Is Canon Planning to Release a 5D Mark V?

Is Canon Planning to Release a 5D Mark V?

Many seem fairly certain that the1D X Mark III will be the last flagship full frame sports and wildlife shooter from Canon when it is released next year, but what other DSLRs will reach the market given the pressure of mirrorless? It appears that DSLRs are not dead, as new rumors suggest that a 5D Mark V might be in the pipeline.

Canon Rumors is reporting that the fifth and most likely final iteration of the 5D has appeared on an internal roadmap within the Japanese manufacturer, probably giving some sense of relief to those DSLR shooters who have yet to drink the mirrorless Kool-Aid. Those heavily invested in EF glass will certainly be pleased with the prospect.

The roadmap also mentions the Canon EOS R Mark II, which would make sense given that the specifications would potentially be quite similar, in line with DSLR and mirrorless versions offering very similar technology and specifications. Assuming that the R Mark II matches expectations, Canon customers — particularly 5D Mark IV owners who are holding out — may be spoiled for choice when they come to upgrade, assuming that Canon doesn’t compromise its mirrorless development by feeling obliged to keep its EF glass alive.

There’s no timeline as part of this rumor, but as Canon Rumors notes, it seems unlikely that Canon will make any announcements much before the end of 2020.

If you’re a Canon 5D shooter, which would you go for: the 5D Mark V or the EOS R II? Let us know your reaction in the comments below.

Andy Day's picture

Andy Day is a British photographer and writer living in France. He began photographing parkour in 2003 and has been doing weird things in the city and elsewhere ever since. He's addicted to climbing and owns a fairly useless dog. He has an MA in Sociology & Photography which often makes him ponder what all of this really means.

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41 Comments

It's going to be a long time before I invest in mirrorless. Too much money invested in EF glass. When it's time to abandon EF glass and buy new bodies, I'll decide what manufacturer to go with at that time. I can't afford flavor-of-the-day buying decisions. (So I'll probably by a 5D Mark V if I need a new body).

I agree, and as unpopular as it may be, I have desire to abandon the mirror. I like an optical view rather than a EVF. The only version of the latter I have seen and liked was the Fuji XT3 and the Nikon Z7.

Breaking News... Canon cuts its own throat !!
There are now more and better choices than back in the old FD days !!

When Canon realizes that they are cutting their own throats by forcing their own DSLR customers to buy new cameras and lenses .. I bet it will be from Sony and Canon will get their just rewards.
Well Played Canon .. Well Played !!

I would be more interested in 5D Mark4 but if I do mirrorless it will be a long time and probably with other than Canon.

You mean like back in 1987 when Canon revealed the EF mount that could not be adapted to our FD lenses?

You mean cut their own throat like they did back then? Did Canon ever recover from that "mistake?"

What the hell are you talking about? I swear if Canon makes it impossible to use my expensive EF glass without an adapter, I will be really mad and that might very well be what pushes me to another brand if I have to buy everything again. What the hell am I supposed to do with a 600mm f/4 lens when the EF mount is discontinued?

Somebody will make an adapter I would think even if not Canon themselves.

I think it is clear Canon are invested in supporting EF glass for their mirrorless bodies via their awesome set of adapters. I own the R and control ring adapter and my EF glass performs flawlessly with the R. Canon are focusing on developing RF lenses but this is in no way a reflection of their attitude towards EF glass - Canon have practically made almost every conceivable EF glass flavour there is to make. I'm personally continuing to buy EF glass because I want the option to use mirrorless and DSLR (e.g R or R MkII + 1Dx Mk II when prices comes down)

If I were a Canon shooter, I'd probably go with the R. Mirrorless is the future and from what I've read the EF > RF adapter works quite well, so unless the mark V has some groundbreaking features that the R will be missing, I really don't see why you'd opt for the 5D.

Having used both 5D mkIV and EOS R for work .. one groundbreaking thing in favor of 5D is that it is good camera :) ... even IV is better than R .. not sure why V wouldnt be ... R is just fast-boiled reaction to competition ..

What makes IV better than R in your eyes?

Does the adapter work "quite well" or does it work "perfectly well"? We can't make compromises when we shoot for a living.

I was hedging there a bit as when somebody says "perfectly" there's always that one person who says it works like crap and ruined their shoot, etc etc. In the case of EF > RF adapter, it's probably pretty safe to say that it works perfectly since it's a first party adapter for first party lenses. Again, I'm not a Canon shooter, and again, given everything I've read if I were a Canon shooter and had a library of EF lenses I'd still go with the RmkII because the writing is on the wall for DSLRs. It might not happen next year, or year after that, but they're going away..

