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Masanori Kishi, head of the Lens Technology and Systems business unit and Masaaki Oshima, head of Sony's Imaging Entertainment business.

Photo: Richard Butler

"Compared to the past five years, the range of creators has become more diverse," says Masaaki Oshima, head of Sony's Imaging Entertainment business: "so we have to meet all of their expectations, from the still shooter to the movie shooter, from the older user to the young, male and female."

We spoke to Oshima and Masanori Kishi, the head of the Lens Technology and Systems business unit at the CP+ show earlier this year. They had some interesting things to say about the changing nature of the market, the role they expect AI to play and the importance of global shutter sensors.

Oshima seems to think there's still reason to be hopeful about the state of the market. "We’d thought the total market volume would shrink, but in fact it’s been very stable," he says: "and we assume the market volume will continue to be stable in 2024. We believe the total market for mirrorless and full-frame will increase."

"We think the individual customer relationship will be the key"

But companies will need to work harder to satisfy the many different types of users, he says: "We think the individual customer relationship will be the key to helping them enjoy our imaging experience. Customizing the marketing to the individuals will be the key, I think, not only the cameras’ functions."

He also highlights some of the work Sony has been doing to increase accessibility, through features that audibly describe the on-screen options and its retinal projection kit. "We’re not only targeting existing creators but also the people that want to be creators," he says.

Kishi says he believes Sony's commitment to a single lens mount will help the company satisfy a broad audience. "We have a diverse range of bodies but all using one mount," he says. "This is a very good concept, I think, so we can reach various kinds of customers."

This means a lot of lens development work, he explains: "From the lens point-of-view we need to support all these various kinds of customer. We get a lot of requests from customers. That’s very exciting for us."

Authenticity and AI

In talking about what comes next for the industry, Oshima raised two apparently conflicting trends.

The first is authenticity, he says: "imaging authenticity and concerns about AI. We believe there are two ways to address this: to protect the creators’ rights and use the AI powers."

This leaves Sony in the same position as Adobe: pushing to develop AI features while also working as part of the Content Authenticity Initiative to prove the absence of its use.

"Both of them are very important for us to implement in our technology," he says.

In dedicated cameras this is unlikely to mean generative AI techniques, he suggests: "we will focus on how to help our creators shoot as they want: how to implement creators’ insights into the camera functions."

And this is likely to mean both features to help with shooting and with optimizing the results: "we’ll provide more post-production functions but also more real-time functions."

These will go beyond what we've already seen, he says: "We still have room to accelerate our AF functions using AI autofocus, not only in the camera body but also lens functions have room to improve by utilizing AI power."

The next question, he says, is where the computation is conducted: "The machine-learning itself is [currently] calculated in the cloud and implemented in the body while remaining on the cloud side. We are not sure whether it’s better to have that AI occurring in the [camera] body."

"We have to utilize AI power, whether in the body or cloud-side"

For instance, he says: "More complicated lens correction can be realized on the cloud side. In the camera body, complex processes are difficult because of the machine power, but the cloud can realize more complex compensation."

"Anyway we have to utilize AI power, whether in the body or cloud-side. That’s why our trend will be [to continue to improve the] connection function."

"We have now just launched the PDT FP1 connection device, data transmitter combined with camera and the data transmitted to the cloud this is a first step. We will utilize these functions to calibrate our data in the cloud and back to the camera, in the future."

Global shutter

While our conversation about AI stayed in the realm of vagueness, as talk of future features tends to, we tried to pin Oshima down a little more on the potential of the global shutter technology introduced in the a9 III.

Interestingly he didn't make grand promises of it becoming an essential feature across the range, instead suggesting it needed to prove its value first.

"Before thinking about the big future, we have to focus on how to broaden the a9 III’s global shutter benefit into the market. So starting with the professionals, that’s the key," he says: "[for] now we are focusing on how to broaden our global shutter benefit in the professional market."

This article is based on an interview conducted by Dale Baskin and Richard Butler at the CP+ expo in Yokohama, Japan.

