Canon R5 Review For Wildlife - FIELD TESTED on safari in Botswana!

Canon R5 Review For Wildlife Photographers. Janine has had the Canon EOS R5 for a few weeks now and has taken advantage of this time to test the camera out in the African Bush for a real-world review of the Canon R5 and its capabilities.
If you have bought a Canon EOS R5 you might be interested in Janine's video where she goes through all the settings for wildlife photography: • Canon R5 Settings For ...
Timestamps
1:13 First impressions of the Canon Eos R5
2:05 Functional design elements
5:39 Focus and animal eye autofocus
11:34 Sensor performance
16:35 Real-life uses and experience
21:55 My 3 likes and dislikes on the R5
23:05 My final verdict
All wildlife footage both photographs and videos have been shot with R5 (unless otherwise specified)
All other footage shot with a mixture of R5, R6, and 1Dxiii
All Menu and Viewfinder Recordings have been done with the Atomos Ninja V5"
I tested the following lenses with the Canon EoS R5
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens
Canon EF 200-400mm f/4L IS USM Extender 1.4x Lens
Canon EF 70-200 mm f/2.8L IS II USM Lens
Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens
Canon RF 600mm f/11 IS STM Lens
Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM Lens
Canon RF 24-105 f/4L IS USM Lens
Welcome to our channel which is dedicated to the wonderful world of wildlife photography. We endeavour to load one new video every week featuring beginner to advanced photo skills, editing tutorials, hacks and gear reviews. We are based in Northern Botswana in The Chobe National Park and we invite you to travel here, either virtually or physically, and we will do our very best to make you a better wildlife and nature photographer. Enjoy the channel.
Pangolin Photo Safaris packages ► www.pangolinphoto.com/safari-...
#wildlifephotography #camerareview #CanonR5

[@PangolinWildlife]

Please let us know your experiences with the R5 or indeed any mirrorless cameras. Do you own an R5? if so check out Janine's video on her preferred settings. kzbin.info/www/bejne/jHKrXodsns5oo5I​

[@whiterock1865]

Check out compressed raw file format (cRAW) to get filesize much smaller (-50% file size) with no noticeable loss in quality.

[@ivanong9389]

This review should be the standard in which all camera reviews should be judged against. It is factual, fair, technically accurate and honest. Really well done Janine.

[@ro3843]

Yes this is one of the few truly expert and trustworthy sources on KZbin

[@MK-bg9bj]

Best R5 review i have watched so far. Sharing real life experience is really useful.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi, thanks so much - really appreciate your feedback - cheers Janine

[@RickLincoln]

You are so good at this! Your example photos and videos, you're presentation skill, and your knowledge of photographic equipment is amazing.

[@fuzzytalz]

I’ve had my R5 since late August 2020. I love it. It’s far from perfect but it’s the most transparent mirrorless camera I’ve used, pretty much disappearing when I start shooting. That’s the highest praise I can give for a camera system.

[@NVIK5]

The best, unbiased review I have seen so far on this camera!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Viktor, thanks so much for watching, glad you enjoyed it - happy shooting!!!

[@michaelhains2291]

Duade Paton and Jan Wagener have done good reviews on the R6 and R5 respectively. Mainly bird images, but balanced reviews.

[@claudiowong1882]

It's amazing, probably the best and most comprehensive introduction and experience I've ever seen about Canon r5.

[@ianworthington2324]

Most honest review I've yet seen. Many thanks.

[@dougrich675]

Nice work, one of the best (clear AND comprehensive) of the 8-9 reviews I’ve watched for R5.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Wow, thanks Doug for that huge compliment - stay tuned for another comprehensive review of the R6 by Charl coming up soon - cheers Janine

[@richardpill8322]

Best review so far of the R5 that I have seen, just what people need, thanks.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thanks so much Richard, really appreciate your feedback - best wishes and happy shooting Janine

[@photography6777]

Exceptional Review… love this honest evaluation, Janine !!

