As previously mentioned, I ordered the new Canon EOS R5 Mark II on the day of its official presentation and received it with the first shipment. As promised at that time, here is my first experience report. I don’t want to go into the technical details of the R5 Mark II here, as I’m sure everyone reading this is already sufficiently familiar with them from other test reports. You can also find all the camera’s specifications directly from Canon here.
This is more about my personal experiences in the first few days with it. I’m currently still using it in parallel with its predecessor, the Canon EOS R5, which I’ve been using extensively for four years.
Why choose the Canon EOS R5 Mark II?
What motivated me to upgrade? What are the advantages of the R5 Mark II over the R5?
Apart from the GAS (gear acquisition syndrome), which I unfortunately have to admit I suffer from 😉, I was particularly attracted by the further improved AF system and the possibility of “pre-continous shooting” on the EOS R5 Mark II.
I will gradually expand this article with time and more experience with the camera.
What’s new?
Pre-Continuous Shooting
With this function, up to 15 images are saved to memory while the shutter release button is pressed halfway in continuous shooting mode before the shutter release button is pressed all the way down. At the highest available continuous shooting speed of the R5 Mark II of 30 frames per second, this means that 15 shots of the 1/2 second are available before the actual shutter is released. This is particularly useful for capturing birds taking off or other fast action sequences.
The latter had already motivated me to buy the Canon EOS R7 for our Costa Rica vacation. However, due to the R7’s extensive rolling shutter and the cumbersome editing of the pre-shot images, it didn’t prove to be suitable for this purpose.
AF speed
The AF system of the EOS R5 Mark II has been significantly improved and largely corresponds in scope and professionalism to that of the new Canon EOS top model, the Canon EOS R1, which was announced simultaneously with the R5 Mark II.
By using a BSI / stacked sensor, the readout speed of the sensor has become significantly faster. This is not only reflected in a faster continuous shooting speed of 30 frames per second. The AF speed has also increased, as the distance measurement via the Dual Pixel AF is now much faster and more frequent.
Like the new R1, the R5 Mark II now also features a separate AI coprocessor that continuously analyzes the sensor data. As a result, people, animals and eyes can be recognized much faster than with its predecessor, which was already very good in this respect. This results in an amazing AF experience: sometimes the AF finds the eyes of an animal faster than I can even recognize it in the viewfinder!
The so-called rolling shutter effect has also been significantly reduced, but in my experience it was already unproblematic with the previous model.
Electronic shutter
Another very positive aspect is that the electronic shutter has been extremely improved thanks to the stacked / BSI sensor used. It can now be used across the entire shutter speed range and now even allows 1/32,000 second as the fastest shutter speed. This means that I can now also use my much appreciated Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L IS II during the day at open aperture without an ND filter. The Mark II now also uses a full 14 bits per color channel with the electronic shutter, whereas its predecessor only used 12 bits, which resulted in a significantly poorer dynamic range and noise performance.
In addition, flash mode is now even possible using the electronic shutter. The EOS R5 can’t do this, and long exposures with the electronic shutter are only possible up to 1/2 second - this sometimes annoyed me when doing focus stacking.
All in all, you can now actually always use the electronic shutter on the EOS R5 Mark II. A small disadvantage of this procedure, however, is that the dynamic range of the Mark II is slightly reduced by approx. 1/2 f-stop up to ISO 800 (see here at Photons to Photos). However, this is hardly ever actually visible; in the case of the R5, this difference was actually 1 1/3 f-stops.
Continuous shooting speed
As already known, the EOS R5 Mark II can now take up to 30 images per second with the electronic shutter. Its predecessor “only” managed 20 images per second. Unfortunately, it was not possible to reduce this speed. But you don’t always need the full speed, sometimes 10 images or less per second are enough, which was only possible with the mechanical shutter on the previous model.
With the R5 Mark II, the continuous shooting speed with the electronic shutter can now finally be finely adjusted in the range from 30 down to 1 frame per second.
By the way, if you are not so quick to react: With the pre-continous shooting option set, the R5 Mark II saves 15 images continuously when the shutter release button is pressed halfway until it is pressed all the way down. With 15 frames per second, you can therefore even save the images of a full second before the shutter release button is pressed with the pre-recording option, and with 10 frames / second for as long as 1 1/2 seconds!
