Introduction

Ease of Use

Front of the Canon EOS R5

The EOS R5 utilises a magnesium-alloy body that's more robust than the polycarbonate shell found on the cheaper EOS R6, but ultimately both new cameras offer the same level of weather-proofing as each other.

Subsequently the R5 is quite a bit heavier than the R6 - 650g body-only or 738g with both a battery and memory card fitted - versus 598/680g on the R6.

It measures 138.5 x 97.5 x 88mm, making it virtually the same size as the Canon R6 and slightly bigger than both the EOS R and especially the tiny RP.

As with the R6, the Canon R5 benefits from having a very deep handgrip that comfortably accommodates four fingers, something that can't be said of some of its main rivals.

The minimalist front plate houses two controls. There's a brand new Function button that can be customised, including controlling the auto-focus. By default it activates the classic Depth of Field preview function, which helps you determine what your photos will look like before the image is taken, and a port

There's also a rubber flap that covers the N3-type socket for a remote switch at the bottom-right corner of the front of the camera. There's also a porthole for the AF assist light and a lozenge shaped button for releasing the lens.

At the heart of the EOS R5 is a brand new 45 megapixel sensor. Canon claim that the EOS R5 is the highest resolution EOS camera ever, with its 45 megapixels producing more detail than even the 50 megapixel EOS 5DS and 5DS R DSLR cameras.

The EOS R5 certainly has a high enough resolution for its professional target market, especially true if you like to heavily crop your images in post-production, where it has the edge over the 20 megapixel EOS R6.

Rear of the Canon EOS R5

The ISO range runs from 100-51,200, which is actually one stop less than the cheaper EOS R6. This can be further expanded up to ISO 102,400 and down to ISO 50.

The EOS R5 is the first ever full frame mirrorless camera to be capable of recording 8K RAW video up to 29.97fps internally,12-bit (non-cropped).

That's right - the EOS R5 uses the full width of the sensor to record 8K video at up to 30p, and employing Canon's renowned Dual Pixel CMOS AF system whilst doing so.

Compared to Canon's previous implementations of 4K on their other mirrorless cameras (the EOS R has a 1.8x crop when recording 4K), this is very welcome news indeed.

It also offers 8K internal video recording up to 30p (non-cropped) in 4:2:2 10-bit Canon Log (H.265) or 4:2:2 10-bit HDR PQ (H.265).

It also offers the ability to capture 35 megapixel frame grabs from the 8K video!

When shooting 8K video at 30fps RAW, the camera can record for up to 20 minutes before it overheats.

In practice, we found this to be a mostly true claim, with the proviso that the camera then needs to cool down before you're able to record any more 8K clips.

Also, if you shoot a lot of short 8K clips one after the other, this also causes the camera to overheat before the official 20 minute limit is reached.

Note that for camera to cool down sufficiently, you're unable to use it for shooting stills or video, or even operate the menu system.

Top of the Canon EOS R5

Finally, recording 4K video at 120p or 60p also runs into the same overheating issues - only shooting at 4K 30p or below avoids this real-world limitation.

The Canon EOS R5 can record 4K video up to 120p. It features 4K internal recording up to 119.88fps (non-cropped) in 4:2:2 10-bit Canon Log (H.265) or 4:2:2 10-bit HDR PQ (H.265) and 4:2:2 10-bit in Canon Log or 4:2:2 10-bit HDR PQ output via HDMI at 4K 59.94fps.

Photographers seeking the very highest 4K quality can use the 4K HQ mode to reproduce incredible detail at frame rates up to 30p by internally oversampling 8K footage.

When recording 4K 30p video, there is no over-heating at all, so you can record for as long as you like up to the capacity of your memory card.

As with 8K recording, the camera uses the Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system, including eye AF, whilst recording in 4K.

For the first time ever in the EOS series (alongside the EOS R6), the Canon EOS R5 finally incorporates 5-axis In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS). The EOS R and RP both eschewed this much-requested feature.

It has been designed to work collaboratively with the IS system that's built into many RF-mount lenses, with the lens and the sensor working together to correct pitch and yaw and the sensor correcting the X-Y and roll movements.

This intelligent stabilisation system provides a frankly incredible 8-stops of stabilisation with some lenses, allowing you to hand-hold the camera for up to 4 seconds and still get critically sharp results.

Even some non-stabilised lenses such as the RF 85mm F1.2L USM or RF 28-70mm F2L USM offer 8 stops of stabilisation when they're mounted on the EOS R5, thanks to the large 54mm diameter of the of the RF Mount.

The EOS R5 can also stabilise older, non-IS lenses including any EF lens that is fitted to the R5 via the Canon EF-EOS R mount adapter.

Tilting LCD Screen

The stabilisation system will also work with lenses from other manufacturers – you just need to input the focal length into the camera's menu system.

In practice, the EOS R5 stabilisation system is excellent, making it possible to hand-hold the camera at previously impossibly slow shutter speeds and still maintain critical sharpness.

The EOS R5 is noticeably thicker than the EOS R when viewed from above, presumably to squeeze in the new IBIS unit, but it's not too thick.

It reminded us of the difference between the recently announced Fujifilm X-T4 and its non-IBIS predecessor, the X-T3, in that you can tell that the newer model is slightly thicker, but not objectionably so.

Another very impressive headline feature, especially considering the massive number of megapixels on offer, is the EOS R5's ability to continuously shooting at up to 20fps using its silent electronic shutter, or 12fps with the mechanical shutter, both with full auto exposure (AE) and auto focus (AF) tracking.

