Canon R5 Mark II vs R5 - A Worthy Upgrade? Photo & Video Comparison (RAW Files)

[@DRAMAFLS_official]

Finally a useful video . I’m sick and tired of these first impression and unboxing videos 🙄

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much!

[@mrkanebrands3634]

totally agree

[@philfyphil]

Really? I find watching someone open a black cardboard box rather exhilarating! 😂

[@77dris]

Agreed.

[@BillSmithBSartist]

@@philfyphilLOL. I did an unboxing video as a goof. Then there was a problem with my unit and I had to return it. I ran the unboxing video in reverse. LOL.

[@ElBoyoElectronico]

R5II seems like a significant upgrade for people who need high fps (e.g. wildlife/sports shooters) and videographers. For almost anybody else, the upgrades are rather insignificant. As someone like me who currently mostly shoots birds, the upgrade would make sense (rolling shutter, precapture, AF) but I am saving up for a 600mm f4 lens, so I need to set clear priorities. Thanks for keeping it real and not overhyping the camera!

[@b.g.4277]

I upgraded and depending on what I am shooting I regret not getting a lens instead or I love it :) For birds I see a difference and enjoy the experience more. For still subjects like landscapes or potraits I would have rather gotten a 50 1.2, 28-70 or 70-200.

[@BW_Maher]

Sounds like you have your priorities straight. If you mainly shoot birds than I'd say a 600 f4 will have a much bigger impact on the quality of your photos.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for watching - I totally agree with your take.

[@kstotlani]

I am also saving for the 600mm. Do you think Canon will come up with a new RF version considering it’s been a while? I got a demo the other day and it was quite heavy. I didn’t like that they took the EF version and just added an adapter to it.

[@ElBoyoElectronico]

@@kstotlani No, the next 600mm f4 will most probably take a while, since the big white primes usually have longer life cycles. Yes, the thing about the teleconverter feels a bit cheap, but it doesn’t take away from its performance. I lift weights and don’t might heavier lenses though, but most people say the RF600 f4 actually feels easy to take handheld shots with. I will go on some trips next year and will ‚need‘ a 600 f4, so I personally won’t wait for a newer model. There will always be a next one on the list ;)

[@jeffjohnson4742]

Thanks! I have the R5, but mainly shoot stills, and probably will be adding the Mark II.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much Jeff! I really appreciate the support

[@TubaSolotheHiker]

Bro. I cannot put into words how much you help people by offering both photos and video examples to download. I've downloaded your files so many times to help me get a better understanding of the results I can get from the latest cameras. Thank you a million times over!

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much for the kind words. I really appreciate that!

[@KanishN]

Thanks for the comparision. For video shooters R5 mark ii is a no brainer. Huge improvement . So many new features .

[@BenniOSM]

Also for stills shooter :)

[@JamesReader]

Totally agree! Than you for watching

[@prosunsport1]

Just shows you how good the R5 is which is over 4 years old . Sensor camera technology has not moved much .

[@JamesReader]

Absolutely! I think it will be quite a few years until we see a Canon camera that really beats out the R5. It really was that good.

[@mrkanebrands3634]

thats true, still one of the best cameras for photos out there

[@TigaWould]

@@JamesReader the reason the R5 mark 2 looks sharper when you zoom in is due to the fact that it’s actually a 50 megapixel sensor and they are just calling it a 45 megapixel sensor. As for as the comparison, the R5 mark 1 is so good it still competes with cameras being released today.

[@spencehutchinson1904]

R5 is still a beast.

[@prosunsport1]

@MikeHunt4hire I think it's a new super clean 1 week old sensor compared to a 4 year old sensor which would have a layer of fine dust. I DONT THINK U WOULD SEE 5MP IF THAT THE CASE

[@rickjbradbury]

To my old eyes, colour wise the R5 II is more neutral where the R5 has more of a magenta tint but they could be matched in post as needed.

[@JohnPadgettDigitalStudios]

The magenta in the R5 showed up often in my workflow

[@johnykw]

Yes I also same point

[@eksmaan]

Excellent comparison. Easy to follow, well-organized and fair to each camera. Definitely the most useful R5 II KZbin video I’ve seen to date. Thank you!

[@JamesReader]

That’s awesome! Thank you so much.

[@samcreel]

Stellar job as always, James. Hands down the best photography reviewer around.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much Sam!