[@JohnDoe-zg6fn]

By far the BEST review I have watched yet on the R5. Thank you so much for taking the time to be as in-depth and honest about this camera as possible. Great job and keep up the good work! 👍👍

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi John, thanks so much for watching - I am glad you enjoyed it. Cheers Janine

[@ignaciocarrera5668]

Thank you so much Janine for your review. I found it to be really objective and answered a lot of my questions. As an SLR Canon 1Dx Mark II shooter, I have a hard time justifying the cost of the new mirrorless cameras. Keep reviewing and letting us know. Cheers. Ignacio

[@matt.pereira]

Wonderful, wonderful review - a joy to watch all the way through!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Matt, thanks so much for the big compliment - cheers Janine

[@Andrew-nx5hh]

Janine, Outstanding review on not just the camera but also the implications of upgrading to a large megapixel camera and investment requirements for storage, computer processing, etc. Common sense plus a thorough review of the critical details. Doesn't get any better than this. Well done and thanks for your hard work presenting this.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you so much Andrew. Greatly appreciated.

[@NOMADXTV]

Most thorough review ever watched, WOW Excellent work!!

[@ChrisRenePlaylist]

This is really good. I love the way you share all the information. thank you

[@Wild4safaris]

Hey Janine, that was an awesome review and great video, well done!

[@AlpeshPatel-jh5ti]

Janine and Pangolin yet another amazing and unbiased video. Thanks for this. Now to see WHEN I buy the R5.

[@Geophoto63]

!! Beautiful video, one of the best reviews ever about R5 for wildlife photography, thank you Janine for your time.. by the way, you are so !! Beautiful Lady !!

[@PangolinWildlife]

thanks so much Jorge - much appreciated 🙂🙃🙂 - cheers Janine

[@Quivver77]

Fantastic review! Easily one of the best R5 reviews for wildlife anywhere. Your honesty about the autofocus and animal autofocus is really appreciated! Your presentation style with real images taken in the field is excellent as well! I was going to buy the R5 but now i think I'm going to wait for the R3 or R1 which might be an ideal replacement for the 1dx II.

[@PangolinWildlife]

I am super excited for the R3 to come... but also keep in mind that continuous software updates can fix a lot more in a mirrorless camera than in the previous DSLRs - cheers Janine

[@ghananatgeo]

This is the best and honest R5 review I have watched. Thank you so much. This is very important for me living in Ghana, West Africa.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Glad you enjoyed it Gideon... cheers Janine

[@beutelm1]

I just love watching your videos for your voice/accent....it’s divine....and the information is great to 🙂

[@russellfowler3799]

What a brilliant review, cutting through corporate PR and giving unbiased, practical, informative, expert views from the field. I'm saving my pennies now. I must get back to Bots, I must get back to Chobe, I must get back to Pangolin. Another super video as are all others from this team.

[@gilpatmore4312]

best review so far of this camera, Thanks!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Gil, wow - what amazing feedback. It was a big project for me so you just made my evening. cheers Janine

[@GianpaoloLaPaglia]

This is a real and useful review!! Thanks

[@SuomiFinland78]

Thanks Janine for the nice video and review :)

[@bjarnehansen3812]

This is the best review of the R5 for wildlife photographers though there are other great reviews. Well done, Janine! I have had the R5 with a battery grip for a half year and I can recognize most of your observations. I have used a 1DX mk ii for about four years but I rarely grab the 1DX mk ii any longer as it is lacking a lot of features though better build (a tank) and with slightly better ergonomics. I will probably sell the 1DX mk ii and get a R6 (without grip) as secondary camera as the 1DX is too big and heavy and too incompatible with the R5 to become a secondary camera. I can see you often use the 200-400L as I also do. I never got the 200-400L to work well and consistent with external extenders (the internal is a joy and works very well) with the 1DX mk ii or 7D mk ii with OVF. However, the R5 works very well with x1.4 and even x2 external extenders giving a lot of flexibility. My wife has recently upgraded her 80D to a R5 as well mostly using a 100-400 mk ii as you also do. She is pleased with the R5 as well. I noticed you got 1080p/120FPS video with the new firmware this morning so you have one issue less. When will you open for tourists again and on which conditions (vaccine, tests ...)? B.R. Bjarne

[@guillmunoz7474]

Wonderful presentations skills, excellent assessments of needs versus technical capabilities, and perfect video editing to complement all the points. Finally, you shared the photos you created with an R5, proving you are the professional you claim to be. I will be switching from Nikon to the R5. Thank you for an excellent and honest reviews, and indeed - I have become a subscriber

[@ryomiran4637]

Best camera review on KZbin. I never comment but this video makes me want to go thru every single videos you created. Thank u so much.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Wow, thanks!

