So, first things first, what’s it like, this camera that we’ve all been waiting for?

It’s a smaller camera body than a standard professional-level DSLR and it’s light, weighing about 600g. It feels solid in the hands and is well-built (I tested it in the pouring rain and can confirm it’s got good weather sealing). Personally, I added the battery grip as I like its ergonomics, but for those who are concerned about weight the small body will be perfect. It has a 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor with 30.3 megapixels and the latest DIGIC 8 image processor. The image quality is as beautiful as you would expect from Canon and there is 4K video (although I didn’t try the video features because I’m very much a stills photographer). It uses LP-E6N batteries like the 5D series cameras, so you might already have spare batteries that you can use with it.

The EOS R is going to be priced somewhere between the Canon 6D Mark II and the 5D Mark IV, making it a camera that will appeal to both professional photographers and serious amateurs alike. It’s not being marketed as a replacement for the 1DX Mark II that I use, it’s a very different beast with a frame rate of 8fps continuous shooting with fixed AF, or 5fps with AF tracking. I should say now though, I will definitely be buying one to shoot with alongside my current kit as it has so many new features which will improve the pictures I can take for my clients.

The new EOS R’s new lens mount means that Canon have been able to create lenses that weren’t possible before, and there is also an adaptor, so we can use existing EF lenses. This will really help when integrating the new camera into my current workflow because I can use my full range of lenses as well the four new RF mount lenses that have been announced so far: the RF 50mm f1.2L USM, RF 24-105mm f4L IS USM, RF 28-70mm f/2L USM, the RF 35mm f1.8 MACRO IS STM.

Like most of the mirrorless cameras on the market, the EOS R has totally silent shooting which is fantastic for wedding and street photography and – for me – really helpful when photographing newborns where I often find myself creeping about trying not to wake the little ones. It will also be hugely helpful at events or any moments where I want to totally blend into the background, such as if there is a particularly shy child who is very camera-aware.