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EOS R5 mark ii - viewfinder distortion with RF 85mm F1.4 VCM and RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM

kelly217
Apprentice

I just purchased this camera body last week. I am new to mirrorless cameras and have not had time to read through the manual yet. When testing out several lenses that I also purchased, the two smaller lenses (16mm F1.8 and 50mm 1.8) both worked fine. I know that the viewfinder doesn't work if the screen is open so I mostly shot with the screen. But when I tried the two larger lenses (85mm and 70-200mm) the viewfinder was not working properly, to say the least. When I tried the 85mm, the view in the finder was very distorted and unclear. The indicator markings within the viewfinder were spreading strangely and the image itself was very blurry and stretched out. With the 70-200mm lens, I couldn't even get it to work, the viewfinder was black, the screen was black, and a red light was lit up on the back of the camera.

What am I doing wrong or does the camera sound defective? I'm not convinced a mirrorless camera is right for me if these issues are regular occurrences. 

5 REPLIES 5

kvbarkley
VIP
VIP

This sounds decidedly odd. Can you send a picture of what you see?

Anonymous
Not applicable

I know that the viewfinder doesn't work if the screen is open so I mostly shot with the screen.

That's not correct, depends on the settings you make here:
Schermafbeelding 2025-12-21 111151.png

the view in the finder was very distorted and unclear.

Have you set the diopter correction for your eyes?

Your other descriptions sounds like a real problem, maybe something has shifted inside the camera? 

jrhoffman75
Legend
Legend

@kelly217 wrote:

I just purchased this camera body last week. I am new to mirrorless cameras and have not had time to read through the manual yet. When testing out several lenses that I also purchased, the two smaller lenses (16mm F1.8 and 50mm 1.8) both worked fine. I know that the viewfinder doesn't work if the screen is open so I mostly shot with the screen. But when I tried the two larger lenses (85mm and 70-200mm) the viewfinder was not working properly, to say the least. When I tried the 85mm, the view in the finder was very distorted and unclear. The indicator markings within the viewfinder were spreading strangely and the image itself was very blurry and stretched out. With the 70-200mm lens, I couldn't even get it to work, the viewfinder was black, the screen was black, and a red light was lit up on the back of the camera.

What am I doing wrong or does the camera sound defective? I'm not convinced a mirrorless camera is right for me if these issues are regular occurrences. 


Not regular occurrences.

Reset the camera and see if that straightens things out. If not, give Canon support a call at 1-800-OK-CANON.

John Hoffman
Conway, NH

R6 Mark III, M200, Many lenses, Pixma PRO-100, Pixma TR8620a, Lr Classic

shadowsports
Legend
Legend

Kelly217,

Please don't be discouraged.  As my colleagues have mentioned this is not normal for mirrorless.  You've made a great choice.  The R5 mkII is one of the finest cameras available and likely 1000x more reliable than anything you're coming from.  

If the media access light is staying on continuously, it sounds like a problem with a media card or a hardware communication issue.

Do reset the camera's main and custom settings as my colleague suggested and retest.

If you'd continue to have issues, Canon support is just a phone call away.  

~Rick
Bay Area - CA


~R5 C (1.1.2.1), ~R50v (1.1.1) ~RF Trinity, ~RF 100 Macro, ~RF 100~400, ~RF 100~500, ~RF 200-800 +RF 1.4x TC, BG-R10, 430EX III-RT ~DxO PhotoLab Elite ~DaVinci Resolve Studio ~ImageClass MF644Cdw/MF656Cdw ~Pixel 8 ~CarePaks Are Worth It

Waddizzle
Legend
Legend

Very strange problem for new gear.  Two lenses seem to work properly and two do not.  I suggest that you contact the vendor that sold the lenses.

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"Enjoying photography since 1972."
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