[@tomasz1738]

Jesteś autorem pierwszego testu, w którym zobaczyłem realne różnice między efektywnymi możliwościami body, a nie gawędziarzem, który plecie o swoich odczuciach. Zobaczyłem, że mk 2 produkuje kolor subtelniejszy ale głębszy w odcieniach, zobaczyłem, że w filmach to już bardzo duża przewaga, a nie usłyszałem, że któryś z przycisków jakoś dziwnie jest położony. Dziękuję za test, to nie jest body dla mnie, bo jestem amatorem z R, ale przyjemnie jest zobaczyć jeszcze ładniejsze kolory Canona i poczekać aż zejdą do niższej generacji body.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you Tomasz!

[@paweplinta1565]

Dobry recenzent, trzeba przyznać, uczciwa robota

[@nnix]

R5m2 seems to move away from magenta slightly towards the yellow in some pictures. Both look nice.

[@77dris]

Agree.

[@azdp5331]

I have been using the R5 for wildlife photography for 3+ years and just obtained the R52 about a week ago. I agree with your finding about increased noise over ISO6400, it was the first thing I noticed. Is it bad? No, just noticeable. The R5 already had very low noise levels, often useable to ISO25600 depending on the subject and available light. I have noticed a huge (to me) difference in improved eye tracking. I've always been impressed with how the R5 can lock onto the head of a hummingbird 25 yards away, and it's always done well with subjects like deer, coyotes, bobcats etc. But, I photograph a lot of javelinas and the R5 nearly always fails to lock onto the dark eye of this creature. Not anymore. My first time out with javelinas and the eye tracking was locking on at 40 yards, even for the tiny newborns. Very impressed with that improvement. Even locked onto the eye of a cottontail rabbit at 40 yards. I have not yet tried the VF eye tracking or shutter pre-capture, but I expect the pre-capture will come in handy for wildlife. I like the new audio feedback for the electronic shutter. Although a flashing perimeter frame was added, I still want to hear those frames clicking off. Also like the focal length info in the VF. When photographing lightning at night and often zooming a lens in/out, I previously had to use a flashlight and peak over the body to see the setting. Lots of new things to get used to, but for wildlife I think the R52 is a worthwhile upgrade. Thanks for your detailed, honest review.

[@zeljkocanic]

best comparison yet, period.

[@JamesReader]

That's awesome! Thank you

[@SliverCreations]

I love the new R5II. As a wildlife photographer the pre capture is a beauty. And the black out free electronic shutter with 14 bits is really awesome.

[@kernzilla]

this is one of the more comprehensive reviews I've watched, thanks m8. I'm sure you've got a *lot of time into this, and the work is not going unnoticed 👏👏

[@JamesReader]

Thank you mate, I really appreciate the kind words!

[@btecww]

I do portraits and weddings. You are my most trusted reviewer. I love your shooting style.

[@Excaliburps]

Excuse my bad English, I’m Swiss. I think it’s the most honest and affordable review I’ve ever seen. I am considering the Canon R5 mk ii and currently have the Canon R8. I’m very happy with it. Not being professional, but passionate amateur, the only thing that I really miss is the lack of resolution. When you don’t have the professional’s eye, we often crop and the R8 at 24 million pixels is a bit right at that level. I’m not rich but I could afford it. The only question I ask myself is, is it really worth it? In any case, if I buy it , I think it will stay for a long time because it has everything I want. No need more. I think it’s always better but I’m already very happy with my R8. There I would simply finalize my dream of having an autofocus at the top, stacked sensor, stabilization, high resolution... And then I stop promised! I must say that I am also a geek... I know it’s not perfect but it will cover all my needs for many years. What I’ll miss about the R8 is its compactness! It’s a wonderful... Anyway, thank you for having removed my doubts about the rise in iso and dynamics, it will facilitate my choice and I subscribe to your channel even if I am not English speaking... Best regards. David

[@digitaldevigner4080]

