On the morning of the 23rd, Canon Korea announced the official launch of its ambitious products, the EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II, at a press conference held at the Signiel in Seoul’s Lotte World Tower.
The press conference was attended by Canon Korea CEO Park Jung-woo, along with Tezuki Kiyomi, Deputy General Manager of Canon’s Imaging Business Division, who introduced Canon Korea’s history, its global stature, and the key features of the new products, EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II, which encapsulate the latest technologies.
CEO Park Jung-woo, in his welcome speech, stated, “As a total imaging solutions company, Canon Korea is maximizing synergy across its businesses under the ‘One Canon’ vision,” and emphasized that the newly launched EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II embody over 80 years of Canon’s optical technology and innovation. He also expressed a goal of achieving a ‘grand slam’ by reaching the number one market share across four sectors this year: cameras, copiers, inkjet printers, and commercial printing.
The new models, EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II, feature the most powerful next-generation sensor engine system in the history of the EOS R system, called ‘Accelerated Capture’, along with an updated ‘Dual Pixel Intelligent AF’ algorithm derived from deep learning technology.
The Accelerated Capture system combines Canon’s self-developed high-speed readout back-illuminated stacked CMOS sensor, along with the ‘DIGIC Accelerator’ front engine that can read, analyze, and process the massive data quickly coming from the sensor, and Canon’s proprietary image processor ‘DIGIC X’.
This innovation allows for high-speed shooting, precise autofocus, and simultaneous photo/video capture, opening up a variety of shooting possibilities that were previously unachievable, while enabling easier utilization of deep learning technology within the camera. The enhanced Dual Pixel Intelligent AF algorithm works superbly in challenging conditions, such as during sporting events or wildlife photography, providing excellent precision in focusing according to the photographer’s intent.
The EOS R1 is Canon’s flagship full-frame mirrorless camera that incorporates the best of Canon’s technology, making it ideal for a wide range of professional photography and videography areas, including sports, news reporting, and video production.
Equipped with a Canon-developed approximately 24.2-megapixel back-illuminated stacked full-frame CMOS sensor, the EOS R1 optimizes data processing speed and pixel performance. The integration of the Accelerated Capture system allows for rapid interpretation of large datasets, enabling high-speed continuous shooting and fast autofocus processing while reducing rolling shutter distortion. Additionally, the deep learning technology added to the Accelerated Capture system provides upscaling and noise reduction capabilities to approximately 96 million pixels.
The EOS R1 features an electronic shutter that allows for high-speed continuous shooting of about 40 frames per second without blackout, and it supports cross-type autofocus with its dual pixel CMOS AF, improving subject identification accuracy and effectively capturing challenging subjects. It also enhances video shooting capabilities, allowing for up to 6K 60p RAW video recording and the possibility of compatibility operations with the Cinema EOS series.
The EOS R5 Mark II is a high-performance full-frame mirrorless camera that caters to a wide user range from high amateurs to professional photographers. It is the successor to the EOS R5, showcasing significant advancements in image sensor and image processing engine compared to its predecessor.
The EOS R5 Mark II comes equipped with approximately 45 megapixels of back-illuminated stacked full-frame CMOS sensor and features the same Accelerated Capture system and deep learning technology as the EOS R1, thus expanding its shooting capabilities. The AF technology has also been upgraded with features such as ‘Action Priority AF’ to detect sporting movements, ‘Registered Person Priority’ that can recognize up to 100 faces, and ‘Eye Control’ that senses the eye movement looking through the viewfinder to control focus.
With an electronic shutter, the EOS R5 Mark II can perform high-speed continuous shooting at a maximum of about 30 frames per second, and with deep learning technology, it supports upscaling to approximately 179 million pixels. Video recording capabilities have also been improved, allowing photo capture even while recording FHD 30p video, and the integration with Cinema EOS offers efficient workflows while maintaining high quality. Additionally, a cooling fan accessory named ‘CF-R20EP’ for the EOS R5 Mark II has been released, greatly extending recording times and catering to the needs of shooters requiring long recordings.
Through this press conference, Canon Korea expressed its commitment to continually introducing innovative products that exceed customer expectations. Tezuki Kiyomi noted, “Canon has launched innovative camera systems featuring a large-diameter electronic mount with in-lens motor drive systems, leading the industry by meeting various customer demands since releasing the new EOS R platform in 2018,” and concluded that “today marks a monumental day as we officially unveil high-performance full-frame cameras, the EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II, equipped with the best imaging engine systems in Canon’s history.”
The EOS R5 Mark II is set to be officially sold on September 4th, priced at ▲5,499,000 KRW for the body and ▲6,828,000 KRW for the 24-105 F4 KIT, while the EOS R1 is expected to launch around November at around 8 million KRW. More details can be found on the official Canon Korea website.
Lee Sang-jin daedusj@autodiary.kr