@RexGig wrote:
Well, I am not seeing any reason to buy into this first generation of the EOS R. The lack of a physical toggle/joystick, to move the AF point, just about rules-out my wanting an R. I am not opposed to touch-screens, but in cool/cold weather, my skinny, aging hands need gloves, and because I am left-eye-dominant, my nose is more likely to touch the LCDs of some cameras.
To make this worse, the R has this, well, thing, with limited usefulness, that my thumb might mistake for a toggle/joystick. I reckon I could gaff-tape this, uh, thing, to prevent mistaking it for a toggle/joystick, but better to totally ignore the R, as it would be a step-downward/backward from my 5D IV, 5Ds R, 7D II, and 1Ds III cameras.
The lack of capability to use the AF-assist lamp on external Speedlites is also vexing. Some have said that no mirror-less camera is capable of this.
Perhaps a more pro-oriented R will be introduced. I hope the 5D and 1D series remain alive, until R system has a chance to mature quite a bit more.
Well, let's take it one compaint at a time...
No joystick... no joy! However, I bet the EOS R uses the same trick as the M5 and other M-series, where the rear touch screen acts as an AF point selection device. Look it up, it's pretty cool.
At first you might be concerned about accidental "nose-selection", especially if you are a left-eye shooter. However they thought of that on the M5, et al., too. You can choose and set up a quadrant of the screen that acts as the AF point selection on those cameras. For example, if you prefer it under your left thumb, it can be.
I hadn't heard the point about the AF Assist lamp before. (I'm still waiting for the EOS R user manual to be released with more info.) But all I've seen so far suggests the R will be fully compatible with EX Speedlites. However, maybe the AF assist won't be needed, since the EOS R's AF is claimed to be -6 EV capable. That's three stops lower light than any of the DLRS can focus: -3EV. 1 stop is half the light, 2 stops is 25% and 3 stops is only 12.5%.... Or, another way of looking at it, the R's AF is 8X more sensitive than that of the best DSLRs. While the DSLR can focus by the light of the moon... the EOS R should be able to focus by the illumination of the aurora borealis.
I guess the EOS R is intended to be an affordable "entry level" model... but it's specs are pretty impressive when you dig into it. In a sense, it like a 5D Mark IV that's shrunk a little, learned some new tricks and gotten a vastly improved AF system, for $1000 less that a "real" 5DIV.
IMO, the EOS R and mirrorless in general aren't for everyone (limited shots per battery charge are one reason that they fall short for some of my needs, but I'm considering a mirrorless for other things). But I'm sure it will be a good fit for some people and I'm impressed with what Canon has done with their first full frame mirrorless.
And I'm sure there is plenty of life left in the DSLRs.... tech that will "trickle over" from mirrorless to DSLR and vice versa... and it's a good bet this is just the beginning.
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Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7DII (x2), 7D(x2) some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR & ZENFOLIO