Video
The video modes are also much better. Particularly worth mentioning is the support of C-Log 2, which greatly increases the dynamic range and was previously only found in Canon’s Cinema cameras. Since I primarily use the camera for photography, however, I don’t want to go into this area any further here, as there are already some much more competent reviews on the net.
Viewfinder & Eye control
I briefly tested the eye control, which the R5 Mark II also offers, but found that it doesn’t work well for me as a person who wears glasses. I’m therefore not using it (yet?), but I may try it out again later and report on it later if necessary. The viewfinder image itself has remained the same size and resolution as that of the R5. However, it is significantly brighter in direct comparison, which is very pleasant, especially in bright sunlight.
Menu control and operation
Compared to its predecessor, the menu now has an additional item for setting the control elements (), which provides easier configuration. On the EOS R5, some of these items were spread across several submenus. The autofocus cases 1-4 of the predecessor have been omitted; the Mark II can select the appropriate settings automatically on request.
All in all, the haptics and controls have remained mostly the same compared to its predecessor, which makes it easy to familiarize yourself with the new camera. One major change, however, is the repositioned on/off switch:
This has now been moved to the right-hand side of the camera, directly in front of the mode switch. Replacing the on/off switch of its predecessor is now a switch between video and photo mode. Anyone who, like me, was very familiar with the previous model, will now intuitively repeatedly select video mode instead of switching the camera off. This is particularly irritating if you use both cameras in parallel.
In principle, however, I think the new position of the on/off switch on the right is better, as you can switch the camera on and off easily with one hand. With the R5, I always needed both hands to do this.
Picture quality
The sensor of the EOS R5 Mark II offers the same resolution of 45 megapixels as its predecessor. However, according to the test results of Photons to Photos, the dynamic range with the new sensor decreased by approx. 1/3 f-stop compared to its predecessor with the mechanical shutter (at ISO 100: R5 11.8, R5 Mark II 11.45). This is measurable, but not visible. With the electronic shutter, however, the dynamic range of the R5 Mark II is better than that of the R5.
In order to be able to form my own opinion, I took two comparison shots with the R5 and the R5 Mark II. Both shots were taken in quick succession with the same lens (Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8 L II USM at 24mm), mechanical shutter and identical exposure values (f/8, 1/80, ISO 100). I then developed both with the same parameters in Adobe Lightroom Classic 11.5.1. I maxed out the dynamic range with Highlights: -100 and Depths: +100. Here are my corresponding settings in Lightroom:
Here are the pictures for comparison:
In the full picture, I don’t see any visible differences with both cameras. What does it look like in more detail? I was particularly interested in the noise behavior in the gray and dark areas. Here are some excerpts from the above images in the Lightroom comparison at 400% magnification:
The left half of the picture shows the shot with the R5 Mark II, the right half shows the one with the R5. Surprisingly, the Mark II is even slightly less noisy than its predecessor. All in all, however, the differences are really minimal.
Compatibility
Basically, the Canon EOS R5 Mark II offers the same compatibility with EF lenses as its predecessor. As I already own many EF lenses and occasionally want to continue using my existing Canon EOS 5DS R, I still use my EF lenses with Canon’s mount adapters on the R5 Mark II, just as I did with the EOS R5. In my experience, all EF lenses work at least as well on the new mirrorless R cameras as on the DSLR bodies and the current models are not inferior to the RF lenses in terms of optical performance.
Until now, I’ve only bought one native RF lens, the RF 24-105 f/4L, which I use when I’m traveling with “small kit”, i.e. just a camera and a lens.
I even bought EF lenses after I bought the R5, as they are currently available on the second-hand market at very good prices. So I have now acquired an EF 24-70 f/2.8L II and the excellent EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM for around €1000 each. The corresponding counterparts in the RF mount would have cost a good three times as much.
I currently own a total of 12 lenses with a Canon EF mount in the focal length range from 14 to 600mm, which with various original Canon adapters (simple, with Drop-In filter, with control ring) also work perfectly on the R5 Mark II without any restrictions. This also applies to my two third-party lenses (Sigma 60-600mm, Samyang 14mm).
