DXOMark reviews the EOS R

DXO Mark released their review of the EOS R.

I have great respect for the amount of work that it takes for DXO to generate a review of this nature, however, I am one that disagrees with the summary numbers as a way to intelligently compare camera output.

If you notice, I didn’t use the word “sensor” that is because there’s more in the chain than just the sensor.  There is the analog to digital conversion, correlated double sampling to achieve more accurate results, and finally actual low-level manipulation of the data that comes off the sensor until it’s finally saved onto the card in your camera.  Comparing across brands is always difficult because there are so many factors in play, DXO allows you to drill into the measurements and actually get a good idea on how each camera responds.

The EOS R camera performs well under DXO’s tests having similar responses to their test as when they compared against the 5D Mark IV.  As it should, Canon claims that the 5D Mark IV and the EOS R share the same sensor with the sensor in the EOSR having a slightly different microlens design for needed for mirrorless full frame.  If you drill into the detail comparison between the 5D Mark IV and the EOS R, you’ll see that the two differ really in what could be only manufacturing tolerance level of differences in between the two.  In these two samples, the 5D Mark IV is slightly ahead of the EOS R.  This could well be the case, as the EOS R is in a smaller camera body and because of the nature of mirrorless has the sensor running and streaming data off it continuously to feed the LCD display and the electronic viewfinder.  The 5D Mark IV, the sensor only really turns on and streams data when you press the shutter button.  Running all the time causes more heat, and more heat causes more noise to be generated randomly on the sensor itself causing a reduction in performance.

When compared against its competitors, the EOS R is slightly behind, however unless you are shooting primarily at ISO 100 and need every ounce of dynamic range possible, you’re simply not going to see the differences in your photography.

DXO concluded after testing the EOS R;

it’s not surprising that the results for the EOS R are very close to that of the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. Both appear to use a similar sensor, with some of the differences likely attributable to the increased number of AF points available in the EOS R.

While not possessing the low noise levels of the Nikon Z 6 and Sony A7 III, which have slightly lower pixel density and BSI architecture in their favor, the EOS R’s sensor is one of Canon’s best. It comes very close to the one used in the pro-level EOS 1Dx Mark II, particularly in its low light, high ISO capabilities.

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