Canon EOS R Review by a Professional Photographer | Is it Worth the Cost? | Canon EOS R vs. Canon 6D vs. Canon 5D Mark IV

Is the Canon EOS R Worth the Cost?

Canon EOS R Real World Review by a Professional Photographer

Canon EOS R vs. Canon 6D vs. Canon 5D Mark IV

(This post contains affiliate links and I will be compensated if you make a purchase after clicking through my links.)

I’ve been shooting with the Canon EOS R for about 4 years now and I figured it was about time to share my thoughts! When I originally bought the EOS R, I was thinking it would become my #1 camera, replacing my Canon 6D and 5D Mark II. While yes, it is better than both of these cameras and was my number one camera for about a year and a half, I wanted to share why I eventually ended up getting a Canon 5D Mark IV as my main camera and now use the EOS R as my secondary camera. BUT, don’t get me wrong! The Canon EOS R is an incredible camera and has all of the potential to be a major money-maker for your photography business. I originally purchased mine for $1799 for the body only. You can currently buy an amazing EOS R kit with a 24-105mm lens on Amazon for around $2300, which is not a bad deal at all for such a pro camera! At a photo shoot, I’m typically carrying my Canon 5D Mark IV with my 24-70mm f/2.8L lens and then my Canon EOS R with a 50mm f/1.2L lens. That’s my go-to camera set-up these days and it has been working very well for me for the last few years. It’s hard for me to imagine changing it up because it truly is a great set-up and covers every lighting and photography situation I’ve found myself in. I photograph everything from weddings to food to fashion to corporate events to portrait shoots, and this camera set-up has managed it all gracefully.

(Canon EOS R with Canon 50mm f/1.2 L Lens - click to enlarge images)

Canon has a huge line of mirrorless cameras now, but today I’m going to be focusing on the EOS R specifically because that’s what I personally have a LOT of experience with. Plus, it was their very first full-frame mirrorless camera so it set the standard for the brand. I’ll share some sample photos as well so you can get a good idea of the kinds of photos that this camera is capable of. Keep in mind though that the lens you use also plays a HUGE role in the photos you’ll get. I always recommend L series lenses, or the newer line of Canon RF lenses that are supposed to be incredible. The RF lenses are quite pricey though, but I’ve heard they are absolutely amazing. I’m all about a budget though and the L series lenses have served me well over the years.

So, I’ll talk about the pros and cons of the Canon EOS R and then share a comparison between the Canon EOS R, Canon 6D and the Canon 5D Mark IV.

PROS OF THE CANON EOS R

I think my absolute favorite feature of the EOS R is how sharp the photos are. It has a 30.3 megapixel full-frame sensor so your images are large and dynamic. I’ve used a variety of lenses on my EOS R, but I find it to work best with the Canon 50mm 1.2L lens. For a while, I tried it out with my 24-70mm f/2.8 zoom lens, but it never felt quite right. In order to use EF-mount lenses on a Canon RF Mount (which is what the Canon mirrorless cameras use), you have to use a lens adapter. It’s not really that big of a deal, but with zoom lenses, it can be common to experience distortion, even without a lens adapter. I did notice the distortion quite a bit when using the 24-70 lens with the EOS R since the adapter just adds more length to the lens, so I started using my 50mm lens with the EOS R. You’ll see in some of the sample photos that you almost get a sort of fisheye effect when shooting fully wide. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but I just don’t find it quite as flattering when doing up-close portraits. With the 50mm f/1.2L lens though, I immediately noticed how beautiful portraits were with this set-up and haven’t been able to go back since! Canon is known for it’s softer and more natural-looking images than some of the other main camera brands. I’ve noticed that the Canon mirrorless cameras tend to produce images that have more of a digital look to them, which I’m not the biggest fan of. This was another reason I didn’t really like the look of the images when using my 24-70mm zoom lens with the EOS R. They looked a bit too sharp and digital and commercial for my taste. BUT. With the dreaminess and softness of the 50mm L lens, I found it to be a perfect combo. The “digital” look disappears and you get that beautiful portrait look, but with just a tad more sharpness than the non-mirrorless DSLRs. I absolutely love using this set-up for food photography as well. And at a wedding, I’ll typically use it for those moments when I’m alone with the couple to get those dreamy wedding portraits.

