Canon EOS R5 Mark II user feedback and discussion

[OldrockyGN]

Got my R5M2. So far loving it. Can't figure out how to get it to use bluetooth to my phone or windows computer.
Haven't found any SW updates for the camera on CanonUSA site - none out yet?

 

[Ron H]

Topaz Photo AI, DeNoise AI and Shapen AI need an update for the RAW files. The few CR3 raw files I've tried get a nice pink color all over the picture.

DXO Photo Lab 8 say camera not in the data base or something to that effect. No photo shown on the screen.

 

[P-visie]

DXO Photo Lab 8 say camera not in the data base or something to that effect. No photo shown on the screen.

I checked yesterday and I’m on the latest version of the Topaz tools. I guess these issues will be solved in a couple of weeks now the R5 Mk II is officially “available”.

 

[OldrockyGN]

Need to work thru saving C1 custom mode - just haven't tried it yet. Not a fan of the change to a screen
instead of the roller mode switch on the R7. tried to get help but I guess no chat on weekend. |-(

 

[P-visie]

Need to work thru saving C1 custom mode - just haven't tried it yet. Not a fan of the change to a screen
instead of the roller mode switch on the R7. tried to get help but I guess no chat on weekend. |-(

You can assign the M-Fn button to switch modes. If you restrict the modes to the ones that you use (e.g. disable Bulb mode) you can swicth modes quickly.

See the manual: https://cam.start.canon/en/C017/manual/html/UG-08_Customize_0030.html

 

[neuroanatomist]

You can assign the M-Fn button to switch modes. If you restrict the modes to the ones that you use (e.g. disable Bulb mode) you can swicth modes quickly.

IMO, way better than a mode dial.

 

[Canon Rumors]

So I've had my very first paid outing with the R5 Mark II today, here are my take aways:

• it feels a lot more robust and refined software-wise
• AF in dark scenes is a lotsurer on where to go
  • I shot in a laboratory of a manufacturer specialized in LED lights for automotive clients and the aftermarket. One scene I had to shoot was a test situation of LED lights where they measure the width and complexity of said light on a white wall (and through a tunnel - to measure how far away it still emits light - and how much). Awesome stuff! The room itself is completely devoid of natural or artificial light - when testing, of course. The walls apart from the white one were painted pitch black. Most shots with my RF15-35 were at ISO 16000 and it just jumped wherever I wanted it to go and even held on with AF-C if needed.
• AF in general seems a lot more precise - the shots that did not land were the fault of my own, not the camera
• I don't know if it's by design but the R5II did show me the heat display, though it was hovering around no bars / one bars - presumably because I also did some video free hand for our video guy at work
• the body itself gets a lot warmer than I've ever encountered with my R5 - even in stills only
• the new joystick design is a lot more comfortable for my thumb
• I still honestly don't fully get the new AF modes in the M-Fn menu - the first time ever that I need to read a manual for that
• the camera itself is not noiseless - it emits a very slight humming - but not annoying to me so far

But here's the kicker:

I STILL ONLY HAVE ONE MEASLY LP-E6P BATTERY. WHAT THE ACTUAL SHIT, CANON!?

No shop I know of has them in stock yet - I called them all.

B&H got them all.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

Got the R5mk2 yesterday. My shop got 10 units so I would say Croatia got 20 units all together.
First impressions:
In video modes heavily dependent on the new battery which are currently hard to get.
The eye control af doesn’t seem to work vertically at all and horizontal not even close as it was working on R3 with my eye. Actually I used it successfully on the R3 even through polarised glasses.
Also it managed to freeze in 4k raw 50 when waking from standby mode. It happens 2 times and I had to turn off the camera to be able to use it. (First image)
8k50 raw with RF 24-70 /2.8 has this aura visible with all the lens corrections turned on in camera. It is not visible in 4K raw modes.
I didn’t notice it until I’ve put it in resolve. (Second image)
also the rubber hot shoe cap does not fit well on the original R5.
Video is nice, much cleaner image and lineskip modes seam a bit better than the one in the R5 (need more testing of that)
4k raw has some moire in some patterns, you can tell it is line skipped but it is nice and sharp. I would say it feels a bit artificially sharpen.
I hope the Biggs are just software problems and they will be fixed with the next firmware.

Did you guys encounter any?

I can attest to the eye control quirkiness. Shooting portrait it is useless at the moment but I imagine firmware will fix it.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

Got mine yesterday as a somewhat belated birthday present (yay, happy me!).

