Way Too Soon: A Canon EOS R5 Mark III Wishlist

[Exploreshootshare]

There are some features that come to mind which could be added:

1. built-in GPS
2. smart controller (recently tried it on a R3, fun little thing)
3. trim a little weight... if possible
4. new flippy screen mechanism
5. I like/ love the idea of built-in ND filters but it does raise the questions of how easily they could break or how rugged the camera is.
6. BG with improved ergonomics (I didn't like the BG-E10 but I haven't tried the new ones für the mkii yet) and give a USB-C port so you can charge the batteries while it is not attached to the camera. The BG-E22 for the EOS R had it was awesome!
7. IBIS High RES with Raw... just give it another shot Canon!
8. two identical card slots (probably CFExpress)

Is the EVF of the R5mkii blackout free? If so, great, if not,
9. blackout free EVF

 

[f_specker]

1. GPS
2. GPS
3. GPS (yes, even my old 6D has it!)
4. 2 x CF Express
5. better AF (subjects still small in the frame are often lost; branches and grass often confuse the AF)
6. better high ISO performance
7. star tracking (Pentax can do it)
8. better battery life
9. higher-res back LCD screen
10. fix the connectivity setup process (both WiFi and Bluetooth)

 

[neuroanatomist]

Totally agree! And give built in GPS to the R6, R5, R3 and R1 line up!

The R3 and R1 have built-in GPS.

 

[Exploreshootshare]

The R3 and R1 have built-in GPS.

I know, I just wanted to state that all line-ups starting at R6 should have it. That's why I mentioned R3 and R1 as well. I wouldn't think any mk version of the R8 to get built in GPS.

 

[jam05]

Until Canon stops blocking in camera creativity and alow shooting still images in the wider dynamic range Log gamut the cameras are not true hybrids yet. Consistancy in the workflow. In camera. Remove the road block Canon. Protecting its precious picture styles? One can convert back to the SRGB afterwards. RED, Panasonic, & Sony allow shooting the still images or processing them in the wider dynamic range & applying LUTs. Canon bends over backwards by preventing even frame grabs of footage with CP set in the wider gamut.

 

[Ian K]

If we’re talking about CFExpress then they should move up to the new CFExpress 4 standard. Twice as fast as CFExpress 2, which is in the R5 / R5 II, for the same card type. Ie CFExpress 4 Type B is twice the speed of CFExpress 2 Type B.

 

[neuroanatomist]

Being able to assign the half press/full press of the shutter to low fps/ high fps i.e. with half press you get single shot or say 5 fps and full press 20 or more fps.

How would that work? Would a half press actually take pictures just like a full press? How could you pre-focus? Would back-button AF then be a requirement? Seems like an impractical solution.

OTOH, Canon has already implemented a reasonable approach with the R1. The Smart Controller (AF-ON) has half- and full-press. I have mine configured so a half-press focuses and uses whatever frame rate my current mode is set to, and full press focuses and shoots at 40 fps.

 

[SvO2]

Main thing I’d want is a bigger buffer. It drains too quickly at 30fps.

 

[1ll]

Try setting one of the buttons to AF-OFF and keeping it held down. No need to change the shutter button as someone else recommended. That works for me on the R5 Mk I.

Add an extra programmable button.

 

[apmadoc]

I'm not following you... for a star trail or milky way timelapse, the unlimited intervalometer will generate hundreds of 30 second stills. I start it and let it run until the batteries go flat or I turn the camera off. Where is the limitation on the R5ii?

dng (like HEIF) is just the container for the data. You mentioned processed image so I assume you mean a better version on the basic jpg image. HEIF gives you that today at the same 45mp resolution (L selected). It isn't clear to me from the advanced user guide exactly what bit depth is stored but it must be better than 8 bit jpg as it can be used for HDR as far as I know.
Are you using an editor that doesn't support .HIF files?

I don’t do star trail Timelapse. I shoot Timelapse of clouds, crowds, cars on free ways. No, I don’t want it to run until the battery dies. However , there are times when I do use unlimited and hook the camera to an powerbank, but those are for things like full day long construction work stirs. Again, increasing the number of max shots from 99 to 9999 is the very simplest of firmware changes. (In fact, the R6 already supports 9999 max today). In terms of in camera processing, I was referring to things like in depth compositing - you can choose jpg or hif, no option for raw.

 

[apmadoc]

The intervalometer can have unlimited shots so not limited to 99. I use the same for my RP as well.
What I don't like is the time between shots on the intervalometer. There are clear gaps for star trail shooting which I don't get as the body can handle 1/4000s shutter speed. Been the same problem since my 7D!

The R5 can output HEIF which is far superior to jpg

For star trail shots…. If I set my shutter exposure to 30 seconds and the intervalometer to 30 seconds, you will find there are times that you might have some / many of the 30 second increments were skipped because of processing time (I tried turning off noise reduction, etc. but it didn’t work. My conclusion is that the shutter time isn’t 100% exact. I tried 31 second interval, it helped, but didn’t fix it.). I use an external shutter release that I can lock down, this eliminates the gaps. I prefer raw over heif

 

[gdanmitchell]

Presuming that the R5 is still the descendant of the 5D, it is way past time for Canon to move past the 45MP sensor limit. The old 5DsR had more resolution years ago, and the competitors have been at 60MP for some time and will soon go higher.

At a minimum, let’s at least see a 80MP “R5sR” variant.

 

[roby17269]

In broad strokes:

• 60+ mp
• no shutter (like the Z8/9) assuming the downsides of electronic shutter are taken care of
• same viewfinder as the R1
• quad pixel AF as the R1
• incremental AF improvements
• bigger battery
• 2 CFE B slots

This would get my money, under the assumption that Canon will not offer a high-resolution R1-style camera because reasons

 

[neuroanatomist]

Presuming that the R5 is still the descendant of the 5D, it is way past time for Canon to move past the 45MP sensor limit. The old 5DsR had more resolution years ago, and the competitors have been at 60MP for some time and will soon go higher.