[@blairblankinship4521]

I love your reviews of the camera. Watching your review led me to purchasing the R5. I agree that the eye-tracking is great when it works, but I am very grateful that you recommended the custom set up for both back buttons (one for servo, one for eye-tracking). Thanks!

[@lindabeck2965]

A great down to earth review without all of the sales pitch and right to the point in an operational setting. Would really look forward to a similar review of the Canon R6 and then a frank summary of one against the other as the R5 is a very pricy and sophisticated piece of gear for most probably bar the professional.

[@beatfarmerfan]

That’s a great review Janine, thank you! I would really like to have that camera as my every day go to, but with the cost of a computer upgrade, the Camera and lenses, I think I would be happier spending that money on visiting you guys for a week, and bringing my 5D m4! One dream at a time! 😁

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Steve, yes... it is an amaaazing all rounder. That is for sure. You will get amazing travel photographs... but Charl will soon come out with an extensive R6 review and there is many reason I do love that camera to bits... maybe that is more in your price league? But no question - the mirrorless range of Canons is far from cheap and therefore a no go for many people. I truly hope we can welcome you here in Botswana soon.- cheers Janine

[@brucemacneil]

A visit would be awesome. On the computer note - after moving to R5 and mirrorless I switched my desktop from Mac Pro to the new M1 Mac Mini with 8GB ram. It is amazing - 10X performance for a tenth of the price.

[@AshleyPaul]

I was going to say, if photo and video are your priorities, considering changing to an M1 Mac. I did and it has no problem keeping up with the photos and videos, while being much more affordable than the Intel Macs I sold to purchase it, and I swear it feels snappier somehow.

[@brucemacneil]

@@AshleyPaul I remain thrilled with my M1 Mac Mini - and a BENQ SW2700 display and external SSD. Definitely great.

[@petergottschling2597]

Janine, I love the R5 even though I have had many of the same experiences you mention in a very honest review. I rarely get the chance to be close to my subjects and am pleased with the cropping ability and sharp pictures.

[@michaelk5173]

I have had my R5 for about two months and love it. I am still discovering interesting tweaks and have final found an unconventional topsy-turvy back button focus ability. I use the standard meter/focus setup, and assign AF Off to the *….. I’m can compose and press it then shoot away, the R5 will not try to reacquire a target….works for me!👍🏼 Great review!

[@davidromea7245]

Thank you for this R5 video as well as the set-up one. Having just taken advantage of the $900 price drop and coming from my trusty and well-used 5DIV bodies, this was just what I needed to get started in the mirrorless world. After a few days playing with my 100-400 II and 600 III f/4, I am blown away by the ease of use and amazing control of light exposure. Canon's brilliant decision to keep the controls similar to the 5DIV is making this transition relatively painless. And you get an extra wheel! Since I wear glasses while shooting, I actually find the R5's viewfinder is easier to use. I can't wait to try out your dual back button focus setup in the field. Not having to constantly use the joystick to move focus points will really be a game-changer for me. Thanks again for these well-made and informative videos.

[@davearchbell9921]

Hey Janine. Great review. Really love the all the wildlife video and pictures.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Dave, we need you back here soon!

[@alexanderpappas6938]

wonderful video Janine, very accurate description of it's pros and cons. I use the R5 extensively the past months and I think it is a great overall camera. I agree with you with spot focusing, even a 5Dmrk4 spot focusing is more accurate and more fast with fast moving subjects and keeps BIF in focus better. This is my experience with eos adapted lenses, with RF lenses the R5 does a much better job in BIF but not with the adapted Eos lenses. the colour and resolution and dynamic range are superb.

[@paulcooper8818]

Well organized, thorough presentation with useful personal experience to boot

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Paul, thank you so much for your feedback - I really appreciate it!