(Canon EOS R with Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L Lens - click to enlarge images)

Another pro of the EOS R is the ability to personalize the camera to your individual tastes. The EOS R is much more customizable than cameras like the Canon 6D and Canon 5D Mark IV. Because it’s a much more digitized experience, you can set many of the buttons and sliders to your liking. It even has a multi-function bar you can set to pretty much any feature you’d like. Whether you prefer to change the ISO, white balance or exposure compensation consistently when shooting, you can set it up to make those settings more easily accessible for yourself. This enables you to shoot faster and avoid flipping through the setting screens constantly. I personally have ISO set up on the multi-function bar because I end up changing the ISO a lot, especially at weddings because I’m constantly switching lighting conditions.

(Canon EOS R with Canon 50mm f/1.2L Lens - click to enlarge images)

It also has a touch-screen, high quality video features (4K at 30fps and 1080 at 60fps) and fun features like Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity options. It also is quite sturdy, though I wasn’t sure if it was going to hold up when I first got it in the mail. It seemed fragile when I first started using it. But when I dropped it hard on a concrete floor with my 50mm L lens and everything seemed to be still functioning perfectly, I changed my mind on that one. :)


CONS OF THE CANON EOS R

As a zoom lens girlie, the EOS R didn’t quite cut it as becoming my main camera, unfortunately, The distortion and “digital” look I was getting when pairing it with my Canon 24-70mm L lens made me start considering other options. A zoom lens will always be my main lens, it’s just who I am! This fact has caused the EOS R to come into second place in my camera set-up.

I also ended up running into a few glitches when it came to the touch-screen and customizable settings. While it’s great that you can set the buttons and multi-function bar to your liking, I also found the camera to be a bit non-intuitive. What I mean by that is that I never felt quite comfortable using it in high-stress situations like a wedding. I found myself fumbling through the buttons and constantly hitting the wrong settings on the touch-screen with my nose because I’m used to looking through viewfinders. The touchscreen is very sensitive, even when I set it to the “less sensitive” mode. And sometimes my fingers will graze the multi-function bar and end up jacking up my ISO to 25600 or something crazy and my photos will be totally overexposed and ruined, which I won’t find out until later because I’m not always checking my images at a fast-paced event like a wedding. It’s caused me a handful of issues that I never ran into with my Canon 6D or 5D Mark II. But if you’re not in fast-paced shooting situations, then I think it could be a great camera because it does have so many customization options. And while the Canon 5D Mark IV also has a touch-screen, I find it to be much less sensitive. I tend to avoid using the touch-screen at all and just use the buttons to click through the setting options.

I find myself shooting through the viewfinder with my 5D Mark IV, but holding my EOS R out in front of me and using the touch-screen to focus and take photos. If you’re not used to shooting through a viewfinder though, then the EOS R might be an easier switch for you than the 5D Mark IV!

I also just might be too old-school for the modern touch-screen and customization of the EOS R. I get frustrated with it because it’s not like the cameras I “grew up” on. It doesn’t feel intuitive and natural to me. My husband thinks maybe I just haven’t spent enough time attempting to customize it to my liking and he might be right. I’m very impatient when it comes to things like that so perhaps I’ll mess with those settings one more time. BUT, the good news about the EOS R is that I haven’t been able to beat the beauty of the images that it takes with my 50mm L lens, so it’s been impossible to justify getting rid of it.


THE CANON EOS R vs. CANON 6D vs. CANON 5D MARK IV

In comparison to my Canon 6D, which I was using for years as my main camera, the EOS R is significantly sharper and does much, much better in low-light situations. After shooting with the EOS R at a wedding, I would never go back to using the Canon 6D. The 6D is very soft, especially with low-light images, and can work quite slowly when it’s having trouble in a lighting situation. I never upgraded to the Canon 6D Mark II though, so I’m not sure how it compares to that one. However, it does seem that the mirrorless line just produces sharper images overall. Even in comparison to my Canon 5D Mark IV, which is my current main camera, I still find the EOS R images to be sharper. They are pretty incredible, if I’m being honest. However, as I’ve mentioned, I missed the way the Canon 5D Mark II and the Canon 6D felt in my hands, so I ended up upgrading to the Canon 5D Mark IV. You can read more about my thoughts on the Canon 5D Mark IV here, if you’d like!

