Amateur Photographer - UK (2020-09-19)

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CAMERA TEST Testbench

Here we take a look at a few of the Canon EOS R5’s

other features we’re yet to mention

Focal points

Dual Pixel Raw

The appearance of lighting on the

faces of people in portraits and the

clarity of hazy backgrounds can now

be adjusted in-camera by utilising

the EOS R5’s Dual Pixel Raw image

processing.

FTP

Pros who want to deliver

images to clients

quickly and securely

can do so. FTP settings

can be configured

in-camera or using EOS

Utility software, and up

to ten presets can be

saved for instant recall.

Time Lapse

Users can capture

time-lapses in 8K and

4K resolutions. The time

between each frame

can be specified, and

it’s also possible to

determine if exposure is

locked at the start or

re-metered for each shot.

Focusing aids

Focus peaking

highlights the edges of

in-focus objects with a

colour of your choosing,

while a Dual Pixel Focus

Guide displays whether

the subject is front/

back focused and turns

green when pin-sharp.

Battery compatibility

The EOS R5 can be used with the older

type of LP-E6 and LP-E6N batteries,

however it’s worth noting the very

fastest shooting speeds and in-camera

charging is not available when using

the LP-E6 battery.

quick menu buttons are located

below, though it took time for my

muscle memory to remember

which is which without looking.

Another well-received control is

the control wheel at the rear.

Smaller than control rings found

on Canon’s pro-spec DSLRs, it’s

invaluable for quickly scrolling

through shots in playback mode,

navigating the main menu with

the joystick and re ning exposure

settings. The RATE button is also

useful for picking out your best

shots and doubles up as a record

button. Hold it and voice memos

can be added in playback too.

It’s constructed around a

magnesium alloy chassis, which

constitutes a robust feel that’s

reassuringly built to endure the

severities of professional use. As

you’d expect from a camera of its

pedigree, it’s also weather-sealed

to protect against invasion of

moisture and dust. The EOS R5’s

body weighs 738g with battery

and memory card inserted. This

represents a 152g weight saving

over the EOS 5D Mark IV, however

it’s still around 70g heavier than

the Nikon Z 7 and Sony A7R IV.

Another rival, the Panasonic

Lumix S1R, weighs a hefty 282g

more than the EOS R5.

View nder and screen

For composition and viewing,

Canon has equipped the EOS R5

with a high-resolution 5.76m-dot

electronic view nder and 0.76x

magni cation. It has a 120fps

refresh rate when the display

performance is set to smooth

and in its power-saving mode the

refresh rate reduces to 60fps.

The performance of the EVF in

smooth mode is sublime. The key

bene t over an optical  nder is

the way it accurately displays

exposure adjustments as they’re

made and changes to depth of

 eld when the DOF preview

button is used. The clarity and

sharpness of the EOS R’s EVF

was excellent, but the EOS R5’s

is better. It displays a remarkably

clear view to the point it’s easy to

forget that it’s electronic. The

magnify button also combines

well with the EVF when you’d like

to zoom in at high magni cation

(6x or 15x) to inspect sharpness

before a shot is taken.

Below the EVF is a 3.2in,

2.1m-dot fully articulated

touchscreen that crucially doesn’t

foul the 3.5mm microphone port

when it’s pulled out and tilted.

Articulated screens are naturally

more susceptible to damage than

 xed screens, but the slimline

unit be ts the robust build of the

body, tilts smoothly and can be

folded in to protect it when not in

use. After years of Canon’s

5D-series of DSLRs having  xed

rear screens, it’s a luxury having

the option to shoot handheld

from high or low angles without

rummaging in the dirt or pointing

and hoping for the best. The

panel is sensitive to light touches

and makes for a precise way of

navigating the menus and

selecting settings.

A frame from a 20fps

burst. The R5 did a

great job of tracking this

mountain biker approaching

the camera head-on. Canon EOS

R5, Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM,

1/1600sec at f/4, ISO 2500

138.5mm

88mm

97. 5 m m

Interface

The USB 3.1 connector can be used to

charge the new LP-E6NH battery,

which is rated for 320 shots using the

EVF, or 490 with the LCD. A PC-sync

flash port is also provided.

Fv mode

Canon’s Flexible-priority AE mode is

similar to Program AE mode. The

difference is it allows you to adjust

ISO, shutter speed, aperture and

exposure compensation in an instant.