[@rogersulenski5646]

Great review and I will watch your video on your settings for the R5 shortly. I have had my R5 for about 4 months now and I love it and always enjoy learning from others their techniques and settings. I enjoy y'all KZbin channel and maybe one day I could enjoy one of the safaris!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Roger... really hope to welcome you here very soon - cheers Janine

[@bryanbrice808]

As an amateur I was looking to venture into the full frame camera range and was thinking about the 5D when I heard about the R5. I waited and I am glad I did. While it does cost more, I didn't feel it was that much more since i was making the jump to a more professional level anyway. I also love the immediate results I can see through the view finder when making adjustments. This has really helped me move into using the manual mode. Thank you Janine for the review and especially thank you for the video on the setting for the R5 for wildlife!!!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Bryan, I am so glad the two videos helped you out to get started with your R5... you are going to have sooo much fun on a full frame camera and will be astounded by the results. Hope to see you around here sometime... cheers Janine

[@bryanbrice808]

@@PangolinWildlife thanks Janine, my daughter and I will see you July of 2022, we are excited to experience Africa

[@mauriziocascone]

Really great review, thanks for sharing!

[@garymeyer1861]

Very nice review Janine, I always enjoy your videos. I went with the R6 as I can live with the 20mp and still get the high fps, great auto focus, and ibis that I wanted. Looking forward to seeing more from you.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Gary, great choice -- you will see in the upcoming R6 review of Charl that you won't regret it... cheers Janine

[@sebastianreiprich3747]

At first thank your for this great review. Those sample images you showed were simply stunning! Two things though: 1. Canon does only advertise that the animal eye AF works for cats, dogs and birds. Some people found out that it also seems to work for other animals and even insects in some cases. But since Canon never stated that the R5 is capable of doing this it wouldn’t be fair to talk it down because of this. 2. I would like to know how you tested the ISO capabilities. I believe you have a point in that it might not be as good as the 1DX. But keep in mind that the R5 has more than twice the pixels of the 1DX. So comparing both of them at 100% might show better results on the 1DX. It would be interesting to see a comparison of the images when they are exported to the same size.

[@mdphotography100]

Best review I’ve seen yet.

[@PangolinWildlife]

thanks so much Michael, I really appreciate it - cheers Janine

[@PoornaPrakashParvathala]

This is the best review of R5 i've watched on the internet

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you

[@faisalee]

Amazing review! Not a boring sitting on a table review but actual action! I love it 👍🏽

[@PangolinWildlife]

I appreciate that!

[@g.s.3389]

what amazing picture you have shown us... compliments...

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Giuseppe, I am glad you enjoyed the Chobe. Maybe you can visit us one day on Safari - cheers Janine

[@Heinester]

Amazing review 👍👍

[@peterroadson2493]

Thanks Janine. I bought a R5, and folowed your advice in setting it up. It works fantastic. Love your videos and hope to visit your wildlife center some day.. Thanks again.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Glad it was helpful!

[@declantarpey6642]

Thanks again Janine. I am just getting used to my R5 and I did find when shooting a Kingfisher in flight I needed a high iso of 4,000 in order to shoot at a speed of 1/3,000s (f4.5 on a 600mm lens). The image is not as crisp due to a grain effect. Apart from that I'm loving a lot of the features.

[@raulraul7715]

Brilliant video 😎

[@sarajcory7425]

I absolutely love my R5 with either the F/11 800mm RF or the RF 100-400 (not L) lens for birding and night photography. I'm older with arthritis and don't want to lug around heavy glass anymore. I'm finally getting the birding shots I've always dreamed up. Took a bit of adjustment and set up, but the eye focus is spot on. The camera, in some aspects, sees better than I do.

[@ElenaHanak]

That is the best Review of R5 I have seen! I don't mean the camera by this (I use Nikon) but how review is made! I've seen reviews of Duade Patron and Jan Wagener which are also very good but you mention some aspects they don't. The quality of review is on a very high professional level. Your review is much better than on some other channels with 1mio subscribers! Great Job, Janin!! I saw also your vedeos on other channels where you were invited (not on Pangolin) and I found them very educational and very professional. Thank you very much! Keep on going!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you Elena. High praise indeed.

[@Alan-Zorro]

Very informative video. Well done.

[@hollyauchincloss7233]

Great review Janine - I have bought the R5 but not given it much of a trial yet as we have been under 'stay at home' order since Christmas! I will be keeping my 5DIV so hopefully the best of both worlds one day when we're allowed out again! Take care, hope to see you again sometime!

