Canon EOS R5 Mark II Review: Is It Worth the Upgrade? | Dynamic Range, C-Log 2, Eye-Control Focus

In this video, I dive deep into a full review of the new Canon EOS R5 Mark II. After using it for three weeks in both studio and location settings, I’m excited to share my thoughts on how this camera performs compared to the original R5. I’ll cover key features like dynamic range, C-Log 2 video, the new eye-control autofocus, and how the electronic shutter performs with fast-moving subjects.
We’ll put the R5 Mark II head-to-head with the original R5 Mark I and see whether it’s worth upgrading. Plus, I’ll test if this camera can replace a dedicated cinema camera by comparing its C-Log 2 performance against the Canon C70. Whether you’re a photographer or filmmaker, this in-depth review will help you decide if the R5 Mark II is the right camera for you.
Watch until the end for my final thoughts on upgrading and a special surprise!
🛒🔥 IN STOCK NOW!
Canon EOS R5 Mark II with RF 24-105mm f/4 L IS USM Lens
Adorama howl.me/cm3h1T...
Amazon amzn.to/4e03j43
B&H bhpho.to/3TlBv1D
Canon R5 Mark II
Adorama: howl.me/cmGHhN...
Amazon: amzn.to/4cJZyir
B&H: bhpho.to/3Yc4YyB
Canon EOS R5
Adorama howl.me/cjCnaW...
Amazon amzn.to/3vPGmeb
B&H bhpho.to/3VbPdUw
Canon Cinema EOS C70
Adorama howl.me/cjCnaW...
Amazon amzn.to/3vkvy7X
B&H bhpho.to/44dCV23
Canon CF-R20EP Cooling Grip
Adorama - howl.me/cm3hZM...
Amazon amzn.to/3Zh3qDL
B&H bhpho.to/4gjTyPC
Canon Cinema EOS C70
Adorama howl.me/cjCnaW...
Amazon amzn.to/3vkvy7X
B&H bhpho.to/44dCV23
Canon C80
Adorama howl.me/cm5MES...
B&H bhpho.to/3XJIQei
Canon BG-R20 Battery Grip for EOS R5 Mark II
Adorama howl.me/cm5MF0...
Amazon amzn.to/3B3Bg5f
B&H bhpho.to/3XJFyaT
Glide Gear TMP 100
Amazon amzn.to/4gtmiWv
B&H bhpho.to/3MMBCjo
Canon RF 35mm f/1.8 IS Macro STM
Adorama howl.me/cjCnaW...
Amazon amzn.to/3cYH6VB
B&H bhpho.to/3ncETiG
Canon RF 85mm F1.2 L USM
Adorama howl.me/cjCnaW...
Amazon amzn.to/3tHbPxm
B&H bhpho.to/3L6f1Na
TASCAM CA-XLR2d-C XLR Microphone Adapter
Adorama howl.me/cm3luM...
Amazon amzn.to/3Xl54S6
B&H bhpho.to/3zaR6KG
CHAPTERS:
00:00 - Introduction
02:09 - Dynamic Range Studio Testing
04:39 - Differences with the color science
08:04 - Differences with the color science
09:32 - HOw to light things
10:23 - Electronic Shutter Induced Rolling Shutter
12:36 - Eye Control
15:12 - Using the old camera and the new camera at the same time???!!!
16:20 - Canon Log 2
18:14 - The C80 changed everything
21:20 - SHould you upgrade from the R5 Mark I?
#CanonEOSR5MarkII #CanonR5 #CameraReview #Photography #DynamicRangeTest #CLog2 #CanonC70 #StudioShooting #CameraComparison #SophiaKropp #R5MarkII #FirstImpressions #VideoTest

[@kennethlui2268]

You makes sense. Most KZbinrs love pixel peeping. I am not worried about dynamic range and noise. They are almost the same between R5 and R5II. When I got the R5II, I set it up right away and went out to shoot birds instead of comparing noise and dynamic range in front of a computer. I actually got shots that I never got with R5 and older Canon cameras. R5II is very impressive.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! It is good to know that the AF was improved for you! These bench tests really don't matter if you can't get the shot in the first place.

[@kennethlui2268]

@@JohnGress The pre-capture really helps.