And the best is yet to come: the sensor-based image stabilizer (IBIS) of the R5 Mark II is also available for all Canon EF lenses. For lenses without a built-in stabilizer (such as my EF 85mm f/1.2L II or the TS-E 17mm f/4L), the sensor now stabilizes all axes. Even EF lenses with a built-in optical stabilizer benefit from the IBIS: In addition to the axes stabilized by the optical stabilizer, the sensor also takes care of X/Y and roll movements.
Lenses without IS can have the IBIS switched on or off in the menu; lenses with IS have the corresponding switch on the lens.
My EF 85 f1.2L II USM is a lot better on the mirrorless R-models because, in addition to the stabilization provided by the IBIS, the focus is now finally right on the eyes for all portraits. With the DSLR I always had more than 50% misses at open aperture because the phase contrast AF was often not precise enough.
The 17mm f/4L TS-E Tilt/Shift lens can really shine on mirrorless cameras, as the result of the tilt/shift adjustment can now be viewed precisely through the electronic viewfinder. With DSLR bodies, strong vignetting quickly appeared in the optical viewfinder when adjusting the lens axes; only the monitor in Liveview was usable, but inconvenient and not very comfortable.
By the way, the 17mm f/4L TS-E was a major reason for my intermezzo with adapted Sony Alpha 7R I-III bodies back then, when usable mirrorless bodies from Canon were not yet available - but now I can do it all again with Canon R cameras 😉 .
Very useful with the TS-E (and all other manual lenses) is also the fantastic focus aid of the R5 Mark II, which can be displayed in the viewfinder. It reminds me to the crop indicators from ancient analog times.
Configuration
What did I change?
As with its predecessor, I first configured the new Mark II in the menu to suit my needs. I again chose a button assignment similar to that of the R5. This has worked very well for me over the past few years. As before, I use BBF - Back Button Focusing, where I have separated the autofocus from the shutter release. As with the R5, I use three thumb buttons with different settings. My current menu settings are listed below:
Camera menu
Image quality/size (1/9)
I always shoot in RAW format, so I have only selected RAW as the image quality in the menu. In RAW format, all the information from the image sensor is recorded, which allows extensive post-processing of the images in the highest possible quality on the computer at home.
My standard program for editing and organizing my images is Adobe Lightroom Classic*, which I have been using for many years (actually since version 1.0). In my article Using Lightroom Classic on several computers, I presented my usual editing method in detail.
I have not yet had any major experience with the compressed and much more space-saving cRAW format also offered with the EOS R5 Mark II, and I did not use it with its predecessor either. The Canon RAW format was always compressed before, but without any loss of image information.
The cRAW format accepts a small loss of information. At first glance, however, the image quality hardly seems to suffer and the files become approx. 40% smaller, which also increases the number of possible continuous shots until the buffer is filled and the continuous shooting speed drops.
According to the display in the viewfinder, the camera can take at least 62 pictures in RAW format and at least 94 pictures in cRAW format at 30 pictures/second before they are written to the card. The subsequent speed depends on the write speed of the memory card. SD cards are significantly slower than CF Express cards.
A detailed comparison between Canon RAW and cRAW can be found at The-Digital-Picture.com.
Since I don’t use them, I leave the default JPEG/HEIF quality setting unchanged. I also leave the aspect ratio at “FULL”, as i do any cropping - if necessary - later in post-processing.
Exposure(2/9)
I usually work with Auto ISO. I left the Auto ISO range of 100-12800 as default on the EOS R5 Mark II, as it delivers good results even at high ISO values:
With the latest AI-based denoising methods from Lightroom or DxO, even images with 5-digit ISO values can be used very well nowadays. Please refer to my test reports of DxO DeepPRIME XD2s or the AI denoising of Lightroom.
Shutter control(6/9)
Drive Mode
I have added this menu item to the quick menu as I change it frequently. However, it can also be changed easily in the Q menu. Here you can choose between single image, various continuous shooting speeds and self-timer shots. I mostly use the single image mode for landscape / architectural photography. If action is expected (animals / sports), I choose continuous shooting and adapt the frame rate to the expected action speed.
Shutter-Mode
I have also added this menu item to the quick menu , as it often needs to be changed.
Only in fully electronic mode and with full batteries does the EOS R5 Mark II achieve the fastest possible continuous shooting speed of 30 frames per second and is silent at the same time. However, in contrast to its predecessor, three different speed ranges can be selected. The individual speeds can be set in the penultimate menu tab under Drive (3/4) | Continuous Shooting Speed.