Kota Misawa, Manager, Marketing Planning Department, Tamron Imaging Products Business Unit

Photo courtesy of Kota Misawa

"Tamron is not a big company, so it’s a good point that we can discuss new products with the design department. It’s very easy to talk." This small company dynamic is a crucial component to Tamron's success, according to Kota Misawa, Manager of Tamron's Marketing Planning Department, and one of the reasons the company has succeeded with unique lens designs.

In an insightful interview with Mr. Misawa earlier this year, we delved into various topics, including the state of the camera market, the importance of designing unique lenses, and how Tamron is leveraging AI technologies to design better lenses.

State of the market

Misawa provides an optimistic overview: "The number of cameras sold last year was 101% compared to the previous year and 104% in value," Misawa tells us. "And the number of lenses sold was 99% compared to the previous year and 107% in value. So we think we have hit the bottom and we predict the market to remain at the same level as last year."

That's reassuring to hear following some tough years for the camera industry, and it's consistent with what we've heard from other industry executives. Focusing more directly on Tamron's business, he highlights key factors contributing to the company's success.

"The reason why our business is good is the lineup for our mainstay, Sony E-mount. We have expanded Fujifilm X-mount and Nikon Z-mount, and we have been able to release more than five products every year without delays. And all new models have sold well, so we were able to achieve good business results."

Misawa credits Sony's E-mount for contributing to Tamron's success but notes that the company has also expanded its offerings to Fujifilm X-mount and Nikon Z-mount, including this 35-150mm F/2-2.8 Di III VXD for Z-mount released in 2023.

Image: Tamron

Looking forward, he sees hybrid users as crucial to the market over the next several years. "We believe the driving force will be intermediate and above level users who not only take photos but also videos. We think they want to be able to switch smoothly between stills and video. That’s the key point for our next models."

However, Misawa also acknowledges that some customer segments may deserve more attention.

"We have been able to release more than five products every year without delays. And all new models have sold well."

"Judging from recent trends, we feel that we are not taking sufficient care of entry-level users, so we would like to continue to develop lenses for these users with good cost and performance."

Developing unique lenses

Tamron's success is partly due to its innovative approach to lens design, creating lenses that broadly fit into standard zoom categories but which don't quite conform to the usual focal length ranges, which allows the company to strike a different balance between size, weight and capability. This includes models like its 28-75mm F2.8 Di III VXD G2 or 70-180mm F2.8 Di III VC VXD G2, which prioritize compact size in their design. According to Misawa, this is an intentional strategy.

"We want to give our users more options when choosing lenses. More than half of our mirrorless lenses are unique lenses. They play an important role and are very popular, so they’re very important to us."

"We develop unique lenses that are different from conventional zoom lenses in order to meet the diverse needs of users, such as small size, lightweight design, and the ability to take pictures or videos with a single lens. We base designs on users' needs and think about unique lenses. A 24-70mm F2.8 can’t achieve the small size."

Tamron sometimes creates lenses that broadly fit into standard zoom categories but which don't quite conform to the usual focal length ranges, like this 28-75mm F2.8 zoom.

Photo: Dan Bracaglia

He explains that Tamron's smaller scale enables this approach, allowing for easy collaboration between teams.

"Sometimes, we may say we want a lens to cover a specific focal length. Sometimes, we tell the design department that we need a certain size. Sometimes, we just tell them we need a ‘standard zoom lens,’ specify the size of the product, and ask them what kind of focal lengths we can achieve," he says.

"Tamron is not a big company, so it’s a good point that we can discuss new products with the design department. It’s very easy to talk."

"More than half of our mirrorless lenses are unique lenses. They play an important role and are very popular, so they’re very important to us."

Are there any lenses that jump out to him as being particularly significant?

"Maybe the first generation 28-75mm F2.8. That was a new concept because that was a fast lens, but we changed the focal length from 24mm to 28mm and users accepted our concept."

"That lens was controversial, even in our own company," he tells us. "And some people were not confident that it would be accepted by users, so we were really relieved that it was."

