Last week was a big one for Canon announcements, with the Canon EOS R6 V and RF 20-50mm f/4L PZ making headlines. However, for me personally, the most exciting announcement flew completely under the radar.
Canon also unveiled a brand new Bluetooth remote, the BR-E2. So why am I so psyched about such a niche product? I'm glad you asked!
First of all, unless I'm mistaken, Canon is the only brand still making first-party camera remotes like this. Everyone else expects you to rely on their smartphone apps – some of which are borderline useless (interestingly, Canon's Camera Connect is one of the best).
Secondly, and most importantly, it's an upgrade over the original Canon BR-E1 remote that I've long been waiting for.
Why do you even need a camera remote?
Let's be clear: some people don't. Every camera these days has a self-timer, or you can use the phone app if you don't mind wrestling with your phone and WiFi pairing. But depending on what, when and why you shoot, having a remote can be completely game-changing.
Landscape or long-exposure shots, where you don't want camera shake, for example. Or family snaps where you want to be in the frame. Thumbnails for YouTube and social media. Taking self-portraits, if that's something in which you partake. And, the most pertinent one these days, solo content creation.
The last one is where the Canon BR-E2 really comes into its own. If you're anything like me, you've sat down to present some video to camera and cursed the gods every time you have to get up and down to start and stop recording. And if you've got a zoom lens, you cursed them again for having to get up and reframe your shot.
Obviously, the BR-E2 can start and stop recording without having to move a muscle. And where the original BR-E1 had a single 'shutter' button, the BR-E2 adds a dedicated 'record' button so you can easily snap a thumbnail or shoot some footage without having to get up and change modes on your camera.
And where the BR-E1 had separate W(ide) and T(elephoto) buttons to zoom in and out, the BR-E2 has a W-T zoom rocker to make pushing and pulling way more tactile and instinctive – and, again, possible while sat miles away from the camera. It also adds a pair of customizable buttons for any specific functions you might need.
All of this is hugely helpful whether I'm filming content in-studio on my EOS R5 with a Power Zoom lens like the RF 20-50mm f/4L IS USM PZ, or I've got my PowerShot V1 set up on the HG-100TBR tripod grip in a café.
It's entirely possible that I'm the only person this excited about the new remote, but trust me – if you're a solo creator or self-shooter, especially if you use a camera or lens with power zoom, it's nothing short of a hack for your workflow and ease of shooting.
The BR-E2 replaces the BR-E1, being the same size and weight, and is backwards-compatible with all the same cameras that worked with the original model (though custom button compatibility will depend on the body in question).
You can order the Canon BR-E2 by itself for $69.99 / £74.99 / AU$109.99 or in a kit with the tripod grip (which remains unchanged) as the HG-200TBR for £149.99 / $159.99.
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