Canon mirrorless cameras background
The Canon R5 is a landmark camera, much like the original Canon 5D DSLR was. However Canon has been slow to the game with the Canon R5, after Sony took an early lead with Mirrorless cameras.
Sony, who for a long time only made compact cameras and seemingly brought out a new model every week, branched out into more professional cameras with interchangeable lenses. I think Nikon and Canon users scoffed for a long time as Sony cameras were clunky, had a limited lens range, and battery life was poor.
Canon had already released the Canon R and RP mirrorless cameras. However there were so many limitations to the design that it didn’t present itself as a real professional option to rival the likes of what Sony had to offer. Nikon have similarly lagged behind with mirrorless. Canon and Nikon have been much like legacy car makers and Sony being like Tesla.
Now with the Canon R5 the playing field is being levelled and some would argue that Canon have taken the upper hand. It is with the release of the Canon R5 that it was finally time for me to enter the mirrorless arena of cameras.
I have been watching mirrorless cameras for some time now and these are the reasons why I decided to finally invest in a Canon mirrorless camera.
The Pros and Cons (for me) of buying a mirrorless camera like the Canon R5
Pros
- Small camera body
- Light camera body
- Silent/very quiet shooting
- Flip out screen
- Eye auto-focus and for animals too!
- Accurate and fast focussing with intelligent tracking
- Improved video abilities
- 45MP sensor
- Immediate exposure feedback and image review inside the viewfinder
- High frames per second burst rate
- In body image stabilisation
- Full frame coverage of autofocus points
- Improved dynamic range
- Zebra pattern for video focussing
- New added dial on the top gives greater flexibility for exposure control
- Despite its small size the camera has a comfortable deep grip
- Eyecup is fixed and won’t pop off and get lost like on my previous cameras
- Compatibility with older batteries
Cons
- Cost
- Entry level camera build quality feel
- Some buttons are poorly placed
- Some buttons are recessed and significantly harder to find when looking through the viewfinder
- Electronic viewfinder lag when taking the first photo as you put the camera up to your eye
- Fragile feel to rear screen
- Top LCD shows less icons at once and the icons are smaller
- New CFExpress cards are expensive
- The EVF is black for 1-2 seconds, meaning you miss critical moments. Occasionally it stays black for some reason!
- Buttons could do with the option of being illuminated
- Image number remaining on card not shown on top screen anymore
- The rear LCD screen keeps coming on and you have little control to turn it off and for it to stay off!
- Custom button programming for one shot/AI servo focussing has changed. Now it permanently changes when you press down the button, rather than only whilst held down
Notes
- If you are taking photos in extremely dark conditions, when using a flash the viewfinder will become dramatically brighter
Marketing hype?
I don’t take buying a new camera lightly, it’s a big investment. If I upgrade a camera it is after I have spent hours watching videos and reading a great deal about the new technology and the features that go with it in a new camera body.
In the past I have upgraded from a Canon 1DX Mark I to a Canon 1DX Mark II because I was caught up on the hype train, and then later wondered whether I had done the right thing. It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of a new camera release. The marketing is designed to suck you in, part you with your cash, and often later you find there are various caveats. Or the features you thought would be great turned out to be disappointing, or features you wouldn’t actually use after all! That was very much the case with my upgrade from the 1DX I to II.
However this time, the Canon R5 presented enough benefits (as outlined above) that made it worth me upgrading. I sold my Canon 1DX Mark II to pay for it.
It’s more than just a new camera
Buying the Canon R5 isn’t just about me buying a new camera, it is going to change so many things. However the changes it brings are both good and bad. I wouldn’t say I willingly entered the mirrorless camera market either, my DSLR cameras were working just fine for me, but technology moves on and if you don’t embrace new technology, you get left behind and you miss out on some of the benefits too.