The role of AI and optical corrections in lenses

Misawa seems genuinely excited about how AI and machine learning have impacted photography in recent years. "The evolution of cameras is amazing, such as enhanced subject recognition through the use of AI and the inclusion of global shutters," he tells us.

However, he wants you to know that it's not just camera companies that are using these technologies. "At our company, we would like to take on new challenges in order to keep up with the evolution of cameras."

"We’re already using AI technology to improve the performance of vibration compensation when shooting videos."

He points to a particular example of how Tamron is already using AI to benefit lens design, even if users aren't aware of it.

"AI in the camera doesn't affect our lens functions or performance. But we’re already using AI technology to improve the performance of vibration compensation when shooting videos. When we created this vibration compensation mechanism, we tested people shooting video while working, and we tested how the camera shakes and the number of times it shakes. We used the test results to determine the best compensation handshake. So yeah, we can also use AI to improve our functions."

Misawa explains that software corrections in lenses are used to achieve a particular design vision, such as a smaller or lighter lens.

One component of lens design that has been polarizing for some photographers in recent years is the use of software corrections to improve lens performance. Misawa understands why some purists may not favor the practice but clarifies that using such corrections is done to achieve a specific product vision rather than as a crutch in the design process.

"We really focus on compact and lightweight design, so we are using software to achieve this main purpose. But whether it’s a good option or not depends on the lens and the concept of the product. If we are targeting people who really want real optical performance without correction, then we will produce that kind of lens," he explains.

Misawa says it's possible to achieve excellent optical quality at a reasonable price and that technology can contribute. But he stresses the importance of the human element.

"When developing new products, we must not forget the in-house know-how that we have accumulated over many years."

This article is based on an interview conducted by Dale Baskin and Richard Butler at the CP+ expo in Yokohama, Japan. Responses have been lightly edited for clarity and flow.

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Yesterday, Ricoh quietly released firmware 2.50 for its Pentax K-1 and K-1 II DSLRs. However, the features you can expect to gain from this update may depend on your geography.

Ricoh's English-language firmware pages for the K-1 and K-1 II state that firmware 2.50 delivers "Improved stability for general performance."

However, astute Pentax users noted that Ricoh's Japanese-language firmware pages (translation) indicate that the update also includes a limited feature called "Astronomical Photo Assist," a collection of three new features designed for astrophotography: Star AF, remote control focus fine adjustment, and astronomical image processing.

Star AF is intended to automate focusing on stars when using autofocus lenses. Rather than manually focusing on a bright star and changing your composition, it promises to let you compose your shot and let the camera focus.

Remote control fine adjustment allows users to adjust focus without touching the lens and requires Pentax's optional O-RC1 remote. Astronomical image processing will enable users to make in-camera adjustments to astrophotography images, including shading correction, fogging correction, background darkness, star brightness, celestial clarity, and fringe correction.

Astronomical image processing on the K-1 and K-1 II will enable users to make in-camera adjustments to astrophotography images, including shading correction, fogging correction, background darkness, star brightness, celestial clarity, and fringe correction.

According to Ricoh, Astronomical Photo Assist is a premium feature that must be purchased and costs ￥11,000 for an activation key (about $70 at current exchange rates).

Although these astrophotography features appear to be Japan-only for now, a Ricoh representative tells us, "Ricoh Imaging Americas confirmed that the premium firmware features for the PENTAX K-1 and PENTAX K-1 Mark II will eventually be available to US customers."

Firmware update 2.50 for both the K-1 and K-1 II is available for download from Ricoh's website.

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As part of our twenty fifth anniversary, we're looking back at some of the most significant cameras launched and reviewed during that period. Today's pick was launched seven years ago today* and yet we're only quite recently stepping out of its shadow.

The Nikon D850 is likely to be remembered as the high watermark of DSLR technology. We may yet still see impressive developments from Ricoh in the future (we'd love to see a significantly upgraded Pentax K-1 III), but the D850 was perhaps the green flash as the sun set on the DSLR as the dominant technology in the market.

