Images and words by Braden Cochran
After heavily shooting Canon Mirrorless cameras for sporting events over the past few years, I was super excited to get my hands on the Canon EOS R1 as soon as it was announced.
- Updated eye-tracking autofocus
- 40 frames per second
- A behemoth of a viewfinder
- A dedicated sports AF mode.
It’s a sports and action photographer’s dream.
My time finally arrived when I recently got my hands on one and took it out to a few events, including the 7v7 Football Tournament with NEBpreps. I paired the R1 with my Canon RF 70-200mm f/4 and the Canon RF 24-105mm f/2.8 lenses. As big as the R1 is, the grip is incredibly comfortable to hold all day, and it didn’t weigh me down more than any other camera would (only 100 grams heavier than my Canon EOS R6 with battery grip). Additionally, the viewfinder is enormous, featuring a 9.4 million dot display that virtually covers your whole eye and has some of the best color and brightness I’ve seen from a viewfinder.
While I was able to shoot 40fps, I reduced the frame rate to 30fps to avoid overloading myself with files; however, I did turn on pre-capture shooting. Some new mirrorless cameras can now “pre-load” shots while the Auto Focus is engaged. This feature will save the last few frames from just before you engage the shutter. With the Canon R1 it pre-captures the last 15 frames, allowing for more hits when shooting. I found that very helpful. There have been countless times that I have missed a shot because I engaged the shutter just a shade too late.
My Final Thoughts:
For professionals, it checks all the boxes, designed with speed in mind, its wireless capabilities have been updated as well, whether it be the Canon Camera Connect app or to an FTP server it gets files out very fast. An ethernet port is also located on the body for even faster file transfer.
It’s obscenely fast with phenomenal accuracy, and it's the most well-rounded camera that I have used in my time shooting. If you're looking to upgrade your sports and action photography game, make sure to pick up a Canon EOS R1! Now available at Rockbrook Camera.
About Braden Cochran:
Braden Cochran is a sports and action photographer based in Lincoln, Nebraska, known for capturing fast-paced moments with precision and energy. Over the past few years, he has photographed a wide range of events—from high school football, volleyball, soccer, and baseball to live concerts and local community gatherings.
Braden is a contributing freelance photographer for NEBpreps and has also worked with notable publications such as the Grand Island Independent and Lincoln Journal Star. His client list includes bands like Angelmaker, Bodybox, and Mugshot, bringing a gritty, dynamic edge to his music photography.
See Braden's Work:
Website
Instagram