The disadvantage of the electronic shutter is that distortion of fast-moving objects, the so-called rolling shutter effect, can occur. In artificial light, banding can also occur in the image and the dynamic range is minimally reduced.
Compared to its predecessor, however, all these drawbacks have been effectively minimized. I always use the electronic shutter mode for action sequences / wildlife without artificial light or when the camera needs to be as discreet as possible. In addition, continuous shooting can only be used with the electronic shutter.
For slow static shots, the mechanical shutter may be able to squeeze out a little more quality. If necessary, however, it can also achieve a continuous shooting speed of up to 12 frames/second.
Assist shooting (8/9)
Image review
Here I have set the review time to 4 seconds and deactivated the viewfinder display so that I can continue shooting immediately if necessary.
High speed display
With the high-speed display activated, the camera always switches between review and live image when the mechanical shutter is in H mode; I have always switched it on. With electronic shutter or modes other than H, the option has no effect.
Blackout-free display
In this mode, the viewfinder image is not interrupted during photography. This makes it much easier to follow a moving object, such as a bird in flight. Of course, this option is only available with the electronic shutter and is always switched on in my case.
Display simulation
This option can only be selected if the blackout-free display has been deactivated. I then always select the Exposure option, which displays the image in the viewfinder as it would be captured. This allows you to see directly whether a shot would be correctly, over- or underexposed.
With the Disable option, the viewfinder image is always of the same brightness level regardless of the exposure settings, similar to what we were used to with SLR cameras. This option is helpful for flash shots where the exposure simulation would only show the dark image without the flash illumination. The same applies to the following option OVF sim. view assist
Assist shooting (9/9)
Display frame rate set.
I always set it to “ Smooth”, i.e. 120Hz, as this makes the image in the viewfinder much more stable, especially when panning, making it easier to track subjects. This setting consumes a little more power.
The viewfinder in general: its resolution is so high that I no longer miss the optical viewfinder of a classic DSLR. In the dark, the view through the viewfinder is even better (as it is much brighter) than with a DSLR. In bright ambient light, the R5 Mark II has a significantly brighter viewfinder image than the R5, so that the viewfinder is much easier to use in sunshine than its predecessor.
Auto pwr off temp..
The EOS R5 Mark II contains powerful microchips that can significantly heat up the camera during continuous use, especially when shooting video in high resolution and also with the pre-recording function. At some point, a certain level can be reached where the camera switches off. With the High option, this level is raised and the camera can heat up considerably more, but you can also use it for longer. I have selected the High option.
AF-Menu
AF operation/area (1/7)
AF operation
I always set the AF mode to “SERVO” as I am used to, as I always separate the focus from the shutter release. If necessary, I focus with my thumb (BBF - Back Button Focus), the index finger only starts the exposure metering and releases the shutter. So if I don’t want to change the focus, I simply take my thumb off the AF button and thus have the same effect as in “ONE SHOT” mode.
AF area
Don’t be surprised: here I have set the AF area to spot AF without tracking (). This will be the mode that afterwards will be on my left back focus button “AF-ON”. I use this mode when I want to focus very precisely on a small subject, e.g. a bird through a gap in a branch or a fence. I will assign the AI-controlled tracking modes to the other two buttons later. The other menu items are then initially grayed out and irrelevant.
Servo AF Character. (3/7)
It is worth experimenting a little here for your own shooting situations. I currently have “M” set, and have further reduced the AI servo response to -2, so that the focus sticks better to the subject once it has been captured. I have also set tracking acceleration/deceleration to -1. With these settings I manage to track moving subjects best.
Customize controls
As I have been used to for many years, I have changed the button assignment in order to use “back button” focusing. I use the shutter button only for exposure metering and shooting, focusing is done separately using the corresponding AF configured thumb button. I have been using this method on all my cameras for many years.
A special feature of the Canon EOS R5 Mark II is the intelligent focus algorithm, which recognizes people, animals, vehicles, heads, faces and eyes. In order to be able to react quickly, I chose once again three buttons for different focusing modes, as I did before with my EOS R5.
- My first mode, as mentioned above, is spot autofocus without tracking, which is now already set to the AF-ON button.
