EOS R Owners - Are you still happy?

After realizing a split system set up wasn’t for me, I’ve recently sold all my Sony gear and moved fully back to Canon. I’m now in need of a second body, but having a tough time making a decision. I shoot a lot of swim meets and underwater work, which falls heavily to my 1DxII.

I’m considering the following options:

EOS R - Given this is where Canon is going, I figure I might as well get used to it. Should make a great portrait/ walk around body, but won’t help with the swim stuff.

1DxII - already have one, already used to it. Becomes an equal use backup. Heavy for portrait or walk around. Will probably move to the R1 or whatever it’s called assuming EF lens adaption remains an option.

5D4 - Kinda the somewhere in the middle option. Light but not mirrorless. Not 100% sold it can be a true back up for the swim meets, plenty good for portraits and studio.

The R5 isn’t grabbing my interest due to rumored resolution. Don’t need or want 45mp. Not to mention I expect wait times for that body to be longer than the 1DxIII.

If you own and use a R, are you still happy with it? If you are in between bodies, I’d be curious what you’re considering too.

Honestly, for a while after I got the camera I told myself the R stood for "regret" for buying it. Recently however, I'm not so sure that is the case. I still have some mixed feelings about it, and some of its settings makes me say wtf?! Like on older cameras I can set bulb via scrolling past 30" now I need to press a button and change the mode. There are other things too and perhaps a nice chunk of issue pertains to my OS of choice. Also using it was way different than my 5dmkii

Still lately for some applications I've been reaching more and more for it, probably due to the flip out screen and live view for better focusing while under the night sky. Actually photographed a galaxy with this thing, image not very good, but it's a start I suppose.

To answer your question, I think I'm becoming a bit more happy with it.

I wasn't too thrilled when I bought mine but after learning how to use it I have really fallen in love with it. I do really like how the EF glass works with it, so much as I have not spent any money on RF glass except for the 24-105 that came with it. The camera certainly won't allow me to part with my 1DXII because it is in no way a camera for moving subjects, but just the weight,the files, the colors are dialed in for me now.

huntersdad wrote in post #19019968
After realizing a split system set up wasn’t for me, I’ve recently sold all my Sony gear and moved fully back to Canon. I’m now in need of a second body, but having a tough time making a decision. I shoot a lot of swim meets and underwater work, which falls heavily to my 1DxII.

I’m considering the following options:

EOS R - Given this is where Canon is going, I figure I might as well get used to it. Should make a great portrait/ walk around body, but won’t help with the swim stuff.

1DxII - already have one, already used to it. Becomes an equal use backup. Heavy for portrait or walk around. Will probably move to the R1 or whatever it’s called assuming EF lens adaption remains an option.

5D4 - Kinda the somewhere in the middle option. Light but not mirrorless. Not 100% sold it can be a true back up for the swim meets, plenty good for portraits and studio.

The R5 isn’t grabbing my interest due to rumored resolution. Don’t need or want 45mp. Not to mention I expect wait times for that body to be longer than the 1DxIII.

If you own and use a R, are you still happy with it? If you are in between bodies, I’d be curious what you’re considering too.

Consider that, from the start, Canon pointed out the entry level orientation of the R, promising that more professional bodies would be coming later.
Now consider that what YOU have in your current arsenal is a 1DXII. So what needs to be a strong consideration for you is just how 'demanding' will you be when using a 'second body'...is the second body for the 'knock around shooting' while the 1DXII is your full-capability professional/very serious shooting?

• For me, during my pro shooting days, I needed two equivalent caliber pro-level bodies.
  
• For me, during my 'serious amateur' days, I did not need two equivalent caliber pro-level bodies, instead one could be full boat and the other could be lesser.
  
• For me, during my retirement years, one is fairly high level dSLR (not a Rebel) and the second camera is a P&S with RAW capture and with M, Av, and Tv...the P&S comes with me when I am too lazy to lug around a dSLR kit! And there are those times when everything stays home, because the smartphone is handy... a trip to the amusement park with grandkids is an example!
  

So what are you looking for, what are you needing to use the second body for?...

Still loving mine!

Wilt wrote in post #19020110
So what are you looking for, what are you needing to use the second body for?...

That's a bit of the internal debate I am having now. While my preference would be to add another 1D-series body that can do it all, I get tired of the weight. While the build quality is greatly appreciated during swim meets, it's way overkill for anything else I do.

The 5D4 was one of my least favorite bodies from Canon. Something about it never clicked with me, but I could never put my finger on it.

That leaves the R as a potential 2nd body. I go into it knowing that it will not be a back up to my 1DxII, but knowing for anything else, I can use it as my go to. And, if the R5 looks like something I might be interested in, I could sell it and move to that body.

huntersdad wrote in post #19020174
That's a bit of the internal debate I am having now. While my preference would be to add another 1D-series body that can do it all, I get tired of the weight. While the build quality is greatly appreciated during swim meets, it's way overkill for anything else I do.