There's a tiny amount of viewfinder and LCD blackout between each frame when shooting at 20fps, but it's barely discernible to the naked eye.

Unlike the Canon EOS R6, which can record 1,000 or more compressed raw images at 12fps before its buffer becomes full, the EOS R5 is a little more constrained in terms of its buffer size, being able to shoot 350 JPEG or 180 RAW images in one continuous sequence.

Obviously there's a big difference in the megapixel count, but for sheer shooting speed and buffer depth, the EOS R6 clearly wins out here.

Along with the EOS R6, the R5 is the first Canon camera to feature the next generation Dual Pixel CMOS AF II focusing system.

Billed as the world’s fastest AF, the camera is capable of focusing in as little as 0.05 seconds.

Memory Card Slots

It has 5,940 selectable AF points, which is slightly less than the EOS R6, with the same 100% frame coverage.

Impressively the EOS R5 can also focus in light levels as low as -6EV (when used with an F1.2 lens), although this is actually 0.5-stop worse than the EOS R6.

Thanks to its brand new Digic X processor, the EOS R5 offers the same deep-learning based automatic face, eye and animal AF tracking modes as the R6.

The Canon R5 can now recognise and track eyes from much further away than previous models, and subject tracking works for humans and also dogs, cats and birds, the latter even in flight.

In practice we found both the new eye AF and animal subject tracking system to be on par with that found in Sony Alpha cameras, which have long been the leader in this area, so kudos to Canon for catching up so quickly.

The EOS R5 is the latest Canon camera to support Dual Pixel RAW. This allows correction of the focus and contrast in the background using the Background Clarity mode and changing the lighting in portraits via the Portrait Relighting mode after capture, just using your finger/thumb on the EOS R5's touchscreen LCD!

In terms of its exterior design, the new Canon EOS R5 brings together the rear panel from the EOS R6 and the top plate from the EOS R.

So instead of the conventional shooting mode dial found on the top-right of the EOS R6, the R5 has an LCD status panel and Mode button instead, just like the EOS R.

We actually prefer this less than the R6's shooting mode dial, which we think a lot of photographers will also favour more.

It's undeniably quicker to change the shooting mode using an external dial on the R6, rather than having to press a button and navigate through an electronic menu, as on the R5.

Front of the Canon EOS R5

The main advantage of the EOS R5's approach is being able to quickly see the current camera settings by simply glancing down at the top-plate LCD.

It provides quick and easy viewing access to most of the camera's key settings, with the dedicated button alongside it toggling between two different screens of information and also allowing it to be lit up in the dark via a longer press - very neat.

Less satisfying, though, is the shooting mode dial - or rather, the lack of one. Despite years of refinement on their DSLRs, Canon has decided to completely omit the traditional dial and instead opt for a Mode dial, as on the EOS R.

You have to press this button once, then choose the still shooting mode which is displayed in the EVF, LCD screen and top-panel LCD using one of the control dials, then go back to shooting. If you want to choose one of the video modes, there's an extra press of the Info button to view them.

It's at best a curious design decision that makes the EOS R look less cluttered and complicated, but ultimately slows down the operation of the camera, especially if you tend to switch between shooting modes a lot.

Both a shooting mode dial and a top-plate LCD screen would be ideal, but EOS R camera bodies are simply too small to accommodate them together.

Most of the other controls on top of the EOS R5 are identical or very similar to those found on the EOS R.

So there's a small On/Off switch over on the top-left, with the camera leaping into life almost instantly.

There's a small but responsive shutter release button at the top of the handgrip, with the tiny M-Fn behind it. This provides quick access to some of the camera's key controls, including ISO, continuous shooting, AF, white balance and exposure compensation.

Behind that is the front control dial for principally setting the aperture or shutter speed, with a small, red one-touch movie record button sitting proud of the camera body.

Bottom of the Canon EOS R5

The Lock switch on the EOS RP has now become a Lock button on the new EOS R5. As its name suggests, this locks the two control dials on top of the camera and the rear control wheel so that you can't accidentally change the camera's key settings.

Completing the top of the camera is the rear control dial that's ideally placed for thumb operation, into which is set the aforementioned Mode button.

Overall, the Canon EOS R6's top-plate is less successful than on the R6, with the main difference being an LCD screen and Mode dial rather than a conventional shooting mode dial.

Turning to the rear of the Canon R5, it offers an array of controls that will be instantly familiar to anyone who has used an EOS 5-series DSLR camera before, including the classic Canon control wheel. There's also a very welcome joystick instead of the controversial Mfn bar found on the EOS R.

Joining the Menu bottom on the far left is a new Rate button, which allows you to assign star ratings to your images during playback (Off, 1-5 stars).

More highly specced as the one on the EOS R6, the 0.5inch 5.76 million dot EVF on the EOS R5 is very impressive to look through, working up to 120fps for minimal lag when shooting fast-moving subjects.

To the right of the electronic viewfinder is the new thumb operated joystick.

This means that the innovative / controversial (delete as appropriate) Mfn bar that made its debut on the EOS R is conspicuous by its complete absence on the new EOS R5, and indeed on the EOS R6 too.

We'd be very surprised if the Mfn bar ever appears again on a Canon camera, so if you're a fan, the EOS R is the only camera for you.

While the inclusion of the joystick is very welcome, we were one again struck by just how high the joystick is positioned. It's almost inline with the centre of the viewfinder, rather than where the Magnification button is, which at least initially seems rather too high to find easily, especially compared with most other cameras that have this key control.

