I think this is actually one of the most exciting and potentially game changing announcements from Canon probably since the Canon 5Dmkii. Just when we started to think that Sony and Nikon had the game won, Canon comes in with an interception on the 1 yard line.
Canon 5DS – 5DS R Pre-Order Notification Links
Canon 5DS – (Amazon) (Adorama)
Canon 5DS R – (Amazon) (Adorama)
The New Canon 5DS and the 5DS R. The Difference?
The Canon 5DS R has removed the optical low-pass filter (LPF). The Canon 5Ds is just the standard.
What’s an optical low-pass filter? It helps remove color artifacting and moiré but also reduces some of the detail at the pixel level. It comes in handy for photographers that shoot subjects where pixel-level detail isn’t scrutinized. I would assume this is for wedding and fashion photographers that that shoot a lot of textures, clothing and straight lines and don’t mind slightly softer detail without having to deal with moiré. Otherwise, I’m not sure why you would want an LPF. The image just seems better without it. In my opinion at least.
What’s New
Besides the 50MP there are some pleasant upgrades to this camera. I’ll list the ones that stood out to me.
Canon 5S & 5S R Features
61 Focus points with 41 cross-type autofocus points – They say the autofocus will be as good as on the Canon 5Dmkiii.
ISO range from 100-6400 – This is a strange one, a lot of people wonder why they don’t go higher. I think Canon just knows their market. The people that need this ultra high detailed cameras I would think are usually landscape photographers or studio photographers. In that space I think you rarely would go over ISO 6400. You also lose about half your dynamic range and saturation with each stop down in the ISO. At least that’s the way it is in the 7Dmkii.
Intervalometer and Bulb Timer – Those of us that had the magic lantern camera hack on our 5Dmkii and 5Dmkiii have had this luxury for some time now. Canon has finally made it available to the public. Anyone else think Canon was behind those magic lantern hacks or is it just me?
Only 1080 30p 24p 25p Video – I know this camera isn’t for shooting video, but it would have been nice to get 60p. And 4k just to stay competitive, although I still think 4k is still kind of gimmicky. I say that with a background as a commercial and trailer editor. The only thing I’ve ever delivered in 4k was the Halo 2 remastered cinematic trailer which was all C.G. anyway. Most everything else we shoot is 2k on the Alexa and sometimes 4k with the Red but only when shooting GFX elements. And broadcast is still in 720p and 1080i in most countries. And only some theaters are doing 4k. But that’s a completely separate argument.
5fps – This is good enough for me. Some people want more. I hear sports and birdy photographers like to have at least 6fps but I know nothing about that.
Facial Recognition During Live View – Ok moving on.
User Selectable Shutter Release Lag Timer – This has to do with the mirror lockup timer. A feature that is useful in reducing shutter shock or make the shutter / mirror flap not as loud. How it works is, the mirror goes up, a few milliseconds go by and then the image is taken.
In Camera Sensor Cropping to APS-H or APS-C – 30.5MP and 19.6MP respectively, I use this sometimes on my Sony A7r when I want more reach with my 35mm prime lens. Cropping turns it into a 50mm but also reduces me down to 16MP. Doesn’t really make sense for this camera that is designed for such a specific niche, but I’ll take it.
These are just the important features that are worth mentioning. I just can’t believe only 30p video and no 4k. Hopefully we see better than that in the Canon 5DmkIV, but I guess this camera is geared towards a very specific niche, so this is forgivable.
Canon 5DS R Sample Images
Canon 5DSR, ISO 200, F/11, 1/500sec, EF 16-35mm F4L IS
Canon 5DS, ISO 400, F/4.0, 1/3200 sec, EF 500mm F4L IS II
Canon 5DSR, ISO 400, F/11, 1/15sec, EF 24-70mm F2.8L II USM
Canon 5DS Sample Images
Canon 5DS, ISO 200, F/5.6, 1/6sec, EF24-70mm f2.8L II
Canon 5DS, ISO 800, F/4.0, 1/125sec, EF 24-70mm F4L IS
What The Canon 5S & 5S R Need To Really Be A Game Changer
For one of these cameras to really be a game changer, I think it’s going to come down to how it performs both with Dynamic Range and Color Depth. In the real world it probably doesn’t really matter, but with a camera geared towards detail junkies, you can bet photographers will lose their shit if the Nikon D810 has 1.2 better dynamic range.
They’re saying with this 5Ds you should be able to pull more shadow detail which is what made the D810 and A7r feel like they had a lot of DR. Let’s hope it’s comparable for Canon’s sake.
So now what? So many photographers preached all over the Internet about how they “left Canon for Sony.” Will they be eating some humble pie as they preorder the shiny new Canon with the 11-24mm lens?
It should be a fun year in Photography.
Everything You Need To Know About The Canon 5DS and 5DS R
I’ve compiled all the best videos and reviews I could find about this camera so you can have it all in one place.
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About Me
I am a professional freelance commercial / trailer editor. I mostly edit trailers and tv spots for games such as Call of Duty, Destiny, Gears of War with a few Netflix shows thrown in the mix. The other half of my time is spent shooting photography. I am based out of Los Angeles CA.