Canon EOS R10 or (used) EOS 5D Mark IV

[kalanfuga]

Hi everyone,

I’m considering upgrading my old Canon EOS 750D setup and would really appreciate some advice.

Right now I’m torn between the Canon EOS R10 and a used Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with a fairly low shutter count (under 30,000). Both options are available at roughly the same price.

I mainly shoot nature and wildlife photography, especially birds, along with the occasional family event and vacations. I haven’t explored video much yet, though I might in the future with the right setup, so video performance isn’t my top priority.

Which option would you recommend for my use case, and why?

Thanks in advance!

[p4pictures]

Firstly let me say I have the EOS R10 and previously owned the EOS 5D Mark IV so I feel I have some background to this.

EOS 5D Mark IV

• The best general purpose DSLR camera that Canon will ever make
• 30MP stills, great for most needs
• Full-frame sensor
• Capable AF when well setup for the subject being photographed
• Dual card slots - 1x CF card, 1x SD card
• 4K video - crop mode only
• EF lenses only can be used, not EF-S or RF. No more EF lenses will be introduced
• Larger and heavier than EOS 750D
• Uses LP-E6 type batteries, greater battery life

EOS R10

• Entry / mid-range camera in the R-series, based n EOS R7
• 24MP stills, enough for many needs
• Intelligent AF for easier tracking of moving or potentially moving subjects
• Single SD card slot, supports faster UHS-II cards
• 4K video using full sensor, plus 4K 50/60 fps with additional crop
• EF / EF-S / RF / RF-S lenses can be used - use your existing lenses with adapter and then transition to RF / RF-S versions. RF-S 18-150mm kit lens is a great all-purpose choice
• Smaller and lighter than EOS 750D
• Uses same LP-E17 batteries as EOS 750D, similar battery life too 

Personally I would go for the EOS R10 at this point in time. It gets you in to the R-series models, works with your existing lenses via the EF to RF mount adapter and offers more capability and features than your current camera. 

EOS R10 

[SignifDigits]

My colleague is the expert here, but I would agree and add the R10 for the following reasons in your use case:

• Although you're giving up pixels, the APS-C sensor give you an effective 1.6x boost in focal length.  More real image on the sensor is better than cropping every time.
• Mirrorless is great.  What you see really is what you get. 
• Electronic and silent shutter is super nice to have when shooting family
• 7frames per second vs 15 fps on the R10 means the R10 wins here - you EF lenses may or may not be able to fully support this, but if they do this really helps with birds and wildlife
• You're futureproofing by moving to mirrorless and RF lenses over time

[jrhoffman75]

Agree with both previous responses. The autofocus systems on the RF bodies is just short of magic. That will be a great benefit for birds/wildlife.

[wq9nsc]

One additional consideration point is whether weather sealing is important to you because the 5D IV is much more robust in that sense.  So it depends where your nature photography takes you and how much care you need to take when photographing.

This is a concern with entry level in pretty much any of the genres/platforms but it is something to consider for the outdoor photographer.

Rodger

[LeeP]

I began using Canons in 1998 when continuing with Pentax was untenable due to their horrific slide in quality and reliability. Canon has been a joyride since.

My first mirrorless camera was the R100 3 years ago. I had a bunch of EF lenses, so my plan was NOT to buy RF lenses, but to just use the converter. That changed and the only Canon EF lens I have now is a 28-135 IS zoom.

The EVF was a wild improvement for me, game-changing in fact. I quickly added an R8. My satisfaction was such that I wondered why I had not jumped to Canon's mirrorless cameras sooner.

I have no experience with the R10, but I would highly recommend buying modern--i.e. mirrorless--rather than a used DSLR with the clock ticking on Canon support. Yes, all cameras lose service support over time, but the R10's clock isn't ticking yet, thus longer service support time. 

The EVF for me makes it such that if I'm looking through an optical viewfinder it had better be a 35mm SLR.

[Waddizzle]

Back when the 5D4 was first released I couldn’t decide which body I wanted to upgrade from a 6D.

I was choosing between the 6D2 and the 5D4. I was all aboard with 5D4 until I noticed that it had NFC communication, while the 6D2 used Bluetooth.  

That settled it for me.  A Bluetooth enabled camera is a better choice over one that’s not. 

Now what about the sensors. I would choose full frame all day long.  The R8 is a better choice than the R10, IMHO.