We eventually got used to it higher position, but still can't help feeling that it was lower down.

Tilting LCD Screen

The other main control innovation on the EOS R5 is the return of the classic Canon control wheel with the SET button at its heart, something that the previous EOS R and RP models both lacked.

This will be instantly familiar to anyone who has used a Canon EOS 5-series DSLR camera before.

The one on the EOS R5 actually serves less purpose than the one on the EOS 5-series, though, simply because there are already two control dials on top of the camera for setting the aperture and shutter speed, and one on the RF lenses which can be usefully configured to control the ISO speed, amongst other things.

So the classic Canon control wheel is mainly used for quickly scrolling through the menu system and during image playback instead.

As the camera also has a touch-screen, both of these functions can be more quickly and intuitively controlled via touch, which does beg the question as to why Canon decided to include the control wheel at all. Nostalgia, perhaps?

The EOS R5 has a very well-specced 3.15-inch, 2.1 million dot, vari-angle LCD screen which tilts out to the side and faces forwards for more convenient vlogging and selfies.

It can also be usefully folded flat against the back of the camera to protect it when in transit in a camera bag.

A proximity sensor is located directly beneath the viewfinder, which automatically switches between the EVF and LCD screen. When the LCD screen is swung outwards, the EVF is cleverly turned off automatically.

A tilting LCD screen always helps to encourage shooting from creative angles and it also helps make the EOS R5 ideally suited to movie-shooting.

As mentioned above, the LCD screen is touch-sensitive, allowing you to control everything from setting the AF point and firing the shutter, navigating the menu systems and browsing your images during playback. It's a very precise, responsive system that's a veritable joy to use.

Front of the Canon EOS R5

Alongside the rear joystick are three classic Canon controls - the AF-On button for people who prefer back-button focusing, the Auto-exposure Lock button (denoted by a star) and the AF area selection button which makes it easier to switch the autofocus point when holding the camera to your eye.

Underneath the AF-On button are a cluster of three buttons - the Magnification button, Info Button and the Quick button which opens the Quick Control screen, which provides instant access to 10 key camera controls.

Completing the rear of the EOS R5 are the self-explanatory Playback and Delete buttons located underneath the rear control wheel.

On the right hand-side of the camera is the memory card compartment. The EOS R5 supports one SD UHS II card and one CFexpress type B card via dual slots, which a key difference to the EOS R6 which has two SD-card slots, and you can choose to record to both cards simultaneously.

On the left hand-side of the camera are three rubber flaps housing five different connections.

The Canon EOS R5 has a microphone port, headphone jack, remote control port, USB-3 port and a HDMI connection - all the things that any enthusiast photographer or videographer would need from a connectivity point of view.

The Canon R5 benefits from using the LP-E6NH, a new longer life battery that is supplied with both the R5 and EOS R6 cameras.

The LP-E6NH effectively replaces the existing LP-E6N, reaching 2130mAh and offering an increased capacity of 14%. In reality this translates into 320 shots when using the EVF and 470 when using the LCD screen, less impressive than the EOS R6.

Front of the Canon EOS R5

Thankfully it's also backwards compatible with all existing cameras that use the LP-E6 series batteries,so you can use an older LP-E6N in the EOS R5, and the new LP-E6NH in an older EOS camera that uses the LP-E6N. All of the various chargers are cross-compatible too.

If one battery isn't enough for you, the EOS R5 is also compatible with the brand new BG-R10 Battery Grip.

This is exactly the same battery grip that the new EOS R6 also uses.

It gives users the ability to power the EOS R5 using two batteries (LP-E6/N/NH) and also offers duplicate controls for easier vertical shooting. Note that the batteries have to be charged whilst the grip is fitted on-camera.

With built-in Bluetooth and 2.4Ghz Wi-Fi, the EOS R5 can be easily connected to a smartphone and networks allowing high-speed file sharing and FTP/FTPS transfer. Note that the R5 additionally offers support for the faster 5Ghz Wi-fi standard,which the EOS R6 doesn't.

The R6 can also be remotely controlled using Canon's Camera Connect and EOS Utility apps and tethered to a PC or Mac via Wi-Fi or high-speed USB 3.1.

The new WFT-R10 Wi-Fi transmitter features 2x2 MIMO antennas for faster and longer-range transmission, plus enhanced network processing enabling SFTP via Wi-Fi. It also includes a gigabyte speed via ethernet port. Note that this accessory only works with the EOS R5, and not the EOS R6.

Overall, the new Canon EOS R5 is a big step forwards when compared to previous Canon full-frame mirrorless models, although we actually slightly prefer the handling of the cheaper EOS R6 thanks to its more conventional shooting mode dial.

Image Quality

All of the sample images in this review were taken using the 45 megapixel Fine JPEG setting, which gives an average image size of around 15Mb.

The Canon EOS R5 produced still images of outstanding quality during the review period.

This camera produces noise-free JPEG images from ISO 50 all the way up to ISO 6400, with noise first appearing at ISO 12800. The faster settings of 25600 and 51200 display quite a lot of noise, but they're still fine to use for making smaller prints and web images. Even the fastest expanded setting of ISO 102400 can be used at a push.

The EOS R5 proved to very capable in low-light, with the maximum shutter speed of 30 seconds and the Bulb mode allowing you to capture enough light in all situations and the camera's -6EV rating successfully auto-focusing even in near-dark conditions.

