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EOS 5Ds and 5Ds R mk2

  |   Canon camera rumour, Rumours

EOS 5Ds and 5Ds R mk2

Replacement for the 5Ds and 5Ds R



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When will 50MP no longer be enough?

At launch I picked a date for the 5Ds mkII … 2018

That’s slipped to 2019/20 or even never if the next high MP camera has an EOS R body.

EOS 5Ds Key features to beat are:

5ds mk2

The timeline is always a good guide…

    00 01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 2022 2023
1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4
Best Full       1Ds 1Ds II 1Ds III 1D X 1DX II 1DX III
1.3     1D 1D II 1D IIn 1D III 1D IV                      
vid.                             1D C            
High Full                               5Ds/5Dsr
            5D 5D II 5D III 5D IV
1.6                   7D 7D Mk II
Better  Full                                               6D 6D 2
1.6 D30 D60 10D 20D 30D 40D 50D 60D 70D 80D 90D
Mid 1.6         300D
Rebel
Kiss
350D
XT
Kiss N
400D
XTi
Kiss X
450
XSi
X2
500
T1i
X3
550
T2i
X4
600
T3i
X5
650
T4i
X6i
700D
T5i
X7i
760D T6s 77D
        750D T6i 800D T7i 850D T8i
Micro 1.6                                 100D SL1 X7 200D SL2 250D
Entry 1.6                   1000D / XS / F 1100D / T3 / X50 1200D T5 X70 1300D T6 2000D T7
                                    4000D
Mirrorless
EOS
R
Full                               R3
                              R5
                              R6 R6 II
                              EOS R
                              EOS RP
1.6                               R7
                              R10
EF-M 1.6                               M5
                              M50 M50 II
                            M M2 M3 M6 M6 II
                            M10 M100 M200

Note: dates start in announcement quarter, not shipping dates. Video capable 4k 8k

Digic | Digic 2 | Digic 3 dual | Digic 4 dual | Digic 5 dual | Digic 6 dual | Digic 7 dual | Digic 8 dual | Digic X dual

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Latest news 5Ds mk2

2019 January

12th There’s been no direct info about any followup to the 5Ds for a while, but combining part of what we were told about MF and a 100+MP EOS R with IBIS [Medium format page], along with some recent info at [CR] makes me wonder if there will ever be a 5Ds mk2 and that it will be that EOS R?

If it is, can I add multishot using the IBIS, to the specs please?

I have to say the likelihood of what replaces my own 5Ds as a mirrorless camera has gone up …as I wondered back in October. Since then I’ve tested the Hasselblad X1D-50C and with a few caveats, quickly adapted to the EVF

2018 October

13th I note a brief mention of the 5Ds follow-up moving to mirrorless [CR] – a natural enough speculation given it’s some three and a half years since the 5Ds started shipping.

Nikon’s Z7 puts aspects of D850 performance into a mirrorless body. So why not ‘just’ put the 5Ds sensor into an EOS-R style camera?

Well, the 5Ds sensor is not DPAF for starters. Not that this matters to many arm-chair camera design experts ;-)

I note rather a lot of ‘forum critique’ of the 5Ds comes from people who’ve never used one, from people who probably should have got a 5D mk4 (or even mk3) instead, or simply don’t use it for what it was intended for – such as choosing a 50MP camera and whinging about file size…

The issue of a camera having an AA filter or not is once again showing how many people are led by specs and advertising ‘messages’ rather than actual performance (see my 5D s/R comparison for why I regard choosing my 5Ds as simply a way of saving some money).

Time to remind myself that most photographers (myself included) are far more often limited by their own skill and vision, not the kit they use.

Personally I can wait until Canon have a sensor that offers more MP -and- better DR. The likelihood of it coming in a DSLR body just drops off, the longer it takes. I’ve thought about when I’ll move to an RF mount based camera but as yet, it’s still some way off.

September

10th I suspect that the EOS-R is the big message Canon want to give for Photokina later this month and we won’t see any DSLRs until 2019. As such I’ve updated the timeline above with an entry for the first EOS R camera.