Click here to read our Nikon D850 review

Why do we think it was such a big deal? Because it got just about everything right. Its 45MP sensor brought dual conversion gain to high pixel count sensors, meaning excellent dynamic range at base ISO and lower noise at high ISOs. Its autofocus system was one of the best we've ever seen on a DSLR: easy to use and highly dependable, with a good level of coverage. And then there was a body and user interface honed by years of iterative refinement, that made it easy to get the most out of the camera.

None of this is meant as a slight towards the other late-period DSLRs but the likes of Canon's EOS 5DS and 5DSR didn't present quite such a complete package of AF tracking, daylight DR and low-light quality as the Nikon did. With its ability to shoot at up to 9fps (if you used the optional battery grip), the D850 started to chip away at the idea that high megapixel cameras were specialized landscape and studio tools that would struggle with movement or less-than-perfect lighting. And that's without even considering its 4K video capabilities.

In the seven years since the D850 was launched, mirrorless cameras have eclipsed most areas in which DSLRs once held the advantage. For example, the Z8 can shoot faster, autofocus more with more accuracy and precision, across a wider area of the frame and do so while shooting at much faster rates.

But, even though it outshines the D850 in most regards, the Z8 is still based around what we believe is a (significant) evolution of the same sensor, and its reputation still looms large enough for Nikon to explicitly market the Z8 as its "true successor."

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*Actually seven years ago yesterday: we had to delay this article for a day to focus on the publishing the Z6III studio scene: the latest cameras taking precedence over our anniversary content.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Photo: Richard Butler

We've just received a production Nikon Z6III and took it into our studio immediately to get a sense for how the sensor really performs.

Dynamic range tests have already been conducted, but these only give a limited insight into the image quality as a whole. As expected, our Exposure Latitude test – which mimics the effect of reducing exposure to capture a bright sunrise or sunset, then making use of the deep shadows – shows a difference if you use the very deepest shadows, just as the numerical DR tests imply.

Likewise, our ISO Invariance test shows there's more of a benefit to be had from applying more amplification by raising the ISO setting to overcome the read noise, than there was in the Z6 II. This means there's a bigger improvement when you move up to the higher gain step of the dual conversion gain sensor but, as with the Z6 II, little more to be gained beyond that.

These are pushing at the extreme of the sensor's performance though. For most everyday photography, you don't use the deepest shadows of the Raw files, so differences in read noise between sensors don't play much of a role. In most of the tones of an image, sensor size plays a huge role, along with any (pretty rare) differences in light capturing efficiency.

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As expected, the standard exposures look identical to those of the Z6 II. There are similar (or better) levels of detail at low ISO, in both JPEG and Raw. At higher ISO, the Z6III still looks essentially the same as the Z6II. Its fractionally higher level of read noise finally comes back to have an impact at very, very high ISO settings.

Overall, then, there is a read noise price to be paid for the camera's faster sensor, in a way that slightly blunts the ultimate flexibility of the Raw files at low ISO and that results in fractionally more noise at ultra-high ISOs. But we suspect most people will more than happily pay this small price in return for a big boost in performance.

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When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.Canon EOS R5 II as a video tool

The Canon EOS R5 II isn't just a new version of the company's popular R5 mirrorless camera; it's the spiritual successor to the EOS 5D series of 'affordable' full-frame digital cameras. That includes the EOS 5D Mark II, the world's first Full HD video-capable DSLR, a model that reset the market's expectations for video capabilities on 'photography' cameras, and which, according to several Canon insiders we've talked to over the years, gave Canon the confidence to expand more aggressively into the digital cinema market.

Many of the R5 II's headline-grabbing specs have centered around the camera's photo capabilities, but it shouldn't be a surprise that the EOS R5 II is for filmmakers as much as it is for stills shooters. In the following slides, we'll examine what the camera offers to movie shooters.