[@andrewclark6711]

Great Review Janine - I have the R5 and love it its ability to track birds in flight is truly amazing :-)

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Andrew, thanks so much - it is definitely a game changer. That was one of the things I was most impressed with - cheers Janine

[@davidclode3601]

Great advice, thank you.

[@brucegardner4057]

Hi, Over the past nine months I have been getting used to new R5 and R6 bodies which replaced a 5D4 and 90D, although I still have to get seamlessly familiar with both i the field, I'm very happy so far. I was in the Serengeti in June and now I'm really looking forward to joining you guys next year in November. Your videos are excellent and I have learnt a lot from them. Many Thanks.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you Bruce. See you soon!

[@dannydanquah3681]

That's an excellent review right there. To quickly switch between stills and movie, I've set my M-fn button to do that so it's just a button press. Also with eye AF locked on but not that sharp image, what I've been doing lately is that even with the lock on, I still press the AF-on button and my subject will be clearer in the VF before I press the shutter.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Danny, thank you for your great feedback. Yes, the M-fn button is an awesome magic button. But I was sad to give it up as I originally liked to customize it to switch to my custom modes. - the AF tip is a great one... I found it was a weird phenomenon

[@tyranbothma9055]

That was a very interesting and informative video. Thanks so much for sharing it

[@miked.7722]

Ive been going backhand forth between the R5 the Sony A7IV and the R7. Thanks to you I'm going with the R5, your video was great. As usual.

[@jimbeam4092]

A really good and helpful overview of the advantages and downsides of the R5. As a "last millenium photographer" i appreciate the pure look through a DSLR viewfinder with no latency or any visible pixel size compared to electronic viewfinders. On the other side the R5 allows to position the focus point nearly at any place on the image as many mirrorless cameras. The viewfinder is verry close to optimum and is highly customizable. The ergonomic design with the 3 wheels gives a maximum of control on all three dimensions of exposure ( aperture, shutter speed, iso/ which can be overruled by exposure compensation). Yes, to some extend a different ergonomics compared to the top DSLRs of Canon. What to do ? I handle it like cars, one with manual gear box one with automatic and change often in between to stay used to both depending on the situation and my preferences ;-)

[@mmarsbarr]

Best review I've seen / heard / read so far. I experienced the same issue with eye tracking where sometimes you don't want to track the eye for creative reasons, or it gets confused with too many people in the frame. For this reason i configure one of the buttons (in this case the dof button) so that it switches back to non-eye tracking in fleeting situations. It's a little bit of finger gymnastics but it works.

[@mmarsbarr]

Er... Ok you actually mentioned this just after i paused the video to write this. Yet again, that's why this is a great review! 😊 😄 I'll just shut up and watch.

[@PangolinWildlife]

😂😂😂 you just made me laugh - thanks so much for your input and your honesty along the way - happy shooting Janine

[@Captain-Cosmo]

An excellent review, as usual. Sometimes a review, even a positive one, can help a potential buyer realize that the product is not necessarily an essential for them. Such as the case here for me. The Canon 5D IV is still a terrific camera for my needs. This new camera is certainly a marvel, but I think we've gotten past the point where every new model is a must have. BTW: I love your real-world review style. Relaxed, personal, and practical while also professional. Your 7DII/90D comparison is one of my most-shared photo-related videos. Thank you.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Michael, thanks so much for your great feedback and support. I find the camera fantastic but am also keen to see what the next generation mirrorless has to offer... I believe I will dig into the new firmware update that has been released and see what comes of it too... cheers Janine

[@truckingpix]

thanks for the excellent review

[@PangolinWildlife]

You are so welcome - cheers Janine

[@tamasvarga67]

Fantastic review, the best I've seen so far on the R5! I think I'll still keep my R for a while.

[@thelookoflifefilms]

I really love mine, the image quality of video and photos is mind blowing, and they weight of it is much easier on me than my 5D MKIV, and after awhile I was able to figure out little tricks on the autofocus eye tracking

[@paulhammal7231]

I’m a bit late to the party but I’ve just pulled the trigger on an R5. I can’t wait to get home (I’m currently working in Nigeria) and start playing with it. Wildlife is high on my radar. Super presentation btw, enjoyed it 😊👍

[@michaelcarnes2087]

this is a great review and full of important information. I did order the R5 for it's ability to shoot a wide range of subjects, wildlife, portraits, sports.

