The past several years haven’t been kind to the 1.5x crop sensor camera. Other than Fuji, every major manufacturer of aps-c cameras has shifted their focus toward full frame. Canon’s most recent aps-c camera was their M50 Mark II in October 2020; Sony’s newest (late-2019) a6100 and a6600 have already been soft-discontinued; only Nikon has released something in the last year with the Zfc, which is broadly the same as 2019’s Z50 but with retro styling. So, fans of aps-c should be heartened to see Canon’s new announcement of the EOS R7 and EOS R10 – plus two crop-sensor lenses – for the EOS R mirrorless system.
Canon’s EOS R system is by far their most important line of cameras at the moment, but until now, all EOS R cameras have been full-frame. The R7 and R10 change the narrative and are Canon’s most important foray into aps-c mirrorless yet. (The previous Canon M System had several aps-c mirrorless cameras and sold fairly well, but those cameras stopped receiving much R&D once Canon started making the more flexible EOS R system.)
Today’s EOS R10 and EOS R7 will appeal to slightly different audiences. The EOS R10 is a 24 MP midrange camera retailing for $980, body only. The EOS R7 is a higher-speed, higher-resolution (33 MP) camera that Canon is targeting for advanced users, with a $1500 body-only price to boot. The two lenses announced are basic variable-aperture kit zooms: an 18-45mm f/4.5-6.3 IS and an 18-150mm f/3.5-6.3 IS.
Here are the most important specifications of the two cameras:
Canon EOS R10
- Sensor size: 22.3 × 14.9 mm (aps-c)
- Resolution, effective: 24.2 megapixels
- In-body image stabilization: No
- Autofocus points: 651
- Frame rate: 23 FPS (electronic shutter), 15 FPS (mechanical shutter)
- Buffer (Lossless Raw): 21 frames at 23 FPS; 29 frames at 15 FPS
- Buffer (Lossy C-Raw): 43 frames at 23 FPS; 157 frames at 15 FPS
- LCD type: Tilt-flip touchscreen
- Max video specs: 3840 × 2160 (4K) at 60 FPS; 1080p at 120 FPS
- Video compression: 10-Bit with 4:2:2 chroma sampling; H.265/MP4
- Battery life, LCD: 430 photos
- Battery life, EVF: 260 photos
- Memory cards: 1× SD, UHS-II compatible
- Weight w/ battery and card: 429 g (0.95 lbs)
- Dimensions (W×H×D): 123 × 88 × 83 mm (4.8 × 3.5 × 3.3 in.)
- Price: $979 (body only), $1099 (with 18-45mm kit), $1379 (with 18-150mm kit)
Canon EOS R7
- Sensor size: 22.3 × 14.8 mm (aps-c)
- Resolution, effective: 32.5 megapixels
- In-body image stabilization: Yes, up to 8 stops when also using stabilized lens
- Autofocus points: 651
- Frame rate: 30 FPS (electronic shutter), 15 FPS (mechanical shutter)
- Buffer (Lossless Raw): 42 frames at 30 FPS; 51 frames at 15 FPS
- Buffer (Lossy C-Raw): 93 frames at 30 FPS; 187 frames at 15 FPS
- LCD type: Tilt-flip touchscreen
- Max video specs: 3840 × 2160 (4K) at 60 FPS; 1080p at 120 FPS
- Video compression: 10-Bit with 4:2:2 chroma sampling; H.265/MP4
- Battery life, LCD: 770 photos
- Battery life, EVF: 500 photos
- Memory cards: 2× SD, both UHS-II compatible
- Weight w/ battery and card: 612 g (1.35 lbs)
- Dimensions (W×H×D): 132 × 90 × 92 mm (5.2 × 3.6 × 3.6 in.)
