The Canon EOS R5 Mark II – We have now seen it

[TinTin]

The R5 has locked up on me too many times in once-in-a-lifetime situations...

Tell me, what's the secret to having so many lifetimes?

 

[Tony5787]

Tell me, what's the secret to having so many lifetimes?

I mean when’s the next time I’ll have a shot at a Northern Hawk Owl coming straight at me at close range and landing 10ft from me? Probably never so I’d consider that once-in-a-lifetime…

 

[Deleted member 396222]

Well, I guess some people think everyone with a camera and lens system investment in the tens of thousands of dollars can just switch in anger over a body price difference. Yeah, that'll show'em.

Somehow, I think, the number of people who could actually carry out such a threat is puny. Yet, they come around at every release.

YOU CAN... After 2 years of rumors, I purchased the Z8 and using my Canon L lenses with awesome results!! I will tell you, getting better images with the L lenses on the Z8 than on the 5D Mark iv... Yes, some day I will purchase mirrorless lenses but happy as a clam now...

 

[Deleted member 396222]

A competent photographer can take breathtaking photographs with just about every camera.

You're totally correct.. At the same time, things like the Z8 Pre-boost (I call it my time machine) simply opens a new world of creative opportunities. But yes, there will be something new around every corner...

 

[Quarkcharmed]

I wonder which company will be the first to add an option to use generative AI to fix LoCA.

Maybe the R1 will have AI denoise, why wouldn't R5II have it too...

 

[Quarkcharmed]

I mean when’s the next time I’ll have a shot at a Northern Hawk Owl coming straight at me at close range and landing 10ft from me? Probably never so I’d consider that once-in-a-lifetime…

The R5 did have lock-up issues at the start, but Canon fixed them within about a year in firmware updates.

 

[charly1d]

YOU CAN... After 2 years of rumors, I purchased the Z8 and using my Canon L lenses with awesome results!! I will tell you, getting better images with the L lenses on the Z8 than on the 5D Mark iv... Yes, some day I will purchase mirrorless lenses but happy as a clam now...

And here we go again, comparing a 2016 sensor against a 2023 sensor when comparing results.
I start to believe that they don't even have the equipment they are talking about and if they do, they don't even know how to use it.

 

[Richard CN]

I wonder which company will be the first to add an option to use generative AI to fix LoCA.

I can't remember of DLO will reduce the appearance of LoCA or not, but it wouldn't surprise me if it ends up in there.

 

[Richard CN]

YOU CAN... After 2 years of rumors, I purchased the Z8 and using my Canon L lenses with awesome results!! I will tell you, getting better images with the L lenses on the Z8 than on the 5D Mark iv... Yes, some day I will purchase mirrorless lenses but happy as a clam now...

I would hope so. the Z8 is a 45mp mirrorless camera that will focus spot on with those lenses, versus a 30mp DSLR that used an approximation and necessary calibration for AF because of off sensor auto focus.

 

[Tony5787]

The R5 did have lock-up issues at the start, but Canon fixed them within about a year in firmware updates.

That lockup happened this February after updating to 1.9.0 right after it was released so no they didn’t. It’s been an issue intermittently the entire time I’ve owned the camera and I’ve owned it since launch. The viewfinder locks up and the only thing you can do is pull the battery. I had it happen three consecutive times the first and only time I photographed Blackburnian Warblers, a bird I’d been waiting years to photograph and I lost entire sequences. What Ron said about having the motherboard replaced is the first I’d heard of that so maybe that’s the fix but honestly even if I sent it in to Canon for service I’d have no confidence using it in situations that matter (and it’s out of warranty now so I imagine a repair like that would be pretty costly). The only reason I was using it in February was because my R3’s batteries were drained and my USB-C battery pack wouldn’t provide power for some reason so I had no choice but to use it.

 

[Quarkcharmed]

That lockup happened this February after updating to 1.9.0 right after it was released so no they didn’t. It’s been an issue intermittently the entire time I’ve owned the camera and I’ve owned it since launch. The viewfinder locks up and the only thing you can do is pull the battery. I had it happen three consecutive times the first and only time I photographed Blackburnian Warblers, a bird I’d been waiting years to photograph and I lost entire sequences. What Ron said about having the motherboard replaced is the first I’d heard of that so maybe that’s the fix but honestly even if I sent it in to Canon for service I’d have no confidence using it in situations that matter (and it’s out of warranty now so I imagine a repair like that would be pretty costly). The only reason I was using it in February was because my R3’s batteries were drained and my USB-C battery pack wouldn’t provide power for some reason so I had no choice but to use it.

I got my R5 in 2020 one of the first batches, it would hang very often in the beginning but I don't recall a single lockup since circa mid-2021, and I've shot tens of thousands shots in continuous shooting mode.

The problem you're having, I believe, is not software but a hardware issue, so you were right to send the camera to Canon. I wonder if Canon made some compromises when designing the R5 so it's a bit more prone to such issues. For example: a slightly higher CPU or bus clock frequency, and/or slightly reduced criteria for quality control may cause some cameras to have those lock-ups while others will be just fine.