Video specs

The EOS R5 II includes a wide variety of resolutions and frame rates to support just about any level of video quality. At its highest quality, the camera can capture DCI-style 8K Raw video internally at frame rates up to 60p. The R5 II also features a new 4K 'SRaw' recording option, with frame rates up to 60p. Canon hasn't disclosed whether this 4K is downsampled from 8K or subsampled on the sensor, but it's something we'll test for our full review.

When shooting compressed video, the camera can capture 8K, 4K, and even Full HD resolutions in either DCI (1.89:1) or UHD (16:9) aspect ratios, using either the full width of the sensor or a very slight crop (1.05x). This includes 8K up to 30p, subsampled 4K up to 120p, and subsampled FHD up to 240p. It's also possible to capture 4K and FHD resolutions in both DCI and UHD ratios using a cropped APS-C region of the sensor.

Finally, when connected to an external recorder via HDMI, the camera can also output 8K Raw at up to 30p or 4K Raw at up to 60p, both in a 1.89:1 aspect ratio. We'd be very surprised if this can't be encoded as ProRes RAW once Atomos has had some time with the camera.

Codecs

The R5 II includes multiple codecs to support its myriad video options. When recording Raw video, the camera provides the option to record in either Canon's Raw or Raw Light format. Video captured at frame rates of 50p or higher uses the Raw Light format to keep file sizes in check. Of course, there's also the aforementioned SRaw option for 4K Raw video.

In an effort to better align its newest mirrorless cameras with its Cinema EOS product line, the R5 II features Canon's XF-HEVC S and XF-AVC S compressed video formats, both of which can capture 4:2:2 10-bit color. The XF-HEVC S format, based on the H.265 codec, also allows you to capture 4:2:0 8- or 10-bit video, whereas XF-AVC S, based on the older H.264 codec, offers a 4:2:0 8-bit option.

The R5 II also includes the ability to capture HDR video by simultaneously capturing normal and underexposed frames, combining them to better preserve highlights in high-contrast scenes. This can be combined with the camera's PQ picture profile for use on compatible TVs or displays.

Rolling shutter

One of the most significant upgrades in the EOS R5 II is the addition of a Stacked CMOS sensor, which promises to improve the camera's rolling shutter performance (though it isn't nearly as fast as the one in Canon's new flagship mirrorless camera, the R1).

We measured the R5 II's rolling shutter rate when shooting DCI 8K video at ∼12.6ms. That's not going to set any records, but it's faster than the 15.4ms we measured for the same resolution on the original R5, which should make rolling shutter artifacts less noticeable on the newer model.

Most Stacked sensor cameras don't capture video using the super-fast multi-line readout modes they use for stills, so they're not as impressively fast. A sub-15ms rolling shutter rate is extremely good, though, so you'd have to really provoke it to see any rolling shutter distortion.

C-Log2

The EOS R5 II will be the first Canon mirrorless camera to hit the market with Canon's C-Log2 gamma profile. According to Canon, this is part of its effort to better align video capabilities and workflows across its product line.

C-Log2 encodes a wider dynamic range than the C-Log3 gamma profile included on some previous Canon mirrorless bodies and will better replicate and match footage from Canon's cinema cameras. However, C-Log3 remains available for use in less challenging situations where the extra dynamic range of the C-Log2 curve isn't required, retaining more data per stop of light.

Overheating

The original R5 received criticism for its propensity to overheat, particularly when shooting 8K video. The R5 II can also experience thermal issues at its most demanding resolutions and frame rates, but Canon has introduced a new accessory grip with a built-in cooling fan, the CF-R20EP, to help mitigate this issue. It joins manufacturers like Panasonic and Fujifilm that have provided accessory cooling fans for video-focused mirrorless cameras.

According to Canon, when capturing 8K/30p video, the R5 II should run for up to 26 minutes or up to 37 minutes with the camera's auto power-off temperature set to high (based on an unused camera starting in an environment of 23ºC/73ºF). With the accessory fan attached, these times should increase to 106 minutes or 120 minutes (or more). When capturing 4K/60p footage, Canon claims the accessory fan will allow recording without time restrictions.

The CF-R20EP has a suggested retail price of $400. It also includes an ethernet port for fast connectivity or remote operation.