[@TeddyCavachon]

Dynamic range isn’t an issue when flash is used IF the photographer understands how to use FILL properly (technically). Just use white and black hand towels as exposure targets and do this: 1) Set Aperture for desired DOF 2) Place FILL source ON CAMERA AXIS OVERHEAD behind camera, high enough to hide its shadow and make the SPECULAR HIGHLIGHTS it will create appear more natural at 12 o’clock (natural light comes from above) 3) Raise FILL power until detail is recorded (above noise) in the Black Towel i.e. FILL for the shadows 4) Turn KEY and raise power until White Towel is 1/3 below clipping. Regardless of whether the camera sensor DR is 8 or 16 EV that will fit the scene contrast to the sensor. The same two flash strategy works outside in direct sun simply by putting subjects back to sun as RIM light and starting with Aperture/ISO/Shutter than keeps the sunlit parts of white towel exposure target 1/3 EV below clipping. Add FILL as above for shadow detail in front but limit KEY so it is 2/3 EV below clipping to preserve the ambience of the RIM light from the sun. Sunny whites 1/3 EV below clipping and ‘shaded side’ whites 2/3 EV below. Easy peasy. DR squeezy. Ambient only in sunny cross light is where scene EV range will exceed sensor and there bracketing on a tripod or sack of rice (my goto grocery store on vacation tripod solution) solves the problem 😊

[@spinkscapes775]

Tried this camera out the other week for a football game and there was a marked improvement both in terms of focus as well as final image quality on the R3 that I've been using all year. Suffice to say the increased megapixels on the R1 (for post-cropping) make this a winner in my books for sports photography.

[@JohnGress]

That huge! You know one think I didn't think of was you really don't need more than 15-20FPS for sports, so if that s your point of view. What would the R1 get you that the R5II with grip dose not?

[@spinkscapes775]

@@JohnGress Obviously the extra 10 frames per second and some slight improvements in auto focus (allegedly). Also it is a much more robust (some would classify it "professional") external build and would stand up to the rigors of weather etc.. better. But even with the 600mm f4 I'm cropping with the type of football I shoot, so having the extra megapixels to crop into is a substantial benefit. The season is now over (until March) so my R3 will be going back to the rental house and I'll rent/buy a second R5 mkII for the season next year.

[@stillsandvideo]

A great job on your Canon r5mkii review. Thank you. Would love to see you compare the R5mkii vs R1 vs Sony A1 mk ii

[@JohnGress]

My pleasure! Thank you!

[@cuatrocientasasas9839]

HI! I upgraded fron eos R to this r5 mark2 !!!! to improve realstate pictures and videos. it's kind of a new world, that I'm still trying to understand. Keep going with these videos please. They are really usefull!!! cheers! Ana

[@JohnGress]

Thanks for sharing. Thanks great to hear! This video may help too: Part I: Canon EOS R5 Mark II Settings for Studio & Portrait Photography - Professional Guide kzbin.info/www/bejne/r2a1fqKumq6tnLM

[@prosunsport1]

4 years later and we evaluating if a new camera is worse in dynamic range, just shows how stagnant sensor/camera technology is .By the way a ball is traveling much faster than cyclists .R5 11 great camera with some nice extras in particular presshooting. The mechanical shutter is still faster readout than electronic and 12fps is generally OK. Just not enough new technology, i think R5 for another 4 years is just fine and hoping that new technology in 4 years time will bring us real advancements.

[@JohnGress]

True. The football was probably flying 3x faster. But yes 4 years later and we’re only seeing a little bit of advancement.

[@shootloadrepeat]

But the autofocus comes out of the R1 (except for the cross-type all around feature) This is critical for some who have hit the limits of the R5's existing autofocus system. (i'm not one of those)

[@LukeChristo]

I love the Eye Control on my R3, it works so well. I also use my R3 more then my R5 because the files look better. Even for magazine covers.

[@JohnGress]

Good to know 👍🏼👍🏼🙏🏼

[@FrankH-sz1ln]

R3 image quality is superb. The image quality of the R6 mark ii is also superb. I actually sold my R5 because I basically stopped using it in favour of the R6 mark ii. Every time I looked at images side by side I was always favoured the R6 mark ii and to be honest I don't even know why, they were just nicer, so I sold my R5. I don't think I'll ever buy another camera with more than 24mp. There's so much more to image quality than megapixels.

[@jamiermathlin]

If you shoot to maximise your dynamic range, rather than just shooting for the correct exposure, the difference it is noticeable, not having to bracket and us HDR combination to get more dynamic range. For landscape and cityscape photography it is best to stay with original R5, if you need the fast focus and electronic shutter go for the R5 mkii, otherwise just enjoy your photography and forget the gear 😀

[@pongokamerat8601]

So; If you are taking photos of subjects that do not move that much, keep the R5. If action is "your thing" with a lot of video, then upgrade. I will keep my R5 while waiting for more pixels and better dynamic range.