[@PangolinWildlife]

It gives you huge flexibility - cheers Janine

[@CINEMANIONN]

Excellent review of r5 good job

[@colinb188]

Great video, just purchased the R5 and I love it. Mainly shoot birds so the cropping capability is fantastic and the eye AF is wonderful. Would highly recommend this camera, the Canon 800mm f11 works well with it too.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Colin, glad you are enjoying this - did you see my video on how to set it up ? cheers Janine

[@asianeleven6050]

Thank you for the video! My biggest concern switching from DSLRs is the EVF. Your perspective is giving me more confidence in switching to mirrorless.

[@jaredcharney8540]

For my editorial and portrait work I opted for 2 R6 bodies and my now all time favorite lens : the 28-70RF -- I've actually noticed for the higher ISO shots I prefer C1 over LR. One thing I'm disappointed by is the battery grip is not laid out all that well when using vertically. Overall I'm very happy w/the AF and I'm constantly trying to configure ways to get more out of it . Now to finally sell my beloved 1dx2 to get more RF glass.

[@theworldofjonas]

I’m a Nikon shooter, but as much as I love my Nikon equipment and the brand in general, they need to improve their AF so much! It’s hard to see how nicely the Canon tracks the animals eyes. Can’t wait for the Nikon Z9, hope it will have all the features I’m waiting for.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi, thanks so much for your input - cheers Janine

[@2klember]

We all hope that Z9 will be another D3 wow effect for Nikon shooters. I love my Nikon cameras and I will probably not switch to mirrorless because of the small size but Z9 could be a game changer. I hope.

[@kathleeneveritt5340]

Best r5 review for wildlife I have seen and I’ve seen a lot , I find with both the r5 and Sony A9 if you miss focus especially on a small bird it’s no good “pumping the shutter/back button” trying to get it to focus so I will try your tip of tweaking the focus ring

[@konixtwenty8275]

You are a really phenomenal photographer. Great shots!!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thanks so much 😊 - Janine

[@nicolasgonzalezv]

Increíble vídeo. Muchas gracias por tanta claridad. Saludos de Talca, Chile. 👋🏽🌎

[@guybedard3557]

Hey Janine, Great job as usual!! I hope you get to “field test” the new R3 when it comes out. I’d like to know how it compares to your beloved 1Dx. Your review of the R5 is exactly what folks like me need. Thanks to you and all the folks at Pangolin for the great videos. I have enjoyed everyone of them. Cheers from Canada

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Guy, so glad it is of assistance... I cannot wait to hold the new R3 when the time comes - cheers Janine

[@davidfeatherstone5078]

Fantastic and best review by far. I researched and watched countless video reviews on both the Canon R5 and R6 and opted for the latter simply because I didn’t need 8k video nor a 45mp camera. Look forward to your colleague’s take on the R6.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi David, it is coming out soon and I don't think you will regret your choice - cheers Janine

[@kennethlui2268]

Now I am done watching your video. Great job. Very concise and thorough review. I agree almost everything you mentioned. Eye AF is game changer, but yet it doesn't work all the time. I have to use two buttons to engage AF, single point and eye AF depending on the situation. Yes, with super tele lens, it may not focus and keep hunting if you focus from far to close or vice versa, especially with busy background. People said that is a problem with mirrorless camera. Canon and other brands also have the same issue. But overall, I love the R5. It is the best from Canon so far.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Kenneth, so glad you are enjoying your R5 - I cannot wait to see what the rumoured R1 might have up its sleeve. - cheers Janine

[@robertswanepoel4598]

Great review - thank you!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Robert, thanks so much for watching. I am really glad you enjoyed it... cheers Janine

[@paulwhitton3013]

I just purchased the R5, after only using it once in my local park on pigeons, I agree with everything you have said here, I’m coming from 5D4 and have used all the 5D cameras right through the range. I feel it’s going to take quite a bit of getting use to before I am as proficient as I am with the DSLR cameras, and I don’t think the user experience will ever be as satisfying at this point in the development of mirrorless cameras. I think your review it’s absolutely accurate in every detail, and perfectly describes how I feel about this new camera and tech for me. Though I am excited about it, I am not as blown away by the eye focus as much as I thought, or believed I would be by all the reviews I have see about it, I think it lags a bit on fast movements, and takes to long to fix on the eye at times. Also, I think the electronic viewfinder lags a little on fast panning situations.