The different Picture Styles and the ability to create your own are a real benefit, as are the HDR settings and multiple exposure mode, all of which can be previewed before you take the shot. Support for the new HEIF 10-bit file format is a little thin on the ground, but should offer a degree of future-proofing.

Noise

ISO sensitivity can be set between ISO 50 and ISO 102400 in full-stop increments. Here are some 100% crops which show the noise levels for each ISO setting, with JPEG on the left and RAW on the right.

JPEG	RAW
ISO 50 (100% Crop)	ISO 50 (100% Crop)
ISO 100 (100% Crop)	ISO 100 (100% Crop)
ISO 200 (100% Crop)	ISO 200 (100% Crop)
ISO 400 (100% Crop)	ISO 400 (100% Crop)
ISO 800 (100% Crop)	ISO 800 (100% Crop)
ISO 1600 (100% Crop)	ISO 1600 (100% Crop)
ISO 3200 (100% Crop)	ISO 3200 (100% Crop)
ISO 6400 (100% Crop)	ISO 6400 (100% Crop)
ISO 12800 (100% Crop)	ISO 12800 (100% Crop)
ISO 25600 (100% Crop)	ISO 25600 (100% Crop)
ISO 51200 (100% Crop)	ISO 51200 (100% Crop)
ISO 102400 (100% Crop)	ISO 102400 (100% Crop)

File Quality

The Canon EOS R5 has three different file quality settings - Raw, Fine and Normal. Here are some 100% crops which show the difference.

Fine (9.84Mb) (100% Crop)	Normal (4.36Mb) (100% Crop)
RAW (42.5Mb) (100% Crop)

JPEG vs HEIF

Compared with the 8 bits (256-level greyscale) of the JPEG format, HEIF is capable of storing image data at 10 bits (1024-level greyscale) or higher, and also supports the Rec. 2020 standard, which boasts an extremely wide color gamut.

What’s more, HEIF is compatible with the HEVC (H.265) codec, which offers a higher compression efficiency in storage compared with JPEG files of the same image quality.

JPEG

HEIF

Night

The Canon EOS R5's maximum shutter speed is 30 seconds and there's a Bulb mode for even longer exposures, which is excellent news if you're seriously interested in low light photography.

HDR

The Canon EOS R5's HDR Mode captures three different exposures and combines them into one, retaining more shadow and highlight detail, with an Auto mode, three different strengths and several types of HDR style available.

Off

1EV

2EV

3EV

Multiple Exposure

The EOS R5's multiple exposure mode allows you to take between two and nine images and merge them into a single photo in-camera.

Picture Styles

Canon's Picture Controls are preset combinations of different sharpness, contrast, saturation and colour tone settings. The EOS R5's seven available Picture Controls are shown below in the following series, which demonstrates the differences. There are also three User Defined styes so that you can create your own look.

Standard

Portrait

Landscape

Fine Detail

Faithful

Neutral

Monochrome

Sample Images

This is a selection of sample images from the Canon EOS R5 camera, which were all taken using the 45 megapixel Fine JPEG setting. The thumbnails below link to the full-sized versions, which have not been altered in any way.

Sample RAW Images

The Canon EOS R5 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Canon RAW (CR3) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movies & Video

Product Images

Conclusion

The new EOS R5 is the most full-featured Canon camera to date, with its combination of a 45 megapixel sensor and 8K video recording along with cutting-edge mirrorless technology resulting in one of the most powerful cameras on the market.

Whereas the much more affordable Canon R6 is the eminently sensible choice, the EOS R5 is the souped-up show-off that ups the ante in as many ways as possible.

There are some notable restrictions, though, most notably to that headline-grabbing 8K video mode, which suffers from some severe overheating issues. If you only want to capture a few short 8K clips now and again, then you're fine, but multiple clips in a row or 20 minutes of constant footage will render the camera almost completely inoperable until it's able to cool down sufficiently. Even recording 4K at the higher frame rates leads to overheating issues.

The EOS R5 and R6 actually share a lot of handling similarities, but the R5 crucially deviates by utlising a top-panel LCD and Mode button combo in place of the more traditional shooting mode dial found on top of the R6. We actually prefer the latter, as it's much quicker to change shooting modes, although if you like an extra LCD screen on top of your camera then the R5 is the one to go for.

Otherwise, the EOS R5 equally gets a lot of things right in terms of its user interface, mixing together the best of its DSLR and mirrorless user interfaces into one mostly coherent whole. Sporting no less than three control dials and wheels, a joystick and touch-screen LCD, not to mention the control ring found on RF lenses, it's clear that the Canon R6 is a very customisable camera indeed.

The EOS R5's feature-set is likewise well thought out, with the new AF, IBIS and continuous shooting systems in particular being worthy of praise. They collectively move the R5 beyond what 5-series DSLRs and previous mirrorless cameras have been able to both offer and achieve, although it's important to note that the R6 model shares exactly the same technologies.

Overall, the new Canon EOS R5 is the best all-round mirrorless camera for photographers, but misses the mark on the movie side for anyone but casual videographers thanks to the headline-grabbing overheating problems.

Ratings (out of 5)
Design	4.5
Features	5
Ease-of-use	4.5
Image quality	5
Value for money	4

Main Rivals

Listed below are some of the rivals of the Canon EOS R5.

Review Roundup

Reviews of the Canon EOS R5 from around the web.

Specifications

News

The Canon EOS R5 and EOS R6 are two advanced full frame mirrorless camera additions to the revolutionary EOS R System, built on the future-proof RF Mount.

The pro-level EOS R5 delivers 45 megapixel stills at up to 20fps and is the first full frame mirrorless ever to record 8K RAW up to 29.97fps internally and 4K to 120p.

