Simply put, I wanted more without breaking the bank. More what? Well, more freedom to enlarge my images for printing without significant loss of detail. I’ve been using mostly APS-C digitals for my work up to this point with good results. I’ve made money with these non-professional cameras too and they certainly do a nice job capturing images for this blog, Flickr, and in my online shops (Mercari, eBay x2, Etsy x 2). But as digital cameras have gotten better I’ve stayed on the sidelines and away from buying a high-cost and high-end digital – until now.

Enter the new kid on the block – my Canon EOS R 30.3 MP full-frame camera shown here with a crazy big Canon EF 50mm f1.4 USM lens and Canon EF-EOS R adapter (required if you want to shoot with your existing EF glass). Also shown and totally unnecessary Canon BG-E22 battery grip. I say unnecessary because I’m not a videographer and I don’t need the extra power of an additional battery but as a still photographer I need the grip as it gives my big hands a secure place to hold on and steady big lenses. Speaking about the grip, it takes two Canon LP-E6N batteries, not three. To attach the grip you’ll first need to remove the battery from inside the camera as the accessory grip fits up inside the camera in that spot.

I wanted those 30 Megapixels and I wanted the full-frame sensor. This will likely be the last mirrorless body that I buy so I wanted one that wouldn’t be obsolete in a few years. I know, the Canon EOS R came out in late 2018 so it’s already getting on but Canon is great about firmware updates so it’ll stay fresh a while longer. Another reason to stay with Canon apart from being able to keep using my current EF lenses is that the new RF lenses that were designed for their full-frame mirrorless cameras are some of the best lenses made.

With the Canon RF 50mm f1.8 USM lens attached the Canon EOS R hits its stride – a compact and powerful camera that’s easy on the bank. I was able to get the 50mm f1.8 lens brand new (Gray Market) for under $170 (Canon price $199) and the camera for $1,599 from B&H (USA warranty). The battery grip was purchased on eBay as an “open box” listing which also included the USB Power Adapter PD-E1 for only $178 (Canon price $259). At under $2,000 for an amazing 30.3 MP full-frame mirrorless, you can’t go wrong.

On a side note, when I installed the RF 50mm f1.8 USM lens last night I realized that my new camera had the previous firmware installed as I had this pop up on the LCD –

It was an easy “fix” as I went to Canon’s website and downloaded Ver. 1.8.0 and installed it in the camera. Good to go but I was surprised since this version has been out since June 2021. Oh well, all new cameras sit in stock at some point.

Thanks for stopping by and have a fantastic day! – Chris

Comments are always welcomed as I’ve learned quite a bit from reader feedback. As always, thanks for stopping by and, while you’re at it, feel free to visit my camera shop at http://www.ccstudio2380.com (CC Design Studios hosted by Etsy). – Chris Whelan

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