- Price: $1499 (body only), $1899 (with 18-150mm kit lens)
Summary
These are rather impressive specifications for aps-c cameras. Both cameras, but especially the EOS R7, could be considered good choices for even pro-level sports and wildlife photography depending on your needs (assuming their autofocus performance is sufficiently good). With a crop sensor, resolutions of 24 and 33 megapixels will allow you to put a lot of pixels on distant subjects, and the high frame rates of 23 and 30 FPS are enough for nearly any subject. Even the buffer performance of both cameras looks solid, especially if you use lossy instead of lossless compressed RAW.
It seems as though aps-c might be the next battleground in the mirrorless world. I’d be okay with that. Even today, crop-sensor cameras like the Nikon D500 and Olympus E-M1X are popular among wildlife photographers who need a high pixel density for their subjects. For context, a 24 megapixel aps-c camera has the pixel density of a 58 megapixel full-frame camera; meanwhile, a 33 megapixel aps-c has the pixel density of 79 megapixels on full-frame. So if you need maximum detail on something small or distant, crop sensors aren’t inherently at a disadvantage.
Combine that high pixel density with an impressive 23 or 30 FPS, a decent buffer, and a lower price ($1500 for the EOS R7 versus $2500 for the full-frame EOS R6) and you can see the appeal. These cameras will now be two of my top recommendations for aspiring sports/wildlife photographers on a budget, who can push their dollars much further with a crop-sensor body like this.
It begs the question of what Nikon, Sony, and Fuji will do in response. According to various rumors, Fuji is already working on a high-speed X-H2s, but the news is pretty quiet at the moment from Nikon and Sony. No doubt there are many potential Nikon and Sony shooters who don’t want to spend a small fortune on the Z9 or A1 and would be interested in a fast aps-c camera with high pixel density like this.
In short, Canon may have breathed new life into aps-c with this announcement and forced the other “big two” to revamp their incomplete aps-c lineups in response. Here’s hoping 2022 is a good year for aps-c mirrorless.
Looks like the R7 is the reason to give up on Nikon. Ideal for budget wildlife with the 100-500 (beats the Nikon 100-400 + 1.4 TC, even if Nikon had a decent aps-c camera).
Admittedly there are no decent wider lenses, so the RP with a 15-30 and 24-240 will do the job – for landscapes it’ll be 100 iso on a tripod at f11, so inexpensive lenses will suffice.
Nikon just hasn’t got the equivalent nor do they appear to planning it.
I will buy R7 instead of R6 as I had planned. Have the RP that will keep.
The R10 and particularly the R7 will sell by the truck load, that’s my prediction, providing Canon can manage supply issues. I’m in the queue for the R7, it’s a power house of a camera at, at last, a reasonable/reachable price for non pro’s. Yes I’m excited.
For those expressing a interest in the Z7 ii, there is a group of individuals working out the Nikon Marketing as conjecture.
Using the present situation for the short supply of critical components, it is looking likely that Dual Sensor Bodies are eating too much of the available resource.
Single Sensor Bodies are said to be the main focus for production.
With this in mind, the suggestion being made is that the Z7 iii may be the first Body to be offered with Z9 Trickle Down Technology on board.
Unless Nikon, Canon or Sony produces a DX super-telephoto lens, there is really not much point for them to produce a very light and capable DX body. Weight is the top most concern for aging birders like myself. My hope is totally placed on the upcoming Fuji X-HS2 and 150-600 combo.
Really? So the 200-600mm from Sony, the 100-500mm from Canon and Nikon’s promised 200-600mm don’t count for DX? A decent APS-C body from Sony (mini A1) or a mirrorless D500 (mini Z9) with their focusing abilitites plus a higher MP would be great for birders, ageing or otherwise ;)
Nothing against that Fuji combo – I’m sure it will be great. But there are plenty of lightweight full-frame lenses that could work for APS-C cameras, too. Nikon’s PF lineup is one example.
Surely lightweight FX super-teles can be used on DX bodies, but you are still carrying around extra weight for an image circle that you don’t need. e.g. a Nikon 500 PF weighs around 1.5 kg, I’d imagine a PF DX lens of the same spec to weigh just over 1.0 kg. Then it makes perfect sense to reduce the body weight to around 350 g. The whole point of using DX is reasonably good picture quality with a light weight system.