The EOS R6 is perfect for enthusiasts and professionals moving to mirrorless and looking for greater capabilities, capturing 20.1 megapixel stills at 20fps, 4K video up to 60p and Full HD at up to 120p.

Canon UK Press Release

Canon EOS R5 and EOS R6: unrivalled performance, endless creativity

United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, 09 July 2020 – Canon today announces EOS R5 and EOS R6, two advanced full frame mirrorless camera additions to the revolutionary EOS R System built on the future-proof RF Mount. The pro-level EOS R5 delivers 45 megapixel stills at up to 20fps1 and is the first full frame mirrorless ever to record 8K RAW up to 29.97fps internally and 4K to 120p. EOS R6 is perfect for enthusiasts and professionals moving to mirrorless and looking for greater capabilities, capturing 20.1 megapixel stills at 20fps1, stunning 4K video up to 60p and Full HD at up to 120p. Nothing comes close to the speed and resolution of EOS R5 and EOS R6.

Redefining professional mirrorless

Next generation CMOS sensor technology combined with high performance RF lenses enable users to capture new levels of detail at industry leading speeds. EOS R5 and EOS R6 can shoot up to 20fps1 with the electronic shutter in complete silence with full auto exposure (AE) and auto focus (AF) tracking. Users can be confident capturing action, both stills and video, in exceptional quality in any location without disturbing subjects. The mechanical and electronic first curtain shutter also delivers high-speed continuous shooting up to 12fps1.

For the first time in the EOS series, EOS R5 and EOS R6 incorporate 5-axis In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) providing benefits for users of all types of lenses. Designed to work collaboratively with the IS system of RF lenses, the solution has been engineered so that RF lenses and the sensor work to correct pitch and yaw with the sensor correcting X-Y and roll movements. This intelligent stabilisation system corrects at up to an incredible 8-stops2 – the world’s best image stabilisation2 – for new levels of creativity when shooting handheld at slow shutter speeds or filming without a tripod.

The wide diameter of the RF Mount ensures that light continues to reach the entire sensor all the way to the corners, even with the sensor movement introduced with in-body image stabilisation. The 54mm diameter enables RF lenses to be designed with larger image circles facilitating greater movement of the body IS system, meaning some non-IS RF lenses such as the RF 85mm F1.2L USM or RF 28-70mm F2L USM can also achieve up to 8-stops2 of image stabilisation.

Users of EF lenses will experience enhanced IS performance as in-body IS works with IS enabled EF lenses to provide roll and X-Y correction. Even non-IS EF lenses will benefit from the 5-axis correction provided by EOS R5 and EOS R6 in-body IS.

Keeping it sharp

DIGIC X processor technology at the core of EOS R5 and EOS R6 – the same technology in the coveted EOS-1D X Mark III – supports renowned next generation Dual Pixel CMOS AF II pushing speed and reliability to unmatched levels. The world’s fastest AF focuses in as little as 0.05 seconds3 and EOS R5 can focus in light levels as low as -6EV5 and EOS R6 is the first EOS camera to offer a minimum EV for AF of -6.5EV4,5. The high precision AF is effective in even poorly lit or low contrast shooting conditions.

The iTR AF X AF system has been programmed using deep-learning AI and face/eye detection mode ensures subjects are kept sharp even when moving unpredictably with a shallow depth of field. Even if a person turns away for a moment, their head continues to be tracked.

Advanced tracking enabled by deep learning algorithms recognises faces and eyes of humans, and now includes cats, dogs and birds in both still and movie modes. EOS R5 and EOS R6 maintain high-precision focus and tracking regardless of the subject’s size, posture, orientation or direction of the face helping users to confidently shoot even the most unpredictable subjects.

Intelligent connection

With built-in Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, the EOS R5 (5Ghz Wi-Fi8) and EOS R6 (2.4Ghz Wi-Fi8) can be easily connected to a smartphone and networks allowing high-speed file sharing and FTP/FTPS transfer. This functionality also allows for the cameras to be remotely controlled using the Camera Connect and EOS Utility apps, tethered to a PC or Mac via Wi-Fi or high-speed USB 3.1 Gen 2. With content delivery just as important as image and video capture, the EOS R5 and EOS R6 support automatic transfer of image files from the device to the image.canon cloud platform to easily share and print images or integrate with Google Photos9 or Adobe Creative Cloud9 workflows.

EOS R5: No compromise

EOS R5 is an unprecedented leap forward in mirrorless technology and offers the highest resolution EOS camera6 ever. The DIGIC X processor, CMOS sensor and RF lenses combine to advance all aspects of image quality to achieve a resolution exceeding 45 megapixels. Up to 100% AF coverage7 with 5,940 selectable AF points and ISO range of 100-51,200 keep subjects razor-sharp even in extreme low light conditions. Dual-card slots support a high-speed CFexpress and SD UHS II card, housed in a weather resistant magnesium body.

Professionals can capture stunning 8K 12-bit RAW video internally using the full width of the sensor for a truly cinematic result with continuous eye and face AF tracking for people and animals. The EOS R5 also sets new standards for videographers shooting in 4K. Capture 4K DCI (full frame) and 4K UHD at frame rates up to 120p (119.88fps) with 4:2:2 10-bit quality, enabling high resolution, smooth slow-motion with full AF performance. Users seeking the very highest 4K quality can use the 4K HQ mode to reproduce incredible detail at frame rates up to 30p by internally oversampling 8K footage.

