The camera game just changed, yet again. Canon officially announced the development of the Canon EOS R5 on Wednesday, a professional-level camera that looks to take the EOS R full-fame mirrorless camera line-up to the next level, and paves the way for a new generation of EOS R cameras.
“In developing the new camera, Canon listened to extensive user-feedback from a variety of photographers,” says Kazuto Ogawa, president and chief operating officer of Canon U.S.A., Inc., in a company announcement. “The outcome is a camera and lenses that will delight a variety of shooters and further helps to demonstrate Canon’s commitment to full-frame mirrorless cameras and lenses.”
Canon EOS R5:
While we don’t know all the details about the new EOS R5 quite yet, Canon released a few key features in the official announcement, and they are already making the camera world buzz.
The EOS R5 will feature a newly designed CMOS sensor and new image processor that allow for several incredible features.
First, the new sensor will allow for “high-speed continuous shooting up to approximately 20 frames-per-second (FPS) when using the silent shutter and up to approximately 12 FPS when using the mechanical shutter,” the company states in the press release, which is incredibly fast, and perfect for wildlife, sports, or any type of photography with a quickly moving subject.
Second, the new sensor in the EOS R5 will allow users to shoot professional-level, high quality video, breaking the mold of what cameras in this segment can create. Canon states, “from a video perspective, the camera’s 8K video capture capability will prepare videographers for the future of movie-making- capturing 8K footage today allows for even higher-quality 4K productions in addition to the ability to extract high-resolution still images from the video footage.”
Finally, the EOS R5 is slated to have several key features that many Canon users and professionals will be excited to see, including dual-card slots, and IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) — the first-ever Canon camera to be equipped with such a feature. This will greatly improve photography and videography in low light, while shooting handheld, paired with the extremely effective in-lens stabilization (IS) that Canon already offers in many of its lenses.
Lens roadmap:
And to make the EOS R5 announcement even more exciting, Canon revealed that the company is also developing “seven RF lenses and two RF lens extenders scheduled for release during 2020, including the RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM, Extender RF 1.4x and Extender RF 2x,” which will greatly expand the offerings of an already impressive RF series. Plus, the RF 24-105mm F4-7.1 IS STM lens was announced just earlier this week.
So yes, Canon has made it clear that they are unequivocally committed to their full-frame, mirrorless cameras and lenses, and has set the tone and direction for where it hopes to go in the future.
While there are still many questions remaining about the new Canon EOS R5, including the image processor, CMOS sensor, and most importantly, the camera’s image resolution, it looks as though Canon is developing a camera that will build upon the performance and capabilities of it’s legendary professional series. The R5 will be on display at the 2020 WPPI Show later this month, so stay tuned for additional exciting information.