A new breed of mirrorless photographers
With mirrorless cameras a new breed of photographer is born. When digital cameras first appeared, there were film photographers who either embraced digital photography or resisted it. Going mirrorless is different in that it isn’t hard to transition, but the similarity to moving to digital in the first place is that it has broken down yet another barrier. Digital cameras like a Polaroid camera, allow you to instantly see what you have captured. It allows people to learn from their mistakes MUCH faster. Cheating? Well that depends on the size of the chip on your shoulder and your history as a photographer.
Now that mirrorless cameras have arrived, you don’t even need to remove the camera from your eye to look at a screen and you can see your exposure of your image before you have taken the photo!
Being able to see your exposure as you capture an image is a game changer. Photographing a bride walking down the aisle and seeing you have nailed the exposure in the viewfinder is a great reassurance in what is usually a poorly lit environment, and one that gives you only a few seconds to get the right shot. Imagine being able to adjust the exposure as she is walking when the sun appears from behind the clouds, or when the congregation stands up and drastically reduces the light falling on the bride! It could mean the difference between getting the shot and screwing it up.
What do mirrorless cameras mean for the professional photographer?
Like with all industries there is change. Technology improves, new methods are introduced, some people move with with the times, some people get left behind. Technology makes things easier (mostly). And that includes photography. The gap between smartphones as cameras and cameras with interchangeable lenses is getting narrower. Technology and technical complexity is making way for greater and more accessible creativity. But if creativity is more accessible to all, then that means there is greater competition.
Competition is less so when the ability to deliver a product or service becomes difficult. In the past, the barrier to creating great photos reliably was high, as you couldn’t see what you were getting from your film camera until you had the film developed. Then there was the cost of the film and developing.
As digital came along the barrier was lowered, but there was still plenty of latitude to screw up your photos and not know how to fix them.
With technology advancements, you can now see your exposure in the viewfinder, and post processing is at a point now that even if you screw up a bit, you can correct your mistakes more easily.
Does buying a mirrorless camera make you a great photographer?
You can’t buy the skill of creativity, but you can make the creative pathway easier. Years ago, learning photography was hard, expensive and slow (actually it still is expensive!). Now you can learn much faster, but there is no shortcut to experience. You have to make mistakes, be experimental, and hone your creativity. Anyone can hold up a smartphone and take a photo, but it doesn’t make them a photographer, at least not a professional one. The technology has become easier, but you still need creative input, vision and knowledge.
Similar technological advancements over the years
Just as a side note, let’s have a quick look at similar advancements in technology over the years that have changed our lives and habits
- Professional videographers to home movies
- Polaroids to phone selfies
- Music CDs to digital music
- Live tv to on demand tv
- National tv to YouTube
- Homemade movies such as iMovie to Tik Tok videos
- Petrol/diesel cars to electric cars
- And now film to DSLR to Mirrorless
All of those involved in the above have had to adapt, and there have been winners and losers along the way.
What will the Canon R5 do for me as a working professional?
As mentioned, there were a number of deciding factors for me. Two biggest ones for me were:
- Improved autofocus and focus points across the entire image frame
- Silent shooting mode
- Seeing the exposure in the viewfinder before taking the photo
- Flip out screen
None of those features make me a better photographer or make me more experienced, but like any good tool, they make life easier. Those features also mean less times the technology will get in the way, and I can be more creative and miss less shots due to limitations.
Moving forward with the Canon R5
This post wasn’t intended to be a review as such (so I hope you haven’t been disappointed if you came here for that), but more a broader look at the implications of a change to mirrorless. Many people have already made then change, this is just my take on things and from the perspective of the Canon R5.
I’ll be interested to see how the Canon R5 performs. I shall be doing plenty of testing personally before I rely on it too much for paid jobs. I still have a Canon 5D Mark III and a 5Dsr, which are both DSLR cameras. So far so good though.
What are your thoughts on mirrorless cameras and the photography industry?
Check out my other blog posts and what I thought of the Canon 5Dsr which I also bought recently.
Read about my journey into photography.
You might also like to have a look at Will Goodlet’s excellent review of this camera. He is a wildlife photographer in South Africa and gives a very down to earth perspective on using the Canon R5.