Canon International EOS R5 Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Camera with 24-105mm f/4 Review

The Canon EOS R5 is a camera that wants to be everything for everyone, and that's its biggest problem. It's got a high-resolution 45MP sensor and can shoot 8K video, which sounds amazing on paper. But in reality, it's a jack-of-all-trades that gets beaten by more specialized cameras in almost every category. The one thing you need to know? Unless you absolutely need both high-res stills and 8K video in one body, there's almost always a better, cheaper option.

What surprised me was how middling the performance feels across the board. For a camera with this many headline specs, its percentile rankings are shockingly average. The autofocus lands in the 45th percentile, the sensor is only in the 32nd, and the video performance is in the 34th. It's not bad at anything, but it's not exceptional at anything either. You're paying for a checklist of features, not class-leading performance.

At $3380, the value proposition is rough. You're paying a premium for the 8K badge, but the overall performance doesn't justify the cost. If you don't need 8K, you can get better photography or video performance for less money elsewhere.

Look at the Sony a7R IV if you're a stills photographer. It has a far superior 61MP sensor and better autofocus. For a hybrid shooter, the Canon EOS R6 Mark II is a much smarter buy. It has a lower resolution sensor, but its autofocus, video features, and overall performance are in a higher league, and it costs less. Even Fujifilm's X-S20, while APS-C, offers better video features and a more compelling package for the money.

I can't recommend the EOS R5 for most people. It's a camera built around a marketing spec (8K) rather than a cohesive user experience. For pure stills, get the Sony a7R IV. For a hybrid workhorse, get the Canon R6 Mark II. The R5 sits awkwardly in the middle, trying to do both and not excelling at either. Skip it.