• 8K RAW internal video recording up to 29.97fps (non-cropped)

• 8K internal video recording up to 29.97fps (non-cropped) in 4:2:2 10-bit Canon Log (H.265) or 4:2:2 10-bit HDR PQ (H.265)

• 4K internal recording up to 119.88fps (non-cropped) in 4:2:2 10-bit Canon Log (H.265) or 4:2:2 10-bit HDR PQ (H.265)

• 4:2:2 10-bit in Canon Log or 4:2:2 10-bit HDR PQ output via HDMI at 4K 59.94fps

User demand sees the return of the multi-controller to EOS R5 in addition to touch and drag AF using the 3.2inch vari-angle touch screen with 2.1 million dot resolution. With Dual Pixel RAW also supported, correction of the focus and contrast in the background and changing the lighting in portraits is possible after capture – enhancing creative possibilities. The 0.5inch electronic viewfinder (EVF) refreshes at 120fps with 5.76 million dot resolution for a staggeringly realistic view of the world comparable to an optical viewfinder.

EOS R6: All-round excellence

EOS R6, like EOS R5, showcases the amazing capabilities of the EOS R System, giving enthusiasts the potential to take pin-sharp images and movies handheld. Providing class-leading speed and full frame quality, EOS R6 is a powerful and versatile camera far exceeding the demands of enthusiasts and semi-professionals across all genres. Sports and wildlife enthusiasts can confidently capture fast moving action utilising the up to 20fps1 speed, flexibility of up to 6,072 selectable AF points and deep learning based automatic face, eye and animal AF tracking modes. The 20.1 megapixel CMOS sensor shares many technologies and performance seen with the EOS-1D X Mark III providing 100-102,400 auto ISO range enabling users to produce clean images in the toughest low light environments such as weddings and indoor events, providing additional flexibility and choice.

Enabling content creators to meet the increasing demand to produce both stunning still and moving image, the innovative EOS R6 can film in 4K UHD resolution at up to 59.94fps achieved through oversampling from 5.1K. Output incredible slow-motion footage with AF support using Full HD at up to 119.88fps. During movie shooting, zebra display can be used as a guide to exposure adjustment, particularly useful in conditions that typically result in overexposed highlights. With the option to record internally in 8-bit H.264 or 10-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 H.265 and Canon Log, users can experience ultimate post-production flexibility.

The 0.5inch 3.69 million dot EVF working up to 120fps maximum refresh rate supports minimal lag ideal for photographing sports, offering a transparent and responsive view of shooting subjects. The 3-inch vari-angle 1.62 million dot LCD screen encourages shooting from creative angles. Dual card slots allow users to input 2x SD UHS II cards and record to both cards simultaneously, with the ability to record in different formats for safety, security and speed.

Introducing three new EOS accessories

LP-E6NH

A new longer life battery supplied with EOS R5, EOS R6 and compatible with all existing cameras that use the LP-E6 series batteries. LP-E6NH replaces LP-E6N, with an increased capacity of 14% reaching 2130mAh, enabling users to shoot for longer while maintaining compatibility with existing products and accessories.

BG-R10 battery grip

Enables extended, undisturbed shooting with EOS R5 and EOS R6, great for wedding, wildlife and news shooters. The new battery grip gives users the ability to power the bodies using two batteries (LP-E6/N/NH). The grip also offers duplicate controls for easier vertical shooting.

WFT-R10

Battery grip style Wi-Fi transmitter and 2x2 MIMO antennas for faster and longer-range transmission, compatible with EOS R5. WFT-R10 also features enhanced network processing enabling SFTP via Wi-Fi and includes a gigabyte speed via ethernet port.

Pricing & Availability

The EOS R5 will be available on the 30th July 2020, with the following RSPs:

• EOS R5: £4199.99 / €4849.99 / $3899.00
• EOS R5 and RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM lens kit: $4999.00

The EOS R6 will be available on the 27th August 2020, with the following RSPs:

• EOS R6: £2499.99 / €2899.99 / $2499.99
  
• EOS R6 and RF 24-105 F4-7.1 IS STM lens kit: $2899.00
• EOS R6 and RF 24-105mm F4 L IS USM lens kit: $3599.00

Image Gallery

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First Impressions

“Re-imagine mirrorless” is the official strapline for one of Canon's biggest ever product launches, as they introduce 11 new products in total today, including the hotly anticipated Canon EOS R5 mirrorless camera with its 45 megapixel full-frame sensor and ability to record 8K video.

Canon are still keen to point out that they are not stepping away from their other DSLR and APS-C mirrorless systems, just focusing on full-frame mirrorless for the next 6 months at least.

We've spent a little hands-on time with the Canon's brand new flagship camera, so ahead of our full review, check out our first impressions of the Canon EOS R5 now...

