Canon's first full-frame mirrorless body for the RF mount, from 2018. Launched at $2,299 body-only. Still worth it in 2026: yes, for stills if you can live without in-body stabilization.
Canon EOS R (body only, with body cap). Photo: Tycho via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)
HIGHLIGHTS
Canon U.S.A. announced the EOS R on September 5, 2018 as the first body for its new full-frame RF mount, at $2,299 for the body. It pairs a 30.3MP full-frame CMOS sensor with DIGIC 8. Dual Pixel CMOS AF covers about 88% × 100% of the frame with 5,655 manually selectable points, and Canon rates it down to EV -6, a useful figure for dim venues. The 0.5-inch 3.69M-dot OLED finder runs at about 0.76x, and the 3.15-inch 2.1M-dot touchscreen swings out for low and high angles.
It's still a capable stills camera. Canon lists water and dust resistance, a 1/8000 s shutter and a top LCD panel, and EF lenses work through Canon's EF-EOS R adapters. The limits are real, though: Canon's spec sheet lists no in-body stabilization, so pair it with IS lenses. Bursts reach about 8 fps, or 5 fps with AF tracking. There's one UHS-II SD slot, and the LP-E6N is rated for about 370 shots (CIPA, 23°C). Video tops out at 4K up to 29.97p, 8-bit 4:2:0 internally, with 10-bit 4:2:2 only over HDMI.
Our gallery comes from six photographers: a storm sky over the Badlands on the RF 24-105 F4L, a gray treefrog on an EF 100mm macro, a JR Freight EF66 hauling containers, Devonshire Square in London on a TS-E 24mm tilt-shift, a lighthouse under a crescent moon at 150mm, and open fields on the Siedlce upland on the RF 24-105 STM. Still worth it in 2026? Yes, for stills shooters who want the RF mount and use stabilized lenses. If you want a smaller, lighter body, look at the EOS RP.
The story
Canon U.S.A. announced the EOS R on September 5, 2018 alongside the first RF lenses, saying it was scheduled to be available in October 2018 for $2,299 for the body only, or $3,399 with the RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM (Canon U.S.A.).
The same release introduced the Multi-Function Bar and the three EF-EOS R mount adapters for EF and EF-S lenses.
Specifications
Key specs for the Canon EOS R, from Canon Europe's EOS R specifications page and Canon U.S.A.'s September 5, 2018 release. Source for each row in brackets.
Canon RF; EF/EF-S lenses via the EF-EOS R adapters [Canon U.S.A.]
Autofocus
Dual Pixel CMOS AF; 5,655 selectable points; about 88% × 100% coverage; EV -6 to 18 [Canon U.S.A., Canon Europe]
ISO
100–40000; expandable to 50 (L), 51200 (H1) and 102400 (H2) [Canon Europe]
Stabilization
Not listed in Canon's spec sheet (use stabilized lenses) [Canon Europe]
Shutter
30 s to 1/8000 s; silent shutter mode [Canon Europe]
Bursts
Up to about 8 fps; about 5 fps with AF tracking [Canon Europe]
Viewfinder
0.5-inch OLED, 3.69M dots, about 0.76x, 100% [Canon Europe]
Screen
3.15-inch vari-angle touchscreen, about 2.1M dots; top LCD panel [Canon Europe, Canon U.S.A.]
Video
4K (3840 × 2160) up to 29.97p, 4:2:0 8-bit internal; 4:2:2 8/10-bit over HDMI; Canon Log; Full HD up to 59.94p, HD 119.9p [Canon Europe]
Card / ports
One SD (UHS-II); USB 3.1 Type-C; mic and headphone jacks; Wi-Fi and Bluetooth [Canon Europe]
Weather resistance
Water and dust resistant [Canon Europe]
Battery (CIPA)
LP-E6N; about 370 shots (at 23°C) [Canon Europe]
Size / weight
135.8 × 98.3 × 84.4 mm; about 580 g body only (660 g with card and battery) [Canon Europe]
Announced / price
Sep 5, 2018; $2,299 body-only, $3,399 with RF 24-105mm F4 L [Canon U.S.A.]
Sample photos
Six photos taken with the Canon EOS R by six photographers, shared on Wikimedia Commons under Creative Commons licenses or in the public domain. Each caption gives the settings the file records. Select a photo to enlarge it. More samples from Canon
f/11, ISO 100, 1/1250 s: storm clouds over the Badlands (RF24-105mm F4 L IS USM). Photo: Janusz Sobolewski via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)f/5.6, ISO 800, 1/125 s: a gray treefrog (EF100mm f/2.8 Macro USM). Photo: Peter Paplanus via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0 (resized)
f/5.6, ISO 200, 1/1250 s: a JR Freight EF66-27 in Koshigaya Laketown, Japan (Tamron 70-210mm F/4). Photo: Kuroc622 via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)f/3.5, ISO 200, 1/80 s: 12 and 13 Devonshire Square, London (TS-E24mm f/3.5L II tilt-shift). Photo: Bobulous via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
f/10, ISO 800, 6 s: the lighthouse at Capo Murro di Porco, Sicily, under a crescent moon (Sigma 150-600mm Contemporary). Photo: Kevin Saragozza via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)f/8, ISO 200, 1/100 s: farmland on the Siedlce upland, Poland (RF24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM). Photo: Rafafa1234 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)
Canon: Launched at $2,299 in 2018 (US, body only).
Verdict
Still worth it in 2026? Yes, for stills shooters who want the full-frame RF mount, a big, sharp finder and good handling, and who already use (or plan to buy) stabilized lenses.
Look elsewhere if you need in-body stabilization, fast bursts with tracking, two card slots or 4K above 30p.
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