EOS R5/R6 launch

[John_SD]

Looking forward Canon's offical online product launch tomorrow. Photos have leaked, and it seems that the EOS R5 and R6 will both have joysticks. I am encouraged that Canon has abandoned the awful and universally panned touchbar. The R5 tech seems more geared to videographers, but that is not surprising given that so many now buy cameras to use as camcorders. Why, I don't know, but that is the trend. The R6 seems more appealing to me as someone who is more interested in photography rather than creating YouTube videos. I think there is still time to sign up for the online launch. 

[shadowsports]

John,

Lets see if it lives up to the hype.

R6 is not an option for me at 20.1MP

R5 maybe...  lets see if it hits that $3900 pricepoint as anticipated.  

[John_SD]

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@shadowsports wrote:

John,

Lets see if it lives up to the hype.

R6 is not an option for me at 20.1MP

R5 maybe...  lets see if it hits that $3900 pricepoint as anticipated.  

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Rick, I believe the R6 sensor is the same one the 1DX III uses. Those guys don't seem to complain about it. However, I too might have preferred something along the lines of 24 MP, but given the other fantastic specs of the camera, and the fact that I'm not printing out 36" by 24" posters from my RAWs, the 20.1 MP is not a deal breaker for me. This is the camera I've been waiting for. 

As for the R5, the body lists at $3899.

EDIT: I should say that the 20.1 MP R6 sensor is basically the same as the one in the 1DX III. The R6 forgoes the low pass filter. 

[wq9nsc]

NOT the same sensor as the 1DX III and more importantly it doesn't have the special 1DX III lowpass filter which works in conjunction with the sensor that is a key part of the increased image quality over the same MP size sensor used in the 1DX II. 

I am sure that the R6 image quality will be exceptional but it doesn't need the full performance of the 1DX III and more importantly the cost that goes with providing a sensor that can be expanded to ISO 819,200 and does an excellent job of capturing images in a poorly lit venue at high shutter speed.

Rodger

[Waddizzle]

The sensor in the R6 cannot be the same as the 1Dx Mark III.  While the resolution may be similar, the sensor in the R6 has IBIS, which the 1Dx Mark III does not have.  

The R6 has a native ISO 102,000, which is 2 stops better than the 6D Mark II, and the RP.  The R6 and R5 seem to have the ISO range to handle the 600mm and 800mm f/11 primes.

[John_SD]

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@Waddizzle wrote:

The sensor in the R6 cannot be the same as the 1Dx Mark III.  While the resolution may be similar, the sensor in the R6 has IBIS, which the 1Dx Mark III does not have.  

The R6 has a native ISO 102,000, which is 2 stops better than the 6D Mark II, and the RP.  The R6 and R5 seem to have the ISO range to handle the 600mm and 800mm f/11 primes.

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Canon has used the terminology of declaring the sensors in the 1DX III and the R6 as "similar." And indeed they are. 

Yes, the native ISO is as you say, but it can be expanded on either side to ISO 50 and 204,800. Given all the other superlatives of the cameras, they look like great rigs to me. I'll be interested in hearing from the guys who say they routinely require ISOs in the many hundreds of thousands LOL. 

[RobertTheFat]

Pretty much as expected, I guess, though I think I've missed the boat. Given my age (82++) and retired status, I can't see myself buying one (R5), especially since I already have a 5D3, a 5D4, and most of the usual "L" lenses. But for you younger guys and girls, it looks like a major turning point - comparable to film SLRs crowding rangefinder cameras out of the way. I look forward to the opinions of the usual suspects.

One concern about mirrorless, of course, is battery life. I see that the announcement appears to include a new version of the LPE6N; We'll definitely be interested to hear how it performs.

My initial impression is that the R6 doesn't make the cut. Am I reading it right that they omitted the second adjustment wheel and the top LCD screen? A paean to the Rebel line, perhaps?

[Waddizzle]

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@RobertTheFat wrote:

Pretty much as expected, I guess, though I think I've missed the boat. Given my age (82++) and retired status, I can't see myself buying one (R5), especially since I already have a 5D3, a 5D4, and most of the usual "L" lenses. But for you younger guys and girls, it looks like a major turning point - comparable to film SLRs crowding rangefinder cameras out of the way. I look forward to the opinions of the usual suspects.