I think the reason why the 4k s raw looks super sharp is its not using any averaging of nearby pixels. Its like a nearest neighbor scale down of the sensor or a true line skipped solution since its unprocessed raw data. I had a GH4 that had a similar process when recording externally. The UHD sensor could be sent via the HDMI as HD but it did so very fast as a nearest neighbor like scale down. This was insanely sharp and almost 4k like sharp because there was no averaging of pixels to scale down. The downside is jagged very fine edges and potential for aliasing. Having a OLPF does help but this is very likely why its so super sharp. You could scale down a 8k video the same way in post with a nearest neighbor like scale down method for the same detail but that's not always the best solution for smooth accurate details. While the R6 may look softer that's because its using a true scale down method and providing for more accurate and natural results. While it feels like the higher detail is better that's not always the case and can yield other undesired image artifacts. With the GH4 I would typically add a very tiny amount of blur to the video to get it to better match how a normal scale down would look. Now if one is ok with those extra potential artifacts then yes its 4k that may have close to the detailed sharpness of the 8k video. It may also have much less chance of those artifacts vs the UHD to HD I had from the GH4. In this case its 8k to 4k so the detail is already much finer to manage fine details. Its kind of like how modern cameras got rid of the OLPF since they have such high resolution now most fine details are managed well.

[@All-the-gear-no-idea-uk]

Just been looking at the pictures that you have provided us to have a look at they are very impressive results. Thank you for sharing your raw files.

[@JamesReader]

No problem at all! Thank you for watching

[@All-the-gear-no-idea-uk]

@@JamesReader always look forward to watching your channel

[@LoraineRoss]

As a wedding photographer, I'm only upgrading because my current R5 has condensation in the EVF from being out in the rain so much. I think if it wasn't for that I wouldn't bother even with the improvements to the AF. The R5 is just SO GOOD!

[@JamesReader]

Totally agree Loraine!

[@halimrahman]

I am a Sony user through and through. But now we are exploring VR, and Canon is the only big three so far offering dual lenses and VR recording. So, I might need to pick up an R5 Mark II soon for our project.

[@jimbruton9482]

Being primarily a stills shooter, I don't see myself upgrading anytime soon. The R5 produces fantastic images and if you look at the portfolios of professional wildlife and event photographers who have used the R5, many of their images are already stunning. In time I may upgrade my camera and if the rumors about the Nikon D7 III or the Sony R7 VI come about, that may be where I'll be going.

[@timk8258]

I definitely see the worsened dynamic range in your under/over exposure examples. Less shadow detail and blown highlights on the R5II.

[@JamesReader]

Interesting! I’ll have to take another look

[@justesmond]

James, I’ve been waiting on your review! Thank you so much for all of the work that you did for this video. It clearly showed. The review was thorough and balanced. I felt like I got a full review of this camera without any of the usual KZbinr bluster. I own the original R5, but about a year and a half ago I started shooting on the Panasonic S5, Mark ii for video, leaving the R5 to be my photo camera only. I’ve been kind of on the fence about upgrading to the R5 Mark ii since I use the R5 for photos only. I’m not sure that I’m gonna make the upgrade right now given the marginal improvements to photos. Honestly, the R5 Mark i is an excellent photo camera as it is. Thanks for all the hard work that you did on this video. I can see owning the R5 Mark ii in the future. I'm just not running out to get it. Perhaps after this year's wedding season.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much for the kind words! The Lumix S5 Mark II is seriously hard to beat for video. I really love the image from that camera. And I agree - I think the original R5 is a better buy than ever, It's gonna be a while before we see a camera that really beats it in terms of photo image quality.

[@Mikri90]

Minor correction: In the overexposing and recovery test you state that there is some contrast loss in the original R5, but these are clearly not shot in exact same light, evidenced by the harsher shadows across the image made by the R5 mark II (most notably seen in the road under the bridge). The R5 was shot with more overcast light and therefore lacks the contrast due to lighting conditions.

[@robbie154]

The mark ii has a weaker AA filter. Which is why you’re seeing that sharpness bump. Or clarity bump. Great to see as I print big landscapes.

[@edwardhammond5582]

That was genuinely useful - thanks James.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for watching Edward!

[@edwardhammond5582]

@@JamesReader My passions are travel and landscape photography. I was waiting for the R5 II as my migration from the 5D IV. I hoped for Canon to introduce a feature that would become a must-have that I hadn't even thought about (early smartphones did quite a bit of this) and to shed some weight from my camera bag, but with RF equivalent of my EF lenses. IN reality, I lose about 1 Kg. Image stabilization is also a factor - so many amazing spaces don't allow tripods. The battery life issue is a disappointment. Perhaps I can turn off enough of the new features, bought at great expense, so the battery will serve me all day. That erodes my case for the upgrade somewhat.

