EOS R series match for 5D MKIV

[rusty007]

I have a Canon EOS 5D MkIV which has been a brilliant and affordable workhorse. I want to buy a second body but of the EOS R series as I do a lot of action photography where the superior autofocus of the mirrorless R would be a significant advantage. Given the 5D MkIV is a professional level camera for occasional shooters what is the equivalent in the EOS R series, or the closest two models, their pros and cons. I have a limited budget so I would consider the EF to R lens adaptor ring if this is a good working option. I shoot approx 15-20k frames per year.

[shadowsports]

Greetings ,

Believe it or not the original EOS R was the successor to the 5D Mark IV. However, a lot has changed since its release in 2018.  

You'll need to provide a budget in order for us to provide a meaningful recommendation.  Personally, the R5 or the R6 Mark II might be what I'd look at.  Both are available Canon refurbished for even more savings.  

[p4pictures]

Exactly what Rick said. I had an EOS 5D Mark IV, and at the same time picked up the original EOS R. The two were comparable in terms of image quality at they effectively had the same image sensor. However in terms of functionality and suitability for semi-professional use the EOS 5D Mark IV was a more complete camera. Then along came the original EOS R5 and EOS R6, and then their successors EOS R6 Mark II and EOS R5 Mark II. These cameras certainly replace the EOS 5D Mark IV in my camera bag. But they present a set of choices for still photos; do you want to prioritise low light performance and smaller file sizes, or higher resolution and larger files. The EOS R5 Mark II also has a slightly improved AF system compared to the EOS R6 Mark II. 

If you want to run a DSLR and mirrorless camera side by side then sharing EF lenses between them with the Canon lens mount adapter is certainly a good idea and pretty inexpensive. But over time you will find that you use the EOS R-series more and more and then you'll get even more benefits from switching to RF lenses for improved AF speed, lighter weight (often), and smaller lenses (sometimes). Certainly for the long term I would not advise buying more EF lenses.  

[rusty007]

Thanks that's great info. I'll add that I do mostly night shooting where there is limited illumination, such as night parades, night rodeos and night carnival fair rides, so I need a camera that is good at focusing rapidly in low light. If I have to spend a bit more on the camera suited to this I'll do it. If I was to buy one lens for the R it would be the 70-200 f2.8 as that is my primary lens for these projects, but it might be staggered purchases, but any advice is helpful. Currently my second body is a 5D MkII which is not ideal but produces good enough images with the 24-70 so I'm used to using different cameras in each hand, as annoying as that is. That anything good comes out of a MkII is a miracle!

[p4pictures]

Ultimately you need to make the choice for your self. I would suggest renting the EOS R6 Mark II or EOS R5 Mark II with the mount adapter and trying either or both out. My own experience with the EOS R6 and now EOS R6 Mark II is that they produce cleaner images in low light than the EOS 5D Mark IV. They also both focus better in low light than the EOS 5D Mark IV. 

One thing to say is that you might take a while to get adapted to the "mirrorless" way of shooting. The ability of the EOS R-series AF systems to track and follow a subject, means that using them the same as you would use the EOS 5D Mark IV, is like fighting with one arm tied behind your back.