[@JohnGress]

That’s basically it.

[@photoquent]

So I have decided not to upgrade to the MKII as for my photography there is simply not the justification, I don’t shoot video, action or group events. There are two other user cases that I identified, first is if you shoot macro and want to use the camera’s focus bracketing with flash then this is now possible with the MKII. The other user case is if you are a complete gearhead and must have the latest tech and money is no problem then upgrade! I do aspire to the latter but I do like to get value from my purchases. Turing this on its head I think I should look at my photography and expand what I shoot to make an upgrade worthwhile.

[@JohnGress]

lol at #2! Thanks for letting me know about #1. Do whatever sparks joy and be happy!

[@Aaronfmd22]

1 comment, and 1 question: 1. The picture frame over your shoulder is distracting as it changes photos. 2. Shooting with electronic shutter forces you to lose 2 bits of data in the RAW file. Does this change the dynamic range? Did you (or could you) compare the DR using electronic shutter and mechanical shutter and see if you get different results?

[@JohnGress]

The loss of bit depth was a problem with the first camera and not the second. The photons to photos testing shows a loss of DR with the ES of up to .5 EV below ISO 500 www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/PDR.htm

[@janisjanums8022]

Ability to use Electronic shutter with flash is damn good reason to upgrade.

[@JohnGress]

The sync speed with studio strobes is 1/200 mechanical with both cameras, The R5II and I think the R5 as well are 1/250 with 1st curtain ES.

[@rodc271]

Well said. I am an amateur shooting mostly wildlife, and care far more about a subject being in focus rather than Dynamic Range or Noise. Traded my R5 in for an R5II which I received yesterday after preordering on July 18th.

[@JohnGress]

🙏🏼 well that must be the best point of all if it’s not sharp, who cares what the shadows look like. Game. set. match.

[@prosunsport1]

@rodc271 now the R5 which was on a par and better than the latest Nikons and Sonys, is poor in focus performance , not to sure about that , never heard of that complaint in last 4 years

[@JohnGress]

@@prosunsport1 No one said that. However the new camera is supposed to be better.

[@rodc271]

@@prosunsport1 I never said that the R5 had poor focus. The R5II is widely acknowledged to have a far higher focus hit ratio in challenging conditions, especially with things like birds in flight, wildlife in complex surroundings. It was primarily for focus accuracy I upgraded, along with the hugely improved video features as demonstrated by John in this video.

[@prosunsport1]

@rodc271 for video I agree and understand the advantages, for stills I would like to see a comparison and see what % increase one gets in focus .

[@georgemckella3799]

This was great content, this gave a greater perspective as to how it will be able to fit in our work flow.

[@JohnGress]

Awesome! That is great to hear! I hope it helps.

[@binetix]

It's worth mentioning that all hot shoe accessories for the R5 won't work with the R5 Mark II unless you use a large adapter. This includes various flash units, speedlights, GPS receivers, mics, and more. Therefore, we'll hold off on upgrading to the Mark III until all the accessories we currently use are either updated or have suitable alternatives for the new mount. At this point, this is a reasonable decision since the enhancements in the R5 aren't critical for our needs.

[@rickjbradbury]

Agreed the image is what matters. I have never cared about dynamic range. Granted my work will be different than others but generally iI care more about the final image and in portraits the experience I provide for the client.

[@JohnGress]

If this new camera taught me anything, it's how great image quality is today and all these things people complain and talk about it's so pointless. I cant wait to get back to my regular content!

[@cuatrocientasasas9839]

I'm trying to find out how to take HDR photos... Could you , please?

[@JohnGress]

Maybe this will help? support.usa.canon.com/kb/s/article/ART178220

[@StoicJason]

I’ll gladly trade some dynamic range for Clog2 and a full size hdmi port with less overheating.

[@JohnGress]

you’re keeping it all in perspective!

[@Ravox83]

Excellent review! Really good analysis on dynamic range.

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! Glad you liked it!

[@arnolttbromanskie9733]

I like the Mark II and did not regret the upgrade 😊

[@JohnGress]

I got my second one (with a 24-105 which I need to sell). But, I did sell my two Mark I cameras.

[@arnolttbromanskie9733]

@@JohnGress I sold my mark I too, because usually I need no B camera. A 24-105 is also in my bag, so thanks for the offer 😊

[@JohnGress]

Oh I wasnt trying to sell you... just sharing my plight =)

[@arnolttbromanskie9733]

@@JohnGress NP 😇 selling gear is something cumbersome

[@RogerZoul]

Thanks for a great video. I have switched but still plan to have the OG R5 has a back up, but I am a wildlife shooter.