[@JaredHoyman]

Excellent comparison, James. R5 II ticked all the boxes on this camera for me too. Saved me from buying a cinema camera. 😊

[@JamesReader]

Thank you Jared! Looking forward to seeing more R5 II content from you too - really glad you're enjoying the camera.

[@dabe1971]

After seeing final specs on the new camera took another route andI managed to get a brand new R5MKI body with a spare battery, a barely used BG-R10 Grip, a Lexar 1TB CFAST card and a brand new RF 200-800mm lens for the cost of just an R5MKII body. I'm happy with my decision.

[@JamesReader]

That’s a hell of a setup! Congrats on the new camera and lens.

[@adude394]

Well, I had plans to pick up the R5 Mk II to go along with my R6 Mk II, but I shoot no video at all. Stills/wildlife/nature only, with no interest in video. Seems to me that it makes more sense to get the R5, and maybe a lens. I already have the 100-500 and 200-800 lenses, and I can take my 24-105 EF off of my 1DX Mk III and use it on the mirrorless camera via the EF > RF adapter, which works beautifully. So thanks for this review! As other people have said, you've just saved me quite a bit of money! ❤

[@RogerZoul]

Thank you very much. Really clear the pros/cons of each body. I have my R5m2 and will be keeping my R5m1 as a backup or second body. I'm a wildlife shooter who does video too. I am very pleased with what Canon has done here.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for watching Roger! Would love to hear your opinion on the improved rolling shutter and AF as a wildlife shooter.

[@Photomeike]

Great job. Well done!

[@JamesReader]

Thank you man! 🙏

[@PaulWhite-zn9xx]

Excellent video, James. The big advantages of the R5 Mk II appear to lie mostly in the video mode. However, I think that there are a couple of further consideration for anyone (like me) who is contemplating buying either an R5 or an R5mkii . Firstly the price difference (in the UK) between the two cameras is massive. Secondly on 29 August Canon Inc announced on its website re the R5mkii “It is scheduled to be shipped sequentially, but when you place a new order, it may take more than half a year to deliver.“

[@JamesReader]

Thank you Paul! It certainly sounds like a long wait for anyone who missed the first batch of R5 II shipments which is a shame.

[@davidl01023]

Cliffnotes. Not a major upgrade for portraits, more so with performance (autofocus with action)and video. If you don't have either get the new one. If you have the original, wait a bit for used mark ii's.

[@JamesReader]

Perfect summary! Thanks David.

[@SamEmilio2]

Man I’d never heard of you before this video, but am a big fan now! Thanks for all the thoughtful testing you’ve done here, and very much for sharing files to test out. It’s CRAZY to me to look at CLog 2 and 3 side by side in Resolve, and see just how easy and beautiful those 2 files are to work with. I just really wish Canon would cut it out with this weird thing they do with the cinema line only - the R5C has the best hybrid switching mode ever, and their cinema OS belongs so badly on this camera. It’s nice they’re adding waveforms etc, but the software alone would alleviate so many pain points of what is essentially a photo-first camera (like you said - using Panasonic spoils you!)

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much, that really means a lot!

[@henrycartier]

Thanks for that, great. As for colors I actually see a big difference. The old R5 is way more magenta (especially in skintones). The R5 II is more neutral/dull in the skin department. It's clear that Canon has lost their old vibe when it comes to skintones out of camera. Having that said, from a post process perspective I guess the new profiles are slightly better. It's just that I miss the old school Canon look where skin was flawless, pinky-peachy fresh (not too magenta or yellow) and vivid right out of the camera. Nevertheless I think the R5 II overall paints a great picture with fairly neutral tones. On a side note, Canon has crushed the blacks again (as they initially did with 5DS(R). The "clearer" or sharper images you mention is probably the higher contrast/more aggressive black point.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much!

[@mrkanebrands3634]

5d1 2 and 3 was the best colors in the market for years

[@dscottstoness2436]

I noticed R5 tint is more magenta and R5ii is more green. But this is a LR/DPP profile choice of canon. Its too bad that Canon does not offer multiple profiles, as an option in menu.

[@MahmoudSamyTube]

good work James, Keep going

[@JamesReader]

Thanks so much Mahmoud!

[@sansalvadorkitesurfingtheb8373]

Great video. Clear, direct comparisons and no BS.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much!