Dual recording

The R5 II includes a new dual recording feature that allows you to capture high-resolution JPEG images while recording video. Using this feature, the camera can capture Full HD video at up to 30p on one card while capturing UHD 8K (7620 x 4230 resolution) JPEG images at up to 7.5fps on the other.

This feature does have limitations. You'll likely need to optimize your shutter speed for either photos or video, as the camera uses the same setting for both media. Also, some camera functions, such as focus breathing correction, chromatic aberration correction, diffraction correction, and in-camera image upscaling, will not work in this mode. Dual recording requires the new LP-E6P battery that can provide more sustained power.

Video tools

Although the R5 II has some very impressive video specs, we're equally excited to see Canon include helpful tools to better support the user experience of capturing video. To start, Canon has finally added a waveform display to one of its mirrorless bodies, allowing video shooters to judge exposure across the frame when shooting video more accurately. Similarly, Canon has also added a false color display, which makes it easier to visualize exposure values in an image or to quickly dial in the correct exposure for a particular part of an image, like skin tones.

On the hardware side, the R5 II now includes a full-sized HDMI port, an improvement over the mini-HDMI port on its predecessor. It also has a front tally light to let subjects know when you're recording. It includes 3.5mm headphone and microphone jacks.

Finally, Canon has also added the ability to pre-capture either three or five seconds of video, which should help in situations where it's difficult to anticipate when the action will start.

Multi-function hot shoe and digital/4-channel recording

The EOS R5 II also gains Canon's multi-function hot shoe, which includes communication pins for compatibility with accessories beyond speedlights. The original R5 didn't include this feature, though it appeared subsequently on the EOS R3.

The main benefit of the multi-function shoe for video shooters is support for digital audio input, as well as 4-channel audio support.

Summary

The original EOS R5 came to be known as a capable video camera, able to deliver stunning video quality, once the initial concern about overheating had cooled. The R5 II goes the next step to address some of the challenges encountered by its predecessor, such as providing an add-on fan to improve thermal management, refining the workflow experience through the addition of tools like waveforms, false color and better hardware connections, and through enhanced capabilities, like the addition of C-Log2 and dual recording.

The result is a camera that promises to perform very well for both stills and video and could potentially integrate pretty seamlessly as a B-cam on a production using Cinema EOS equipment. If you're a serious video shooter or even an enthusiast just looking to experiment and expand your horizons, the R5 has a lot of potential. We'll see how it stands up to real-world use once we receive a production copy, and look forward to testing the autofocus to see how well the experience on the stills side of the camera translates to video.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission.Intro

The EOS R5 II is the successor to Canon's popular and highly capable enthusiast/pro mirrorless R5 model. It continues with the same pixel count as the existing camera but just about everything else has changed.

The R5 II can trace its lineage back to the EOS 5D series. While the 5D Mark II was a landmark for video capture, the series has also always been significant for stills shooters, as it was Canon's first full-frame digital camera outside the pro-focused 1 series.

We're going to look through the major changes and what difference they'll make for photographers. We'll look at video features and updates in a separate article.

Fact check

The complexity of the EOS R5 II and its broad feature set, along with some inconsistent specs from Canon have led to some confusion. We checked directly with Canon US's technical expert on the camera to clear up some of the misunderstandings we've seen.

The EOS R5 II does not have the cross-type autofocus offered by the EOS R1. There are Canon spec sheets that say it does, but these are not correct. The R5 II uses the same left/right pairs of photodiodes to give sensitivity to vertical edges as the original R5.

The EOS R5 II does not use 14-bit readout for its video. Like almost every camera on the market it drops the sensor readout to 12-bit mode to speed up the readout and lower the rolling shutter time (it's typically around twice as fast). You can still get significantly more than 12 stops of DR, despite this, particularly in the 4K Fine modes, where multiple pixels are being combined.

It does not have built-in GPS. Some of the spec sheets we've seen made this appear ambiguous but GPS is handled either via a smartphone app or by using an external GPS accessory.