- The second mode is on the AE lock button (). I use this for intelligent scene recognition with tracking, based on a movable selection field.
- The third button, AF area selection (), is assigned to the AF eye detection function, which searches the entire viewfinder image for people, faces and eyes. This is sometimes helpful for a quick snapshot.
As a result, I now have three separate buttons for selecting the focus mode, which cover more and more areas of the viewfinder field from left to right.
- Spot
- Person / animal / object close to the selection field
- Person / animal somewhere in the image area
To do this, I have set the following in the “Customize buttons for shooting” menu:
Customized controls when shooting (1/4)
Customize buttons for shooting
Shutter butt. half-press
As mentioned above, I don’t use the shutter release to focus. I have therefore selected “Metering start” here. Alternatively, AE lock while button is pressed can also be selected, in which case the exposure control is locked and used for all subsequent shots until the shutter button is released completely. However, this sometimes resulted in me losing a few pictures during a series of shots when, for example, animals moved from the shade to sunny areas and the pictures were then suddenly completely overexposed. Since then, I have left it at “Start metering”
M-Fn
I only use the M-Fn button on the front of the grip to change ISO values and shutter modes. In most cases, I leave the ISO setting on AUTO. For planned long exposures or from a tripod, I always select the lowest ISO level 100.
To do this, I use the first option DIAL FUNC for the M-Fn button and select the two options ISO and Drive mode () in the first left-hand column in the detailed view (can be accessed using the INFO button). I switch off all other fields (OFF). After pressing the M-FN button, you can then simply change the ISO value with the front dial and the Drive mode with the thumbwheel.
AF-ON
I use this button to focus on small subjects through gaps, for example a small bird in a tree. I intentionally switch off the tracking function. I chose the option Metering an AF start () The following settings in the settings menu via the “Info” button allow this:
- AF start position: Manually selected AF point
- AF operation: SERVO
- AF Area: Spot locked ()
- I have deselected all other options
AE Lock button ()
I have selected the first menu item Metering and AF start () for this button, too. In the Detail setting, which you again open by pressing the “INFO” button, I have set:
- AF start position: Manually selected AF point
- AF operation: SERVO
- AF Area: Spot ()
- Whoöe area tracking Servo AF: On
- Eye detection: Auto
- I have deselected all other options
In this mode, you can first position the small AF field visible in the viewfinder roughly where you want to focus. If there is a person or animal nearby, the camera tries to locate the eyes and focus on them. This also works very well with birds:
The primary focus field also allows you to select the person or animal to focus on from several others. As long as the AE Lock button () is pressed, the focus remains “stuck” on the selected subject if the subject or the camera is moving.
AF point button ()
I had already assigned a third button for AF on the EOS R5, the AF point button (). Since I can also access the AF area selection conveniently via the Q menu and only use this function extremely rarely, I no longer need the button for this.
Instead, I have now assigned it to Eye detection AF (). In contrast to the AE lock button function that I described above, Eye detection AF () immediately takes the entire viewfinder image into account and does not start from the preset focus area. This function is helpful for snapshots when things need to happen very quickly.
SET button
I have assigned the magnifying glass function () to the “Set” button in the middle of the rear dial.
Multi-controller
The small joystick to the right of the viewfinder, called “Multi-Controller”, is used to move the focus point. I use this very often and have always activated the option “Direct AF area selection” (). You can deactivate it with “OFF”, for whatever reason. By the way: pressing the joystick centers the selection field in the middle of the viewfinder image - very useful.
Customize dials/control ring
In order to be able to conveniently adjust all relevant exposure factors even in manual mode, I have assigned the dials as follows:
- Front: Tv - Shutter speed setting in M mode
- Rear: +/- Exposure compensation
- Thumbwheel: Av - Aperture setting in M mode
- Control ring on the lens / mount adapter: Set ISO speed (optional)
Since I usually work with Auto ISO, I have found this setting to work well for me.
In a nutshell, these are my main settings. I recommend trying out everything else by yourself. The configuration options of the EOS R5 Mark II are extremely extensive, so everyone has to find their own preferences.
Finally, I recommend recording very frequently used settings in the My Menu, as it is otherwise very difficult to find the desired items in the extensive menu tree. Many settings can also be conveniently accessed via the Q menu.
Accessories
Every new camera also needs new accessories, which you should consider when buying.
