Canon launches pro-spec EOS R5 Mark II While the Canon EOS R5 Mark II has the same pixel count as its predecessor, it doesn’t use the same sensor. Instead, it employs a 45MP back-illuminated stacked-CMOS sensor for faster readout when using the electronic shutter. Canon says this reduces rolling shutter by 60% compared to the original EOS R5. In principle, it should also help suppress other artefacts, such as colour banding under artificial lighting.
There is a reason that most people who have played with the R5 have instantly enjoyed it. The grip itself is slightly modified from the original but it feels no less comfortable. We get the same 5.76-million dot EVF as before (albeit surrounded by new optics and now with Eye Control AF) and the battery type is now an LP-E6P type battery which unlocks some advanced video modes.
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One thing that is quite different from the original R5 is the new menu system which, although familiar looking to anyone who has used Canon, has a far more simplified autofocus interface. I like this change as the previous setup required lots of tinkering and adjustment to get ideal results. Now Canon simply gives a slider for how sticky or responsive the AF tracking is, along with coupling animal and bird detection together into a catch-all Animal detection mode.
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I will also say that as useful as the system is for quickly acquiring targets, I found it a little frenetic and jumpy when I just wanted to shoot still scenes and, as a result, I turned it off when I wasn’t photographing animals. Outsidez of Eye Control, the AF performance overall is excellent, with perfect focus for portraits and good animal detection on the eyes. Tracking worked well and I happily stayed in Servo AF and a more singular focus point when shooting most still scenes. I think most users will find the performance better than even the fairly modern Canon R3 but it’s unfortunate that a significant amount of people won’t be able to use Eye Control since it’s a unique autofocus feature that only Canon offers.
However, it’s worth noting that 60% isn’t necessarily a huge improvement for a stacked CMOS sensor compared to a conventional design. It’s certainly not as fast as the EOS R1’s sensor, which Canon says is a match for the mechanical shutter on the EOS-1D X Mark III. That’s not to say the stacked sensor isn’t a major advance over the EOS R5, but you may not always be able to rely on it eliminating artefacts entirely.
Shutter speeds as fast as 1/8000sec are available using the mechanical shutter, and 1/32000sec with the electronic shutter. That top 30fps shooting speed also requires using the electronic shutter; but with the mechanical shutter, it still hits a more-than-respectable 12fps. Usefully, you can now set a function button to temporarily switch up your shooting speed to capture the peak of the action, but only when using the electronic shutter.
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What the Canon R5 Mark II represents is Canon’s most capable all-round camera to date and it is easy to see why it has overshadowed even the EOS R1. I think many Canon shooters will opt to go with the R5 Mark II as a preferred tool for shooting sports, action, and wildlife, even though the R1 and R3 are more specialized tools in this regard. The fact is, Canon has given the R5 Mark II a capable sensor with good electronic shutter characteristics and a far more versatile megapixel count, and it should do for Canon shooters what the Nikon Z8 did for Nikon. I’d simply add a battery grip if I wanted a larger form factor and better battery life for more serious applications. I’m happy to see that the R5 mkII retains everything I loved about the original R5 but also adds more versatility to a wider range of users.