EOS 5D MK IV vs. EOS 5D R/S

[Epicuros]

I own EOS 5d MK II and currently consider MK IV. I was pretty excited by the 50+ MPixels when R/S was launched, but soon my exciitement subsided by reports that R/S is quite vulnerable as regards image sharpness, on account of its large pixel count. To an extent this is understandable but does it mean that you almost never can handhold the camera? The fact that R/S prices keep dropping (at least in Europe) to a level below those of MK IV made me even more suspicious. Any comments?

[RobertTheFat]

The 5DS and 5DSR are highly specialized cameras for situations where very large prints are required. If you actually needed one, you'd probably know it and wouldn't have to ask the question. The 5D4 should give you better dynamic range and better low-light performance, and its image files are already ungainly in size at 30MP. I've only recently acquired a 5D4, so my experience isn't directly relevant, but most users seem to like it a lot.

[Epicuros]

Thank you Bob for your response. Together with DiverHank (see below) you provided educated opinions which I appreciate and on which I will base my decision. Thankas again.
Vasilis

[RobertTheFat]

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@Epicuros wrote:
Thank you Bob for your response. Together with DiverHank (see below) you provided educated opinions which I appreciate and on which I will base my decision. Thankas again.
Vasilis

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Truthfully, it's one of those situations where you can't go very far wrong. They're both excellent cameras; and whichever camera you finally select, there will be occasions when it's exactly what you needed and you'll think to congratulate yourself on your wisdom and foresight.

[ebiggs1]

"... it's one of those situations where you can't go very far wrong."

For the average person, you can go wrong. Perhaps not very far wrong but wrong never the less. The 5D Mk IV is the obvious choice.  No contest here.

Why is it that most buyers get stuck on a single spec. 50 mp !  You must consider the entire package before you buy unless you like buying.  As a total package which camera fits your needs more?  I am confident you will see the Mk IV is the clear winner.

[diverhank]

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@Epicuros wrote:

I own EOS 5d MK II and currently consider MK IV. I was pretty excited by the 50+ MPixels when R/S was launched, but soon my exciitement subsided by reports that R/S is quite vulnerable as regards image sharpness, on account of its large pixel count. To an extent this is understandable but does it mean that you almost never can handhold the camera? The fact that R/S prices keep dropping (at least in Europe) to a level below those of MK IV made me even more suspicious. Any comments?

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I'm one that goes from a 5D Mark III to a 5DSR instead of the usual Mark IV.  I don't really regret it as 50 megapixels are amazing if you have to crop.  When I was using the 5DIII, occasionally I would sell some of my pictures to customers who wanted more resolution because they were using my pictures in large prints (murals I think).  Also, I wanted it so I can crop when I take pictures of wild life...I can crop half of the picture and the resolution is still better than the 5D Mark III...pretty awesome.

Of course nothing is for free - the 5DSR is about two stops worse than the 5D Mark III and more so when compared against the 5D Mark IV.  For landscapes, the ISO is almost always 100 so no factor there.  For BIF, I'm fine as long as I keep ISO at or below 1600.

Regarding not being able to hand hold the 5DSR - that is just pure nonsense.  I find it no worse than the 5D Mark III...now Canon does recommend that you increase the shutter speed a bit more than normal but I find that I do not need to.  YMMV.

I'm not surprised the price is dropping.  The 5DSR is a special niche camera...it's not that popular compared to the 5D Mark IV.  It is also a bit long on the tooth... Unless you need or want the extra resolution, there is no reason to get it over the 5D Mark IV.

[Epicuros]

Thank you Hank (is this your name?). You have resolved, to a great extent, one of my current "mysteries" shrouding the EOS 5D R/S cameras. I will do my research now under the light you cast. Thanks again.

[TCampbell]

If I were doing studio photography or product photography (anything where I can control the pace of the shoot as well as the lighting) then I’d probably go with a 5Ds.   

If I were doing nature photography and wanted to be able to produce huge prints, then I *might* go with a 5Dsr.

But I say “might” because if you may be able to take multiple shots (break your landscape into an imaginary mosaic and shoot each segment) and then combine those images in post-processing to make a final ultra-high resolution result (regardless of the original resolution of the camera sensor).  For certain types of photography this doesn’t work — e.g. if you’re trying to shoot massive ocean waves crashing on the shore then getting the frames to align could be problematic.

Of course it doesn’t do much good to buy a camera with an ultra high resolution sensor... and then buy marginal lenses to go with it.  So if you go the 5Ds or 5Dsr route... then you might need to have deep pockets to feed it a diet of high-quality glass.

I use a 5D IV.   For most photographic needs, it’s the more versatile choice.

[Epicuros]

Thanks TCampbell. Although my lenses lean on the more expensive side, they are probably not the kind to exactly support 50p I tend to believe that the IV would be sufficient for me. By the same token I would not consider a 10X12 cm view studio camera...

[Mitsubishiman]

I find the replies interesting, and agree, I have the 5DsR, all L series Lenses, I have zero regrets, if they come out with a version II it will still be my choice over a 5D IV, it comes down to what you are looking for specifically, I also post process on a 12 core, 128 GB Ram, 5K monitor system, for the record I see detail most do not.
The comment on large prints or aggressive cropping is a valid point.
One thing I suggest is after you finish your photos, put them on a thumb drive and view them on a newer high resolution TV, a really large screen, this is where you need pixels, this is where the 5DsR will surprise you.