The Canon EOS R5 II has begun arriving to initial customers across numerous global markets, including in the United States. Demand has been high enough in Japan that shipments may be delayed by more than six months, but the situation is not necessarily so dire elsewhere.
When Canon released its latest flagship camera, the EOS R1, it was fair to say that it was overshadowed by the humble R5 Mark II. Like a thief in the night, the mantle for the most exciting Canon camera of 2024 was stolen by the R5 Mark II, and for very good reason. I got my hands on a full-production model and decided that a road trip was in order.
Some reports have started to arrive that the new Canon EOS R5 Mark II doesn't work with third-party batteries. However, Canon says the camera does not require photographers to use official, first-party Canon batteries, even though some features require the new LP-E6P battery.
After today's initial testing of the Canon R5 Mark II sensor by DPReview, it's becoming increasingly apparent that camera makers -- namely the big three in Sony, Canon, and Nikon -- are not only willing to, but happy to, trade still photo image quality for other benefits.
Review samples of Canon EOS R5 Mark II have begun arriving. DPReview has published its studio scene test results for Canon's new 45-megapixel full-frame camera, showing that the R5 II's newfound speed comes at a cost, albeit one most photographers may be willing to pay.
What makes a great wildlife camera? Excellent image quality, lots of megapixels, strong autofocus performance, fast shooting speeds, robust build quality, and access to great telephoto lenses. The new Canon EOS R5 Mark II checks all these boxes, and then some.
My history with the Canon mirrorless series started in late 2018 with the launch of the EOS R. Since then, I have switched from the EF to the RF mount, and for the past four years, I have worked intensively with two EOS R5 cameras. They have been loyal companions during my projects, and I have completed hundreds of photo and video shoots with them. When I became aware that Canon was launching a successor, I couldn't wait to get my hands on a sample.
Today, Canon announced the EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II -- two highly anticipated cameras that say a lot about where the company stands on technology and, more importantly, how what it can provide photographers compares to its peers.
Although Canon fans knew that the EOS R1 flagship camera was coming, the company also dropped a pleasant surprise by revealing the EOS R5 II, the long-awaited successor to Canon's popular high-res R5 mirrorless camera.