Key Specifications

• 45 megapixel full-frame sensor
• Up to 20fps/ 12fps
• In-body IS up to 8-stops
• Dual Pixel CMOS AF II
• ISO range 100-51,200
• 8K movie 30p 12-bit (full width)
• 5.76 million dot EVF
• 3.2inch 2.1 million dot vari-angle LCD
• Dual card slots (1x CFexpress, 1x SD UHS II)
• Top panel display and AF multi-controller
• Built-in 5Ghz Wi-Fi with optional wireless transmitter (WFT-R10)
• Bluetooth
• USB charging and power via PD-E1
• Body only 650g (738g with battery/ memory card)

Key Details

• Expanding upon Canon’s existing EOS R camera lineup, the EOS R5 is designed for professional applications
• Features a new 45-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor and uncropped 8K video recording up to 29.97 fps, giving users the ability to capture fast-moving objects with impressive accuracy and speed
• Along with the EOS R6, it’s the first camera to be outfitted with Canon’s advanced Dual Pixel CMOS AF II
• Offers 8 stops of 5-axis In Body Image Stabilizer, a feature that many creators have long asked for from Canon
• Enhanced operating controls and accessories such as rear-dial, multi-controller and optional WFT-R10A wireless file transfer battery grip with Ethernet support
• Impressive durability, including weather, drip and dust sealing on par with the EOS 5D series

Pricing and Availability

The Canon EOS R5 body only will be priced at £4199.99 in the UK and $3899.99 in the US.

It will also be available with the 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens in the US for $4999.99.

The BG-R10 battery grip is priced at £419.99.

The WFT-R10 Wi-Fi transmitter is priced at £1349.99.

The LP-E6NH battery is priced at £114.99.

Release Date

The Canon EOS R5 will be available to buy on 30th July 2020.

45 Megapixel Sensor

The EOS R5 is the highest resolution EOS camera ever, with its 45 megapixels producing more detail than even the 50 megapixel EOS 5DS and 5DS R DSLR cameras.

The ISO range runs from 100-51200 which helps keep subjects razor-sharp even in extreme low-light conditions.

8K Video

The EOS R5 is the first ever full frame mirrorless camera to be capable of recording 8K RAW video up to 29.97fps internally,12-bit (non-cropped).

That's right - the EOS R5 uses the full width of the sensor to record 8K video at up to 30p, and employing Canon's renowned Dual Pixel CMOS AF system whilst doing so.

Compared to Canon's previous implementations of 4K on their other mirrorless cameras (the EOS R has a 1.8x crop when recording 4K), this is very welcome news indeed.

It also offers 8K internal video recording up to 29.97fps (non-cropped) in 4:2:2 10-bit Canon Log (H.265) or 4:2:2 10-bit HDR PQ (H.265).

When shooting 8K video at 30fps RAW, the camera can record for up to 20 minutes before it overheats.

It also offers the ability to capture 35 megapixel frame grabs from the 8K video!

For the moment at least, the Canon R5 is the leading mirrorless camera for video, unless Sony can answer the challenge with the upcoming A7S III...

4K Video

The Canon EOS R5 can record 4K video up to 120p. It features 4K internal recording up to 119.88fps (non-cropped) in 4:2:2 10-bit Canon Log (H.265) or 4:2:2 10-bit HDR PQ (H.265) and 4:2:2 10-bit in Canon Log or 4:2:2 10-bit HDR PQ output via HDMI at 4K 59.94fps.

Photographers seeking the very highest 4K quality can use the 4K HQ mode to reproduce incredible detail at frame rates up to 30p by internally oversampling 8K footage.

When recording 4K 30p video, there is no over-heating at all, so you can record for as long as you like up to the capacity of your memory card.

As with 8K recording, the camera uses the Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system, including eye AF, whilst recording in 4K.

Dual Pixel CMOS AF II

The next generation Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system on the EOS R5 offers the world’s fastest AF, with the camera capable of focusing in as little as 0.05 seconds. It has 5,940 selectable AF points.

The EOS R5 can also focus in light levels as low as -6EV, with the high precision AF being effective in even poorly lit or low contrast shooting conditions.

Dual Pixel CMOS AF II only works on cameras with the new Digic X processor, so older models probably won't be able to benefit from a firmware upgrade.

The EOS R5 not only recognises the faces and eyes of humans, but also now cats, dogs and birds, in both still and movie modes.

Canon UK's David Parry was especially excited about the Canon R5's ability to track and auto-focus on birds, as well as dogs and cats, with the camera recognising everything from ostriches to sparrows.

Keen bird photographers will surely be chomping at the proverbial bit to try out the Canon EOS R5 and find out if it really can take a lot of the legwork out of what has always one of the more technically difficult photography disciplines.

8-stops Image Stabilisation

For the first time ever in the EOS series, the Canon EOS R5 incorporates 5-axis In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS), which has been designed to work collaboratively with the IS system built into certain RF lenses.

The solution has been engineered so that RF lenses and the sensor work to correct pitch and yaw with the sensor correcting X-Y and roll movements.

This intelligent stabilisation system corrects at up to an incredible 8-stops - the world’s best image stabilisation - allowing you to hand-hold the camera for up to 4 seconds and still get sharp results.

Even better, the 54mm diameter of the of the RF Mount enables some non-IS RF lenses such as the RF 85mm F1.2L USM or RF 28-70mm F2L USM to achieve up to 8-stops of image stabilisation.

The EOS R5 can also stabilise older, non-IS lenses including any EF lens that is fitted to the R5 via the Canon EF-EOS R mount adapter. Just think of all that vintage EF glass which will instantly be stabilized when mounted on the new EOS R5!

The stabilisation system will also work with lenses from other manufacturers – you just need to input the focal length into the camera's menu system.

The EOS R5 is noticeably thicker than the EOS R when viewed from above, presumably to squeeze in the new IBIS unit, but it's not too thick.

It reminded us of the difference between the recently announced Fujifilm X-T4 and its non-IBIS predecessor, the X-T3, in that you can tell that the newer model is slightly thicker, but not objectionably so.

20fps Burst Shooting

The EOS R5 offers continuous shooting at up to 20fps with the silent electronic shutter, or 12fps with the mechanical shutter, both with full auto exposure (AE) and auto focus (AF) tracking.

