We already know that Canon is officially developing the flagship R1 full frame mirrorless camera, but now it looks like the second generation R5 Mk. II will join the fleet, and both cameras could arrive as early as mid-July.
CanonRumors, the usual source of all murmurings from Lake Success, came across a posting on the Chinese Social Media Network Weibo, which states that Canon has registered two cameras in 2024, dubbed DS126928′ and ‘DS126922.’
These cameras are now believed to represent the Canon R1 flagship, and the next-gen consumer-grade R5 Mk. II.
Image Credit – Canon
Designed to fit squarely between consumer-grade mirrorless cameras and the professional Cinema line of camera platforms, the R1 promises to deliver superior video from a redesigned CMOS image processor with a so-called DIGIC Accelerator, which will work in concert to provide higher resolution and dynamic range.
Canon also states that the new tandem processing system will be able to process large volumes of data at high speeds, hinting that it may support 8K video.
Canon has also been developing a global architecture for the system, which will work like a global shutter to write the entire image, thereby minimizing or even eliminating the annoying rolling shutter problem that has traditionally been the bane of a moving camera option.
The camera will also feature WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity and should be field-tested at the 2024 Summer Olympics in Paris.
Let’s face it, if you want to put a camera like the R1 through its paces in a high-performance environment, there’s no better place than a worldwide gathering of the best athletes in the world for two weeks.
Meanwhile, the Canon R5 Mk. II is speculated to incorporate a 45-megapixel stacked backside illuminated CMOS image sensor, with a faster readout than the R3.
The camera is believed to have improved heat management when shooting long-form video, plus 30 fps per second still image bursts through a mechanical shutter, though others believe that Canon will follow Nikon’s lead and ditch the mechanical shutter altogether.
Regardless, the R5II will also feature Canon’s latest pre-burst capture technology to show shooters don’t miss the action.
The R5 Mk. II will also have improved eye-tracking autofocus and a smart controller and with a stacked processor design, could handle data streams for higher-resolution 8K video internally.
There is also talk that Canon’s autofocus will feature AI-based autofocus functions for identifying, locking on, and tracking subjects within the image frame.
Canon’s AI Autofocus will allow the camera to switch from One-Shot AF to AI Servo AF when the subject begins to move.
Rumored Pricing and Availability
The prices of both the R1 and R5 Mk. II are believed to be not that much outside the current prices of their predecessors, the 1DX Mk. II and the R5.
That should put the Canon R1 at in the neighborhood of $6,499 for the R1, and around $3,899 for the Canon R5 Mk. II. Give or take.
Inside sources state that Canon will be announcing both cameras as early as July 17, 2024, with shipping not expected until the end of summer, or perhaps in late Fall, just in time for the Holiday shopping season.
Only time will tell. And by then, users will likely see plenty of still images and video footage out of Paris from the R1 in all its glory.
[source: Canon Rumors, NFS]
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