Some Canon info suggests that cameras will appear above and below the EOS R level (roughly 6D mk2 IMHO). There is a clear sign of this in a Canon graphic from a Japanese article (see the EOS R/mirrorless page for more)

eos r future

At the right is the 5Ds and 5D mk4. For the APS-C cameras at the right, the top two are 7DII and 80D. Bottom two are M5 and M6.

It looks as if the next full frame mirrorless cameras will be pitched at the 5 series level. I’m inclined to wonder if there won’t be a 5Ds mk2, just a higher MP model in the EOS R range?

As a serious user of the 5Ds, I’ve written up some of my own thoughts about when I’ll move to an RF mount based camera – not for a bit, but it will happen.

June

22nd When the 5Ds mk2 arrives will we still get ‘s’ and ‘s R’ versions? Ever since getting my 5Ds I’ve wondered if I was missing out by getting the ‘s’ version?

Well, after a recent quick 5Ds/5DS R test with the TS-E50 lens, I’m fairly certain I know whether I saved a few hundred quid, or missed out on sharper photos ;-) YMMV!

April

9th A suggestion [CR] that the 5Ds Mk2 is for next year – that’s just fine here, our 5Ds is working well, and the longer an update takes, the more noticeable any jump should be.

March

21st No news at all of a 5Ds mk2 – there’s much wailing on some fan sites that it ‘needs’ an update soon.

Well, having just been out testing the Canon TS-E50mm on my 5Ds, I see a lens that will likely work really well at 100+MP. Does this make me think the 5Ds is too old? No, not a bit of it. I’m inclined to think that many of the whingers should get a 5D Mk4 and be done with it ;-)

The 5D3 lasted some 4 1/2 years… and if I’m honest, I’m happy to wait a bit longer if it means we see a significant jump in MP and the use of dual Digic 8.

At the moment I’m still expecting an 80D replacement first followed by the 7D mk3 and then the 5Ds mk2 in the spring of 2019 with a hefty bump in performance – if we see it in the summer of 2018 then it’s likely to be a much less of a headline grabber.

Anyway, as yet there’s no real signs of any replacement.

2017 October

11th A suggestion of a no more than 10% increase in pixel count [CR] makes me think that my ‘skip a generation’ policy may well apply to my 5Ds as it did to my 1Ds and 1Ds3 [Why I turned down an upgrade]

Image quality issues just don’t cause me any problems with the 5Ds, and if I wanted video/fps/AF performance, well, there’s the latest 5D. Who knows, maybe Canon will bring out a true high MP body in a 1 series body again…

September

6th A long away tip suggests 60MP later next year [CR] but specifications for cameras that far out are usually beyond what even Canon knows as yet ;-)

Add in the usual suspects (wifi, 4k video) and you have something to stir the rumour pot…

OK I’ll bite… no, 60MP won’t get me to update my 5Ds, unless the sensor is phenomenally more capable (video performance, FPS and even AF performance are still irrelevant for my paying work – you want that sort of stuff, buy a 1DX 2/5D4)
Maybe Canon will one day be able to provide a good ETTR exposure mode – myself and others have only really been asking for something like this for 15 years or so)

March 10th In classic ‘no news almost becomes news’, I note that the 5Ds replacement is still not expected this year [CR]

From my own POV, that’s great, since I’d be unlikely to update to 70MP, but 100+MP makes that a bit more likely.
I see also how this non story has now mutated and expanded amongst the ‘we said it first’ rumour trivia sites to take on a life of its own ;-)
Meanwhile – if you’ve not explored the new site, please do have a look through some of the article categories in the drop-down list at the right. The hundreds of articles and reviews I’ve updated/edited are the ‘real ‘content of our site – hope you find something of interest!

2016 October

14th I’ve asked around and the best I get is a ‘no time soon’ for a 5Ds update.