The Canon 6D is significantly cheaper than any of the cameras on this list though and I’ll always recommend the Canon 6D or Canon 6D Mark II to beginners because they still produce amazing images that will impress your friends and family. Even my very first DSLR, the Canon 5D Mark II which I just recently sold, is a great option for beginners. It’s a pro-level camera that you can get at a super affordable price now because it’s a bit on the older side. I also truly believe that you don’t have to have an incredible camera to be an incredible photographer. I think it’s entirely possible to create award-winning photos with cheaper cameras. There’s no shame in that game. In fact, my favorite camera of all time is the Holga, a $50 toy camera that hardly has any features at all!


FINAL THOUGHTS

Overall, I personally place the Canon 5D Mark IV above the EOS R due to lens pairing and intuitiveness, which makes sense because it is more expensive and you’ll get more bang for your buck. However, the EOS R places above the Canon 6D and Canon 5D Mark II for me. The EOS R could easily be the number one camera in a photographer’s bag, it really just depends on your personal photography style. If you love super sharp images and tend to lean towards Sony & Nikon images, you might LOVE the EOS R. Canon’s mirrorless cameras are definitely fighting for a spot up there with those other brands. Also, it’s important to share that before I bought the 5D Mark IV, I considered selling ALL of my Canon gear and switching entirely to a new brand. I watched YouTube videos for days, comparing pricing, battery life, camera weight, features, video modes and lens options. I was itching for something new in my life and I truly considered this major life change! But at the end of the day, after making massive pro/con lists and considering every option, Canon kept winning for me. I just LOVE how Canon’s images look and it just feels so ME. Many of the other cameras in my price point were much heavier, or the battery life wasn’t as good, or they didn’t do multiple exposures. Some of those things are deal-breakers for me.

I guess I’m just a zoom lens Canon girlie and there’s not much I can do about it! I’ve supported myself entirely on photography for the last 12 years and I definitely attribute some of that success to Canon. They produce cameras that offer professional-quality images and are actually affordable, and it’s always been that way. Some of these other brands have cameras that just seem overpriced to me. The fact that you can buy a Canon 6D Mark II for $1200 is pretty amazing. Pair that with a Canon 50mm f/1.4 lens for only $400, and you’ve got yourself an affordable camera set-up to start a photography business. That’s a much cheaper investment that many other businesses require! And if you’re willing to buy gently used gear from KEH Camera or eBay, you can save quite a bit of money that way too! Just make sure if you’re using eBay that you buy from a reputable sellers with lots of reviews!

So, while the EOS R isn’t my TOP camera, I’d still recommend it to anyone looking for a sharp, modern camera with incredible low-light capabilities, especially if they aren’t willing to shell out the $2300 for the 5D Mark IV body alone. For that same price, you can get a body AND a lens with the EOS R on Amazon. When comparing the EOS R to other Canon cameras within a similar pricepoint like the Canon 6D Mark II, I’d recommend the EOS R. But you will find that the 6D is the cheapest of the bunch. The original 6D was actually my main camera for many years and I photographed dozens of weddings and fashion shoots with it. It’s not a bad camera by any means and is great if you’re working with a tight budget!

I hope that this post has helped you determine which camera to go with! You can also watch my unboxing of the EOS R on my YouTube channel here! You honestly can’t go wrong with any of these cameras and all of them have been majorly helpful for my business over the years.

If you found this post helpful or if you’d like to see more of my work, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing. Find out more here!

Feel free to leave any questions/comments below. Thanks so much for stopping by! You can also check out my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :) Have a lovely day!

-Myles Katherine


(By using the links and/or codes below it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

WHERE TO BUY

CANON EOS R

Amazon

KEH Camera (used)

eBay (used)

CANON 5D MARK IV

Amazon

KEH Camera (used)

eBay (used)

CANON 6D MARK II

Amazon

KEH Camera (used)

eBay (used)

CANON 24-70mm f/2.8 L Lens (my main lens)

Amazon

KEH Camera (used)

eBay (used)

CANON 50mm f/1.2L Lens (the lens I use with my EOS R)

Amazon

KEH Camera (used)

eBay (used)

CANON 50mm f/1.4 Lens (a great affordable fixed lens option)

Amazon

KEH Camera (used)

CANON 17-40MM F/4 LENS (a great, affordable zoom lens option)

Amazon

KEH Camera (used)


SAMPLE PHOTOS

(click to enlarge images)

(Canon EOS R with Canon 24-70mm f/2.8L Lens)

(Canon EOS R with Canon 17-40mm f/4 Lens)

(Canon EOS R with Canon 50mm f/1.2L Lens)




Top 5 Affordable Cameras for Beginner Film Photographers | Best 35mm, 120 and Polaroid Cameras for Beginners, Amateur and Professional Photographers

 

(By using the links and/or codes below it supports Myles Katherine Photography. We may get a small kick back by you doing so.)