Dual Pixel RAW

With Dual Pixel RAW supported, correction of the focus and contrast in the background using the Background Clarity mode and changing the lighting in portraits via the Portrait Relighting mode are both possible after capture, just using your finger/thumb on the EOS R5's touchscreen LCD!

Handling

Canon told us in the past that the EOS R5 is officially a 5-series camera. It's not a direct replacement for the EOS 5D Mark IV, rather the equivalent of it in Canon's mirrorless range.

So in future, we might expect to see a more professional EOS R1 as well as the more affordable EOS R6 that was also announced today, if the DSLR naming convention is strictly adhered to.

Therefore, as with the incredibly popular EOS 5D, the new Canon R5 is intended to be an all-round camera for serious enthusiasts and pros, suitable for everything from wedding to sports photography.

Handling of the EOS R5 feels very much like a 5-series EOS DSLR camera, so 5D Mark IV owners should feel very much at home using this new model.

The top-plate is very similar to the EOS R, which now sits below the R5 and R6 in the line-up.

It actually bears more than a passing similarity to the EOS R - in fact, it's virtually identical, with exactly the same LCD status panel and control layout, just with a slight increase in thickness.

Meanwhile, the rear of the EOS R5 seems to have been lifted directly from the EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR, with an array of controls that will be instantly familiar to anyone who has used an EOS 5-series camera before, including the classic Canon control wheel.

This means that the innovative / controversial (delete as appropriate) Mfn bar that made its debut on the EOS R is only conspicuous by its complete absence on the new EOS R5, with Canon explaining that a thumb-operated joystick was more appropriate for the new model's target audience.

While this may be true, we were struck by how high the joystick is positioned on the rear of the Canon R5 - almost inline with the centre of the viewfinder, rather than where the Info button is - which seems rather too high to find easily, especially compared with most other cameras that have this key control.

The Canon R5 also benefits from both a tilting LCD screen and dual memory card slots for the first time in Canon's fledging full-frame mirrorless system.

There's a brand new Function button on the front of the EOS R5/R6 that can be customised, including controlling the auto-focus.

Weight

The Canon EOS R5 weighs 1.62 lb / 738 g body only with a battery and memory card fitted.

LCD Screen

The 3.2-inch vari-angle touch screen with 2.1 million dot resolution LCD screen encourages shooting from creative angles and makes the EOS R5 ideally suited to movie-shooting.

EVF

The 5.76 million dot EVF offers a realistic view of the world that's comparable to a traditional optical viewfinder. The 0.5inch electronic viewfinder refreshes at 120fps.

Build Quality

The EOS R5 has a magnesium alloy body with EOS 5D Mk IV levels of weatherproofing,so it should withstand most things that you throw at it.

Dual-card Slots

The EOS R5 supports both a high-speed CFexpress card, crucial for 8K video recording, and a SD UHS II card via dual slots.

Bluetooth and Wi-Fi

With built-in Bluetooth and 5Ghz Wi-Fi, the EOS R5 can be easily connected to a smartphone and networks, allowing high-speed file sharing and FTP/FTPS transfer.

It can also be remotely controlled using the Camera Connect and EOS Utility apps and tethered to a PC or Mac via Wi-Fi or high-speed USB 3.1.

LP-E6NH Battery

The LP-E6NH is a new longer life battery supplied with both the EOS R5 and EOS R6. It's backwards compatible with all existing cameras that use the LP-E6 series batteries. LP-E6NH replaces the LP-E6N, with an increased capacity of 14% reaching 2130mAh.

BG-R10 Battery Grip and WFT-R10 Wireless Transmitter

The new BG-R10 battery grip gives users the ability to power the EOS R5 using two batteries (LP-E6/N/NH) and also offers duplicate controls for easier vertical shooting. Note that the batteries have to be charged whilst the grip is fitted on-camera.

The WFT-R10 Wi-Fi transmitter features 2x2 MIMO antennas for faster and longer-range transmission, plus enhanced network processing enabling SFTP via Wi-Fi. It also includes a gigabyte speed via ethernet port. Note that this accessory only works with the EOS R5, and not the EOS R6.

Early Verdict

If the impressive spec sheet translates into real-world performance, it's clear that the new Canon EOS R5 will be the most capable all-round mirrorless camera on the market, satisfying the needs of videographers and photographers alike.

What do you think - is the EOS R5 the mirrorless camera that you've been waiting for? Leave a comment below!

Hands On

Ahead of our full review, do you want to see exactly what the new Canon EOS R5 full-frame mirrorless camera looks like in the flesh?

We were given a sneak peek of the EOS R5 at an exclusive briefing with Canon UK earlier this month

Check out our extensive hands-on gallery of photos of the exciting new Canon R5.

A gallery of hands-on photos of the Canon EOS R5 mirrorless camera.

Image Gallery

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Preview Images

Ahead of our full review, here are some sample JPEG and RAW images and 8K and 4K videos taken with the brand new Canon EOS R5 full-frame mirrorless camera. All of the images were taken with a full production version of the EOS R5 and the RF 15-35mm, 24-70mm and 70-200mm F2.8 lenses.

A gallery of sample photos taken with the Canon EOS R5 full-frame mirrorless camera.

Canon EOS R5 Sample Images

Sample RAW Images

The Canon EOS R5 enables users to capture RAW and JPEG format files. We've provided some Canon RAW (CR3) samples for you to download (thumbnail images shown below are not 100% representative).

Sample Movies & Video

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