Of course, ‘soon’ is a very fluid concept in this area, so I’m always drawn to the timeline, which of course doesn’t predict entirely new products, but gives clues to updates, especially when associated with Canon’s product development cycles, which can seem a bit conservative from some forum vantage points ;-)
Personally, I’d be surprised to see something announced in 2017, it’s just not far enough ahead for a noticeable jump in performance/features [then again I never saw the 1DX as a successor to the 1Ds3]
My own bias is that I’ve got a 5Ds and as a relatively niche camera, I won’t look at an update that doesn’t make visible improvements (so perhaps a 5Ds3 for me ;-)

If you look at the processors on the time line, you’ll see that each major new release (FF) moves forward in processor version.

The reception of this ‘rumour’ has been interesting to see.
I’ve followed numerous forum threads about this suggested update with interest and amusement, and apart from the numerous ‘my *** is bigger than your *** ‘ style posts there seems to be a number of themes
“The 5D IV didn’t do enough for X, so the 5Ds mk2 can fix this”

X being video, ‘DR’, High ISO – take your pick. I assumed that the 5Ds and 5D lines were aimed at different markets.

“I may not know how to use what I’ve got properly, but a better camera will fix it”

The perennial complaint I’ve seen on forums as long as I’ve followed them. The “I may not know” bit is of course usually implied rather than stated… ;-)


Expect more of this random noise in rumourland as we move into the ‘thin news’ time after a new 5D appears…
12th A suggested 2017 update for the 5Ds [CR]
Dual Digic 7 and DPAF with a modest jump in MP still seem something for 2018 unless the 5D4 was developed with an eye on a quick to roll out ‘s’ version.
– Note comments from Dec 2015 below and the timeline above

August

27th The launch of the 5D mk4 at 30MP raises the question of when Canon will bump up the pixels to over 100MP. If the 5 series moves to a longer lifecycle, the replacement for the 5Ds might be pushed out as far as 2019.

Personally I’d rather wait until 2019 and see a ~140MP sensor than 80-90MP in 2018 :-)

2015 December

17th A suggestion that the 5Ds and 5Ds R may get an update ‘sooner’ than might be expected, with a 5D4 style body and updated sensor [CR]

Not in 2016 I’d suggest – which puts such info well into the speculation category at the moment.

As a day to day user of the 5Ds, I see no reason for an early update – the 5D mk4 is surely aimed at 5D mk3 users.

The 5Ds and 5Ds R were never an upgrade path for many 5D3 users, or am I missing some egregious defect in the camera I earn my living with ;-)

September

11th More info about the working Canon 120MP camera that’s being shown at the Canon Expo [PB] The demo camera has a sensor in a 5Ds body
The sample camera is only taking shots at 100ISO
It’s an APS-H sensor, so a full frame version would come in at ~200MP

Shall we see a 200MP 5Ds mk2 in 2018? or if they get it working sooner, a rather expensive 1DXs announced in 2016 (shipping well into 2017)

2015 February

13th The 1D X mk2 is suggested for 2016
Will the 5Ds 2 only be available without LPF?
11th A CPN article has a brief interview with the head of the 5Ds/r design team.

As with any Canon ‘interviews’ don’t expect too much in the way of insight ;-)

6th Cameras finally announced
There is a very good overview of the cameras and technology at CPN

2015 February

5th We’re told that Canon is not done with its basic new 5D design and that a 5D C will appear later this year to go with a 5D mk4.

See the 5D4 page, although since I don’t use video at all, I’m unclear how much sense this makes?

4th Prices are leaked [PR]

Canon EOS 5Ds: €3,499 (around $4,000)
Canon EOS 5Ds R (no low-pass filter): €3,699 (around $4,200)
Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM: €2,999 (around $3,400)

January

30th Two new 5D variants are suggested, both with a 50.6MP full frame CMOS sensor
An EOS 5DS R version will be without low-pass filter

Magnesium alloy body, dust and water sealed
Dual DIGIC6
ISO 100-6400
5 fps
High precision 61 AF points, EOS iTR AF
150,000 pixel RGB + IR photometry sensor
New “fine detail” picture style
1.3x and 1.6x crop modes
Customisable “Quick Control Screen”
Time-lapse movie, Interval Timer, Bulb timer

This info (and pic) first appeared on a Japanese site [DC – Google xlt]

From my own POV, it will be a nuisance to move from a 1 series body, but its a big enough jump from my 1Ds3 (which the 1D X wasn’t) to make it pretty much a no-brainer for our architectural work. The question remains though as to how much difference the AA filter makes?

