We loved the Canon EOS R5 when it was launched around 3 years ago. We really put it through some tough tests, and it came out with flying colors. Another thing we especially loved about this camera – the colors are astounding. With each significant firmware update, the autofocus got much better and more intuitive. Users of this camera received vehicle and bird AF some months down the line. And as of April 2023, they even added IBIS High-Resolution Shooting to the camera. These are fabulous upgrades for a camera that’s a little over 3 years old. The Canon EOS R5 II has a fair bit to do to be a champion successor to this model. Judging by the specs we’ve been hearing about so far, it does seem like it will achieve that.
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What’s New
Back in July, Canon Rumors reported that Canon had shipped out some prototype units of the Canon EOS R5 II to select beta testers. Later that month, they even said that it looked like the resolution of the sensor in this camera would be as high as 60 megapixels. That’s at least a 33% increase from the 45-megapixel sensor, which many users would be happy with. This puts the Canon EOS R5 II in the big league, directly competing with camera models like the stellar Sony a7RV and Nikon’s baby flagship Z8. And it needs to be in order to keep these brands on their toes.
Specs Comparison
What’s being reported so far is still not confirmed by Canon in any way. Should it turn out to be accurate, this is how the Canon EOS R5 II would compare against its peers.
| Canon EOS R5 II | Sony a7RV | Nikon Z8 | |
| Megapixels | 62 | 61 | 45.7 |
| Sensor | Stacked CMOS | Exmor R back-illuminated CMOS | Stacked CMOS |
| Video | 8K 60fps 4K 120 fps | 8K 24 fps 4K 60 fps (both with 1.24x crop) | 8.3K 60fps 4K 120 fps |
| Processor | DIGIC X2s | Bionz XR | EXPEED 7 |
| Memory card | Dual CFexpress Type-B | Either dual UHS-II SD or dual CFexpress Type A | CFExpress Type B and SD |
| LCD | Variable angle | 3.2″ 2.1m-dot fully articulating with tilt | 3.2″ 2100k-dot vertically and horizontally tilting |
| EVF | 5.76m-dot | 9.44m-dot | 3.69m-dot |
The news about an updated processor is exciting. Because it’s not just the R5 II that will end up benefiting from this new technology. Every potential camera coming up from them can and probably will be using this sensor. An updated processor almost always equates to faster processing times, data readout and transactions needed for AF, so expect a significant increase in speeds on the R5 II if this news turns out to be true
Allround Goodness
This could be Canon’s next professional and prosumer best seller once launched (expected early 2024, according to Canon Rumors). And it’s hard not to see why based on just the predicted specs alone. Canon is also reported to be adding Eye Control Autofocus in the new camera. The same feature they introduced on the R3. They’re also expected to use pixel binning to provide two additional file resolutions at 31 and 15.5 megapixels. Should this all turn out true, expect the Canon EOS R5 II to be on backorder for a long time.
Some Of Our Past Ideas For The Canon EOS R5 II
We’ve actually written about the Canon EOS R5 II a couple of times before, expressing our thoughts and hopes for what we think this camera should have.
- At the top of this wish list is better autofocus performance to match that of the Canon EOS R3. This would really make the AF performance world-class, and we hope that Canon also adds in all the AF scene modes that the EOS R6 Mk II has.
- Improved High ISO Output: At 60 megapixels or more, getting great low-light high-ISO performance when shooting at ISO 6400 and more might be tricky. Could the new DIGIC X2s Processor help improve noise performance?
- More programmable buttons and better joystick placement
- A blackout-free viewfinder, especially for high frame rate photography: I do believe this should be standard now on all mirrorless cameras that are aimed at skilled photographers. It’s an invaluable feature for sports and wildlife photographers.
- Rolling Shutter Control: Canon has a fair bit of catching up in this department when you compare them to their peers. Nikon has pretty much eliminated it in the Z9 and Z8 cameras, so here’s hoping that the Canon EOS R5 II sorts this matter out for them.
What About The Canon EOS R5c II?
I think there’s a possibility of Canon dropping the resolution of the EOS R5c camera. Not only would this really differentiate it as a separate camera, but it would also give it some superb low-light performance that cinematographers and hardcode videographers would benefit from. I don’t quite see that segment of users needing high-resolution stills from Canon’s cinema camera line.