The battery situation is a clusterfuck like nothing else.

happy birthday, I ordered the camera, grip, and 3 extra batteries and received them on release day and 2 days after respectively.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

I couldn't tell a difference, the picture speed seemed fine. At the least I could not tell.

biggest pain point for me with old batteries is no bluetooth, (I thought I read just no wifi) which in hindsight makes sense because wifi/bluetooth are on the same chip a lot of the time.

And both use 2.4ghz (WiFi can use other frequencies as well)

 

[OldrockyGN]

IMO, way better than a mode dial.

neuro ... the thing is - I find the mode dial easier to use. I can see the display ... but the dial is easier to see (for my old eyes).

 

[OldrockyGN]

New question about the mode display. How come it is still displaying it an hour after the R5m2 has been powered off?
Is there a setting somewhere to not use the battery for that (to make power off really be OFF)?

 

[AlanF]

neuro ... the thing is - I find the mode dial easier to use. I can see the display ... but the dial is easier to see (for my old eyes).

You can see the mode in the viewfinder and using an assigned button click through them in milliseconds. I use muscle memory anyway to choose, be it a twist on classic or click in new.

 

[Viggo]

New question about the mode display. How come it is still displaying it an hour after the R5m2 has been powered off?
Is there a setting somewhere to not use the battery for that (to make power off really be OFF)?

It doesn’t drain your battery. Only way to shut it completely off is to remove the battery. But, it’s not needed.

 

[neuroanatomist]

neuro ... the thing is - I find the mode dial easier to use. I can see the display ... but the dial is easier to see (for my old eyes).

I rarely use the top display, I just look through the VF as @AlanF suggests.

 

[neuroanatomist]

It doesn’t drain your battery.

Physics disagrees. But it doesn’t drain it very fast.

Many people don’t know that DSLRs with a transmissive LCD in the VF (7D, 5DIII, 1D X and I’m not sure which xxD to start) used power even when off. If you looked through the VF with the power off, it was normal but if you pulled the battery, the VF got very dark.

 

[OldDudePhotog]

I’m shooting my first running event this evening, interested in seeing what it can do. I have my R3 just in case things go wrong.

 

[OldrockyGN]

I rarely use the top display, I just look through the VF as @AlanF suggests.

I'm mostly (99%) shooting birds and that means walking around and bringing the camera up for
brief bursts of shooting, then walking some more. I keep my R7 "ready" but with the power off
and the mode set to C1. My old eyes can check the mode without really reading it on the dial -
by using the shapes and their location relative to the camera. I also use the viewfinder ... but
only when actually shooting - again brief bursts of activity (not 'burst mode") during which it is
good to just know that the camera is in the correct mode. A bird, even one on a perch, is often
only there for less than a minute before it moves again. Plus the "O" in my userid on these
forums stands for/is short for "Old ... ". *G*

 

[OldrockyGN]

Physics disagrees. But it doesn’t drain it very fast.

Many people don’t know that DSLRs with a transmissive LCD in the VF (7D, 5DIII, 1D X and I’m not sure which xxD to start) used power even when off. If you looked through the VF with the power off, it was normal but if you pulled the battery, the VF got very dark.

So how long will it take for it to drain a fully charged battery - if the camera is not used for a couple of weeks do you have/want to
charge it before a day of birding (perhaps a couple of hundred images)? My normal practice is to do a "image processing session"
when I get back home/to the room - meaning take the cards and battery out and put the battery on the charger. It is often fully
charged by the time I've transferred the images from the card(s) to this laptop and selected which images I will use and done the
post processing of those few images (usually about 3 to 5, some times as many as 10-15). Then I put the cards and battery back in,
format the card(s) in the camera, and I'm ready for the next time. So let's say I'm not doing any shooting for 2 to 4 weeks. Do I
-need- to charge?

 

[OldDudePhotog]

Have to

So how long will it take for it to drain a fully charged battery - if the camera is not used for a couple of weeks do you have/want to
charge it before a day of birding (perhaps a couple of hundred images)? My normal practice is to do a "image processing session"
when I get back home/to the room - meaning take the cards and battery out and put the battery on the charger. It is often fully
charged by the time I've transferred the images from the card(s) to this laptop and selected which images I will use and done the
post processing of those few images (usually about 3 to 5, some times as many as 10-15). Then I put the cards and battery back in,
format the card(s) in the camera, and I'm ready for the next time. So let's say I'm not doing any shooting for 2 to 4 weeks. Do I
-need- to charge?

have to do some testing to answer that. I used to leave my batteries in my R5 (w/grip) for weeks and still have power. I charge all my batteries the night before an event and typically go through 2-3 batteries per event.