At a minimum, let’s at least see a 80MP “R5sR” variant.

Don't confuse resolution with megapixel count. The 24 MP sensors in the R6II, R3 and R1 deliver higher spatial resolution than the 30 MP sensor in the 5DIV/R. The 45 MP sensor in the R5 delivers about the same spatial resolution as the 50 MP 5DsR and higher resolution than the 5Ds.

IIRC, Canon has suggested (in interviews) that they don't see a point in going higher on MP count for the 'workhorse' R5-series, but they did not rule out a possible R5s and that would likely be the 80-100 MP camera you're seeking.

 

[AlanF]

Presuming that the R5 is still the descendant of the 5D, it is way past time for Canon to move past the 45MP sensor limit. The old 5DsR had more resolution years ago, and the competitors have been at 60MP for some time and will soon go higher.

At a minimum, let’s at least see a 80MP “R5sR” variant.

"Competitors" with an "s"? Competitor would be a better word - Sony has the 60Mpx Sony 7RV, which has a very slow sensor of 99ms read out time. The highest resolution Nikon sensors are 45.7 Mpx in the Z8 and Z9. The Sony rival of the R5ii is the recently introduced A1 ii which has 50 Mpx. Canon could well introduce a higher megapixel R variant.

 

[tiggy@mac.com]

Can I throw in...
- If they're not going to release a high-megapixel body, double the resolution to let me go crop-crazy
- CFexpress v4 support to double throughput
- Quadrupled buffer to go along with above
- A hotshoe cover that can be taken off without pliers
- Internal GPS option we can turn on/off
- Diopter less prone to unintentional movement
- Multi-exposure averaging (for sharpness)
- Option to change relevant settings when you get those dialog boxes indicating why you can't change a particular setting when a different setting is conflicting with it. Right now, you need to go on a menu treasure hunt to find it.
- Feedback for which reason a pupil-control AF point calibration fails so it can be fixed
- Explicit cases where you can register calibrations for landscape/vertical/dark/bright sun/etc..., allowing system to choose from most relevant data set

Yes in agreement with these and add the following; no particular order.

1. Bulb Mode Usability
   • Simplify Bulb mode operation: currently, users must both select Bulb and enable it in a separate menu. This should be streamlined—selecting Bulb should activate it directly or offer a clearer, more intuitive process.
2. Image Quality Enhancements
   • Improve high ISO performance to reduce image noise.
   • Expand dynamic range to preserve more detail in highlights and shadows.
3. Bracketing Improvements
   • Allow slower shutter speeds during focus bracketing.
   • Enable exposure bracketing within focus bracketing mode to enhance creative flexibility.
4. Visibility & User Feedback
   • Add a live countdown timer during Bulb exposures and long exposure noise reduction to show the remaining time until completion.
   • Improve illumination of the top LCD screen for better visibility in low-light environments.
   • Provide an option to disable the self-timer indicator light (flashing) for discreet shooting, especially useful for night photography and wildlife.
   • Include illuminated buttons for easier operation in the dark.
5. Remote Control Options
   • Reinstate infrared (IR) remote support. IR remotes consume significantly less power than Bluetooth and offer a simpler, more reliable trigger method in many scenarios.
6. Battery Management
   • Introduce a built-in or optional sticker/indicator system for batteries, so users can easily identify charged vs. depleted ones—even with the battery cover on.

 

[AlanF]

Can I throw in...
- If they're not going to release a high-megapixel body, double the resolution to let me go crop-crazy
- CFexpress v4 support to double throughput
- Quadrupled buffer to go along with above
- A hotshoe cover that can be taken off without pliers
- Internal GPS option we can turn on/off
- Diopter less prone to unintentional movement
- Multi-exposure averaging (for sharpness)
- Option to change relevant settings when you get those dialog boxes indicating why you can't change a particular setting when a different setting is conflicting with it. Right now, you need to go on a menu treasure hunt to find it.
- Feedback for which reason a pupil-control AF point calibration fails so it can be fixed
- Explicit cases where you can register calibrations for landscape/vertical/dark/bright sun/etc..., allowing system to choose from most relevant data set

Tiggy, on another issue. The search function has stopped working and I can't find your post about the LP-E6P batteries discharging when not in use. I was away for 10 days without the R5ii, which I normally use daily, so for once could see the discharge for my two batteries. Both lost hardly any charge over that time.

 

[neuroanatomist]

- A hotshoe cover that can be taken off without pliers

I found that the hotshoe cover on my R1 loosened up over time. But if it bothers you, the cover for the R3 (ER-SC1) works fine on the R1 and R5II, and does not have the locking 'feature'.

 

[jam05]

All of the aforementioned from admin and everyone elses hardware options plus my own pet peav of the ability to shoot stills and video both in CLog3, and even if no option to bake into the jpeg at least let me see without the additional workarounds and extra steps. I know everyone is bored of my workflow and mentioning it. People kept mentioning it on other forums, low and behold Sony reacted this month.

 

[koenkooi]

If we’re talking about CFExpress then they should move up to the new CFExpress 4 standard. Twice as fast as CFExpress 2, which is in the R5 / R5 II, for the same card type. Ie CFExpress 4 Type B is twice the speed of CFExpress 2 Type B.

FWIW, the R5II doesn’t even come close to maxing out CFe2 speeds, it tops out at 500MByte/s, which is far, far below the 1700MByte/s some CFe2 cards can write at.