[@ekoch9776]

Janine, great review thank you. I have my R5 now since 3 month and I am really happy with it. With my EF 100 - 400 and the 1.4 x extender or the EF 500 / 4.0 it works perfect. From my point of view no need to purchase the RF lenses, except the RF 24 - 105 for general purpose, which is a great lense. My focus is on birds and I have made excellent pictures with the eye detection. Very, very few pictures are out of focus. Eckhard

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Eckhard, thanks so much for your feedback - so glad you are enjoying the R5. I think the RF glass will eventually be even sharper as you avoid the longer distance between lens mount and sensor. But so far I have also not seen any performance loss... the real game changer will probably be the wider aperture tele lenses... cheers Janine

[@fotofx9589]

Fantastic Real World Review.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thanks so much - really glad you enjoyed it - best regards Janine

[@gdraper63]

Great video Janine. I have purchased one and been using for wildlife for a number of months now. I agree it has some amazing features, stabilisation, evf, pixel count, weight, edge to edge focussing, speed and when the eye focus works, its great...... I do have issues in messy backgrounds, where it refuses to focus at all, let alone on a small bird......my summary is that I can’t wait for the R1 as it’s bound to address the R5 shortcomings..... I still switch between the R5 and 1Dx mkii ( which requires a few seconds of retraining each time) and while both cameras are great, a true blending of the 2 will be the ultimate. Thanks for all your great content 😀

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Guy, I couldn't agree more with your comments. It is astounding how quickly one gets used to the electronic view finder on the R5 - I had actually forgotten a few times that the 1Dxii doesn't have it. But I think your combo is gold for the moment and we will see what the rumoured R1 has in store for us very soon - cheers Janine

[@tyroneabdul2004]

Fantastic review! I just got my R5 a few days ago and can't wait to bring it to Africa to shoot!!!!

[@TheEastbelfast]

The one critical point when comparing the R5 and the 1DX cameras is the ability of the R5 to lock focus the the eye, in particular bird and animals, If only the 1DX mk iii could be upgraded with this feature with a firmware update Great content, love to some day visit your safari 👍🏻

[@willardivins3736]

Excellent review - I love the approach of spec review, and then the evaluation of their real world practicality in the field. I hope you get a chance to review the upcoming Canon R3, with its rumored stacked sensors.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Me too 😍😍😍😍

[@MA-hd4or]

wonderful review. thank you

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thanks a lot - best regards from Botswana Janine

[@hawgbreath]

Great review, Janine! I appreciate the honest and thorough comparison of its features to the higher end cameras you use. I purchased my R5 about 2 months ago along with an RF 70-200 f2.8. The RF 100-500 has not been available for some time, though I have one on order. Hoping it will arrive soon. I’m just a hobbyist and would one day love to participate in one of your photo safaris but that is probably out of my reach 🙁. Anyway, I always enjoy your videos and love the photos you post. Keep up the great work 👍

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi, if you are owning an R5 with RF glass already I don't think it is that far out of your reach - I really hope we can welcome you here very soon with your amazing equipment and until then I wish you a lot of fun with it - cheers Janine

[@thapelophiri2292]

great review... i am weirdly joyed by the fact that this review was made in my home.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Thapelo, thanks so much - a great place for wildlife. I am so humbled and grateful to live here. -cheers Janine

[@tonyesposito9602]

Hello Janine, brilliant review, I agree with everything you say about the focus system on the R5, quite often I have had to use the manual focus override to get the camera to focus on what I want, I love the quality of the photos and being able to crop a little more, although not a fan of big crops, I can honestly say I won't be replacing my DX3 anytime soon, and if I have to be honest if I still had the DX2 that would be the main go to camera for fast action and flight shots.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Tony, interesting to hear that you still prefer the 1Dxii over the 1Dxiii - cheers Janine

[@tonyesposito9602]

@@PangolinWildlife Hi Janine sorry for not making myself clear, I meant if I still had the DX2 I would choose that over the R5 for fast action photography, I love my DX3 :-)

[@fatbaldandhappy]

I've been watching dozens of videos on the R5 while considering a purchase. This is hands down the best one I've seen. A very experienced photographer who obviously knows her stuff and can speak about real world considerations rather than lab based results and tech specs on paper. Thank you and thank you again.