[@JohnGress]

Cool deal. I’m still switching into video mode 8x per shoot rather than turning the camera off 🤣🤦🏻‍♂️🤦🏻‍♂️

[@RogerZoul]

The video thing can be problematic. On the OG R5, I use the m-fn button to switch to video. I wish I could still do that.

[@JohnGress]

its just going to take time! or electroshock therapy ;)

[@filmguy5]

As a fellow C70 shooter, I also bought this camera to pair with that camera. I shoot mostly video. I wish there was a 6k raw option, as 6K would allow a little flexibility when pushing in on a 4k video timeline. 8k is a bit overkill.

[@JohnGress]

Agreed! That would be a huge help to me making KZbin videos too. Sometimes I cheat and punch in anyway, but only if I have no other options.

[@hoseaesp6309]

Are all Raw video codecs able to change white balance and iso in post?

[@RobertMintonPhotography]

I have found the autofocus on mk 2 so much better for wildlife, even game changing as its so reliable and easy to capture moving animals and birds.

[@JohnGress]

That great to hear!

[@Mowikan]

Great solid video, again!

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed it!

[@igorrutsch]

hi John ! thank you for the No nonsense review and the dedramatisation of the DR controversy. I'll do my best to " not screw up so much" with my brand new r5 mkii ;)

[@JohnGress]

Ha! Thanks! It really was much to do about nothing.

[@alancongratssoonyoullhead5273]

Hi, it was great informative video. Would you please do one workshop in Toronto. Toronto is like Canada’s New York

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! Maybe one day! I think that might constitute working in your country so for now you'll have to come over to Chicago (Our Toronto) or New York. =)

[@salvamando1]

Awesome review from a real photographer! Thanks for putting dynamic range into sane and practical perspective too. Also, have you thought about the C80? Imagine using all that RF glass at FF?! Yes, I’m purposely trying to trigger your GAS… JK, I know that you are more level headed than most of us! 😂 Thanks again!

[@JohnGress]

lol! Well that is tempting 🤣 thank you for your complements!

[@77dris]

Dynamic range, and even MP are mostly overrated and pushed by marketing. Fro was recently showing large wall sized posters he printed from his old 4 MP Nikon crop camera that looked absolutely amazing. I've had billboards made from 8 MP cameras. I shot with the 1D Mark III for 12 years as a pro, it was 10 MP and only had 11 stops dynamic range, and never had any issue with dynamic range or print size. My buddy owns all Canon DSLRs - all of them - including the old CCD sensor one (can't remember the name). He also has the R3. We did comparisons of images from all the cams and in real world, we couldn't identify which was from a DSLR cam from 20 years ago, and which was the most recent mirrorless. High ISO noise is the biggest issue for me though now with AI NR it's never even a though any more. AF accuracy is the most important thing for me when I shoot sports and the R6 II is better than any camera I've ever used - it almost never misses. The 24 MP will print any size, though I've tried upscaling it to 45 MP and it actually gives the illusion of more detail than the R5. I do like the video features of the R5 II, mostly the Clog2 and 4k120.

[@JohnGress]

Im glad that I finished and posted this review because all of this just seems so pointless and I cant wait to get back to teaching people skills that will actually improve their work!

[@lim2001burger]

Great review!

[@JohnGress]

Thanks!

[@Ramenavia]

Hello! Please tell me, is it normal that in the viewfinder of this camera there is always a flickering on small objects located at a distance (for example, on power lines, on individual branches, on brickwork)? On the Canon R3 camera I did not notice such flickering.

[@JohnGress]

Maybe you have the focus peek turned on and you are in manual focus 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@Ramenavia]

@ Thank you for your reply. No, my camera is not in these modes. But since this problem is not familiar to you, I am inclined to believe that my camera is not in order. This effect can be called digital ripples on individual small objects.

[@JohnGress]

I rarely look through the viewfinder so I am probably not the right person to ask. I hope you get it cleared up.

[@Ramenavia]

@@JohnGress I will add that this problem is especially noticeable in low light conditions. There is no such problem at all on the flip screen. In any case, thank you very much!

[@JohnGress]

so I was shooting outside today with the model rim lit by the sun and I saw this sort of marching ants pattern around her edges.

[@itaylorm]

Thank you for the careful unemotional review. Especially about the way you examined the shadows captured difference

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! Glad it was helpful! I was actually worried that changing the ISO was really going to result in different outcomes given the photons to Photos trend line. I’m really happy to see that the differences are linear and probably not that much.

