Canon's Big Day - An In-Depth Look At The EOS R5, R6 And RF Lenses

Earlier today Canon announced its biggest and most important new product introduction in well over 10 years (possibly since the 5D MKII in 2005). Canon rolled out the long-awaited EOS R5 high-end 8K RAW capable 45MP mirrorless camera and the much more affordable but still highly capable EOS R6. On top of those Canon also introduced 4 new RF lenses, two extenders, and a new printer.

Canon has already announced some of the specs for the EOS R5 officially in the past but having the actual thing in hand (or at least a pre-release prototype which several reviewers got to try is a whole other thing and from the initial impressions it seems that Canon didn’t disappoint this time and also really didn’t hold back (which is a mistake the company had done in the past especially when it comes to video features on its non-Cinema line of cameras).

The EOS R5 seems to be (on paper at least and until real-world tests of the production units will be published) everything that Canon enthusiasts were hoping for and more. It brings in 8K 30p RAW shooting internally with no fan (contrary to rumors) at 10 bit 4:2:2 with no crop (or 4K at 120p which is possibly more useful for many users). This is really head over heals above anything else on the market at the moment even at 10x the price range.

The R5 and R6 look very similar externally but there are some important differences like the top screen (the R6 doesn’t have one), the Dual SD port (on the R6 vs. the CFExpress / SD slots on the R5), the more robust magnesium body of the R5 and the somewhat larger screen (3.2″ vs. 3″) and better EVF (5.76m pixels on the R5 vs. 3.76m pixels of the R6). There might be a few other small differences externally but these are the main ones (on the inside the biggest difference is the sensor of course and everything that comes with it like the higher resolution in stills and video and RAW shooting in video).

A side look at the R5 and its ports

We prepared an extensive specs list with some comments on the differences between the R5 and the R6 (the cameras have a lot in common but some important differences as well):

A new Canon made 45MP full-frame Dual Pixel CMOS sensor with high-speed readout
DIGIX X image processor.
Up to between 7-8 stops of hybrid stabilization (both in-camera and in the lens – depending on the lens).
Up to 8K 30p video, with an option for Raw or 10-bit 4:2:2 C-log or HDR PQ and up to 4K/120p, or oversampled 4K up to 30p (the R6 can do up to 4K 60p in 10-bit 4:2:2 C-log or HDR PQ with no RAW). On the R5 there is no crop while there is a small crop on the R6, there is no RAW on 4K on the R5.
100% coverage Dual Pixel II AF system with human and animal detection (including Eye AF in video).
Up to 12 fps mechanical shutter and 20 fps with an electronic shutter.
5.76M-dot OLED EVF with 120fps max refresh rate (R6 has 3.76m dots EVF) both are 0.5″ in size.
3.2″ 2.1M-dot fully articulating touchscreen (the R6 has a 3″ screen with 1.7 million dots).
10-bit HDR stills images in HEIF format.
1x CFExpress slot, 1x UHS-II SD slot (the R6 has dual SD UHS-II card slots).
Similar weather-sealing to the level of the EOS 5D Mark IV.
2.4/5Ghz Wi-FI with Bluetooth plus FTP connectivity (the R6 only supports 2.4Ghz).
CIPA rated to around 320 shots (using EVF) per battery or 360 (R6). The camera uses a new LP-E6NH battery which can be used on older Canon cameras and the older batteries (LP-E6) can be used on both these cameras but with lower CIPA.
Both the R5 and R6 support the new BG-R10 battery grip (with 2 batteries a shutter and wheel) but only the R5 supports the WFT-R10 advanced grip which adds 802.11ac/c 2×2 MIMO WIFI and LAN support. The first will cost $350 and the more advanced grip will sell for $1000.
Connections – USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), micro HDMI, mic and headphones, and a sync port for older flashes.
Pricing: the R5 will start selling later this month (July 2020) for $3900 while the R6 will start selling next month for $2500 (both body only).

A look at the back of the R5 and it’s articulated 3.2″ screen

A video on both cameras and some of the lenses and extenders from B&H

Manny Ortizon why you should choose the R6 overt the R5

Peter MacKinnon on the R5

Gordon Laing on the R5

Gordon Laing on the R6

Official Canon video on the new R5/R6 IBIS system (and optical IS)

Official Canon video on the R5 capabilities

Canon also announced 4 new lenses and two extenders – here is some info about them:

RF 600mm F11 IS STM – a new type of long zoom telephoto lens for the RF mount which is very small and compact (under 1kg) has IS and works well at f/11 and above with the R5/R6 cameras and even with the new extenders. This 600mm lens will sell for only $700.
RF 800mm F11 IS STM – the longer brother of the 600mm – this lens is very similar but a little larger and heavier (around 1.2kg), both lenses use DO technology to make the optics smaller and lighter as well as a smart extending design which you need to open and lock each time. The 800mm version can be used with the 1.4x and even the 2X extender with AF (but only in the center of the frame) and you will be getting f/22 1600mm equivalent focal range which is pretty impressive for the $900 price tag.
RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM – this is a more professional new zoom telephoto lens for the RF line from the L series with faster aperture and a much higher price tag of $2700.
RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM – a small and compact 85mm portrait lens that is more affordable than the other RF 85mm lenses on the Canon line and offers STM and semi macro capabilities (1:2 magnification). It will sell for $600.
Canon Extenders: RF 1.4x and RF 2x – the two new extenders provide either 1.4x or 2x magnification for RF lenses although they do not fit all lenses as they protrude into the lens so please check compatibility before you get them (they will work with both the new 600mm and 800mm DO lenses as mentioned). Pricing will be set at $500 and $600 accordingly.

Official Canon video on the two long telephoto RF lenses

Gordon Laing Hands-on with the 600mm and 800mm f/11 lenses

Gordon Laing on the RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM lens

Gordon Laing on the RF 85mm F2 Macro IS STM lens

Finally, Canon introduced a new photo printer – the imageProGraf Pro-300 and it will sell for $900 and be able to print 19″ by 13″ images – here are some videos about the printer:

Iddo Genuth

Iddo Genuth is the founder and chief editor of LensVid.com. He has been a technology reporter working for international publications since the late 1990's and covering photography since 2009. Iddo is also a co-founder of a production company specializing in commercial food and product visual content.