[@DIGIPIX55]

Thank you! There have been a lot of reviews over the last week but many were really lacking. This is very valuable information.

[@JamesReader]

I really appreciate that - thank you!

[@paulmomedia253]

Jeff Cable having just shot the Paris Olympics said there's no question about the new R1 and R52's autofocus. Plus the benefit of pre capture. For (working) action photogs the next gen have distinct advantages. For casuals, less so.

[@presise]

You did the best comparison video so far brother. Thank you.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much!

[@RewDowns]

Thanks for sharing some landscape photos, most people just show portraits and I love to see how the colors render in the blues and greens

[@JamesReader]

Thank you! Really glad the shots helped

[@chiliverde66]

Great review. I just received my R5M2 last week and still learning how to set up. I get rid of my 5DM4 to get this one and also have the R6M2.

[@tomidanko855]

Im not gonna watch any other youtuber. This is perfect what i need for... Thanks a lot again for professional job. i say before you are on of the best in this 'department'

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much Tomi! I really appreciate that

[@patozols7747]

The 4k video is nuts.

[@JamesReader]

Agreed!

[@BillSmithBSartist]

Well done. Subscribed.

[@alexnrs8700]

Fabulous summary of all the new features and changes. Thanks so much!

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for watching Alex!

[@johnykw]

Very nice compare! U can look the photos slightly more bright and clear, especially if have light on the skin, u will very easy see the different

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for watching Johny!

[@EverythingCameFromNothing]

Great review. I’m interested in the R5M2s ability to record hd video while taking photos. Perhaps you could include that in your next video? Especially how it handles the heat and the different codecs available 😃

[@JamesReader]

Thank you! I'll definitely give it a try, seems like a really useful feature

[@blaspayri]

thanks for this in depth review with real meaningful footage. It is surprising the limited attention the R5 II has received on KZbin ... either KZbinrs have switched to other brands like Sony or Canon was too weary of KZbinrs after the "hot" reception of the R5. Also the improvements of recent cameras are significant but not as dramatic as the generation before ... and the pain with the R6II and R5 is often not so big as to change for a new camera, considering the very high price range.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for watching! I agree - I expected to see more of these kinds of tests and comparisons by now. I think the camera is maybe in short supply at the moment.

[@oldDan-l1c]

there is no question that the mark ii renders skin tones way better, the sensor also renders with more detail and clarity. The original R5 always felt kind of muddy compared to my z9 but this new body seems to bring that "clarity" a lot closer to the nikon standard.

[@dylanmccormickmoran3528]

Superb video man. Well done

[@cjm8160]

Great review James!

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much!

[@humbertFlores-n8e]

im Peruvian, I loved your Chanel! thanks

[@JamesReader]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@evrythingilike8836]

Finally a great and useful review. Thank you so much for the great work.

[@77dris]

James, how much larger is sRaw compared to say, All-I? I was really impressed that the R6 II's 50/60p was still better looking than the R5 and R5 II. But that sRaw is really nice looking. Thanks for making the best R5 II video that exists currently on KZbin. Btw, one way I get nicer looking video from Clog3 (on the R6 II) is to use Cinema Gamut/Canon Log for the CST (Colour Space Transform), instead of using Cinema Gamut/Canon Log 3. This results in lower contrast, less crunchy final look and I see about a 1/2 stop improvement in the waveform. When I compared your R6 II 50 video to the R5 II 50 video (using Clog 2), the results were very close. Thanks for letting us try your files out too James!

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for the support as always DRIS! 4k fine All I files are about the same size as the 4k SRAW light files, but you can compress the ALL I files down even more. You really have a lot of options in terms of file size vs quality. The 4k uncompressed SRAW files are quite large, typically about twice the size as ALL I

[@JamesReader]

Great tip by the way about CLOG 3. I’ll have to give that a try!

[@77dris]

@@JamesReader The only issue is that doing this you do get slightly more noise in the shadows but yeah, using Clog1 CST on Clog3 footage results in less crunchy, lower contrast footage especially in the highlights. I loved playing around with the files you supplied. So much fun.

[@traedia]

Great video! I'm aiming to move to R5 MK II when I have enough put aside for it, and I'll be moving from a Canon 7D MK II. Although the R5 will be more accessible in terms of cost, and likely covers everything I would need, the likes of the new E-Shutter capabilities for wildlife and sports is the real advantage of the MK II over the MK I. Hopefully have my hands on one soon enough!