I use both the IV and the R for professional work and the adapter works flawlessly...
Actually some of my EF glass works better with the R than the IV...
The focus is straight on the sensor so no more micro adjustments to mess around with.
Focus is just like the IV.

I was sceptical at first going with the R and finally bought it on July 2019. Never used the IV since then.

Thank you for your feedback. I tend to be suspicious when adding anything extra between my lens and the camera body, so it's good to hear feedback from actual users :)

EF lenses with the adapter work better on the R than they do on any DSLR.

Why is R better and the future?

R is not better, but I can easily see RmkII being better. And it's the future because mirrorless is the future.

R is different. There are always pros and cons on both sides of the mirrorless and DSLR divide. What's important is understanding your own needs and preferences and arriving at an educated decision. Get informed and read heaps, including the advanced camera body manuals. This article reaffirmed for me why the auto focus advancements with the R aligned with my requirement/preference for sharp and accurate focusing: https://www.imaging-resource.com/news/2018/09/15/canon-eos-r-qa-with-the... - So, "every pixel on the sensor can simultaneously be used for phase-detect focus determination and to create the image" is one point among many others that led to me choosing the R over the 5D Mk IV (EVF and no more micro adjusting were other reasons).

We're talking about two cameras which don't exist yet, so as a current 5D IV shooter I can't say what I'd choose. I see the value of mirrorless advancements for many people, but those advancements don't really impact my type of shooting so I don't see a whole lot of reason to change bodies at the moment.

Also, Canon has applied for patents on hybrid viewfinders (having both an EVF and OVF capabilities in one body) so who knows what a 5DV looks like. Way too early to make that call for me. Mirrorless may be the way of the future, but I'll always pick the tool that best suits my immediate need, regardless of what technology it uses.

"assuming that Canon doesn’t compromise its mirrorless development by feeling obliged to keep its EF glass alive." Really? "obliged"? If I had to sell all my Canon glass to switch to that 2020 mirrorless upgrade, would Canon be able to explain to me why I shouldn't just jump ship completely and move to a certain mirrorless system that will remain nameless? I think it'd be in their best interest to keep those adapters coming!

EOS R II definitely! I haven't touched my 5d mkV's since the EOS R.

I'll keep my 5DIV until Canon comes out with a pro body mirrorless that has the 5DIV qualities that make it a pro body, mainly 2 card slots. My reason to change is to access the RF lenses but the original R with one card slot is a non starter for me.

I wish it had two card slots - A big selling feature for wedding photographers - surely the R Mk II will have two slots - fingers crossed.

I'm still using my trusty old 5D MK III. It does its job well. I might wait another year or two and jump to EOS R II, but only if it'll be drastically better than the 5D MK IV. I have five lenses that I would most likely be unable to purchase because of price: 85mm f/1.2L II, 70-200mm f/2.8L II, 16-35 f/2.8L, 135mm f/2L and the workhorse utility 24-105mm f/4L. I'll wait.

"Canon Rumors is reporting that the fifth and most likely final iteration of the 5D ....The roadmap also mentions the Canon EOS R Mark II...."

That pretty much tells us that even if the rumors are true, the writing is on the wall for the 5D DSLR series. We already know Canon is not working on any new EF lens designs--the lens division has migrated to the RF line. I suspect that the designers and programmers in the DSLR division are also anxious to get to the platform that will upgrade their skills, rather than to keep their heads in "old tech."

I'm not sure whether I should buy any new cameras, or just figure that I'll die soon enough and the ones I've been using so far work fine for me. 🤷🏼‍♂️

Me too.
This is what happens with a mature technology - the previous model becomes the new one's biggest competitor. I use a paleolithic version of MS Word, does everything I need, why fart around with expense etc when you have one that works.

I went from two 5D Mk4 bodies to two EOS R bodies and still using all my existing Canon lenses (thanks to the lens adapter with control ring). My biggest gripe with the EOS R is the lack of dual card slots. Other than that there are a few things I miss about the 5D Mk4 but overall I'm happy with the EOS R.
BUT, I will definitely upgrade the EOS R when the EOS R2 comes out because I NEED dual card slots.

What is the advantage of the mirrorless R vs. the 5D Mark 4?

