While hot takes and reviews of the just announced new Canon cameras (the EOS R1 and R5 Mark II) are sure to roll in throughout the summer before each camera’s respective releases later this year, we’re getting some more tidbits that make these latest offerings more and more exciting.
Regardless of your camera brand loyalty, these new Canon cameras (in particular the new flagship EOS R1) really should push the camera market to new heights in terms of performance, as well as price setting as they're sure to lower prices as the technology quickly advances.
One area we’re still learning more about is the improved autofocus performance. Let’s take a look at how both the R1 and R5 Mark II will have Canon’s latest eye-controlled autofocus and other AF features.
Canon’s Autofocus Improvements
According to reports from The Verge, both of Canon’s just-announced new cameras will have better autofocus performance than their competitors. These AF features will be enhanced with computations powered by a new Digic X processor that includes a Digic Accelerator and a new Dual Pixel Intelligent AF system which is set to be capable of body, joint, and head area estimation—as well as the ability to focus on people other than just the subject you’re shooting.
Both cameras are also set to receive some other notable upgrades from previous Canon models including backside illuminated sensors with quicker readouts as well as Canon’s eye-controlled autofocus (which we’ve only previously seen in the Canon EOS R3 camera).
As for video-specific features, it’s hard to not make a case that both cameras should be quite popular with the film and video crowd. But despite the EOS R1’s flagship status, the R5 Mark II might end up being the real champion of on-the-run videographers with its 8K video recording capabilities.
Price and Availability
As mentioned in our previous write-up, both of these just-announced Canon cameras are available for pre-order now with the R1 expected to ship in late November and the R5 Mark II expected to ship in late August.
Here are the full specs and purchase options for each.
Canon EOS R1
- 24MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Sensor
- DIGIC Accelerator + DIGIC X Processing
- Dual Pixel AF with Action Priority
- Improved Eye Control AF
- 6K 60 Raw & 4K 120 10-Bit Internal Video
- Up to 40 fps, Pre-Continuous Shoot Mode
- 9.44m-Dot 0.9x EVF, OVF Sim. View Assist
- 3.0" 2.1m-Dot Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
- Vertical Grip, 2x CFexpress Type B Slots
- Wi-Fi 6E, 2.5G Base-T Wired Ethernet
Canon EOS R1 Mirrorless Camera
Speed, precision, and reliability, the Canon EOS R1 is built for photojournalists, sports photographers, wildlife shooters, and other image-makers who can't afford to miss the shot.
Canon EOS R5 Mark II
- 45MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Sensor
- DIGIC Accelerator Processing
- Cross-Type Dual Pixel Intelligent AF
- 8K 60 Raw/4K 60 SRAW/4K 120 10-Bit Video
- Up to 30 fps, Pre-Continuous Shoot Mode
- 5.76m-Dot EVF with OVF Sim. View Assist
- 3.2" Vari-Angle Touchscreen LCD
- In-camera upscaling to 179MP
- CFexpress & SD UHS-II Memory Card Slots
- Wi-Fi 6E/Wi-Fi 6 Support
Canon EOS R5 Mark II Mirrorless Camera
Boasting enough horsepower to allow Canon's highest resolution mirrorless sensor to shoot a speedy 30 fps and capture 8K60p raw video, the EOS R5 Mark II Mirrorless Camera is the multimedia professional's solution for versatility, image quality, and intelligence.
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