[@ludowild]

Great job ! well done and thank you for sharing !

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for watching!

[@scottw6960]

Great video and details, especially the SRAW comparison. The sharpness and detail level is a surprise! Many said that mode would be line-skipped...doesn't look that way.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for watching Scott!

[@Windsurfingaddict]

From a non professional and not shooting weddings or fast moving sports the older R5 is a bargain for what it can do. The money saved has been used for used EF lens again at bargain prices from there originally cost. This is more than enough camera for me in 2024 and the photo quality when viewed on 16inch M2 are simply stunning compared to say my iPhone 15 pro max. Enjoyed your review 🥳🥳🥳🥳

[@davidpruitt3255]

12:32 I'm curious why there is such a difference with the colors here in 8K RAW vs 4K SRAW? In theory shouldn't the colors be the same? I know it's more cloudy for the SRAW clip but that looks like such a big difference in color. I've watched your videos on the R5Mk2 so many times and love the comparison videos you put together. Thank you for what you do!

[@Maximilan20]

As amazing as the R5II is my R6II will still be in my bag. Glad to see the 4k50 getting some limelight on the R6II. So far, the best video on KZbin about the R5II vs R5.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much Max! The R6 II holds up really well

[@DanceDeepDas]

Great video james !

[@JamesReader]

Thank you!

[@joeone2838]

Most informative video so far… thank you so much!

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for watching!

[@robharrand]

Greens and yellows are noticeably different.

[@IANNEZEK]

Question: Can you still program the switch between Video/Photo to a custom button? or you have to use the switch that's dedicated ?

[@airpilikia]

I'd like to know this also.

[@btecww]

Great comparison and nice Stratocaster!

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much!

[@bme_visuals]

Hey bro did you notice strong jitters in your video footage while recording handheld? I’ve been noticing a lot in my r5 mark ii recordings, looks like the ibis is trying way too hard or having issues.

[@JamesReader]

@@bme_visuals hey man! Yep the IBIS definitely fights you which can result in jitters or jolts especially when panning. I’ve found the results are a little better with stabilised lenses.

[@bme_visuals]

@@JamesReader my footage with my RF 24-70mm is jerky as hell. Almost looks like the camera is defective. I had to turn off all the ibis to get a decent shot but that’s crazy disappointing for a camera that’s almost $5000 after taxes.

[@jdavevisuals]

This is what I call a great review. Thank you!

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much!

[@bogdanperovic2001]

THANK YOU JAMES!

[@JamesReader]

Thank you Bogdan!!

[@angelislandcreativestudios2875]

Best video on this camera yet! Are you using LUTs with the sRAW files? I am not sure how to process them.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you! I just used GAMUT LUTs with the sRAW files.

[@angelislandcreativestudios2875]

@@JamesReader what's a gamut lut 😬

[@BW_Maher]

Great review. Thanks. Seems like a good release on Canon's part. They fixed pretty much every issue I have with the original R5. As a bonus they increased the read speed by an order of magnitude with minimal impact on IQ. What more could you ask for? Glad to know it's available but I'm still very happy with my R5. I expect I'll upgrade at some point but I'm not feeling any pressure to do so right away.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for watching! Totally agree, a great upgrade well worth any trade offs.

[@DavidWagelmans]

Great review ☺️

[@JamesReader]

Thank you David!

[@dscottstoness2436]

Great video. Others have focussed more on birds /action - where R5II is better. I shoot mostly grizzlies/wolves/moose / landscape - not as busy - and my conclusions are similar to yours. R5 does better for noise at iso 12k, 25k - but with denoise processing they are close. But everywhere else R5ii is better. So if money is no object, get the r5ii. But if you care about money - R5 is really close and for 100% landscape on the tripod - R5 is better.

[@BrianSellers]

This is a great review! I'd kinda overlooked SRAW, but I'm excited to go out and do an overheating test in my warmer-than-your climate here in Virginia!