At [CR] there is a suggestion that the relatively low max ISO is from a much stronger set of colour filters than usual – more welcome news if so.

We’ve also had a comment [thanks] that the 5D mark 4 is due for an August launch, and will be an update aimed at a much wider audience than the 5Ds
If you were interested in the new 11-24 lens that will probably be announced at the same time, see the animation on the main lens page comparing it to the 8-15 and EF14 II – that is a lot of glass!

9th Three versions of a new 5D are suggested [CR] an updated 5D4 and two 5Ds models with and without AA filtering, at ~53MP

2014 December

30th With a rumoured high MP DSLR from Canon (main rumour page) I note that at [CR] they have been told that the camera could be the 5D mk4, which could also fit in with suggestions that the 6D2 will move upmarket.

Earlier rumours – see the 5D mk4 rumour page

Detailed Specifications of the 5Ds/sr

Canon EOS 5DS Canon EOS 5DS R
Price
MSRP $3699/£2999/€3999 (body only) $3899/£3199/€4249 (body only)
Body type
Body type Mid-size SLR
Body material Magnesium alloy
Sensor
Max resolution 8688 x 5792
Image ratio w:h 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels 51 megapixels
Sensor photo detectors 53 megapixels
Sensor size Full frame (36 x 24 mm)
Sensor size notes Offers 1.6x and 1.3x crop modes, as well as medium and small Raw sizes.
Sensor type CMOS
Processor Dual DIGIC 6
Color space sRGB, Adobe RGB
Color filter array Primary color filter
Image
ISO Auto, 100-6400 (expandable to 12800)
White balance presets 8
Custom white balance Yes
Image stabilization No
Uncompressed format RAW
JPEG quality levels Fine, normal
File format JPEG (Exif v2.3, DPOF v2.0)
Raw (Canon CR2, 14-bit)
Optics & Focus
Autofocus Contrast Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi-area
Center
Selective single-point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
Live View
Autofocus assist lamp No
Manual focus Yes
Number of focus points 61
Lens mount Canon EF
Focal length multiplier
Screen / viewfinder
Articulated LCD Fixed
Screen size 3.2″
Screen dots 1,040,000
Touch screen No
Screen type ClearView II TFT-LCD
Live view Yes
Viewfinder type Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder coverage 100%
Viewfinder magnification 0.71×
Photography features
Minimum shutter speed 30 sec
Maximum shutter speed 1/8000 sec
Exposure modes Scene Intelligent Auto
Program AE
Shutter Priority AE
Aperture Priority AE
Manual
Bulb
Custom
Built-in flash No
External flash Yes (via hot shoe and PC sync port)
Flash X sync speed 1/200 sec
Drive modes Single
High-speed continuous
Low-speed continuous
Silent single shooting
Silent continuous shooting
Self-timer
Continuous drive 5.0 fps
Self-timer Yes (2 or 10 secs)
Metering modes Multi
Center-weighted
Spot
Partial
Exposure compensation ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
AE Bracketing ±3 (3 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
WB Bracketing Yes
Video features
Resolutions 1920 x 1080 (30p, 25p, 24p), 1280 x 720 (60p, 50p), 640 x 480 (30p, 25p)
Format H.264
Videography notes Supports ALL-I and IPB compression
Microphone Mono
Speaker Mono
Storage
Storage types SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I compatible), CompactFlash
Connectivity
USB USB 3.0 (5 GBit/sec)
HDMI Yes (mini-HDMI)
Microphone port Yes
Headphone port No
Remote control Yes (Wired and wireless)
Physical
Environmentally sealed Yes (dust and water-resistent)
Battery Battery Pack
Battery description LP-E6 lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 700
Weight (inc. batteries) 930 g (2.05 lb / 32.80 oz)
Dimensions 152 x 116 x 76 mm (5.98 x 4.57 x 2.99″)
Other features
Orientation sensor Yes
Timelapse recording Yes
GPS None

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