Starting as a political news and celebrity portrait photographer in DC, Sam was instantly drawn to wedding photography as a space to promote more inventive ideas. Sam’s focus is on photographic techniques that are deceptively simple but have the potential to transform difficult or uninspiring shooting environments into one-of-a-kind opportunities for every photo made.
100,000+ images later…
I’m finally getting around to writing my Canon R1 review after putting this camera through its paces since its release in November 2024. Usually, I try to get reviews out after about 10,000 images, but I’ve been completely swamped working on my workflow app (follow along here if you’re curious – it handles culling, AI for editing, and tons of other advanced workflow stuff for photographers).
Canon R1
- Value - 5.6/105.6/10
- Build - 8.8/108.8/10
- Battery Life - 10/1010/10
- Sensor Quality - 8.2/108.2/10
- Autofocus - 7.9/107.9/10
- Size & Weight - 6.8/106.8/10
7.9/10
Quick Summary
After shooting 100,000+ images with the R1, I have to be honest – I wish I had returned this camera when I still had the Amazon return window open. There’s no single new feature that makes the upgrade from the R3 worthwhile for my shooting style.
For most photographers, I’d honestly recommend picking up a used R3 instead. You’ll get 95% of the performance at a much better price point, with better ergonomics and more practical features like SD card support.
That said, I’m keeping the R1 and might even buy a second body. Having two identical cameras eliminates the mental gymnastics of remembering which controls are where when switching between bodies. The differences between the R3 and R1 are subtle but just enough to be annoying when you’re in the middle of a shoot.
The R1 is a solid camera, but it feels more like Canon’s answer to “what if we made the R3 bigger and more expensive” rather than a genuine leap forward. Sometimes that’s enough, but for the price premium, I expected more innovation and fewer compromises.
Pros
Rock-Solid Build Quality: Durable construction that feels professional and dependable.
Electronic Shutter Flash Sync: Works seamlessly, making flash use with the electronic shutter highly reliable.
Large, Gorgeous EVF: Bright, detailed viewfinder that enhances shooting precision and comfort.
Autofocus Improvements: Incremental but noticeable gains in AF performance.
Quiet Mechanical Shutter: Soft, discreet operation ideal for events and quiet environments.
Thermal Management: Handles heat well, reducing the risk of overheating during long sessions.
Cons
Heavier Than R3: The extra weight is noticeable, especially during long shoots.
CFexpress-Only Card Slots: Limits flexibility and adds expense compared to dual-format options.
Fixed White Balance Button: Cannot be customized, which slows down some workflows.
Menu Reorganization: Changes were made without offering transfer options from older setups.
Firmware Bugs: A few persistent software quirks remain unresolved.
Higher Price Tag: Costs significantly more than the R3, with only incremental improvements.
Since picking up the R1 in November, I’ve shot well over 100,000 images with it, coming from the Canon R3 that I absolutely loved. If you want to see my thoughts on that camera, check out my R3 review. The thing is, I was already very comfortable with this format – the R3 always puzzled me because Canon explicitly said it wasn’t their flagship. The R1? That’s definitely positioned as their top offering.
THE BUILD
Let me start with what Canon got right: this thing is built like a tank. The body feels rock solid in ways that even surpass the R3. But here’s where we hit the first major issue – it’s noticeably heavier and bulkier than the R3. I’m talking about enough weight difference that I actually feel more wrist fatigue during long shooting sessions.Â
The R3 struck this perfect balance between professional build quality and manageable size. The R1 tips that scale just a bit too far toward the “professional brick” side of things. If you’re already shooting with something like a 28-70mm f/2, this combo is going to be genuinely tough to carry around all day.
The grip itself feels great – Canon’s ergonomics team knows what they’re doing. The contours fit my hands well, though the grip does feel slightly shallower than the R3. Not a dealbreaker, but noticeable.
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Autofocus and Performance
The autofocus is marginally better than the R3, but we’re talking incremental improvements, not revolutionary changes. The in viewfinder iris eye tracking (where the focus point moves to where your literal eye is looking) does seem a bit more reliable, though I don’t use that feature heavily in my work.
There’s a new pre-focus feature that sounds amazing on paper… it can essentially take screen grabs before you actually press the shutter. The problem? It only works in electronic shutter mode. Sony has a similar feature that’s much more elegant… when you hit the shutter for the decisive moment, it flags that specific frame while also capturing before and after shots. That would make culling so much easier.
The mechanical shutter itself is beautifully soft and quiet… Canon really nailed the feel and sound of it.
Weird Bugs and Issues
I’ve encountered some strange bugs that I hope Canon addresses in firmware updates. The most annoying one happens when shooting with flash… sometimes when you hit the playback button, it shows you the image before the one you just took instead of the most recent shot. The photos save correctly, but the playback bug is genuinely frustrating when you’re trying to check your work quickly.
There’s also this random thing where the camera seems to freeze or hesitate for a moment, making you think it’s locked up when it’s just… thinking, I guess?
Overall there’s just some clear software issues that Canon should have fixed before shipping.
BUT, I will point out a “feature” I love when shooting at the fastest FPS while using a flash… you actually see a brief view of what the actual flash looks like. So, without image review you can know if you need to make any adjustments in real time. See the video to get a sense of that!
Temperature Management
Canon added a temperature gauge that shows when the camera’s getting hot, which is thoughtful. I haven’t come close to overheating in normal shooting conditions, so the thermal management seems solid.
Menu System Frustrations
Here’s something that really bugs me: Canon relocated a bunch of menu items, and you can’t use the copy settings feature from the R3 to transfer all of your preferences using a memory card. Starting from scratch with menu customization when you’re already familiar with Canon’s system feels unnecessarily tedious, but here we are.
Colors and Image Quality
The color science matches the R3 very closely, which is exactly what you’d want. If you’re used to Canon’s color rendering, you’ll feel right at home. Image quality is excellent, as expected from a flagship camera.
High ISO looks pretty good too, but nothing very different from the R3, and notably behind most of Sony and Nikon’s most recent offerings:
(above) 24 mm_1-50 sec at f – 1.4_ISO 12800
I’ll leave you with the rest of my favorite photos recently made with the Canon R1. It’s a very capable camera, but I really do recommend just going with the Canon R3 instead.
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