Canon EOS R5: 45 megapixels for landscape photographers

A landscape photographer wants detail. They want to print a photo for the wall and see every stone and every twig. The Canon EOS R5 with its 45 megapixels can do that, and it's also fast enough for wildlife and light enough for an all-day hike. I shot with it in New Zealand, Norway and the Alps. Here's my review.

Key specs

• 45 MP full-frame sensor, DIGIC X.
• IBIS up to 8 stops.
• 12 fps mechanical bursts, 20 fps electronic.
• Dual Pixel AF II with eye detection for people, animals and birds.
• One CFexpress Type B and one SD UHS-II slot.
• 8K RAW video, 4K up to 120p.
• 5.76-million-dot viewfinder, vari-angle screen.
• About 740 g.

Resolution and dynamic range

45 MP gives huge freedom. I can shoot with a wide-angle lens and crop later, or print large. The dynamic range is excellent: shadows can be lifted several stops without noise, and highlights can be recovered. At sunset one frame is often enough instead of HDR.

Landscapes on the road

In New Zealand I photographed mountains, fjords and stars with the R5. The stabilisation lets you shoot handheld at dusk, and the vari-angle screen helps with low compositions by the water. The body is sealed and survived the rain in Fiordland and the frost in Norway. You'll find examples in New Zealand through a photographer's eyes.

Wildlife

Animal and bird eye AF is excellent. The camera catches and holds a kea in flight or a sea lion on the rocks. Thanks to 45 MP you can crop and "zoom in" on an animal without a longer telephoto lens.

Video

8K RAW is more of a technology showcase: the files are huge and the camera overheats. 4K in its various modes is very good, though, and more than enough for travel videos.

R5 vs. R6

• R5: resolution for landscapes, prints and crops, 8K video.
• R6: better per-pixel noise, smaller files, lower price. Ideal for night and action. More in my Canon R6 review.

Verdict

Pros: resolution, dynamic range, IBIS, autofocus, viewfinder, toughness. Cons: big files, the price of CFexpress cards, overheating in 8K, battery life.

For a landscape photographer and traveller who also shoots wildlife, the R5 is one of the most versatile cameras I know. Its successor, the R5 Mark II, brought a faster sensor and improved autofocus.

Faq