Canon EOS R5 Review

The Canon EOS R5 is the ultimate Mirrorless Digital Camera of the RF-platform which is based on a high-speed electronic lens-mount with Full-Frame coverage. This is an upper-range mirrorless system that supports larger sensors than the Canon M platform which is limited to APS-C sensors having a 1.6X crop-factor. The RF-system launched with the Canon EOS R
Canon EOS R, followed by the entry-level RP
Canon EOS RP and then the R6
Canon EOS R6 and R5 were launched simultaneously. Although these two latest cameras look externally similar and feature common new technology, the flagship R5 is in a league of its own, surpassing on many levels all other cameras to date.

Canon created an entirely new sensor for the EOS R5 that is the culmination of years of technological progress. This 45 megapixels Dual-Pixel CMOS sensor has 90 million photosites that record light in pairs for each pixel with slightly different phases. These dual pixels allow the camera to measure focus at every pixel and provide an outstanding 5940-Point Phase-Detect AF system. The sensitivity of these photosites is so high that it allows the camera to focus down to -6 EV, something that can only be exceeded by the R6 which sports larger pixels of the same technology.

The Full-Frame sensor in this camera has the resolution and speed required to record 8K video. With a linear resolution of 8192x4320, video from the R5 captures 4X more details than Cinema 4K! It record such high-resolution video at up to 30 FPS in 12 RAW or 10-bit MPEG-4. The Canon EOS R5 can also record Cinema 4K video at a ground-breaking 120 FPS. The R5 is the first photo camera capable of 8K video capture.

Photographers all rejoiced at the development of an in-camera image-stabilization system for the first time on a Canon interchangeable lens camera. While catching up with other manufacturers would have made everyone happy, Canon delivered the most capable sensor-shift stabilization mechanism in the world. This state-of-the-art 5-axis system can compensate for up to 8-stops of camera-shake compared to hand-holding! Canon uses their high-speed RF-mount to gather measurements coming from gyroscopes inside the camera and lens to maximize performance. With standard unstabilized lenses, the efficiency of the system varies between 6 and 8-stops which is the difference between stellar and out-of-the-world performance!

As a flagship camera, the Canon R5 is built for professionals. Its features a 5.8 MP 0.5" EVF with large 0.76X magnification, 100% coverage and an Eye-Start Sensor plus rare Triple Control-Dials, an 8-way focusing joystick and a top status LCD in a weatherproof body that sports CF Express and SDXC UHS-II memory card slots. 8K and 4K at 120 FPS video require faster CF Express card.

This in-depth review of the Canon EOS R5 takes a detailed look at all its capabilities, covers its usability and analyzes the image-quality and performance of this flagship Full-Frame Mirrorless Digital Camera.

Canon EOS R5 Features

Canon designed the new R5 as a professional-grade flagship mirrorless for ultra-high-resolution photography. It mirrors, no pun intended, the Canon EOS 5DS
Canon EOS 5DS DSLR with many features of the newer but lower-resolution Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV plus a huge leap in technology. As such, the flagship Canon EOS R5 is equipped with every feature needed by professional photographers. It is completely suitable - when paired with the appropriate lens as discussed in sidebar - for any type of photography, including fast action due to its electronic-shutter that reaches 20 FPS at full-resolution with a deep buffer.

One finds a full complement of exposure modes with a choice of metering patterns, including Spot Metering, plus exposure bracketing. Image parameters are quite customizable and there are numerous white-balance options, including Kelvin and Custom WB, all fine-tunable in 19-steps along 2-axis. Naturally, the R5 can save JPEG images and RAW files. Additionally, it can output images in 10-bit HEIF format whose support was introduced in the Canon EOS 1D X Mark III
Canon EOS 1D X Mark III. HEIF images offer a wide exposure-latitude while benefiting from size-reduction due to its lossy-compression. Canon also offers lossy compressed CRAW format and the double-size Dual-Pixel RAW format that saved phase-data at every pixel.

Image processing is refined with a wealth of tuning parameters unseen in any previous Canon camera. Base Sharpness is controlled by the usual 8-point scale yet can be adjusted with Fineness and Threshold parameters in 5 levels each. The former controls how fine to sharpen edges, while the latter the point when sharpness gets applied. Independently of Picture Styles, the Canon EOS R5 introduces Clarity which has been widely adopted by other camera manufacturers. This parameter controls the tone-curve to make images look more dynamic.