[@JamesReader]

Thank you so much! Let me know what you find out with the over heating

[@BrianSellers]

@@JamesReaderSo SRAW didn’t fare much better than 4K Fine in direct sunlight and about 90F (32C) temps - about 23 minutes. But the standard 4K had no problems at all recording in those conditions, maxing out at about 4/10 bars on the heat-o-meter. But again, that was in DIRECT sunlight, with no wind and high humidity… and there are lots of shooting situations on a wedding day (what I shoot) that are better than those conditions. 👍🏻

[@StarLightDotPhotos]

Cheers, James!

[@JamesReader]

Thank you!

[@Graeme_MacDonald]

perfect, thanks for the review! that's helped me a lot. for video I have the R5C. was thinking of getting the R5ii as 2nd camera but I'm pretty happy with buying the R5 now as that will be my stills camera along the the R5C for video. saved me a 2K thanks!

[@ABP982]

Thanks James. Do you feel the shadows are darker on the Mark II, and that the roll-off is slightly ‘harsher’ than the Mark I? Which maybe explains why the Mark II looks a little ‘clearer’ / more contrasty? I’m mainly a stills shooter and looking to finally move from the 5DIV (which I’ve had since it came out) to mirrorless. My primary reason for upgrading is the improved autofocus and tracking of mirrorless, but I shoot quite a lot of landscapes so I’m also mindful of dynamic range - and aware of the varies discussions around the slight reduction in dynamic range compared to the Mark 1. I guess it boils down to whether the potential ‘disadvantages’ from a landscape perspective of the Mark II versus the Mark I are actually noticeable in the real world, and of course outweighed by the other improvements on the Mark II - especially autofocus.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for watching! You certainly could be right - the perceived sharpness increase could be down to slightly darker shadows. I did try reducing the R5's shadows a little to see if I got a similar look and they do get very close. I honestly think for a primarily photo shooting landscape photographer, the original R5 is probably the way to go.

[@g_b]

Thanks for the video. Would be nice to see a C70 vs R5II (both clog2) detailed comparison.

[@russellbaston974]

Looks like the aa filter in the Mk2 is slightly weaker, this would account for the slightly increased perceived sharpness and micro contrast.

[@petercreagh8797]

It was unfortunate he did not demonstrate any fast action photography that he said was the mk2s strongest difference. Last year I bought an R7 as my first Canon mirrorless after having a 7D for over about 14 years. I bought the R7 due to its low price compared to the R5&6 and have found on very fast birds and planes at an airshow it lost focus too quickly which I initially thought was due to using a non L specced RF lens but I found out on the internet its due to the slow processor in the R7 and I also found the buffer takes a long time to clear. I would imagine the R5mk2 would address those 2 issues but I would hire one first before buying to see if the difference was worth over double the price. I would wait for a year or so anyway when they start discounting them as the R7 satisfies me 80% of the time just being an amateur photographer.

[@ARSimovie]

Отличное сравнение. Спасибо за исходный фото-видео материал. Новая эпоха > mark ii

[@JamesReader]

Thank you!

[@JMacTN]

Would love to see how you have your Canon R5 Mark II set up for photos and videos. Bonus if you share the save file. I’m subscribed and coming from an R and I’m lost when it comes to what a good base configuration would be for portraits and videos and what should be avoided by those coming to video for the first time.

[@JamesReader]

Hey Jason! I can definitely send over the save file it what helps - just drop me an email.

[@nemexx3357]

IMO the difference 0:30 till 3:00 is not sharpness, i think R5II sensor has better micro contrast. Is that possible? I usually notice this by comparing older lenses to newer ones (EF vs RF for example).

[@JamesReader]

Yeah it’s possible that the R5 IIs blacks are just a little deeper giving the impression of increased clarity and sharpness the more I play with it. Not 100% sure though.

[@thejohnnybrooks]

Really helpful video James, I’d love to know which lenses you used in the video comparison? Thanks so much.

[@contentm3893]

Your clog2 vs clog3 test were more user error then showing the dynamic range difference. Clog3 had more saturation and the WB was different.

[@hugnos]

Nice comparison, thank you. The 4k Raw can record in cropped mode? The lack of 4k60 oversampladed even on cropped mode is a big downside.

[@rickturnquist6909]

Thanks for a very useful video!

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for watching!

[@juliusherth]

13:58 the r5ii shot shows crazy aliasing, its labeled 4k fine, but could it be that its 4k line skipped and not labeled correctly? Thanks for the awesome test James.