[@reelstory3206]

Nice shirt, big Johnny. Your add-on mate x

[@JohnGress]

Thanks! Can I get two oil cans of Fosters?

[@NRecob]

@@JohnGress Foster's? No. Cascade or VB for me.

[@dexon555]

I shot Fuji Velvia 50… don’t talk to me about limited dynamic range. In a DSLR world eye control was the closest thing to subject eye detection technology for portrait photography. Now that we have phenomenal subject eye detect AF, eye control is a bit of a gimmick.

[@JohnGress]

Ahhhh the EOS A2e or 3! And to think the landscpe photographers of today are upset about this when the landscape photographers of the past used slide film!

[@dexon555]

@@JohnGress Yes!!! I had both models, first the A2E and the EOS 3. Eye control was a ground breaking technology for the fixed focus point style of DSLR AF. I think as photographers we should take a second to just appreciate how far we’ve come and how excellent our tools are today. Instead, we tend to obsess over the minutia of the technology and not the big picture (pun intended).

[@JohnGress]

yeah making all of this content was so draining because its so pointless!

[@dexon555]

@@JohnGress I get that. People seem to enjoy content about gear. Your videos are well produced and always well crafted. I know that takes a lot of work.

[@JohnGress]

Thank you so much! on to the next one!

[@goldenstasgs]

It’s interesting thing about panic R5m2 dynamic range compered to r5. But… why nobody talking that z8/z9 has much lower dynamic range than r5m2? Why nobody talking about huge drop in DR of z8/z9 stacked sensor compered z7/2? Canon did perfect job with keeping DR at almost same value with r5m2 as r5 and saved mechanical shutter to boosting dynamic range for stills photos. But Nikon failed this battle with z8/z9 compered z7/2. Canon paid minimum price with DR for speed of new stacked sensor. Think about it.

[@JohnGress]

The differences in the photons to photos DR chart look scary but at worst the z8/9 is .8 ev lower than the R5II. Given my tests between the R5 and R5 II I’m skeptical that anyone would really see a difference between the Canon R5II and the Nikon Cameras.

[@goldenstasgs]

@@JohnGressfor me the difference I see with r5m2 is restoring from shadows. It looks much worse than r5. In normal exposition difference does not exist.

[@ER-gn8io]

Das Canon den mechanischen Verschluss bei der R5 Mark II eingespart hat kann ich nicht bestätigen!

[@goldenstasgs]

@@ER-gn8io r5m2 has mechanical shutter

[@canonlensesandcameras4425]

would you be interested in joining me in a livestream with my panel ?

[@JohnGress]

Thanks for the invite but I think I am done talking about this camera! Time to go back to helping people with their lighting. You have no idea how much I am looking forward to doing just that. =)

[@typorosz]

NOBODY MENTIONES THAT R5 Mark II DOESN'T HAVE FRAME SCAN ADJUST (like in Lumix cameras e.g.), NO IBIS HIGH RES SHOTS (like the previous R5 cameras and Lumix, Sony cameras), NO SSD EXTERNAL RECORDING OPTIONS (like Lumix and other brands), IT HAS 1 EV WORST DYNAMIC RANGE THAN R5 (iss predecessor) AND WAY WORST SHADOW AND CHROME NOISE! BASED ON THE LATEST TEST AF DIDN'T IMPROVED, AT LEAST NOT IN THE CURRENT FIRMWARE.

[@OsttirolFotos]

Why is the title in German language?

[@JohnGress]

Are you in Germany? I have titles descriptions and closed captions set up for multiple languages.

[@typorosz]

NO FRAME SYNC OPTION AND NO SSD RECORDING OPTION!!! NO IBIS HIGH RES SHOT (400 MP OPTION). NO OLDER BATTERIES ACCEPTENCE! sRAW INTERLACING AND MOIRE!

[@truthseeker6804]

Dynamic Range is overrated

[@JohnGress]

That is one takeaway from these tests!

[@The_Idea_of_Dream_Vision]

Super overrated. Even the high iso. I always shoot with lights or decent lenses in the right conditions. I have my 7d2 which shoot 10fps but have used that feature less than 20 times since 2015. My r6 I only used the 20fps once. In the last 2 years

[@prosunsport1]

​@JohnGress wow then we should use mobile sensors 😮

[@prosunsport1]

Wow we trying hard to justify going backwards

[@The_Idea_of_Dream_Vision]

@@prosunsport1 we have hit a brick wall in most things cameras. Dynamic range is one of them. You can use most of the cameras we have today and the difference in image quality won't be noticeable with naked eyes.