5D Mark V for me. I picked up an RP to dip my toes in mirrorless but have not been impressed. And like so many others I have a lot of EF glass that I love.

I am Mk 3 user. Just until a month ago I always said I won’t be using a mirror less for jobs. But after buying an Eos R now I am in 2 minds. More than specs canon has showed its strengths in the Eos R I think. Keeping dual card slot in Eos R would have been suicidal for the 5 d series.

I sure hope Canon come out with the Mark 5 soon. I've been holding off and I'm still shooting with the Mk3.

www.allan-photography.com

Like many others, I have way too much EF glass to jump into the mirrorless pool. I shoot with the 5D MIII, and I want to upgrade, but I honestly don't need the so-called benefits of the mirror lineup...not enough to have to reinvest in a whole new line of glass. I don't think DSLRs are dead. I think it's marketing BS to get people to fork out thousands of dollars needlessly, especially at the rate that other camera makers are churning out new models.

As a wedding photographer with both the 5D Mark IV and the EOS R, I would like to see a more professional version of the EOS R.

I shoot weddings with a dual strap so I am using both bodies consistently. I use the Canon adapter for the EOS R with my EF Glass (both Canon, Sigma and Tamron lenses). I have had ZERO issues. Not having dual SD sucks, but I try to keep my phone connected to the EOS R so that the Auto Transfer is continually running. It's not perfect and I hope Canon can improve it so the camera always stays connected to my phone..right now it disconnects if your phone or the camera goes to sleep.
I tend to lean towards my EOS R when it comes to focusing accuracy. My 5D does a fair job, but even with my 85mm L glass, the focus accuracy could be much better. With the 85 on my EOS R, its nearly perfect. I have very few missed focus shots on it, where as the 5D I have quite a few.

Shooting a wedding, you deal with a lot of low light events which is why I have found myself leaning toward the EOS R in those situations. Just focuses better in all lighting. I have gotten use to the EOS R viewfinder and actually prefer it now that I have used it quite a few times. Makes seeing in the dark much easier.

I have not purchased any of the new glass for RF mount, as they are crazy expensive, but I do not feel for one second that the adapter hurts my shots in any way. I honestly don't realize its there when I am shooting.

I would upgrade my 5D to an updated EOS R if they can improve software/add dual SD and then upgrade the FPS... Everything else from the EOS R is great.

I will immediately go RII if it has IBIS and meter and IBIS stay on with my FD lenses

No one can possibly know which they might buy until they know some specs and prices.

I'm a 5D MkIII shooter presently. Who knows? I might become a 1DX Mk II shooter, or wait for the Mk III? I've put off going to the 5D Mk IV, but maybe if the price drops on the release of a 5D Mk V, I could get one. Might decide to buy the 5D Mk V. Might drive me to the 1DX MkII/III? We simply do not know until the time comes. Specs and price will decide.

Is a EOS R of any vintage in my future? Doubtful, but possible. For now, I'm keeping my 5D Mk III.

I has the 5D SR and the resolution was nice but the 5D Mark IV with its wider ISO range was more useful to me. Also any excessive camera movement with the 5D SR caused the photo to be ruined so the extra megapixels were only good with no camera movement at all.

The question is: why hasn't Canon jumped on the mirrorless bandwagon and drop antiquated DSLRs? The answer is: Canon would die before they abandon the Sports Photography market. And the reason is the mirrorless processor power simply isn't there to both read the sensor to the card and maintain live view.

I have both the 5D Mark iv and the EOS R. The 5D is terrific for birds-in-flight, air shows, sports, two year olds in motion and any action photography. The EOS R is much better for portraits, events, night photography, and any static scenes.

The EOS R screen updates while rapid firing are much too slow for action photography.

The first clue was the publication last summer of a canon hybrid patent for mirrorless with a pentaprism rig for viewing. Canon wouldn't bother with such a patent if processor power wasn't an issue.

The EOS R does a terrific job capturing birds in flight using 4k video. It has no problem maintaining live view and recording. But that is only 8 mPixel, 8 bit images 30 frames a second. The processing power required to record a 30 mPixel, 14 bit image, 5 frames / sec with servo is likely more than 10 times greater. Also, even if processors are fast enough there are the added constraints of battery power and heat dissipation.

I think it's amazing we get 4k video in a cropped frame. The processor power required to reduce a 30 mPixel full frame down to a puny 8 mPixel 4k frame 30 times a second is undoubtedly another factor of 10 or so. From reports Canon looked seriously into that possibility shortly after the 5D Mark iv release. After studying the possibility a few months they admitted defeat. The processor wasn't there yet.

