The Canon EOS R is a mirrorless option for people who loved their DSLRs. It’s a hefty beast, with a solid feel that reminds me of what I used to love about film cameras. Even the on-off switch is made of metal. The sensor is typically Canon, which is to say sharp, with good contrast and the characteristic Canon color rendering (it’s slightly warmer in tone than some of the others here). The phase-detect autofocus is fast and accurate. One thing to note: The rumor mills suggest that the R might be getting an update in 2023.
One thing I really like is that when you change lenses there’s a cover that swings out to protect the sensor from dust. (The exception is if you have an adapter and you remove the lens but not the adapter.) Every camera on this list would benefit from adopting this feature. The R-Mount lens system uses a very wide base diameter, like the Nikon system, and achieves similar results—there are fast R lenses around. The better news for those already invested in Canon glass is that there’s a $99 adapter that will let you affix just about any older Canon lens to the R.
Specs: 30-megapixel full-frame sensor, 8 fps with autofocus, 4K/30 fps video, dual SD card slots
Alternatives: Canon has gone all-in on mirrorless in the past couple of years, with everything from this budget R model to the massive Canon EOS R5. Canon Mirrorless Cameras are all nice, especially if you have a lot of those sweet legacy Canon lenses.
