What if your work was split equally between still photography and video production? The Canon EOS R5 (released in mid-2020) is great for still photos, but its video recording capabilities can’t match the Cinema EOS cameras. Today, the company introduced a camera designed for this type of hybrid workflow – the Canon EOS R5 C.
Canon EOS R5 C
As you can tell from the name, this is very similar to the R5. It uses nearly the same hardware and fits in almost the same body, making it the smallest and lightest Cinema EOS camera to date (680g, easier to carry and mount on a drone).
We say “almost” because the R5 C has active cooling and can shoot 8K video at 30 fps for an unlimited amount of time. Also, if you plug in an external power source, the camera will enable 8K 60 fps recording mode.
This includes 8K DCI RAW footage. There are three 8K 12-bit RAW modes, plus one 4K 10-bit XF-AVC mode. With two memory card slots – one CF Express (Type B) and one SD UHS-II – the camera can record simultaneously in different formats and resolutions.
If you downscale to 4K or 1080p, the footage will be oversampled from 8K to improve quality and reduce noise. There’s also a 4K mode at 120 fps with audio recording and Dual Pixel autofocus. Speaking of, there’s also EOS iTR AF X technology for head and face tracking.
Professionals will also appreciate the dedicated timecode interface (allowing you to sync multiple cameras) and the new multi-function hot shoe, which supports the Tascam CA-XLR2d-C microphone adapter for up to 4 channels of audio.
The EOS R5 is basically two cameras in one, and the power switch lets you boot into R5 mode or into Cinema EOS mode. The camera features a full-frame 45 MP sensor and Digic X processor along with most of the shooting modes the R5 offers.
It can shoot bursts at up to 20 frames per second, and features eye detection and animal and vehicle tracking. The camera itself supports RF mount lenses as well as EF lenses using adapters (anamorphic lenses also use third-party adapters). Dual Base ISO expands sensitivity while keeping noise low.
One thing the R5 lacks is in-body image stabilization. However, the R5 C does come with advanced 5-axis electronic stabilization, which can be used with both stabilized and unstable lenses.
The camera features an articulating 3.2-inch display (2.1 million dots) and a 0.5-inch OLED viewfinder (5.76 million dots, 100% coverage). It has 13 user-assignable buttons distributed around its body. The Browser Remote feature (requires the WFT-R10B accessory) provides full control of the camera via a phone or tablet’s web browser. If you don’t mind installing an app, Content Transfer Mobile makes it easy to copy files from your camera to your device. It allows you to edit metadata and upload your images to image.canon.
The Canon EOS R5 C will be available in March for $4,500 (the EOS R5 starts at $2,500). Here’s a 9-minute video that walks you through the best features of a hybrid camera.
You can also join travel filmmaker Kevin Clerc behind the scenes to see how he uses the R5 C.