The 5D4 was one of my least favorite bodies from Canon. Something about it never clicked with me, but I could never put my finger on it.

That leaves the R as a potential 2nd body. I go into it knowing that it will not be a back up to my 1DxII, but knowing for anything else, I can use it as my go to. And, if the R5 looks like something I might be interested in, I could sell it and move to that body.

OK, I better understand the motivations. It is likely the R is not your camera, based upon your background body, and the R5 is a certain amount of unknown combined with what Canon chose to 'leak' in advance of launch. I think the time is 'not now' to make any decision, until you have the abilty to hold and handle both mirrorless models in addition to the 5DIV.

Needless to say, you won't find many R on the used market, except for a few folks who want to upgrade to the R5. And there will be plenty enough 5DIV on the used market for those wanting to convert to mirrorless for its advantages. Keep in mind that pro users of mirrorless will tell you that mirrorless currently has weakness in fast AF without hunting, under low light conditions...no ability to use IR focus aids from the flash unit to focus with mirrorless so far.

I love mine and always have.
I read a lot about it before buying it and so I sort of knew what I was getting. It cannot replace my 80D because with the 80D I can do things that the R can't. But I knew that before, so I was always aware that it would complement the 80D, not replace it.

That being said, I have a couple of minor gripes with handling / UI, but nothing I can't live with.

huntersdad wrote in post #19019968
If you own and use a R, are you still happy with it?

Yes.

Yes, but I got if for Landscape photography, really wanted that 5d IV sensor without paying 5d IV prices. Not sure how happy I'd be if I was doing sports with that slight lag in the view finder. Maybe the best thing is the lenses, the control ring is very convenient and even that kit lens is very sharp. I just wish they'd crank out some less expensive lenses, everything (nearly everything) so far is high end.

patrick j wrote in post #19020476
Yes, but I got if for Landscape photography, really wanted that 5d IV sensor without paying 5d IV prices. Not sure how happy I'd be if I was doing sports with that slight lag in the view finder. Maybe the best thing is the lenses, the control ring is very convenient and even that kit lens is very sharp. I just wish they'd crank out some less expensive lenses, everything (nearly everything) so far is high end.

I went looking for the viewfinder refresh rate for the Canon R and the official specs do not mention a rate...I am surprised no spec is listed.
Have you read anything anywhere about the viewfinder refresh rate of the Canon R?
Reviews of the Canon R don't mention lag in the viewfinder...what characteristic of lag are you noticing as bothersome to you?

patrick j wrote in post #19020476
Yes, but I got if for Landscape photography, really wanted that 5d IV sensor without paying 5d IV prices. Not sure how happy I'd be if I was doing sports with that slight lag in the view finder. Maybe the best thing is the lenses, the control ring is very convenient and even that kit lens is very sharp. I just wish they'd crank out some less expensive lenses, everything (nearly everything) so far is high end.

I've shot enough to know it absolutely will not be used for sports. Not even a consideration.

Yes, I'm still happy. I use it for everything (action included) and haven't even picked up my 7Dii since I got it.

It's far from perfect, sometimes it's almost comical with the things it refuses to focus on. However, I accept that and try to work around it. I often use a dot sight for birding.

For me, the main plus is that when the camera says it's focused, it really has focused. I like using thin depths of field and it's so much more satisfying for that because of the focus accuracy. My Sigma 50mm Art's never seen so much use.

I don't get as many shots as I used to but the ones I do get are so much more rewarding.

I love the fact that it will focus and track at F/11, albeit obtaining the initial focus lock can be a bit demanding.

Wilt wrote in post #19020501
I went looking for the viewfinder refresh rate for the Canon R and the official specs do not mention a rate...I am surprised no spec is listed.
Have you read anything anywhere about the viewfinder refresh rate of the Canon R?
Reviews of the Canon R don't mention lag in the viewfinder...what characteristic of lag are you noticing as bothersome to you?

I tried to reproduce that lag just now and it didn't occur when I thought it would, so now I can't say when I see it. It does happen in some situations, but not sure which ones. (I guess that's not the least bit helpful, is it)

patrick j wrote in post #19020638
I tried to reproduce that lag just now and it didn't occur when I thought it would, so now I can't say when I see it. It does happen in some situations, but not sure which ones. (I guess that's not the least bit helpful, is it)

Well, actually it is of SOME use to know that the issue you have experienced is 'not always'...so then comes the sleuthing to figure out when it happens vs. not.

• could be lens related (e.g. not R lens, but adapted)
  
• could be if AF achieved related
  
• could be lens manufacturer related (aftermarket vs. Canon)
  
• could be related to the cycle of the moon, or something equally mysterious