How about this for a start.
opencv r programming language - Google Search
> I am used to C, and I must learn R for professional reasons. Where do I start from?
C might be easier to start with, and you'll make steady progress, but as you say - a lot of work.
R might mean you achieve very little for months, and then really start to make good progress at the end. Plus, you'll have learnt R in the process.
> Is there another language that makes it easier for me to do this program that is worth trying?
Python perhaps.
