One aspect that intrigues me is the possibility of taking stills from video. I have experimented with this on my 1Dii + 600 f4 but single frame resolution was not too good. But with 8K video, images may be comparable to a 20 megapixel still camera?
Also seen some videos showing the eye tracking feature and (on those shown!) it was pretty impressive.
Like edge to edge full screen AF points.
Good fps
Used the Canon R expecting electronic viewfinder to be be iffy - but it was very good.
Speed of autofocus through EOS to R converter with/without extenders might be an issue.
Looking forward to hearing more, but won;t be rushing out to get one!
I think over the last 14-15 years that I have had this obsessive wildlife photography obsession the biggest single improvement has been in higher ISO performance and probably one of the biggest frustrations has been the limitations of coverage of the AF points in the viewfinder.
The AF coverage is a huge step forward for me but I will be interested to see just how good the higher ISO results really are. My 1DX2 boasts 100-51200 but the reality is that you don't really want to go beyond 3200 if you want sharp, detailed images, especially if you need to crop as we often do in avian photography.
The equipment we are talking about doesn't come cheap and I'm sure a lot of it in non commercial use ends up in the hands of those who no longer have family commitments i.e. people of a certain age!
The 1DX3 appears to have a lot going for it but for me it's no longer an option. The years are catching up and carrying a brick as well as a big white telephoto is getting increasingly uncomfortable. My 600mm f4 MK2 went and wasn't replaced, the weight saving on the Mk3 not enough, to say nothing the cost of trading up for one. I still have my 500mm f4 MK2 which as yet hasn't been replaced by a lighter version and I now wonder if indeed they will as the announcement of the 100-500 RF lens has just been made. Can the 600 and 800 RF lenses possibly be any good given their price point? They are unbelievably inexpensive compared to the EF versions. If indeed they are capable of taking sharp images I won't hesitate to jump in there. Of course you need an R camera body to use one so the question goes back to which one?
For me, in all probability it's going to be the R5.
Why?
1)The 45mp images will almost certainly lend themselves to more cropping and I definitely like the sound of 8K video single frame grabs giving a sharp 35mp image. Seeing is believing though but if they are as good as the hype who needs 20fps anyway!
2)I think the layout and build quality of the more substantial R5 is more suitable to my outdoor and travel lifestyle .
On the other hand the R6 has twice the ISO range at 100-102,400 and that has huge appeal. My 30mp 5d4 doesn't really give me the expected 50% better cropping potential vs the 20mp 1DX2 so would the resolution on the R5 really be as good as suggested?
In essence the real appeal of mirrorless to me is actually none of the above, what I really want is a silent, and I mean silent, shutter and the benefit of what you see is what you get when you look through the viewfinder. That takes much of the guess work out of correct exposure without having to consult the rear screen.
For those two features I could get a Canon R at a substantial reduction in price although the controls are not as I'd like. Canon aren't daft though, I doubt they have enabled AF at f11 on that body.
Let someone else try and independently test the R5&6 properly and then let me decide. The number of supposedly knowledgable reviews on the internet at this moment in time are all based on reading Canon's own hype and none it appears from having actually tried taking any shots with them.
I'm glad I stuck with Canon, I really think they have pushed ahead of the competition this time and I hope those that jumped ship don't live to regret it. The fact that I can still use all my current lenses is potentially a huge cost saving and the potential weight saving when combining bodies and the new RF lenses offers me hope that I can continue this hobby for at least another decade without taking too many hits on IQ.
Yes, the future looks bright!
