Canon EOS R5 mirrorless news
Get a closer look at what we do and don’t know about the ground-breaking EOS R5
We recently visited Canon UK for a first-hand look at the Canon EOS R5 – the manufacturer’s groundbreaking new full-frame mirrorless camera that has sent the industry into a bit of a tizzy.
The Canon EOS R5 was announced a month ago, and with it key specs we revealed: 8K video, 20fps burst shooting with electronic shutter, 16fps burst shooting mechanically, dual card slots, in-body image stabilization (IBIS). These are the things we already knew – and they’re already enough for this to potentially be one of the best mirrorless cameras, as well as one of the best cameras on the market for filmmaking.
Having been and inspected the new camera in person, we’ve come away knowing quite a few new things about the Canon EOS R5.
However, there are just as many things that we couldn’t determine, especially while Canon remains tight-lipped for the moment.
So, let’s get to it, here are five things that we do and don’t know about the Canon EOS R5.
The Canon EOS R5 has some serious changes both skin deep and under the surface!
01 It’s officially a 5 series camera
This might seem obvious. After all, it’s called an R5. However, this is not an arbitrarily selected number; this is the first R system camera that carries a number, and this indicates its place in the lineup. Just as in the SLR days there was a Canon EOS 5 series (with an EOS-1 above it), and in the DSLR world we have a Canon EOS 5D series (with an EOS-1D above it), the logic is the same here. Canon stopped short of saying that this is a mirrorless 5D, but the correlation is clearly there.
02 Uncomprimised 8K
Contrary to online naysayers, who were adamant that it would be “crippled”, the Canon EOS R5 features full-readout 8K video at up to 30fps. That means no crop factor, internal recording, and crucially it
means that the company’s celebrated Dual Pixel CMOS AF is supported in all 8K modes. Make no mistake, this camera is coming out swinging at current video behemoths out there – and it is refusing to pull any punches.
03 Advanced Animal autofocus
As was the case with 4K, other manufacturers took the lead when it came to rolling out animal autofocus. However, Canon is returning fire with all guns fiercely blazing to this department – the R5 will possess Advanced Animal AF, capable of not only tracking dogs, cats and birds, but also capable of recognizing them by their eyes, face or body shape. This is a huge development, and one that could be a true game-changer for all the wildlife photographers currently out there.
04 Thicker body
We weren’t allowed to photograph the EOS R5 and the EOS R side by side, and it’s hard to tell without any context, but the new camera feels like it is notably thicker than the existing one. It’s by no means a big or boxy body, but it is definitely a slightly deeper one from what we could feel. While Canon wouldn’t say, it is safe to assume that this accounts for the new IBIS system. Likewise, the grip is chunkier and more angled, which may well be to accommodate a new battery or memory card, but we’ll have to wait and see what happens.
05 Joystick replaces the touchbar
The Canon EOS R featured a love-it-or-hate-it touchbar, and it seems that most people fell into the latter camp, unfortunately for
Canon. Either way, the R5 ditches the M-FN (multi-function) bar and replaces it with a multi-function controller (joystick). This may not signify the apparent unpopularity of the touchbar, so much as it signifies the importance of eight-way control over AF points on an action-oriented camera. The rear joystick also features on DSLRS like the Canon EOS 90D, Canon EOS 5D Mark IV and Canon EOS-1D X Mark III.
The Canon EOS R5 has some serious changes both skin deep and under the surface!