Big Preview: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Canon’s latest in the pro-level 5D lineup is better in every way – except, perhaps, that eye-watering price tag…
with a whole host of new improvements and refinements, and the potentially gamechanging Dual Pixel Raw imaging technology, the new Canon EOS 5D Mark IV looks set to be one of the most complete full-frame Canon DSLRS we’ve ever used. Just be prepared to pay for it.
Canon’s EOS 5D series of cameras has a rich heritage – the original 5D bought full-frame photography to the masses, the Mk II unleashed Full HD video capture for the first time on a DSLR, while the Mk III had landmark innovations with its improved AF system, faster frame rate and high ISO performance, which made it one of the most complete DSLRS of recent times, loved by enthusiasts and pros alike.
Despite the 5D range deviating a little since, with the arrival of the 50.6Mp 5DS and 5DS R for those that want even more pixels, the arrival of a new generation of 5D is a big deal. Whereas the 5DS and 1D X Mk II are highly specialized, the 5D Mk IV promises to be the top-quality all-rounder that so many pros and advanced amateurs simply must have in their camera bag.
Build & handling
At first glance the 5D Mk IV bears a striking resemblance to the Mk III (and for that matter the 5DS and 5DS R), and there’s a simple reason for that. In a nutshell Canon doesn’t want existing users to have to, as they say, ‘re-learn’ the camera, making the transition from camera to camera as hassle-free as possible.
That said, there have been numerous tweaks and refinements to the body. The handgrip has been enlarged for starters, providing an even more satisfying hold, while the pentaprism now stands slightly taller to accommodate the GPS unit.
Despite cramming more tech into the body, the engineers at Canon have managed to cut the weight of the 5D Mk IV by 50g compared to the Mk III, while at the same time improving the weatherproofing around the camera, with extra grommets and seals.
The reduction in weight hasn’t compromised the overall feel of the camera either – it certainly feels incredibly well built and ready for the rigours of professional use, with a combination of magnesium alloy
Dual Pixel Raw has the capacity to fine-tune the position of maximum sharpness
and polycarbonate for the body, plus a glass fibre prism cover.
While it looks a little different to the sprung lever we first saw on the EOS 7D Mk II, the 5D Mk IV now features a customizable button just underneath the joypad on the rear. It can be assigned to carry out a multitude of functions in conjunction with the front Main dial – a favourite is to set it to control ISO, allowing you to toggle the sensitivity without taking your eye away from the viewfinder.
Sticking with the viewfinder for a moment and, as you’d expect from a full-frame DSLR, you get a large and bright display with 100% coverage, with the added benefit of Canon’s Intelligent Viewfinder II technology for plenty of shooting information being fed back when the camera’s raised to your eye.
The large 3.2-inch display boasts an impressive 1,620,000 dots – just as we’ve recently seen with the 1D X Mk II – and just like the 1D X Mk II, the display on the 5D Mk IV offers a touchscreen interface. This time round though, it’s active all the time, making it a much more useful and welcome addition for menu control and, especially, when flicking through images and pinch-zooming to check sharpness.
Canon has also kept the same battery as the 5D Mk III, which might not seem that much of a big deal, but it’s a shrewd move, meaning existing users looking to use both cameras in tandem don’t need two sets of batteries. Canon is quoting a battery life of 900 shots for the new camera.
The 5D Mk IV is also kitted out with wireless connectivity options, too. These include built-in Wi-fi and NFC, plus GPS for geotagging images via their EXIF data.
Interestingly, the camera also offers FTP transfer via Canon’s Camera Connect app. Smart devices are associated with consumer-orientated social sharing, but this adds no-nonsense file transfer of a type far more likely to appeal to busy professionals.
You still get two memory card slots, for CF and for SD cards, and Canon has built in a mirror vibration control system of the type used in the EOS 5DS/5DS R.
Performance
The 5D Mk IV uses both a DIGIC 6 and a DIGIC 6+ processor, with the former used solely for metering, freeing up the DIGIC 6+ processor to handle image capture and everything else. This sees the Continuous High-speed Drive mode increased to a decent 7fps and able to sustain this rate for a pretty decent 21 Raw files before the buffer needs time to take a breather
(if you’re shooting JPEGS, the burst depth is unlimited).
