R5 or wait for the R5 MkII - Stills only

[MSH411]

Just looking for some other peoples thoughts. I am going to purchase an R5 but not sure which one makes sense.

• Budget isn't and issue
• Currently have an R6 and an R50 as well as two DSLR's
• Have good lens depth in both RF and EF lenses as well as a Canon adapter
• I shoot a fairly broad range of subjects (Street, wildlife, sports)
• Never shoot video

I know the latest and greatest drives some people but with what we know about the R5 Mk II and the information I supplied above, if you were in my shoes would you wait for the new release, spend the extra two grand or pickup the current R5.

 

[john1970]

If the R5 Mk2 comes with a stacked sensor and if you have the budget I would strongly consider the Mk2 over the Mk1 even though the Mk1 is going for $2900 at B&H in NYC. I would anticipate the R5 Mk2 announcement in the next2-3 weeks.

 

[AUGS]

I think it really depends on how long you are willing to wait to get your camera, and whether the differences between the R5 and R5m2 are significant enough for your needs. We have some specifications (https://www.canonrumors.com/update-canon-eos-r5-mark-ii-specifications/), but the devil is always in the details that are only available in the official announcement. I suspect there will be some surprises in these details that will tip the balance (even further).
There will also likely be a delay if you aren't early on the pre-order list. The R5m2 will be very popular!

 

[koenkooi]

The new cashback and free extras season for Canon just started, so have a look what is available now and decide if want to wait till October (In case you don’t get a unit from the first batch) or get a camera today.

 

[Deleted member 385220]

From my 3 years with it, the R5 isn't a great sports camera. So if that is important to you it might be worth waiting for the new one.

 

[MSH411]

Thanks for the responses!

The budget for the R5 Mk II is not a problem. I am hesitant to wait mostly because of the challenges canon has had with its fulfillment. I've been waiting for my 200-800mm for what seems like an eternity. Now the announcement appears to be the third week of July and maybe the full spec will be fully released and I can make a more informed decision.

 

[neuroanatomist]

I am hesitant to wait mostly because of the challenges canon has had with its fulfillment. I've been waiting for my 200-800mm for what seems like an eternity.

Apologies for repeating something I've written several times, but being proactive can mitigate the fulfillment issue. Being on CR is a good first step, because there's usually (not always) a day or two warning about the actual announcement date. Announcement time varies, a few years ago they dropped at 6a ET, several more recent ones have happened at midnight ET, the 35/1.4 VCM was at around 9p ET, IIRC. Put yourself on B&H and Adorama's email lists, they blast an email at the time of formal announcement, and at that point preorder links are live. Preorder as soon as possible after the announcement.

From what I've seen with the past several announcements, those who ordered within the first 1-2 hours of preorders going live got the lens/camera from the first allotment. For example, the R3 was announced at 6a, I placed my order at 6:45a and got mine just after Thanksgiving, from the first shipment B&H received. People who preordered before about 8:30a got theirs as well, but those ordering after 9a had to wait a few months for the second shipment.

Another strategy people use is to place an preorder with a local retailer. Many will take an order even before the product is announced. The risk is that small retailers may get just 1-2 of an item.

Finally, if all else fails then at least sign up for an alert on canonpricewatch. They send out automated stock notices. For example, a couple of weeks ago Procam (a Canon-authorized dealer) had the RF 200-800 in stock for about 2 days. If you had signed up for alerts and acted on that one, your seemingly eternal wait would have been over.

 

[MSH411]

Appreciated neuro!

I visit and read this site very actively. I have already reached out for my local provider. They have nobody that prepaid so I will be stopping in this week to see if I may be able to persuade them to take my money if I decide on the Mk II.

 

[neuroanatomist]

They have nobody that prepaid so I will be stopping in this week to see if I may be able to persuade them to take my money if I decide on the Mk II.

I'd suggest just giving them your money now and decide later. If you decide you don't want the camera, it's certainly they'll have a buyer for it so there should be no risk for you. I use the same strategy with B&H, if I think I might want the announced item, I preorder it then think about it. If I decide against, I cancel the preorder.

The only time I didn't do that was with the RF 10-20/4, which I decided I did not want (I had the EF 11-24), then changed my mind well after launch when packing the 11-24 for a trip in January and having to shoehorn it in. Even though no major or local shops had it, with some Google searching and a few phone calls, in February I was able to find a small camera shop that actually had it in stock and I ordered it on the spot.