Adorama has issued a statement about their ‘mistake’ of leaking the Canon EOS R1 specifications. Was it an honest mistake? Or genius marketing? Even if it was the former, it pushed a lot of traffic their way. What does this mean for the real EOS R1 specifications? Until Canon lifts its skirt, we can only speculate. From my two cents, Adorama ‘might’ have been pretty close – but mum’s the word.

Yesterday, Canon made a development announcement for the much anticipated EOS R1 camera. The announcement was thin on material specifications and heavy on marketing hype and jargon. You can read the full announcement HERE. While we wait for Canon to officially announce further details Adorama have slipped up and published the main camera specifications (no doubt an ‘unfortunate’ mistake). A screenshot of which Peta-pixel grabbed before they quickly took it down (see bottom of this post). The main points to note are 30 mega pixels, no mechanical shutter, incredibly fast electronic readout, up to a crazy 240 fps and a one second pre-capture feature.

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.

Petapixel have also published a very interesting comparison between the ergonomics of the EOS R3 and the EOS R1.

My time in Australia has already ended, and in a few minutes, I will be heading back to the Airport to make my way to Africa for my Namibia and Zululand masterclass workshops. I am going to be away for a little over a month this time and am very much looking forward to trekking the dunes of the world’s oldest desert and photographing the incredible wildlife Africa has to offer. As a polar specialist, I occasionally like to venture into warmer climates and will return again next year to Zululand to lead another masterclass workshop for ground-level wildlife photography. This workshop has become a staple over the last few years and offers a unique opportunity to photograph African wildlife from luxury hides at the ground level. It also includes an incredible opportunity to walk with Cheetahs that is not to be missed. An experience that can yield stunning photographs of these beautiful cats. Check out the sort of photographs you can capture in my Africa portfolio HERE.