The Canon 100-500 is fine. It produces 800mm efl. That’s enough. The longest 35mm lens is 800mm. And it can cost $24,000.
I hope you are right about APS-C becoming a new battleground. I will be wanting to replace my D500 in the near future and at the moment it looks like my choice is between buying a Z7ii (in DX mode for birding) or getting another (used) D500 with fewer actuations on the clock. I’d love an APS-C camera in Z-mount but by all accounts the Z50 and Zfc don’t have the autofocus performance that I need!
I wouldn’t tend to recommend the Z7 II as a dedicated birding camera, although it’s perfectly good for occasional wildlife photography. Looks like there are a lot of people in your boat hoping for a Nikon version of the EOS R7.
Seconded. AF and burst rate are *okay*, but not great with my Z7ii in this role. I’ve missed a number of BIF shots. Static is fine. Pre-planned (pre-focused) is fine. You can blame the photographer (I certainly do!) but the gear isn’t making up for my missteps the way it does in other scenarios where I can rely on its eye AF and other affordances.
The high megapixel sensor helps when cropping (assuming the lens is up to it). The 10 FPS max burst rate results in a slide show, which makes it even harder to track a rapidly moving subject. The 5.5 FPS continuous high setting still has significant blackout, but doesn’t result in a slide show, and so I’ve generally found better success with that mode.
And Peter, from personal experience…no, the Z50 doesn’t have the chops either. I haven’t done a direct comparison but I intuitively feel like the Z7ii might do a bit better than the Z50 for this scenario.
I’m using the Z7ii as an occasional birding camera and it’s okayish, but doesn’t excite me when it comes to bird photography. I still feel like I’m having to fight the camera in contrast to my occasional bouts of portrait photography with the family where I’m struggling with corralling the subjects, but the camera does its job without me having to think about it.
Excellent analysis. I would also say the R7 would be my new top wildlife mirrorless recommendation for those wanting to buy new but don’t want to buy the top end full-frame mirrorless. I myself am waiting for Nikon’s response to one day replace by D500.
Same here! The D500 is already a great camera, but I’m hoping for a mirrorless successor. When it comes out, I might finally try my hand at wildlife photography.
I have been waiting for the aps-c mirrorless camera battle to start and stop seeing 5-7 years old cameras in the list of recomended aps-c camera lists nowadays. I will love also to see how these new sensors performs for landscape photography.
No kidding, the Nikon D500 has held the top spot for ages! It’s a great camera, but it’s also long past time for some new R&D in this area of the camera market.
This announcement is great for the mirrorless industry. Both cameras seem quite capable, and even the R10 will give Z50 a run for its money.
Now, just hoping that Nikon can relase something in the slot of the R7 (and at that price point would be awesome), so I would have an excuse to get a secondary body for wildlife!!
I agree on all counts!
I would prefer that Nikon concentrate on the release of their next FF body (Z6/7 successor..) with the AF focusing improvements from the Z9, which is the only significant weak point in the system right now from what I see
Given production timelines, unless they’ve got something in the oven already, I wouldn’t expect anything out of Nikon and Sony for another year or two. If they were already planning on releasing something they may be able to pull the schedule forward.
It’s interesting; we’ve all been waiting for Canon to release an R1, and they turned around and made a viable APS-C line with what looks to be class-leading AF for the form factor. It’s a good time if you’re a sports Canon shooter, and as a Nikon shooter wishing for the Z9’s AF but living with the Z7ii’s AF, I’m hoping Nikon comes out with something similar soon.
You’re right, it depends on how long Nikon has had something similar in development. They can’t make a Z90 (or whatever they want to call it) appear overnight. But Nikon historically has kept pace with Canon on most high-end releases, and they’ve probably known that something like the R7 was in the works. I’m hopeful that Nikon will be able to release a competitor this year.