Coupled with this is a 61-point AF system with 41 cross-type sensors (five of which are dual cross-type for even greater accuracy). Sensitive down to -3EV (-4EV in Live View) – darker than moonlight! – focusing shouldn’t be an issue in poor light, while the fact you can use lens/ teleconverter combinations with a maximum aperture of f/8 and still have the luxury of all 61 AF points (21 cross-type), will be a real draw for sports/wildlife photographers.
With a virtually identical AF setup to the flagship 1D X Mk II (Canon are at pains to state that the systems aren’t identical, however, with different internal components being used), we were very impressed with the performance of the AF in the time we shot with a beta sample of the 5D Mk IV. When using it with the new Canon EF 24-105mm f/4l IS Mk II lens (see page 96), focusing was very quick to lock on to speedy skateboarders and Bmxers doing their thing inside a dark warehouse. Plus the level of customization and ability to tailor the AF to suit your subject was very impressive. You’ll need to be prepared to spend time getting to grips with this, but existing users of high-end EOS DSLRS should feel right at home straight away.
Image quality
The 22.3Mp sensor in the 2012 5D Mk III was starting to look a little dated compared to some of the competition, so it’s nice to see a notable jump up to 30.4Mp, with the 5D Mk IV using the latest-generation sensor technology, as we’ve seen in the 1D X Mk II and 80D.
The native sensitivity runs from ISO100-32,000, and is expandable to ISO50-102,400. Impressive though this is, this expanded range is actually identical to its predecessor, but Canon reckons it has enhanced the noise-processing algorithm for improved results at higher sensitivities. We’ll have to put that to the test once we’ve got our full review sample.
Dual Pixel Raw
That’s not the whole story as far as image quality goes though, with the arrival of new Dual Pixel Raw technology, which if it does what it says it does, could be a potential game-changer. Why? Because it has the capacity to allow photographers to fine-tune the position of maximum sharpness. In other words, if you’ve got your focusing slightly out on a portrait and it’s not pin-sharp on the eye, you can get yourself out of jail and shift it back on to the eye. Clever stuff.
It works like this. With each pixel made up of two photodiodes,
We were very impressed with the AF performance in the time we shot with the 5D Mk IV
it allows for the creation of a file which contains a pair of images from two very slightly different viewpoints. You can then open the file in Canon’s Digital Photo Professional software and use Image Micro-adjustment to shift focus slightly – not massively, but enough to rescue an otherwise fantastic shot that would normally be consigned to the back corner of your hard drive.
As you’d expect, file size increases dramatically (from 37MB to 67MB), but it’s a small price to pay for the chance of a pin-sharp shot you can be proud of.
Canon says the Dual Pixel Raw technology can also be used to shift foreground bokeh and reduce image ghosting. We’ll need to get our hands on a final production sample of the camera to see for ourselves if it works how it says it will.
4K video
Canon created their own micro industry when the 5D Mk II came along with Full HD video, but the video landscape has changed quite a bit since then, with the likes of Nikon, Sony and Panasonic getting their act together in this market, so it’s no surprise to see Canon fight back with the inclusion of 4K video.
To be more precise, the 5D Mk IV features DCI 4K video capture at 4096x2160 pixels, at 30/25/24fps (approx 500Mbps). It also means you can extract 8.8Mp JPEG images from 4K videos if needed (though the shutter speeds used for video are typically different to those you’d choose for stills), while along with a host of Full HD options there’s also the ability to shoot 120fps 720p video for some impressive slow-mo movies. The maximum clip duration is 29 mins 59 secs, and while the 5D Mk IV offers HDMI output, it’s restricted to Full HD resolution, so 4K video can only be recorded internally. Canon has not indicated the HDMI version number used, but this limitation suggests it’s an older HDMI 1.x standard, rather than the latest and fastest HDMI 2.0.
The 5D IV’S 4K video brings a 1.74x crop factor, too. This offers pixel-for-pixel equivalence between the sensor and video frames for maximum efficiency and quality, but means your lenses effectively become a lot longer – ultra-wideangle shots will be a challenge.
There are headphone and microphone sockets, and if you prefer AF when shooting video over manual focus, there’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF. As we’ve seen with other recent EOS DSLRS, AF is snappy and quick, and this is a marked jump-up from the system in the 5D Mk III.