Canon R5 or R6 mark II?

[dan62]

So I’ve become a father and it’s taken a heavy toll on my photography business. So I don’t exactly have the funds to purchase cameras.

On the other hand, I want to upgrade from my old 6D. Because I want to take lots of pictures of my kid (my best photo of him is taken on an R5 by another photographer), and I’d also love to take my photography business to the next level and having the best camera would help with that…

I’d like your honest opinion, should I go with one of these two, or something completely different?

[deebatman316]

Do you have specific needs when it comes to gear. Is flash photography necessary for you. What is the main use for your camera. Is there a specific feature that you want or need. What lenses do you currently own. Are they Canon or are they 3rd Party. 3rd Party adapted EF lenses can be hit or miss when it comes to compatibility. Pre-2009 EF lenses lack support for Dual Pixel Autofocus. So those lenses will AF and work but you'll be limited. Also NOT all EF lenses support 12 FPS. Canon has a list of which lenses do.

[shadowsports]

I liked the questions Demetrius asked in regards to what lenses you currently own.

If still images are your forte and you want an all out baller, the R5 refurb from the Canon store is on sale for $2999. Thats $500 more that the R62.  If video is important to you, I'd get the R62.  

[amfoto1]

Besides photos of your new child (congratulations!) you haven't told us your other uses of your current camera gear. What "photography business" do you do and what would be the "next level"?

Coming from a 20MP full frame 6D DSLR to either an R5 or an R6 Mark II would be an upgrade.

The website at this link can be a useful way to quickly compare two cameras (but double check the info, just to be sure). You also can use that site to compare either camera with your 6D. There are a number of other comparison sites if you Google them. Large retailers like B&H Photos also provide some means of comparison (and can be used to double check the data on other sites).

Of course, the primary difference between the R6 Mark II and R5 is resolution. The R5 is 45MP full frame, while the R6 Mark II is 24MP full frame. Only you can say if you actually need the higher resolution... Only you can say if it's worth the additional cost. Assuming you're in the US (I don't know about other countries), there is a hefty discount on R5 right now. Even so it's still more expensive than the R6 Mark II. Would the higher resolution help your work and essentially pay for itself?

I agree with Demetrius... You need to consider the system as a whole. You will essentially be changing systems, although some of your existing gear can probably continue to serve. What, if any, RF lenses will you need versus what EF lenses have you already got that can be adapted for use on the RF-mount camera? Other accessories such as flash and even extra batteries may be a consideration, too. 

For highly detailed reviews of both cameras I recommend Bryan Carnathan's The-Digital-Picture website. He also reviews and tests all Canon lenses and accessories. 

Depending upon how you answer some of the above, there might be some alternatives you should consider. For much of what I shoot the APS-C format, 32.5MP R7 would serve better, but I also like to keep a full frame camera on hand for some less frequent needs. I haven't made any changes yet... some other stuff has gotten in the way!

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Alan Myers
San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7DII (x2), 7D(x2), EOS M5, some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
FLICKR

[Waddizzle]

A “photography business” can come in one of several flavors.  I think either camera body could work well shooting everything from weddings to sports to product and portrait photography.

If you are working with limited funds, then I would recommend the R6 Mark II over the soon to be superseded R5.  The R6 Mark II will have a lower operating costs.  The memory cards will cost less, and you will only need one type of card.  

The R5 bodies produces much larger files than the R6 bodies.  This may necessitate investing in additional computer storage capacity.  It could even mean investing in a more powerful computer.

The R6 Mark II has upgraded features over the R6.  None of these features are available on the R5 because of hardware limitations associated with the older technology.  On the other hand, I expect to see an R5 Mark II on store shelves by next year this time, maybe within a few months.

[Tronhard]

Because of the time difference between down under and the USA, I am just coming to this.  All contributors ahead of me have offered pertinent questions and advice.  I am not a father of young kids, but I am retired, which results in much the same financial quandary!  
I can only offer a perspective from one who owns all three: R5, R6 and R6II.

Those on this site will have seen these questions with monotonous regularity, but here goes in any case:
1. If you are looking for an upgrade, what is it about your current system that requires you to seek an upgrade? 
Sure, the 6D is long in the tooth, but that, in itself, does not tell us what features you need to provide an economically viable benefit to you. 
2  WHAT IS YOUR BUDGET?  Saying you don't have a lot of money is a relative thing, but to give you really good advice, we need numbers, even if approximate. If you have a separate business equipment budget, keep to it and don't let your investment creep into your other responsibilities.
3.  If you are going to move to the R platform, do you intend to include lens purchases in that budget?  RF-series optics are not cheap, and can easily exceed the cost of the body.  To get the full benefits of IBIS, combined with lens OIS, then you will want RF glass, but that may not be an issue if your subjects are relatively static and the light is good, or you shoot from tripods, for example.  Also, knowing what lenses you shoot with right now would be helpful - a camera system is not functional without all the components you need to do your work, so knowing what you need is important.
4. Do you do purely stills, or a combo of stills and video?  If, for example, you shoot purely stills we can ignore the video benefits of one model over the rest.
5. What subjects do you shoot?  Again, that gives us clues as to sensor size and the optics you need.
6. What do you produce?  By which I mean, what format of output is it and to what kind of resolution.  This is arguably the most critical question, because this is how you earn your money and justify the investment. 
Producing images for social media, digital display, for real-time transmission to magazines, and creating large, detailed Fine Art prints all imply different demands.  This is a critical question, because it points to the resolution you need to achieve and that has a huge impact on your sensor choice.

[Tintype_18]

Decisions, decisions. Speaking from experience: two kids, nine grandkids and a great-grandson on the way. The older they get, the more expensive they get. If you feel you can afford to upgrade, good for you.

[John_SD]

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@dan62 wrote:

So I’ve become a father and it’s taken a heavy toll on my photography business. So I don’t exactly have the funds to purchase cameras.

This is an easy one. I'm not going to delve into the merits of one spec sheet or cost analysis over another, as others have done this. But to me, you've got no business as a new father with limited funds spending thousands and thousands of dollars on your photography as you attempt to "take it to the next level." Why? Because you have responsibilities in life. Is your business to the point where you are so in-demand that you are having to turn down work? How many regular clients do you have? Can you drop those who are less well-paying and still remain busy and well compensated? If the answer is yes to all, then just get the gear and your CPA will treat it as line items on your financial spreadsheet. Otherwise, as a new family man, your focus must be elsewhere, and that is not going into debt for gear. At least not now. I would just continue with random "assignments" until such time as you can justify investing in a pursuit without it impacting your marriage and family needs. Stick with the 6D and enjoy family life. 

[Tronhard]

I have some sympathy with that.  We don't know the OP's exact situation, however when I was initially single I was working full-time as a freelance photographer, but when I got married I realized that I had responsibilities (even though my wife was a successful professional).  I morphed to working at other careers alongside my photography  - at times being able to fully focus on it for projects or clients and blending those through doing photography work my corporate employers.    I always had the philosophy that the photography had to pay for itself, even if I didn't make a living from it - my work in the corporate world did that.  Now I am retired, I can afford to indulge myself, but that is on the back of a lifetime of work in other careers as well.

[John_SD]

"Now I am retired, I can afford to indulge myself, but that is on the back of a lifetime of work in other careers as well."

Understandable and certainly a much different situation from that of the OP. I think he was quite clear when he stated that he doesn't have the funds to purchase another camera and associated gear at this time. Photography should be a joy, not a financial burden that one can ill afford based on current circumstances.