMOS Auto Focus with 5,655 manually selectable AF points. It has a broad ISO range from 100 to 40000, which is expandable to 102400. The EOS R features a silent shutter setting in its single-shot mode, which is imperative for photographers who shoot weddings or other events where sound can be disruptive.

The camera has a built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF) with 3.69 million dots, a Vari-angle Touchscreen LCD and Dotmatrix LCD Panel. It incorporates USB 3.1 in-camera charging support. Built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi make it easy to share images to compatible smart devices and social media. The EOS R has a single UHS-II SD card slot, and CR3 (RAW/CRAW) and Dual Pixel RAW Support — all in a sturdy dust- and weather-resistant package.

New Lenses and Accessories

Four new lenses have been designed for Canon’s new RF mount; the RF 28- 70mm F2 L USM, RF 50mm F1.2 L USM, RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM and the RF 35mm F1.8 Macro IS STM. The latter two incorporate Canon’s Image Stabilization technology. Three of the lenses feature Canon’s superior L-series optics, and are rugged and dust- and water-resistant. All four of the new RF lenses have a customizable control ring that allows photographers to adjust exposure compensation, shutter speed, aperture or ISO settings.

The wide maximum aperture of RF 28- 70mm F2 L USM makes it ideal for photographing nature, weddings, portraits or any subject that a photographer wants to render sharply against an out-of-focus background. This lens will be available in December 2018 at an estimated retail price of $2,999.

Portrait photographers will love the RF 50mm F1.2 L USM, a prime lens with an ultra-wide maximum aperture. It incorporates Canon’s Air Sphere Coating (ASC) to greatly reduce light flare and ghosting. It’s currently available at $2,299.

The RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM lens has a very versatile zoom range for a wide variety of applications. This lens is 9% shorter in length than its EF lens counterpart and has 5 stops of Image Stabilization. It incorporates NANO USM technology, which consists of a small, chip-shaped ultrasonic motor for highspeed, silent operation. It will be available in December 2018 at an estimated price of $1,099.

The RF 35mm F1.8 Macro IS STM is a fast, prime lens for photographers who seek affordability in a compact package. Its maximum magnification of 0.5x enables capture of macro images of insects, flowers and food. This lens is also capable of up to 5 stops of Image Stabilization. The RF 35mm F1.8 Macro IS STM will also be available in December 2018 at an estimated price of $499.99.

Canon has also introduced the Speedlite EL-100 for the EOS R camera. It’s a small, lightweight unit for photographers who are just beginning to use external flash, or need a secondary light source. This new Speedlite offers both soft and natural light reproduction and can be rotated up or sideways to allow photographers to bounce light off walls or ceilings. It’s now available at $199.99.

EF Lens Compatibility

For those who have invested in a variety of EF lenses, there are three new Canon RF Lens Mount Adapters to allow photographers to utilize their EF, EF-S, TSE and MP-E lenses with the new EOS R camera. This includes the recently introduced EF-M 32mm F/1.4 STM wide-angle, and EF 400mm F/2.8L IS III USM and EF 600mm F/4L IS III USM telephoto lenses.

• The Mount Adapter EF-EOS R is a standard adapter that offers full functionality with EF lenses, including autofocus, metadata and optical image stabilization. It’s currently available at $99.99.

• The Control Ring Mount Adapter EFEOS R offers full compatibility with EF lenses, and it has a customizable control ring to adjust aperture, shutter speed, ISO and exposure compensation. It’s also available at $199.99.

• The Drop-In Filter Mount Adapter EFEOS R gives full functionality with EF lenses, as well as enabling photographers to use lens filters behind their lenses. It will be available in February 2019 at an estimated retail price of $399.99 with a variable ND filter or $299.99 with a circular polarizing filter.

The Canon EOS R is currently available at $2,299 for the body only. It will also be sold as a kit with the RF 24-105mm F/4L IS USM lens for $3,399. For more information on this and other Canon products, visit www.usa.canon.com.