The Canon EOS R5 Mark II vs the Canon EOS R5

The Canon EOS R5, introduced in July 2020, set a benchmark for professional mirrorless cameras, with sensational 45MP photos at up to 20 frames per second or, at the flick of a switch, cinematic 12-bit 8K 30p RAW video using the entire width of the camera’s sensor. Now, the Canon EOS R5 Mark II takes hybrid shooting to the next level, with state-of-the-art imaging technologies delivering new features, upgraded specs and even more potential to unleash your creativity.

For any photographer or videographer, focus is paramount. While the Canon EOS R5 benefits from Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, the Canon EOS R5 Mark II comes equipped with the latest generation of AF technology: Dual Pixel Intelligent AF, delivering the responsiveness and accuracy necessary for exceptional images. The Canon EOS R5 Mark II’s algorithm enables the AF to keep focused on a person’s head even if something else comes into the camera frame, which is a big benefit when shooting in a crowded area.

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II’s AF is also enhanced for occasions when subject posture and lighting change. Detection accuracy for small subjects is improved, as is tracking accuracy for animals and vehicles as well as people.

More significant still is the new Action Priority AF mode in the Canon EOS R5 Mark II, designed for filming and photographing sports. Thanks to the combination of deep learning technology combined with the new DIGIC Accelerator processor, the system analyses the players' head, limbs, body size, posture, direction and speed alongside balls in football, volleyball and basketball.

This standout feature can automatically track the player performing a critical action, such as a high-speed pass in football, ensuring fast and accurate focus on moving subjects for dynamic shots.

In addition, the Canon EOS R5 Mark II includes another breakthrough feature from the Canon EOS R3 which is not present in the Canon EOS R5: Eye Control AF, which sets or changes the AF point by detecting what you’re looking at in the viewfinder. This is even more advanced in the Canon EOS R5 Mark II than in the EOS R3, with newly developed compact optics and a revised line-of-sight detection algorithm operating at double the previous sampling speed, meaning expanded range and accuracy.

As true hybrid cameras, both the Canon EOS R5 and the Canon EOS R5 Mark II excel at video recording. The EOS R5 was the first full frame mirrorless camera to capture full frame 12-bit 8K RAW video internally at 30fps, or 10-bit 4K footage at 120fps. The Canon EOS R5 Mark II goes even further, with high-resolution video capture in 8K RAW at up to 60fps, as well as 4K video at up to 120fps, and at 60fps oversampled from 8K for improved image quality. Full HD at 240fps is also available when you require super-slow-motion effects, benefitting from the Canon EOS R5 Mark II’s next-level IBIS delivering up to 8.5-stops of stabilisation in the centre of the frame and 7.5-stops in the corners.

For hybrid creators, the Canon EOS R6 Mark II introduced a handy control on the top of the camera that enables you to switch instantly from stills to video shooting. The Canon EOS R5 Mark II surpasses this as Canon’s first full frame mirrorless camera to record video and stills simultaneously. That is, rather than switching from one to the other or extracting stills from video footage, it can capture full-size 8K (16:9 JPEG) images at up to 7.5fps during video shooting (FHD 25p/30p), making it possible to continuously record both still images and video footage of the same moment.

While both the Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R5 Mark II support Canon Log 3 , only the Canon EOS R5 Mark II also supports Canon Log 2, allowing you more flexibility in postproduction and enabling you to align to cinema cameras when a B camera is needed.

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II makes collaboration even more straightforward by also offering Cinema EOS movie recording formats and settings, including Waveform monitor settings. In addition, it has a full-size Type A HDMI output and front-facing Tally lamp, uses industry standard file naming conventions for video, and supports four-channel audio for improved audio quality and flexibility in post-production.

For sports, action and wildlife photography, as well as in many everyday situations from photographing performers on stage to pets at play, you often need to shoot fast. To meet this need, the EOS R5 offers a fast maximum shutter speed (using electronic shutter) of up to 1/8,000 sec and continuous shooting at up to 20fps. The Canon EOS R5 Mark II once again takes things up a notch, offering shutter speeds up to 1/32,000 sec and continuous shooting at up to 30fps with full AF tracking.

What’s more, the Canon EOS R5 Mark II has an exciting new pre-continuous shooting feature, which saves 15 frames before you fully press the shutter button. This makes it possible to capture the action even when you can’t predict exactly when to start shooting. It’s similar to the pre-capture option introduced in the EOS R6 Mark II’s RAW Burst mode, but with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II it works whether you’re shooting in HEIF, JPEG or RAW, and it gives you your best chance ever to get that unrepeatable shot.

Thanks to the RF Mount and the design innovations it makes possible, all Canon EOS R System mirrorless cameras are more lightweight and easier to handle than their DSLR predecessors. Even with its powerful capabilities, the Canon EOS R5 Mark II continues in this tradition of compact, ergonomic design, weighing just over 10 grams more than the EOS R5.

Both cameras feature Wi-Fi and Bluetooth, enabling you to share and upload content while you’re out and about. The Canon EOS R5 Mark II, however, offers faster connectivity, supporting Wi-Fi 6E , Wireless LAN (IEEE 802.11ax 2×2 MIMO) with access point auto re-connect, and FTP multi-threading with automatic transfer of scheduled images when FTP connection is established. It also supports more Wi-Fi bands than the EOS R5 in some regions (6GHz / 5GHz / 2.4GHz) and Bluetooth 5.3, a step up from the EOS R5.

All this translates to faster, more reliable connectivity,¹ whether you need to upload a batch of images quickly to the cloud or an FTP server, or you want to take remote control of the camera wirelessly using the Canon Camera Connect app on your smartphone.

Both the Canon EOS R5 and the Canon EOS R5 Mark II can capture images at a fantastic 45MP resolution, but the new-generation full frame back-illuminated stacked sensor in the Canon EOS R5 Mark II delivers faster readout, meaning even less rolling shutter distortion as well as faster continuous shooting plus improved low-light performance.

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II features a new DIGIC Accelerator processor, providing additional image processing power. Utilising machine learning, it enables innovative functions such as Neural Network image noise reduction in-camera, and a new in-camera image upscaling option capable of generating breathtaking images up to 179MP (4x45MP). This makes it possible to upscale tightly cropped images, for example, before sending them to a picture desk or printing at poster or billboard sizes. The EOS R5 offers an effective IBIS High Resolution mode, capable of combining 9 shots to generate an image with an effective resolution of approximately 400MP. This, however, utilises nine distinct shots, so can be compromised by motion blur, whereas the EOS R5 Mark II’s upscaling feature can be applied to a single image. It therefore works even with fast-moving subjects.

Other new and enhanced features in the Canon EOS R5 Mark II include a blackout-free display mode, ensuring the viewfinder does not black out during continuous shooting. Additionally, users can add voice tags to still images and register and recall AF-related settings. Flash photography is now supported with the electronic shutter, and anti-flicker shooting has been improved, surpassing even the EOS R3.

The Canon EOS R5 set a benchmark, but the Canon EOS R5 Mark II takes hybrid shooting to the next level, harnessing state-of-the-art processor and sensor technologies. For creative storytellers in almost any genre – from sports and action to wildlife, and from news and events to independent filmmaking – the Canon EOS R5 Mark II delivers high performance, revolutionary capabilities and a seamless, no-compromise mastery of stills and video alike.