5 Cameras for Beginner Film Photographers

I’ve tried out a LOT of cameras over the years. To be honest, I don’t think I’ve met a camera that I didn’t like. However, there are a few that tend to make it into my camera bag more often than others. I’m always looking for cameras that are capable of meeting all of my personal needs as a photographer. Every photographer is different, but for me those personal needs are: simplicity, multiple exposures and lightweight body. I travel quite a bit and I hate carrying around a super heavy camera bag. I’ve learned to fill my bag with cameras that are light and small, instead of gigantic and heavy. I’m always jealous of those photographers that just have one camera in their bag with an assortment of lenses. MUST BE NICE. I just like to have options and I like to allow myself creativity in as many ways as possible. I’m just not a minimalist, as much as I wish I was! I wanted to share the top 5 cameras that tend to make it into my camera bag more often than not. All of these cameras are GREAT for beginners because they offer a TON of different features but are also all very simple to use. Not to mention, they’re affordable, collectible and fun!

HOLGA GCFN 120 CAMERA

You guys KNOW I’m obsessed with the Holga. I believe that every photographer should have one of these on their shelf and try it out at some point. To me, it’s a great way to begin understanding photography from a very basic level. It’s reminiscent of an older time, but has that cute, quirky style and is still being produced today. Sadly, it’s only being produced in the solid black color today, but you can find the fun, colorful ones on eBay. It’s essentially a pinhole camera, but with a few more features and easier controls. I love this camera so much that I’ve dedicated an entire blog post and YouTube video to it. This is the camera that always makes it into my camera bag no matter what. If I’m walking around town with only one camera, it’s this one. There is a 35mm version of this camera too (I just recently made a YouTube video about it!) but I prefer the 120 version. 120 film is slowly dying (for some reason!) so as a photographer, I beg of you to continue supporting 120 film. The negatives are much larger than 35mm which allows you much more detail and capability for printing. KEEP 120 FILM ALIVE!

CAMERA:

Purchase a Holga 120 GCFN on Amazon

Purchase a Holga 120 GCFN on eBay!

Purchase a Holga 120 GCFN on KEH Camera

FILM RECOMMENDATIONS:

Lomography 400 120 film

Kodak Portra 160 120 film

Kodak Portra 400 120 film

#CommissionsEarned

MINOLTA MAXXUM STSI

The Minolta Maxxum STsi is actually a newer camera to my collection but it has moved up to the top VERY quickly. It just has every single feature I like in a 35 mm film camera. A zoom lens, autofocus, panorama mode, multiple exposure mode, lightweight body, flash and auto setting. This is a PERFECT choice for any beginner 35mm film photographer. I have the AF 28-85mm 3.5-4.5 Zoom lens, which I purchased separately from the kit lens. This lens is a little bit sharper and better quality than the kit lens. Also, this camera is SUPER affordable and makes a great gift. I’m truly in love with mine and it’s my number one choice now for traveling when I’m grabbing my 35mm cameras. You can read more about this camera in my blog post here!

I purchased the body ($18) and the AF 28-85mm 3.5-4.5 Zoom lens ($25) separately, both on eBay. Browse through the available options here for the body or here for the lens!

But you can also find it on Amazon or KEH Camera. There are a ton of different versions of this camera, so if you ever have questions, I recommend calling KEH Camera and asking them what they’d recommend if they don’t have the STsi version. They’re always great with giving advice on film cameras.

