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. 

[ScottS]

Considering upgrading to mirrorless, but cannot at this time afford the R5 (though I would love to eventually!)

But I am disappointed by the R6 20.1 megapixel rating. I know it is feature rich like the R5 in many ways, with IBIS, Dual Card Slots, video capacities, and more. And I understand that 20.1 is no "slouch."

As a Senior Portrait Photographer, Travel Photographer, and Family Session Photographer part-time, my biggest concern is image quality for stills. I am not needing video at this time.

It is past time for me to upgrade, as a 6D user. It is a decent, solid camera, but those RF lenses honestly have me drooling. Currently I shoot my portraits mostly with the Canon 85mm 1.8, the Nifty-Fifty, and the Canon 135mm 2.0. The images are good. 

So here is my question:

Canon EOS R with 30.3MP

OR

Canon R6 with 20.1MP

as a shooter not concerned with IBIS, Dual Card Slots, or Video.

Thanks for your input :)!

Scott S

[Tronhard]

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@ScottS wrote:

So here is my question:

Canon EOS R with 30.3MP

OR

Canon R6 with 20.1MP

as a shooter not concerned with IBIS, Dual Card Slots, or Video.

Thanks for your input :)!

Scott S

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Your statement says you are a 'Senior Portrait Photographer, Travel Photographer, and Family Session Photographer part-time' I am not sure what the designation Senior represents, but I take you that you do photography part-time and have another career. I can find no bio information in your profile, so please bear with me if I ask a couple of questions...

What is your output?   How BIG an image do you need to print?  What is your budget?

See the comments of two expert professional photographers starting at time 28:20 in THIS VIDEO.

In particular, according to a highly-regarded professional fashion and portrait photographer in the video in my link, he can print 30"x46" image (life-size) image with excellent resolution. (time 31:02).

I am suprised that you would be down on a sensor of 20 MP resolution: professionals have been shooting with that resolution for years and getting great results.  You describe the EOS 6D as a 'decent, solid camera', and that has a similar sized sensor, so if you are getting acceptable results with that then you should have no issues.  The R6 should easily surpass the EOS 6D in terms of dynamic range, low light performance, focusing and image quality overall - it IS based on the sensor of the EOS 1DXIII, after all.  Much of the rest comes down to lenses and how you use the camera.

As a professional, I would be surprised that you would not value having dual SD cards, something that has been called for by pro's for some time to reduce the risk of card failure, and that clients will not tolerate if it impacts on their product delivery. This is particularly signficant for events you cannot repeat, like travel, family reunions and weddings.  This is one advantage of the R6 has over the R5, which has the second card set up for high resolution video recording, and would be less useful to you.  Furthermore the R5 has more investment in Hi-Res video work, something you are not paying for in the R6, yet you get virtually all of the other photographic features.

Unless you shoot with a tripod - somewhat challenging to do at social events and for travel, then IBIS, combined with in lens stabilization (unique to Canon) will offer you much better performance in terms of hit rate, especially with the EF 135L 2.0 you say you shoot with that has no stabilization.

Again, because we have no budget, it is hard to look at the economics of your decision.  You seem to want high resolution, yet you have kept the 6D at 20MP when the 6DII with 24MP became available, along with other cameras with MUCH higher resolution like the 5DsR at 51MP, so I assume cost is significant to you.  

Furthermore, your lenses appear to be 2x EF (but not L) lenses and one EF-L older lens.  While these may render acceptable results with a 20MP sensor, you may find them seriously challenged with a 45MP unit.  You probably want to investigate that, as you may need to upgrade your lenses to use the R5 more than the R6 go get the best out of the much higher resolution unit. That will signifcantly add to the cost of the R5 option, whereas you may get away with what you have using the R6.

[coachboz68]

I saw on one of the Canon videos that if you are using an adapter and EF lense, you will get both IBIS and Lense IS, but that they will not "work together" as they will with RF lenses.

Just want to make sure I'm hearing this right: if you're using an EF lense with IS, you could (should?) keep it on even if also using IBIS. Does that sound correct from others' understanding?

Billy

[Tronhard]

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@coachboz68 wrote:

I saw on one of the Canon videos that if you are using an adapter and EF lense, you will get both IBIS and Lense IS, but that they will not "work together" as they will with RF lenses.

Just want to make sure I'm hearing this right: if you're using an EF lense with IS, you could (should?) keep it on even if also using IBIS. Does that sound correct from others' understanding?

Billy

---

Hi Billy

My understanding is that lens IS works with IBIS on the Canon.  I am not sure why one would want to turn it off in that situation as you get an advantage from both, according to what I have seen - you may not get the full sum of the two IS values though.

[coachboz68]

Tronhard has great follow-up questions, but his video clip kinda says it all wrt the image quality of the 20MP sensor. 

I suppose the only time it might matter is if you need a serious crop on landscape photography where you want the heavily cropped image to retain extreme detail. I'm not a landscape photographer, so I don't know that for sure, though. And even there, not sure how many times that's needed. 

I've done some heavy cropping of sports shots from my 1DX II (20MP) shot at high ISO and not one person has ever said: "Wish I had some more detail in this pic."  So in most of your environments that you list above where you can control lighting and framing, hard to imagine it would be an issue. But one's personal needs/preference is what matters for such things. 

[John_SD]

Speaking of the R5 and R6, Canon Rumors is quoting Canon Japan sources that preorders for BOTH the R5 and R6 have exceeded expectations and that supply may be affected, apologizing in advance for any inconvenience the delays may cause. This, I believe, is the proverbial good news/bad news scenario. 

[Tronhard]

Since most of the world is in serious danger when going out in public to take photos, I hope that will not lead to either too much frustration at waiting, or inadvisable exposure to the pandemic!

[John_SD]

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@Tronhard wrote:
Since most of the world is in serious danger when going out in public to take photos, I hope that will not lead to either too much frustration at waiting, or inadvisable exposure to the pandemic!

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Thanks, Trevor. I am very careful when out in public, and follow all recomondations from the epidemiologists and virologists. 

However, when I'm out shooting, especially since the pandemic began, I stick to our deserts and wilderness areas, where I am likely the only human within 50 miles. 

Both images shot with my piece of crap T6. 

 

[Tronhard]

Very wise John. These are wild, lonely and very beautiful places, and your "piece of crap" T6 seems to have done a decent job - at least viewing them through the web!  What lens were you using?

[John_SD]

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@Tronhard wrote:

Very wise John. These are wild, lonely and very beautiful places, and your "piece of crap" T6 seems to have done a decent job - at least viewing them through the web!  What lens were you using?

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I was using the Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM. I expect to be parting ways with the T6 and the lens in the not too distant future. For whichever full-frame mirrorless I go with, but likely the R6, I expect to pair it up with the RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM to start with.