 

[AlanF]

I got my R5 in 2020 one of the first batches, it would hang very often in the beginning but I don't recall a single lockup since circa mid-2021, and I've shot tens of thousands shots in continuous shooting mode.

The problem you're having, I believe, is not software but a hardware issue, so you were right to send the camera to Canon. I wonder if Canon made some compromises when designing the R5 so it's a bit more prone to such issues. For example: a slightly higher CPU or bus clock frequency, and/or slightly reduced criteria for quality control may cause some cameras to have those lock-ups while others will be just fine.

I have one of the first, and it hasn't locked up in several 100,000 shots, or may have done once. One of the features identified on CR by some users was that their customization of buttons and shooting modes could have caused some of the problems. I tend to minimise customisation.

 

[P-visie]

I have one of the first, and it hasn't locked up in several 100,000 shots, or may have done once. One of the features identified on CR by some users was that their customization of buttons and shooting modes could have caused some of the problems. I tend to minimise customisation.

Same story here, since august 2020, I’ve had only 1 lockup in 100,000+ exposures.

 

[koenkooi]

Same story here, since august 2020, I’ve had only 1 lockup in 100,000+ exposures.

Same here, I’ve had to remove the battery only once. I’m happy I was lucky enough to get a working body, it was most likely a returned pre-order at Canon Direct.

 

[David - Sydney]

Toss on a 14mm F2.8 manual focus and have fun with it. The Sony 14mm F1.8 is okay but its coma is not as good as a $400 samyang.

to answer your 14/1.4 while it may come out, it's very difficult to get perfect coma in the corners with a very fast lens, and have it be a reasonable price.

the difference you'll get you can compensate easily for because you have far better quality images if you have an actively cooled system - especially a mirrorless camera which has the sensor running all the time anyways.

I use the samyang 14/2.8 but the extra stops make a big difference. Coma performance is good for single shots but less so for multi-panel as the overlap means the corners aren't used much.
The other advantage of a 14/1.8 (if Canon made something similar) is for shooting during twilight when the light is changing quickly. Faster to shot f1.8 panoramas and have a second set for focus stacking than shooting f9 for depth of field in landscapes.

 

[David - Sydney]

Canon could offer the same body with an upgraded firmware for a slightly higher price. They did this with the 5D Mark IV. If you wanted C-log it was $100 more.

that was the post sale option but not long afterwards, Canon permanently increased the price and included Clog in all future production

 

[David - Sydney]

I have one of the first, and it hasn't locked up in several 100,000 shots, or may have done once. One of the features identified on CR by some users was that their customization of buttons and shooting modes could have caused some of the problems. I tend to minimise customisation.

I also pre-ordered and had only one lockup in 2020 and non since. Admittedly, I haven't upgraded to 1.9 yet but haven't felt the need to.

 

[David - Sydney]

Serious question: I'm not an astro photographer. I understand wide angle for Milky Way shots, or Aurora Borealis. Other than that, I can't think of another. Are the wide angle lenses attached to a telescope sometimes? I guess I've assumed that's for a zoom, but now I'm guessing wide angle might be used that way also?

I guess if the optics in the telescope aren't as good as the camera lens, then it doesn't matter whose lens is used.

14mm is not a commonly used focal length but great for big subjects (eg whales), architecture and landscape. Clearly the RF10-20/4 is much wider still.
14mm for astro is for astrolandscapes including foreground and sky/milky way. Wide open (non tracked) or slightly reduced aperture (to improve vignetting for instance) when tracked mimises the number of panels needed for panoramas.
f1.4/1.8 is ideal for reducing exposure times for star trailing (non-tracked) and for foreground at night.

 

[David - Sydney]

I owned and recently sold my R5. I gave up on Canon and purchased a Sony A9iii for wildlife photos. The sensor is a global sensor that is as large as the idx mk ii camera I once owned. It has Zebras, Ai modeling for birds, planes, insects, people etc and pre-capture plus 120 fps with sony lenses, 30 fps with canon ef lenses. I'm pleased.

Are you able to tell us what the total migration cost was (selling second hand and buying new Sony body/lenses)?
We hear these stories but the actual cost would be educational for me.

Given that a new R5 is USD2900 (if you are in the US) and the A9iii is USD6000, I would hope that you sold your R5 at a reasonable cost.

 

[David - Sydney]

With what lenses though? The Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM is optically superb while being impressively compact and light. I will get the R5 II but I'll also have to carry around a Sony body SOLELY FOR THIS Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM lens.
There was once a rumor about a Canon RF 14mm f/1.4 but we haven't heard anything about it ever since. WHY CANON?! Also, while I love Canon bodies the RF 15-35 f/2.8 is just so heavy and big compared to the optically similarly great but way more compact Sony 16-35 GM II.

I'd love to see an updated more compact RF 15-35 f/2.8 and most importantly a competitor to the magnificent Sony 14mm f/1.8 GM!

Let's not forget the Sigma 14/1.4 which although bigger, is better setup for astro eg dew heater space and tripod mount.
Canon allowing that full frame lens for RF would be great even if just manual focus.