Bottom line, I believe the state of the art is roughly the same for all manufacturers. The leapfrog continues.

R is great if you're not specialising in action photography. I love the AF accuracy, EVF and features of the R and also the fact that I don't need to micro adjust the body for my various EF lenses. Also, the EVF focus points are showing me the exact point I'm focusing on, whereas with OVF sometimes there can be slight alignment issues with focus point overlay and the actual focus position in reality. Don't get me wrong, OVF is brilliant, but I find EVF better matches my tastes and requirements as an enthusiast. I would advocate for having both an R and a DSLR body, so you can use the 5D Mk IV for sports and action situations for example, and keep the R handy for portraiture, street or landscape purposes. If the next iteration of the R body can achieve 10+ fps with tracking enabled, I might not have a desire for a DSLR body for capturing sports action!

1.4 firmware helped with EVF and continuous mode, but I agree if sports and action is your genre of photography then a 5D Mk IV or 1DX II/III is better. Although, if a cropped sensor is an option, the 7D Mk II is good too as a second body, and will give some versatility in terms of focal lengths.

Love my DSLR 5DMKIV ....The Canon R5 mirrorless appears ..from labs and tech reviews... to be outstanding...the disastrous engineer review on EOSHD (a must read by canon users) and dissect to the cause of the R5 video overheating has left me super cold...even though I am not primarily a videographer...this is very bad marketing Canon inc...bad loss of face! You should recall the R5 and issue a camera engineered with ..integrity!

As a Long time DSLR Canon 5D Lineup user now with the fabulous Canon 5D MKIV albeit without the flip screen and higher FPS & super face tracking than the R5 has...I just love my DSLR MKIV camera.....I used to have a Sony a7rMK iii with Sony lenses just to try mirrorless ...I hated to EVF ...I hated the Sony colour rendition (see reviews on YouTube) And higher MP didn’t produce acceptable improvement in my resolution and when doing Astro it was near hopeless compared....Aurora in Iceland ...give me a 5DMKIV any day...then I rented the Sony a7r Mk iv ...it’s viewfinder is the literally same as the R5...Yes Canon users it’s the same EVF!!...it’s better than the Sony a7r MK iii but ..,give me OVF any day..plus all day shooting with one battery and bliss low light capability (yes most of my photography is early morning - late evening...light at mid-day not too great:) without the irritating but just acceptable more noise in the R5...(see the new “Digital Camera” recent review comparisons on line search) ...

Then there are the Mirrorless RF lenses ...the RF15-35 & RF70-200 are labs tested great lenses ..BUT...more expensive than my Current recent EF lenses and these RF lenses are “telescopic”...ok Canon...show me a lab test that these lenses don’t suck in NZ or Alaskan H2O or Namibian sand or dust.. over time ..yes they are stated “weather sealed” but Canon ..if I’m out Landscape shooting in Iceland and it’s snowing or passing dramatic stormy showers over the landscape ...I need total weather confidence ..and “telescopic” doesn’t give me weather confidence...show me the Lens weather proof over time...I have no long term on field issues with my superb EF lenses...or my EF compatible Sigma Art lenses (like Art 14mm for Astro) for that matter.

If Canon Inc have any brains (and I have my doubts now) they SHOULD bring out a DSLR Canon 5D MKV with a flip screen and perhaps higher 45MP sensor ...the flip screen alone would win me over ....skip the 8k video .,don’t really care as a still photographer...then I would have my perfect camera...but for now ...I’m not moving ...Canon...I am happy with my 5D MKIV ..Yes the R5 as a stills camera is super great..but not great enough for me to move and spend up big time...but if you produce a DSLR 5D MKV I’m in immediately with the flip screen.....but sadly ...I don’t think you will...Canon inc are not developing their lens EF line.. at least anytime soon....Canon inc wants us DSLR shooters to move over and then re-buy the RF lenses...the adaptor for EF lens use on the R5 is not portable packable practical...sorry ...not going to do that Canon ..

...Worst of all when I get to a point I NEED to make a move...I am seriously thinking of going over to Nikon...yes changing brands Canon Inc ...my friends with the Nikon DSLR D850 have the best all round DSLR in the world...and don’t I know it ...despite being super happy with my 5D MKIV .
Be very careful Canon inc ...the ditching of the DSLR..particularly the 5D range...could be your historic undoing...and point of difference.