[@JamesReader]

I'm pretty sure it was the 4k Fine but I'll double check! Thank you so much for watching

[@ADof28]

Thank you James for the fantastic review. I gather for best quality and file size, most people will shoot in 4K Fine 25P, 4K SRAW 50P and normal 4K 100P. I'm hoping that Canon can give us 8K oversampled 4K50P and 6K oversampled 4K100P. Surely R5II has the processing power for at least the former. I use 100P more than 50P as a wildlife shooter. Having a big quality drop from 25P to 100P is always painful.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for watching! Oversampled 100p would be incredible! The R5 improved so much over the years via firm ware, I'm excited to see what the R5 II evolves into

[@MODESTYXO205]

Do you think the r5 mark 2 is capable of a Run Gun documentary, short filmmaking content

[@JamesReader]

Absolutely! Great AF, great codecs and stabilisation. I think it would be a great option. Maybe a little limited for audio if you’re shooting docs. The C70 has it beat there.

[@bobdrummondfilms5402]

R5mkII's 60p and 120p are still not good enough. Such a shame. Those are the main frame-rates I'd use on a little IBIS cam like this. Might have to consider the R1.

[@strengthandsunshine]

I'm making a BIG upgrade and had planned on getting the R5 mark ii for years now...but....I'm a food photographer and hope to get into some more wedding and event photography. Not sure if I should save a couple grand and just go with the R6 mark ii. Is there a R6 mark iii coming out soon? I would die knowing I should have waited. Is there R5 mark ii better in low light than the original R5 was and compared to the R6 line?

[@b.g.4277]

Thank you for an informative video. So many out there just want to complain about little things the majority of their videos. Like I can't record 8k for 2 hours straight because of the limit of 2TB on cards.

[@JamesReader]

Thank you for watching! I think there's a lot to be positive about, for both R5 and R5II owners.

[@kadragepictures]

thank you soooo much for the comparison of r6mark ii 50fps vs r5 mark ii 50fps! I was really looking for this comparison 😳 great review I really thought the R5 MK2 will have 50fps oversampled in 4K….bummer!

[@ShaneCrouch]

The fan grip should help with the 4k overheating. Did 4k 60p for 3 hrs other day, no problem

[@JamesReader]

I’m thinking of picking one up! Do you have one?

[@AnthonyCrouchPhotography]

​@@JamesReader ​​@JamesReader I do have the grip. However your video got me wondering. I just ran a test, no grip. Room temp 75f 4k fine 23.98 Clog2 Intra (not intra light) Same 10 bit codec you used. Test still going at 80 minutes with 2 second battery swap at 26 minutes. It's still going. I noticed you used 25p, intra light, surely that did not make the difference. My test was from a cold start. Odd. What was your room temp?

[@AnthonyCrouchPhotography]

​@@JamesReadersame person here, replied with my other channel

[@AnthonyCrouchPhotography]

​@@JamesReaderwill do similar test with grip soon.

[@AnthonyCrouchPhotography]

​@@JamesReadersecond battery went dead. Test over, no over heat stopped at 1hr 27 minutes. I actually used intra light not intra.

[@tenmitra]

Hey James, first great video! I’m a street photographer mainly, you recommend the R5? Or R5 ii for is much better because AF? Many Thanks

[@thedronescene7474]

Hello, Which software were you using while showing the photos? Adobe or Canon DPP? Thanks

[@digitaldevigner4080]

I'm trying not to upgrade but this video is making is difficult. I love my R5 but the single biggest issues I have with it is the signal to noise ratio shooting c-log3 and how you really have to expose perfectly and slightly over to get the best results. Its an amazing camera but sometimes shooting in a non controlled environment is more challenging than I would like. I end up using Neatvideo a lot to clean up the noise and extend the 8k raw c-log2 much further than what is typically expected from the camera. Its an insanely slow process and I wish I could have a cleaner R5 out of the box. I'm also very interested in the 4k s raw mode since I love shooting raw but really do not need 8k raw. I sometimes use my Ninja V for 5k ProRes raw but thats also extra gear to worry about and Resolve still refuses to add support for ProRes raw forcing me to batch convert with Assimilate Play Studio to cdng first which is also a pain. If I stay in FCP its great but that's also limiting since if I'm bothering to shoot raw I likely either need to do some fancier grading or do some level of FX in Fusion.

[@santiagomontalvo3252]

Even if I had the money, I am keeping my R5. It is a terrific camera for still photography.