Canon EOS R5 and R6 First Look - The Sleeping Giant Awakens

Canon EOS R5 and R6 First Look - The Sleeping Giant Awakens

When Canon first entered the full frame mirrorless in 2018, they were met with criticisms for lacking features that other mirrorless cameras had like dual card slots, in body image stabilization, a lack of video features, and not having any groundbreaking features. The EOS R and RP were solid cameras, but with Sony leading the market with their 3rd generation A7 series cameras, they were dismissed by many. 


Enter 2020, and it’s a different story. Canon didn’t hold back with the R5 and R6. Canon kept the familiar body style, ditched the odd touch-pad, added IBIS, and released 2 highly capable cameras that can hold their own against any competitor. 




Specs Overview:




Instead of simply slightly upgrading the R and RP, Canon added 2 more models to the lineup to attract professionals. The R5 is a powerhouse high resolution camera and will be right at home in the studio, at wedding venues, out in sports/wildlife situations, and great for landscapes. The R6 replaces the 45MP sensor with a 20MP sensor similar to the 1D X III, and the R6 is perfect for low-light, high-iso situations. Similar to the 6D series, this camera will shine at astrophotography, concert photography, and in dimly lit wedding venues. 


The layout and menu system of the R5 & R6 are intuitive, easy to navigate, and with both cameras having joysticks - easy to change settings/focus points. The fully articulating screens are extremely convenient, and something Sony has just started implementing with the A7S III. The AF-ON button has been relocated to a more natural location, and close to the joystick for quick back and forth adjustments. The R5 and R6 also feature EVF’s with a higher refresh rate, and a lower EVF blackout time. This helps greatly when tracking moving subjects. 


Paired with RF glass, the image quality out of both cameras is fantastic. Get yourself an EF/RF adapter and your lens choices expand by a mile without much (if any) sacrifice in performance. 


Sample Photos



























Final Thoughts

With the addition of the R5 and R6 to the mirrorless lineup, Canon makes a strong case for DSLR shooters to upgrade to mirrorless, but more importantly - to stay within the Canon ecosystem instead of jumping ship. Having used both of these cameras for a few days, and shooting a variety of subjects, it’s easy to see that Canon didn’t hold back on the R5 and R6, and instead of just trying to play keep up, they decided to step up their game - big time. 


Check out the Canon full frame mirrorless lineup here.