I’m really liking the rendering and IQ I’m seeing from the R and, at my very brief try, it felt good in the hand. However Fuji have these days nailed the nice to use factors on the X-T3 and I do much prefer using that to my 5Diii.
Now folks have been using the R for a while, I’m wondering what’s the conclusion about how it handles and using it in the field as it were. What are the likes and dislikes? What needs some attention in next gen?
.... I have been shooting with the R since it became available in the UK. My other camera body is a 1DX-2 and so my opinions about the R cannot help but be influenced by that and, perhaps surprisingly, also vica-versa. Consequently I have shot with a variety of EF L lenses on the Control Ring Adapter and also the RF 24-105mm F/4L.
No camera is perfect but judge the image quality of my EOS-R results for yourself - Flickr album :
https://www.flickr.com/photos/114775606@N07/albums/72157703352623054
I have shot with it in snow showers high in mountains, some above the tree line, hours of fine drizzle, low minus temperatures, all without any problems. So so far it seems tough enough for my wildlife photography.
However, I am totally spoilt by 14fps on my 1DX and so the R's low fps rate can sometimes have limitations of final picture choice. I use Sony TOUGH SDXC UHS-II cards which write up to 299MB/s and there is no buffer or lag even on one burst of over 40 RAW shots continuous shooting (a test I did) - Canon strongly recommend the UHS-II cards for the EOS-R to get optimum performance. I only shoot RAW and nearly always Manual-mode.
This is the first EVF for me which has an acceptable quality and I especially like WYSIWYG and seeing the histogram in the viewfinder. A clever and great feature is that the EVF automatically switches itself on when your eye (or anything) is held close and is otherwise off.
My biggest dislike is the position of the AF-ON button at an awkward slant - When I am quickly swopping between the R and 1DX, each with a lens already mounted, the AF-ON on the R which I use for Back Button Focus is a nightmare!
Battery life is poor but has strangely greatly improved with the addition of the Battery Grip - Go figure! Fortunately I already had 5 batteries from previously owning a 70D and then a 7D-2 with 5D-4.
Handheld shooting with telephoto lenses has greatly improved handling and balance since the battery grip was attached, especially for portrait orientation.
The Vario-angle screen is invaluable when shooting on a tripod or ground pod but otherwise I keep it folded facing inwards and therefore off.
If there is time to set up a shot I really like and prefer the R to the 1DX, especially on a tripod. But for handheld quick response to action and the ability to just ignore any weather conditions, the 1DX-2 rules! There is no such thing as the perfect camera but a mirrorless 1DX equivalent with vario-angle screen would come close. But I still need two bodies rather than faff around changing lenses and also risking dust and debris etc getting inside.
HTH