News

Canon has published an official development announcement for the EOS R1. The news comes ahead of the Paris 2024 Summer Olympics, which will almost certainly become the testing ground for the flagship RF-mount camera in its pre-production form. Canon didn’t give much away ahead of the launch of the EOS R3, and it’s a similar story with the EOS R1, but the press release does offer a few interesting details.

First of all, there’s confirmation that this is indeed the “first flagship” in the R system and a camera designed for sports, but also for journalism and video: “This camera will dramatically improve the performance of both still images and video and meet the high requirements of professionals on the frontlines of a wide range of fields including sports, news reporting, and video production.”

Second, in addition to a new sensor, the EOS R1 will employ a newly developed processor called the DIGIC Accelerator alongside the existing DIGIC X. Says Canon: “The new image processing system, composed of these processors and a new CMOS sensor, enables large volumes of data to be processed at high speeds and delivers never-before-seen advancements in Auto Focus (AF) and other functions.”

The EOS R1’s availability will likely be around September or October, which will be almost exactly three years since the EOS R3 hit shelves. With competition like the Sony a1 and a9 III and the Nikon Z8 and Z9, Canon’s very-long-awaited full-frame flagship will have to be something very special indeed.
 

PRESS RELEASE

COMING SOON!  The EOS R1

TOKYO, May 15, 2024—Canon Inc. announced today that it is currently developing the EOS R1, a full-frame mirrorless camera, as the first flagship model for the EOS R SYSTEM equipped with an RF mount and is aiming for a 2024 release.

The EOS R1 is a mirrorless camera geared toward professionals that brings together Canon’s cutting-edge technology and combines top-class performance with the strong durability and high reliability sought in a flagship model. This camera will dramatically improve* the performance of both still images and video and meet the high requirements of professionals on the frontlines of a wide range of fields including sports, news reporting, and video production.

This camera employs the newly developed image processor DIGIC Accelerator in addition to the pre-existing processor DIGIC X. The new image processing system, composed of these processors and a new CMOS sensor, enables large volume of data to be processed at high speeds and delivers never-before-seen advancements in Auto Focus (AF) and other functions.

By combining the new image processing system and deep learning technology to an advanced degree, Canon has achieved high-speed and high-accuracy subject recognition. For example, subject tracking accuracy has been improved so that in team sporting events where multiple subjects intersect, the target subject can continually be tracked even if another player passes directly in front of them. In addition, the AF “Action Priority” function recognizes subject movement by rapidly analyzing the subject’s status. In moments during a sports game when it is difficult to predict what will happen next, this function automatically determines the player performing a certain action, such as shooting a ball, as the main subject and instantly shifts the AF frame, thereby helping to capture decisive moments of gameplay.

The combination of the new image processing system and deep learning technology will help to improve image quality. Canon implements the image noise reduction function, which has been previously developed and improved as part of the software for PCs, as a camera function to further improve image quality and contribute to user creativity.

Canon is working on field tests for this camera, and will support capturing definitive and impactful moments at international sporting events to be held in the future.

Going forward, Canon will continue to expand the EOS R SYSTEM lineup of fascinating cameras and RF lenses, thereby continuing to meet the demands of a wide range of users and contribute to the development of photography and video culture.

* In comparison to EOS R3 (released in November 2021)