The autofocus system in the Canon R5 is the most capable yet. Building upon the Dual Pixel CMOS design that measures the phase of light at every pixel, this flagship mirrorless creates a virtual autofocus system with 5940 points and 1053 zones that cover the entire frame. Its sensitivity of -6 EV can focus in near-darkness, a level that is invisible to the naked eye but can be seen amplified in the EVF, an experience that is simply impossible with any DSLR. This mirrorless offers plenty of autofocus selection modes and sophisticated subject tracking that can prioritize human or animal faces. Canon includes the ability to bracket up to 999 images for focus with 10 step sizes and the option to smooth differences in exposure. Autofocus Bracketing is extremely practical since it is impossible to reliably reproduce by hand.

With the more efficient image-stabilization system ever built, the R5 is one of the most capable digital cameras for hand-held low-light photography. It is only exceeded by the Canon EOS R6
Canon EOS R6 that launched simultaneously, a camera that features the same 5-axis builtin stabilization mechanism yet with larger pixels that give it a full-stop extra sensitivity and make its AF capable of focusing down to -6.5 EV. This new mechanism is rated at 8-stops of efficiency which it reaches with stabilized lenses and even some unstabilized ones. Depending on the lens, the quoted efficiency varies between 6 and 8-stops.

Although not a 1-series camera like the 1D X Mark III, the R5 is nearly as capable for fast action photography. In fact, both these cameras have the same top-speed of 20 FPS when using the electronic-shutter. The difference is that the Canon EOS 1D X Mark III
Canon EOS 1D X Mark III tops at 16 FPS with its mechanical-shutter, compared to 12 FPS for the R5. Most impressively, the R5 reaches such speed with over twice the resolution! The buffer-depth of the R5 is not as deep but is still outstanding, up to 170 JPEG or 83 RAW at 20 FPS and up to 350 JPEG or 180 RAW at 12 FPS.

Second to the inclusion of a built-in image stabilization system, shared with the mid-range R6, is the unique capability among photographic cameras to record 8K video. It can do so at 30 FPS, even in 12-bit RAW internally or 10-bit MPEG-4, officially for up to 20 minutes at an ambient temperature around 23C. The R5 can also record 4K Ultra-HD video for 15 mins at 120 FPS and 35 mins at 60 FPS. Standard 4K at 30 FPS can be recorded without limit. Canon elected to passively cool the R5 to keep a compact-size and tight weather-sealing which limits recording times due to heat dissipation.

NOTE Once the camera overheats though, it only recovers for a short capture duration which is why there are significant reports of over-heating issues. Even after 10 mins of recovery following 8K video capture, it can only record up to 3 mins, so repeated testing results in frequent overheating. Exact times depends on the selected recording bit-rate, weather and air circulation around the camera.

This digital camera offers plenty of advanced features. Having 45 MP of resolution makes it possible to capture 8K Time-Lapse and the R5 can assemble the video in-camera without overheating because the throughput needed for time-lapse is much lower than standard video. Time-Lapse Video can comprise between 2 and 3600 frames with an interval from 2s to almost 100 hours. An option selects if the camera meters once for the entire time-lapse or for each frame. There is also a similar Interval-Timer that offers an interval from 1s to almost 100 hours. A fixed number of frames can be selected, up to 99 images, or the Interval Timer can continue indefinitely until stopped by the user, card-space runs out or the battery is exhausted, whichever occurs first.

Efficiency is a significant factor in making a camera for professionals. Photographers will be happy to hear that the EOS R5 is the most efficient camera Canon ever made. Its triple control-dials give direct access to every exposure parameter. An 8-way joystick directly controls focus selection. There is even a top status LCD that shows camera settings. Much of the Canon interface from their upper-range DSLR has been carried over yet with a number of improvements. The main unusual control is a Mode Button rather than a traditional dial.

This mirrorless camera is weatherproof against adverse weather. It features dual asymmetric memory-card slots, one SDXC UHS-II and one CFExpress Type B. The former allows existing memory cards to be used on the R5 to protect investment. Even SDXC UHS-II is slower then CFExpress which is why it is impossible to record 8K or 4K at 120 FPS video with one. At the limit, it can record 4K at 60 FPS with standard IPB encoding, while larger All-Intra files require CFExpress. Although CFExpress Type B cards share a physical form with XQD, the R5 does not support XQD memory cards. While the reason for using asymmetric memory-cards is valid, using them is less than ideal and requires more planning.

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The list of features of the R5 goes on. There are a huge number of connectivity options, including Bluetooth 5.0, WiFi 802.11ac, an Infrared Receiver, 4K 10-bit HDMI output, a standard Hot-Shoe plus a Sync-Port. This digital camera has a builtin FTP client to initiate image-transfer directly. GPS data may be added to images using a connected receiver or smartphone. USB-C PD allows in-camera battery-charging. A proprietary wired connector supports Canon DSLR accessories. Voice memos can be attached to images. This is useful for anyone but particularly appreciated by professionals that need to keep track of photos and circumstances around them.