Canon has just launched the EOS R5 Mark II, the long-awaited successor to one of its most popular full-frame mirrorless hybrid cameras. And it was definitely worth the wait.
When the original EOS R5 debuted four years ago, it was hailed by many as one of the best cameras – if not the best – Canon had ever made. But there’s always room for improvement, and with a few significant tweaks the new R5 II hybrid comes pretty close to perfection. So how does it stack up against the R5?
Geared to both enthusiasts and professionals, the R5 II incorporates a newly developed back-illuminated 45MP stacked full-frame image sensor and DIGIC X processor, using the same DIGIC Accelerator co-processor as the R1.
This is Canon’s most powerful EOS processor system, and thanks to that stacked sensor, the R5 II delivers noticeably faster readout speeds and boasts a much faster and more accurate autofocus system, as well as more robust subject tracking and recognition. That’s saying something.
Ideal for everything from portraits to wildlife photography, the R5 II offers 30fps continuous shooting with a native 100-51200 ISO range and Neural Network Noise Reduction. Stills photographers can expect ample low-light shooting capabilities, with cleaner images to boot.
The R5 II inherits the R3’s 5.76-million-dot EVF, enabling Canon’s Eye Control AF mode and allowing a photographer to control the autofocus area with their eye. The EVF also offers blackout-free shooting via the electronic shutter.
Like its predecessor, the R5 II is first and foremost a stills-focused hybrid camera, secondarily a video-centric one. But the improvements in the latter department are equally impressive. Accelerated speed results in visibly reduced rolling shutter – a 60% improvement over the R5. The R5 Mark II offers high-res 8K RAW internal video recording up to 60 fps, as well as 4K using the full width of the sensor. And a new cooling fan helps resolve one of the R5’s biggest drawbacks – the overheating issue – now allowing for comfortably extended recording times.
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