FILM RECOMMENDATIONS:

Kodak Gold 200 35mm film

Kodak Portra 160 35mm film

Lomography 100 35mm film

#CommissionsEarned

NIKON FE2 OR FE3

This is probably the most expensive camera on this list but if you’re looking for a tad bit nicer camera with an amazing lens, I recommend the Nikon FE2 or FE3. These are on-par with the Canon AE-1 (which is also an incredible camera but doesn’t have a multiple exposure feature). I went into Blue Moon Camera in Portland, Oregon one day, asking if they had the Pentax K1000 or Canon AE-1. However, after chatting with the sales associate for a while, we decided the Nikon FE2 would be more my speed. I absolutely need a multiple exposure feature and I prefer to have an aperture-priority setting as well, especially when shooting weddings. The Nikon FE2 met all of my requirements. However, it is manual focus which takes some getting used to. Once you get the hang of it though, the photographs are incredibly sharp and beautiful, with a lovely bokeh blur and crispness that you won’t get with cheaper cameras like the Minolta Maxxum I mentioned above. The Nikon FE2 is more on the professional side and is really a collector’s item. It’s a beautiful camera with that classic old-school look to it. You can’t go wrong with this camera. I’ll never ever get rid of mine. I have a YouTube video and full blog post about this camera too!

CAMERA:

Purchase a Nikon FE2 on Amazon!

Purchase a Nikon FE2 on eBay!

Purchase a Nikon FE2 on KEH Camera!

LENS:

50mm f/1.4 AF Nikkor

35-70mm f/3.3 AF Nikkor (more affordable zoom lens)

FILM RECOMMENDATIONS:

Kodak Gold 200 35mm film

Kodak Portra 160 35mm

Lomography 100 35mm film

#CommissionsEarned

POLAROID 600 CAMERA

While I believe that every photographer should have a Holga, I also equally believe that every photographer should have a Polaroid camera. After a long and arduous process, the Polaroid brand is finally back up and running, producing new cameras and film. Thank the heavens above! Personally, I have the Polaroid One-Step 600 and Polaroid Impulse. Both of these are incredibly easy to use, sturdy and super cute on the shelf. I was lucky enough to receive them as heirlooms from my family members but you can still find vintage versions of the One-Step and Impulse on Amazon, eBay and KEH Camera. Or, if you prefer new cameras, Polaroid has recently released the Polaroid Now and Polaroid Go cameras. Everyone loves a Polaroid. They’re instantly gratifying, have beautiful color tones and are just plain fun to have at a party or event. I always bring a Polaroid camera with me to every shoot. It’s nice to have a physical print from each shoot as a keepsake. Check out my YouTube video from our trip to Japan where I took photos with the Polaroid One-Step 600! Or you can check out my blog post to see tons of sample photos I’ve taken with this camera over the years.

CAMERA:

Purchase a Polaroid One-Step 600 on Amazon!

Purchase a Polaroid One-Step 600 on eBay!

Purchase a Polaroid One-Step 600 on KEH Camera!

Purchase a Polaroid Now or Polaroid Go on Polaroid.com!

FILM:

Purchase 600 film on Amazon!

CANON REBEL K2

The Canon Rebel K2 is another affordable 35mm film camera that I always recommend when friends and family ask me what camera they should get before they go on a big trip. This was my very first 35mm film camera and definitely holds a special place in my heart. There’s not really anything super duper special about this camera, but it just happens to meet all of my personal requirements for a travel camera. It weighs next to nothing, has a flash, zoom lens, multiple exposure setting, autofocus, aperture priority, shutter priority, and full auto setting. It’s not the sharpest camera in the world, but there’s a certain nostalgia that the photos seem to have, especially when shooting in black and white. I took this camera with me on my first trip to Paris, and I’m still obsessed with the photos I took on that trip. I even recreated those photos on a recent trip to Paris and made a YouTube video about it! I also have a how-to YouTube video and blog post about this camera too, with tons of sample photos. The Canon Rebel G is incredibly similar to this camera too, if you’re not able to find a Canon Rebel K2.

CAMERA:

Purchase a Canon Rebel K2 on KEH Camera

Purchase a Canon Rebel K2 on eBay!

Purchase a Canon Rebel K2 on Amazon!

FILM RECOMMENDATIONS:

Neopan Acros 100 35mm B&W film

Kodak Gold 200 35mm film

Lomography 100 35mm film

#CommissionsEarned

If you found this post helpful or if you’d like to see more of my work, I’d love it if you considered signing up for my Patreon! For as little as $1 a month, you’ll get early access to all of my YouTube videos, plus tons of photos that I don’t post anywhere else. Depending on which tier you choose, you could also receive seasonal prints and/or discounts! I always use all of the proceeds towards cameras, film & processing. Find out more here!

Thanks so much for stopping by! Feel free to leave questions and comments below. And don’t forget to stop by my Amazon storefront for more camera/film recommendations. :)

Have a great day!
<3 Myles Katherine