One concern about mirrorless, of course, is battery life. I see that the announcement appears to include a new version of the LPE6N; We'll definitely be interested to hear how it performs.

My initial impression is that the R6 doesn't make the cut. Am I reading it right that they omitted the second adjustment wheel and the top LCD screen? A paean to the Rebel line, perhaps?

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I won't miss the top screen.  In addition to it consuming power, there is a neat work around....use the rear LCD.  It is much easier to read, and you can twist and turn it to where you can see it.  First, you have to disable the [SHUTTER] from blanking the rear LCD.  Press [INFO] until the screen appears that shows you exposure.  Now when you press the [SHUTTER], the screen does not blank, and you have a real time display of exposure.  No other manufacturer's cameras seem able to do this.  All of them blank the rear screen when you press the shutter button, and there is no option to disable that behavior.

I'm about 15 years behind you.  I'm not looking to buy any new bodies, either, not unless one fails.

[Tronhard]

For we folks down under, the announcement came in the wee small hours, so I have been digesting the information and early reviews for the last hour or so.

First impressions are that, with the R5 and R6, Canon have exploded back into the forefront of the FF MILC market with specs to challenge all other manufacturers and assure them of a significant market presence for the foreseeable future.

The R5 seems to live up to all the hype for both still and video professional users and is a worthy mirrorless successor (or relative if you will) to the 5D.   The R6 seems to me to be brilliantly spec'd and a much more affordable unit for enthusiasts and some pro's.

Personally, with the R6, I could live without the top LCD screen (although it would have been nice), but for the lower price one gets one a heck of a package.   If I was in the market for a FF MILC (and like some of you I am a bit long in the tooth to change) I would likely go for the R6.  Not being a videographer or blogger, I prefer the dual SD card storage option of the R6. The combination of a great, reasonable 20MP sensor (which I gather claims 1 stop over the R5) and the other features from the 1DXMkIII and R5 make it great value for money, especially for the amazing combination of IBIS + lens stabilization, and the improved DR.  Canon had to differentiate somewhere between these two bodies and frankly, for the vast majority of people who view images digitally, I don't think it will make that much difference. 

The future looks bright for newcomers to the FF digital market, but of course we will now be dealing with a slew of folks asking about whether they should upgrade or not...

[wq9nsc]

I think Canon potentially hit a home run for the market segments IF these two new cameras perform as well in reviews as the specs would suggest but we will know much more once people have then in operation.  Video has become a major consideration for many purchasers and mirrorless is better suited for that, not surprisingly since mirrorless architecture has significant commonalities with camcorders.  The emphasis Canon put on their recent  software release which allows their existing and many previously sold model cameras to function as webcams shows their strong understanding of this part of the market.

For the great majority of users, these designs will perfectly fit the need and it will be a better choice for many who purchased 1 series cameras for mystique/conspicuous consumption but in reality have no need for the capabilities and build of a 1 series along with the added weight, size, and expense.  For those of us who truly need what the 1 series can do, there isn't a mirrorless out there which is a good substitute.  A real time viewfinder along with the faster focus acquisition of a dedicated AF sensor is still critical to capturing rapidly evolving action and the DSLR still has a big advantage in this environment.

Yesterday I shot this sequence of a catch during a 7 on 7 practice and thanks to the fast focus acquisition of the 1DX III, I caught this while shifting from focus on a lineman downfield to the receiver and defender just as the ball arrived.  Many cameras could have captured this shot but because I stayed focused too long upon two linemen in an interesting match up I had to lean heavily upon the 1DX III's ability to make up for my lapse of timing and judgment and it came through for me with rapid sure focus acquisition.

The day before I captured the fourth photo of my daughter practicing kickoffs on her part of the field during intermittent showers putting the weather resistance of the 1DX III and EF 400 f2.8 to good use, the rain actually felt good because the temperature was 96 degrees just before the first rain shower.  After three days of shooting three hour practice sessions and a bit over 1000 captures the 1DX III battery is still showing a full four bars.  Different cameras/technologies have their own forte and should be applied accordingly.  And because the state governing body just significantly revised their rules for phase 4 practice, there may not be any more opportunities for shots like these this summer 😞

Rodger