Energy…
A new battery type, the LP-E6P*, was shipped with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II. As the R5 Mark II delivers significantly more processing power than its predecessor, it requires higher power levels for some functions than the previous LP-E6N(H) batteries could deliver. Only the new LP-E6P battery is able to supply sufficient power.
Although the older battery models LP-E6N and LP-E6NH (but not the old LP-E6) can also be used in the R5 Mark II, the camera’s functions are significantly restricted:
- The network connection (WLAN/cable LAN) is not available
- The speed for continuous shooting is reduced
- The selection of 8K RAW or SRAW video recordings, fine image quality and frame rates of 240/200/120/100/60/50 images / sec. is not possible
- HDMI RAW output is not available
- Photography during video recordings is not possible
- High frame rate filming is not supported
- The Pre-Continous shooting is not available.
All in all, these are significant limitations, so first of all I bought a second original Canon LP-E6P battery*.
As usual, the price of the original Canon battery (OVP €129) is very high again. In the meantime, however, PATONA has released the first working replacement battery, which costs less than a third of the Canon original: PATONA Platinum LP-E6P (2600 mAh / 4A)*
I have tried it in my EOS R5 Mark II. It is recognised as an original LP-E6P battery and can also be registered in the menu. There are no functional restrictions with the battery, even the Pre-Continious Shooting, which does not work with the older LP-E6NH batteries, can be used with it. As an additional gimmick, it also has its own USB-C port so that it can be charged directly without a separate charger. Of course, it can also be charged in camera and with the original charger. I therefore ordered a second one of them straight away.
Although the battery grip of the EOS R5 also fits the Mark II, it has one serious disadvantage: it does not support the high-current capability of the new LP-E6P batteries, so that the above-mentioned restrictions also apply when using the new batteries in it. So, unfortunately, a new battery grip is needed ☹️.
Canon currently offers three different battery grips for the R5 Mark II: the BG-R20, successor to the BG-R10 of the R5, the BG-R20EP with an additional 2.5GB Ethernet connection and the Cooling Fan CF-R20EP grip, which cools the camera with a built-in fan via the camera’s ventilation openings and thus should allow longer video operation.
For most photographers, the “simple” BG-R20* will probably make the most sense, as it has dual battery slots and integrated controls in the battery grip for portrait format shots. However, Canon is charging a very high price for this too (OVP €499).
The batteries can be conveniently charged both in camera and in the battery grip via the camera’s USB-C port, as well as in the supplied Canon charger. The camera can also be operated with a USB-C mains adapter or a power bank, but a battery must still be inserted. However, a power supply unit with PD (Power Delivery) function is required for this.
I use the Anker PowerPort 5-Port USB C Charger 60W*, which has 4 additional integrated USB-A sockets for charging several additional devices such as mobile phones or tablets at the same time.
Alternatively, when you are on the move, you can also charge or operate the camera using a power bank. It is important that this also features the PD (Power Delivery) function. Here is a selection of PD-capable power banks* with different capacities on amazon.
Important: The charging cable used MUST have a USB-C connector on both sides and MUST also be PD-capable. Cables with USB-A connections on one side will not work. Suitable USB-C cables are available in different lengths, e.g. from amazon* or eBay*.
Memory cards
Like its predecessor, the EOS R5 Mark II features two memory card slots. I use my existing 128GB SD cards in the SD card slot. However, I only use it as an “overflow” in case the CF Express card I mainly use is full - which has not yet happened to me.
If speed is important or you want to record in 8K RAW, the speed of even the fastest SD UHS-II cards is not sufficient and a CF Express card is mandatory. But not all CF Express cards deliver the necessary speed. Although the printed label often promises sufficient speeds of over 1000MB/s, only the larger cards (> 512GB) can maintain this speed over longer periods of time, which is required for filming.
As the current standard flash chips store approx. 128GB, cards from a size of 512GB usually have at least 4 chips to which they can write simultaneously. This makes them significantly faster than smaller cards with only one or two flash chips. The smaller cards therefore become slower once their internal buffer is full, and 8K RAW recording then stops.
I therefore recommend choosing a card with at least 512GB capacity if you want to use the more powerful video modes at some point in the future.
Overall, CF Express cards have become cheaper in recent years, but prices are still changing rapidly, so it’s worth comparing them, e.g. on eBay*.
