Canon Rumors is floating a cheaper full-frame body under the EOS R8 Mark II and, for now, calling it the EOS R9. That name is a placeholder, not a Canon product code. CR says a couple of people told the site over the last few days that the R8 Mark II will not be the entry-level full-frame camera, and that another one is “said to be coming at some point in 2027.”
The site is not treating this as a hard leak. Quote: it is not putting any level of confidence into the information — only that it “seems plausible.” There is no sensor, no body photo, and no launch month. The header graphic is an unofficial mockup of an EOS RP with an R9 badge glued on.
Why “R9,” and why 2027
CR’s logic is lineup math. The R8 Mark II photos and the leak sheet already have IBIS, pre-shooting, a joystick, and a rumored $1,799 US / €1,879 ticket, with a September 15 New York date. That is $300 above the original R8’s $1,499 launch. Hardware (IBIS) costs money. It is also $500 above the EOS RP’s 2019 launch price of $1,299 — which CR says is still where a true entry full-frame needs to sit.
A couple of hundred under the R8 II would not be enough of a gap. A $500 hole is the attractive one. That is CR’s price argument, not a leaked R9 MSRP. Do not write $1,299 on a spec sheet that does not exist.
What would get stripped
In the same conversation, CR and its sources “agreed” Canon would likely pull IBIS and pre-shooting, cheapen the build, and cut elsewhere to hit a developing-market / first-full-frame price. That is a cost-down sketch, not a firmware list. No megapixel count, no video mode, no battery, no dual-card claim. The RP is gone from Canon’s current lineup (you can still find new old stock), and CR’s pitch is that Canon still wants a cheap door into RF full-frame glass.
The name is messy on purpose. The EOS R7 is already an APS-C camera sitting in the numbering, and CR notes Canon cannot unwind that. “R9” here is just “the slot under R8 II.” This site has used EOS R9 before for other rumors — including a 2021 APS-C naming story and a 2024 “R9 or R6 III” guess. None of those are this camera.
Via Canon Rumors. R8 Mark II date/price context: September 15, about $1,800.