[@PangolinWildlife]

HI, thanks so much for your amazing feedback... that is hugely appreciated. cheers Janine

[@anantkittu]

Superb video.. very informative

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thank you so much

[@VABrowneMDPhD]

Thank you for a fantastic, substantive, and fair-minded review. I recently purchased the Canon R5 after shooting on the 1DX, 1DX II, and 1DX III bodies for the past few years. I prefer the ergonomics and ruggedness of the 1DX bodies but I like the resolution and broader dynamic range of the Canon R5. My 1DX Mark II/III bodies function better under low light conditions, as one might expect with the larger pixels. Near dusk and dawn, especially when shooting under the canopy in the rainforest, the 1DX bodies provide a better image at high ISO values 12800-20000. I also feel that it is very quick and easy to move between stills and video photography settings on the 1DX II and 1DX III bodies compared to the R5. I recently shot short video clips of a great horned owl nest with both the Canon R5 and the 1DX III with both bodies set to 4K 60 P. I easily switched between still images and videos on the 1DX Mark III, but when I attempted to make a similar switch on the R5, the video settings defaulted to 1080 P, instead of the 4K 60 P I set before recording. I am sure that my inexperience with the video settings on the R5 may be to blame.

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi, thank you so much for your great feedback and extensive insides into your Canon experience. It sounds like you could do an amazing review yourself. I found that the R5 provides inconsistent results with respect to the low light performance. Have you experienced that too? Sometimes I get really amazing results on 8000 ISO and other times my toes curl up at 800. I figured it had to do with light conditions and distance but it might also be temperature related. I was surprised how good the ergonomics are on the R5 body actually.... but obviously nothing in comparison to the good old brick /1dxii that I have thrown around a few times and always delivers. With respect to video you might check out my set up video as well... I found placing your video onto the M-Fn button is a great solution. While switching to video is quick on the 1Dxiii - the 1Dxii still has the problem that there is no separate video settings which causes you to change your settings permanently when switching... really annoying. - Happy shooting and hope to see you in this part of the world some day! cheers Janine

[@gregoryfricker9971]

Make sure when you guys are doing iso comparisons you are doing so at the same final image size (downscale the r5 image or upscale the 1Dx). Because of course you will have better iso performance at a per pixel level. But that doesn’t matter since you will be sizing it up to a particular print or display screen size which would apply to both cameras. I agree that if you look at Signal to Noise ratios at particular isos you would have ever so slightly less signal in the R5 files as tested by DXO, you can trade detail for noise and do more significant de noising to get an overall better image.

[@timothyroach6571]

Excellent !

[@PangolinWildlife]

Cheers.

[@dumchidumchi]

Thanks for the great and detail review. I've been using a R5 since last August when it first came out. It's such a joy to use with excellent image quality. With "denoise" and post processing, I often can get clean and sharp images with high ISO at 25600.

[@bryanbrice808]

Simon, I would love to know what you do to clean up some of the high ISO photos. Admittedly I am a novice and I am learning as I go. I am struggling right now with bird photos that have low light and I am forced to use a high ISO but then I run into some difficulties in editing to clean them up. All that said I do love my R5!

[@PangolinWildlife]

Hi Simon, I just started this conversation in an earlier comment... I found that the R5 produces inconsistent noise results... sometimes I was rather pleased and others I was shocked at 800 ISO. I am not sure what causes it except the light and the distance to your animal. What programme are you using to denoise? - cheers Janine

[@dumchidumchi]

@@PangolinWildlife I also have inconsistent noise results sometimes when I do burst shots. I reckon it's a bug. Hopefully, firmware update could fix that in the future. For denoise, I use Topaz DeNoise AI or DeepPRIME in DxO PhotoLab 4. I found DeepPRIME did a better job than Topaz with extreme high ISO, ie, 12800 or 25600. Often I would use just a touch of High Pass Filter on Photoshop to sharpen the feather/skin details.

[@donaldkelley5785]

Exceptional Review... Thank You. !

[@PangolinWildlife]

Thanks so much Donald - greetings from Chobe Janine

[@geologisticsinc9619]

Your representation is impressive,i m impressed