The Canon EOS R1 will have "less resolution than many think", and could be announced at the end of February, if the latest rumors are to be believed.
If true, it's a move that would make a lot of sense. The current de facto flagship is the Canon EOS R3, which is a professional camera geared towards speed – leaving the Canon EOS R5 and R5C as the dedicated resolution / 8K cameras in the company's lineup.
Unlike the Sony A1 and Nikon Z9 / Z8, which try to be everything to everyone, Canon's strategy would see the EOS R1 stick to pro-grade performance while the upcoming EOS R5 Mark II (now said to arrive in the second half of the year) will focus on next-level resolution.
"We have also been told that the EOS R1 will have 'less resolution than many think'," wrote Canon Rumors. "We have seen hints over the last few months that the EOS R1 will not shoot 8K video, which would put the resolution below the 45MP of the EOS R5.
"We don't think that this will be a big deal, as 8K isn't really broadly used for various reasons. That said, we expect the R5 line to continue to feature 8K. For the folks that do shoot 8K, and EOS R5 or EOS R5 C is probably a better form factor anyway once you start rigging them up and all that."
The late Feburary announcement would take place, as expected, at CP+ 2024 – the world's largest camera and imaging show, which will hail from Yokohama, Japan, from 22 to 25 February.
It feels like Canon is cutting things a bit fine with the R1. This is, after all, a camera that's supposed to be in the hands of the world's best sports photographers at the Paris Olympics, which is happening in July. Nikon and Sony have established a solid lead with their sports cameras, and the Sony A9 III has already achieved world firsts, so Canon will need to hit the home straight pretty hard and fast.
Check out the latest Canon Rumors to keep on top of what's on the way, and take a look at the best Canon cameras along with the best Canon RF lenses and the best Canon DSLR lenses.
