Is Now the Time to Get a Canon R-Series Mirrorless Camera?

That is a question I struggled with and, based on emails coming in, many of you are also feeling the pull to move to the R-series, or at least bring one into an existing kit.

What We Know

• The Canon EOS R is a great-performing camera, full-featured with a great price for what it offers.
• The Canon EOS RP is tiny, well-featured, and extremely-well-priced.
• Lenses are critically important and the RF Lenses available now are very impressive with extremely high image quality, ultra-wide apertures, and/or compact size and light weight.
• The RF lenses slated for delivery later this year promise at least equal to the impressiveness of the ones we already have available.
• More EOS R camera models are promised, including pro models.

You Should Buy a Canon R-Series Mirrorless Camera Now If

• You want to start taking advantage of the RF lenses and/or want to keep your kit optimized to the best-available lenses. If a lens you want to use now to is available in an RF mount version, this is a good time to consider buying into the R system.
• You want the advantages of an electronic viewfinder, including clear, focused-to-your-eye image preview and review in bright daylight, and don't mind the EVF disadvantages, including a brief video pause when an image is being captured.
• You want incredibly-low-light AF capabilities.
• You want improved AF accuracy with third party lenses.
• You want to learn how to use the mirrorless models. While the learning curve is not big, the fun of learning something new is.
• You primarily photograph landscapes, street, still life, family and events.
• You want the benefit of eye-tracking focus, especially useful with wide aperture lenses.
• You want to reduce the size and weight of your kit.
• You want to take advantage of the up-to-$500 rebates currently available.

You Should Wait to Buy a Canon R-Series Mirrorless Camera If

• You primarily photograph sports and wildlife. The EOS R's frame rate is mediocre and a brief EVF video pause during each image capture makes tracking erratic-moving fast action challenging. The Canon EOS-1D X Mark II or the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV are currently better choices for capturing fast, erratic action.
• You don't see any advantages to the EOS R-series camera and RF lens system over what you are using now. If nothing about the new cameras and lenses interests you, stay with a DSLR.
• You require an economy kit lens with a native RF mount. I expect an inexpensive RF kit lens to show up at some point, but ... an adapted EF lens is currently the best low-cost option for a general-purpose zoom lens.
• You require ultra-high resolution. We do not yet have a Canon EOS 5Ds R-equivalent resolution option available in the R-series. The EOS R's 30.3 MP resolution is very high, but getting higher resolution in a Canon R-series camera requires waiting.
• You require dual memory card slots.
• You require IBIS (In Body Image Stabilization). Of course, most of the RF lenses have either an ultra-wide aperture or image stabilization reducing the need for stabilization in-camera.
• Current video capabilities are not adequate.

Note that there will always be a new camera model coming. How long it takes to get here is a key component to decision-making and with the manufacturers not sharing their future plans, that component is an unknown and a lot of years of current model usage could potentially be had before an alternative arrives. New models usually bring new features that are useful, at least to some, but they also typically have higher price tags, at least higher than a similar model being replaced or higher than a model positioned lower in the lineup. New models make no difference to how current models perform – a camera owned today will continue to perform the same tomorrow. If you can make use of a current model now, now is a good time to get that model.

The Canon EOS R is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX

The Canon EOS RP is in stock at B&H | Adorama | Amazon USA | WEX