For my EOS R5, I chose a 512GB CF Express card from Wise*, which at the time offered by far the best price/performance ratio at around €400 (current offers on eBay*). It has always worked without any problems over the past four years. Other 512GB CFexpress cards are available here at amazon*, for example.
As a new card for the Canon EOS R5 Mark II, however, I have now bought a 1TB CF Express card from the Chinese manufacturer THREE COLOUR DOGFISH* for a very reasonable price (€259). Before using it for the first time, I tested it thoroughly with the highly recommended tool H2TESTW from heise and it works perfectly. I can therefore also recommend it.
I use a SanDisk Extreme PRO CFexpress Card Reader* as my card reader.
Display protection
As with the displays of my previous cameras, I also attached a screen protection to the R5 Mark II, as a touch display - also due to the swivel function - is subject to more stress than, for example, the fixed display of the Canon 5DS R. This time I opted for the ULBTER screen protection*, as it was the first one available. In addition to two display glasses each for the swivel and shoulder display, the set also includes microfiber and cleaning cloths. The installation was again absolutely straightforward. Once fitted, the glasses are barely noticeable.
The glass is very thin and does not prevent the display from folding in completely towards the camera. It feels very high-quality and, according to ULBTER, has a hardness of 9H. The touch operation of the display is also not impaired by the protective glass.
Resumée
After my first few weeks with the R5 Mark II, I am very satisfied with the camera. Although the image quality and resolution have remained largely the same, I still consider the extensive improvements in detail to be very helpful. Overall, the EOS R5 Mark II is more of an evolution than a revolution.
Does it make sense to switch from the R5 to the R5 Mark II?
It depends!
To come straight to the point: the main improvements of the R5 Mark II concern action photographers (sports / animal photography) and video enthusiasts. In these areas, the EOS R5 Mark II is far superior to its predecessor. I wish I had already had some of its features at my disposal on my African safaris or recently in Costa Rica.
The speed and image quality in these areas are absolutely professional. The EOS R5 Mark II offers almost all the features of Canon’s new flagship, the Canon EOS R1, which it only surpasses in terms of continuous shooting speed (40 instead of 30 frames per second) and the cross-type AF system. However, the EOS R5 Mark II offers almost twice the sensor resolution of the EOS R1.
If none of this is important to you, for example, if your photographic focus is on contemplative landscape photography, the EOS R5 (and also, for example, an EOS 5DS R, which has an even higher sensor resolution of 50 megapixels) will certainly suffice.
The Canon EOS R5 is still an excellent camera. Landscape shots taken with the EOS Mark II (see comparison above) can hardly be distinguished from those of its predecessor in terms of quality, and the “old” R5 even offers an extended dynamic range in purely metrological terms. The EOS R5 is also currently €1,200 cheaper than the Mark II - new.
So I’m still spoiled for choice. I am still undecided as to whether I will keep my R5 as a second body or pass it on into good hands…
Further information material
In the meantime, you can find many more interesting reports on the Canon R system here on my website:
Focus stacking or bracketing with the EOS R5 or R6
The Canon EOS R5 Mark II , R5 and R6 offer Focus Bracketing. With this function, the camera takes several images in quick succession and shifts the focal plane between them in defined small steps. In post-processing, these can then be combined to create an image with an extended focus range. This process is called focus stacking. In my report, I explain what is possible and what software is required for post-processing.
Focus Stacking with the Canon EOS R5 (or R6) - Settings
Here I have examined the focus bracketing settings in more detail.
Lenses and adapters
These four reports deal with the lenses for the EOS R5, they also remain valid for the EOS R5 Mark II. Does it always have to be new RF mount lenses, or can you also use the EF lenses that may already be available or can be purchased second-hand at a reasonable price? What options do the Canon mount adapters EF-EOS R offer?
Comparison of the EF and RF version of the 24-105 f/4L IS on the Canon EOS R5
Comparison of the Canon RF 24-105 f/4L with the EF 24-70 f/2.8L II on the EOS R5
The Canon EF mount is alive - the EF 100-400 f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM on the EOS R5
Drop-In Filter Mount Adapter EF-EOS R with C-PL polarizing filter
All my articles about the Canon EOS R5
That’s enough for now, more will follow soon…
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