Canon EOS R5 Canon EOS R5 C Mirrorless Digital Cinema Camera + Review

The Canon EOS R5 C is a camera that makes one thing perfectly clear: it's here for video. With internal 8K/60p RAW recording and a built-in cooling fan, it's built to capture footage that sits in the 97th percentile for video quality. That's top-tier performance. But it's not a hybrid jack-of-all-trades. Its photography scores are good, not great, and its weakest area is vlogging, landing in the 34th percentile. This is a specialized tool.

Let's talk about that video performance. The 97th percentile ranking means it's faster and more capable than almost every other camera we track. The internal fan is the key, allowing for non-stop 8K/60p recording that most mirrorless bodies can't touch. The trade-off shows up in other areas. Its autofocus lands in the 45th percentile, which is fine but not class-leading. And with no in-body stabilization (40th percentile), you'll need a gimbal or lens-based IS for smooth handheld work. The sensor is excellent (94th percentile), but the burst shooting speed is a modest 39th percentile.

At around $3,725, the R5 C isn't cheap, but you're paying for a very specific capability: professional, uninterrupted 8K video capture. For a hybrid shooter, that price is hard to justify given its middling scores in photography and autofocus. But if your primary output is high-end video, this camera's unique cooling system and internal RAW recording can replace a much more expensive cinema camera setup. The value is entirely in its video specialization.

Compared to the Sony a7R IV, the R5 C demolishes it in video (97th vs. likely 70th percentile) but loses in pure photography resolution and likely autofocus. Next to the Canon EOS R7, the R5 C has a far superior full-frame sensor (94th vs. ~70th percentile) and 8K video, but the R7's APS-C body will have better burst shooting and stabilization. The Fujifilm X-S20 is a fraction of the price and a better all-arounder, but its small sensor and lack of 8K RAW put it in a completely different league for pro video work. You're choosing between a dedicated video powerhouse and more balanced hybrids.

If you need a camera that can shoot 8K RAW all day without overheating, the Canon EOS R5 C is a no-brainer. Its video performance is exceptional. But for almost anyone else—photographers, hybrid creators, vloggers—the data is clear: look elsewhere. Its autofocus, stabilization, and burst shooting are all average or below, making it a lopsided tool. Buy it for the 8K video. Don't buy it for anything else.