It’s more certain than ever before:
Canon will release an APS-C EOS R model, probably before 2021 is out.
The APS-C mirrorless camera (dubbed the “Canon EOS R7” by Canon Rumors) has been rumored for months – we reported on it back in March of this year – but its existence has been hotly debated on the internet.
Why?
For one, Canon already offers a popular series of APS-C mirrorless models (the EOS M lineup), which would make the EOS R7 a bit of an oddity. And an EOS R7 could pave the way for an EOS M phaseout.
To be clear, Canon hasn’t actually acknowledged the existence of the EOS R7. But Canon Rumors has it on good authority that there is “an APS-C sensor-equipped RF mount camera…in the wild with a select group of photographers.”
And from a historical perspective, the EOS R7 makes sense. The Canon EOS 7D and EOS 7D Mark II were Canon’s two semi-professional APS-C DSLR models, designed for bird, wildlife, and action photographers who couldn’t afford a Canon 1D series camera or who simply wanted to maximize reach in the field. They offered blazing-fast autofocus, high continuous shooting speeds, and rugged bodies that could handle extreme conditions.
But the EOS 7D Mark II launched way back in 2014, and despite various rumors, no successor has ever been announced – which is what makes the prospect of an EOS R7 so exciting for fans of the 7D series.
Of course, we don’t know for certain that an EOS R7 would be a true “7D Mark III” model. But an APS-C EOS R camera would be well-placed to cater to the same type of photographers so enamored with the 7D series. An RF APS-C camera would offer the technological advancements of the EOS R series, access to Canon’s excellent (and fast-growing) RF lens lineup, plus a 1.6x crop factor (one that’ll turn the new Canon RF 100-500mm lens into a 160-800mm powerhouse!).
According to Canon Rumors, the EOS R7 “looks nearly identical to the EOS R6,” and Canon Rumors suggests that “specifications [will] be nearly identical as well.” This makes sense; while the Canon EOS R6’s 20 MP sensor offers little in the way of resolution, it makes up for it in autofocus speed, 20 frames-per-second continuous shooting, excellent in-body image stabilization, dual card slots, stellar low-light performance, 4K/60p video, and more – exactly what you’d expect from a next-gen Canon EOS 7D model.
So for any bird photographers, wildlife photographers, or action photographers looking for a relatively inexpensive but high-powered APS-C camera…
…the wait is almost over!
Now over to you:
What do you think of Canon’s decision to create an RF-mount APS-C camera? And do you think it’ll be a 7D successor? Share your thoughts in the comments!