Eye control AF

Almost every specification of the EOS R5 II has been improved by some degree, compared with the previous model, but perhaps the biggest single improvement is the inclusion of Eye Control Autofocus. Canon promises improvements over the system revived in the EOS R3, saying that the system can now monitor the photographer's eye movements over a greater distance than before and gains a mode to detect whether the user is wearing glasses, so it can adapt accordingly.

The name eye control AF risks creating misunderstanding: your eye movements don't constantly direct where the camera focuses, they help position an AF target. When you initiate focus by half-pressing the shutter button or hitting AF-On, the camera selects the subject nearest to that target and tracks it. So it doesn't matter if your eye darts around the frame to check composition or monitor other action in your shot: the only time it plays a role is when you tell the camera to start tracking. At its best it's probably the fastest, most obvious means of subject selection, and it'll be a major addition to the R5 II if really does work more reliably for more people.

Speed

Although it has the same pixel count as the Mark 1, the R5 Mark II has a Stacked CMOS design, that reads out 16 lines at a time (in stills mode). This makes its electronic shutter significantly faster than its predecessor (around 6.3ms readout, rather than 16.4ms), even when capturing 14-bit Raws. This means both that it can shoot faster: up to 30 fps, rather than 20 fps, but also that it will exhibit significantly less rolling shutter distortion when shooting subjects moving rapidly across the frame.

The EOS R5 II also gains a mode that starts buffering shots when you half-press the shutter and will then save up to 1/2 a second's worth of these images when you fully press the button. The R5 has no such equivalent mode and the new implementation is more elegant than the one added to the EOS R6 II, in that it saves regular JPEG, HEIFs, with out without Raw files, rather than combining the results into a single, large Raw that needs DPP to extract your chosen frame.

Autofocus

The EOS R5's autofocus in stills is very good, but from our experience of the R5 II so far, Canon has made significant steps forward.

This is most apparent in the Action Priority AF modes, where the camera has been trained to recognize key moments in Football (Soccer), Basketball and Volleyball matches, meaning it knows what to focus on and when to shift focus between players.

But even beyond these modes, the R5 II's AF seems stickier and more dependable, showing the benefit of a system derived directly from the one developed for pro sports shooters in the EOS R1 (though without the + type autofocus sensitivity). This, and the camera's faster shooting rate, expands the types of shooting it's suited to, making it a much more capable sports camera, for instance.

Handling/layout

The EOS R5 II's handling is relatively unchanged, compared with the existing model. The power switch has been moved to the top right of the camera, in front of the command dial that sits on the shoulder of the camera, while the two-way switch on the left of the viewfinder is now a stills/video switch. This is a change that's only likely to matter to anyone trying to use both generations of camera alongside one another.

What's likely to make a bigger difference is the R5 II's brighter viewfinder and it receiving the Optical Viewfinder Simulation mode from the EOS R3. This shows a wider dynamic range view of the scene, ignoring the current color or contrast settings that your final image will have, showing brighter brights and more balanced shadows to give a more lifelike view of the world (though it doesn't show enough DR to fully represent the camera's HDR PQ shooting mode, designed for viewing on HDR displays).

The menus have also been reworked, with all the R5 II's customization options now gathered together into an olive-colored tab in the menu structure.

Other features

The EOS R5 II gains two "AI"-powered post-shot processing modes, one of which denoises Raw images, the other doubles the resolution (quadrupling the pixel count) of JPEGs or HEIF files.

The resolution-boosting mode is especially interesting in the context of an already high-resolution camera. Canon makes clear that it's not using generative AI (ie: not synthesizing image elements that weren't really present), just making guesses about what would existed between the captured pixels. This is an interesting alternative to the multi-shot high res modes we've seen elsewhere that can capture higher levels of chroma or spatial resolution by shooting and combining multiple images. It's possible that Canon may add such an option in the future but, for now, a mode that boosts detail to some degree, but without the need for a very stable tripod and near-static subject might prove more useful in more circumstances.

Our early impression of the "neural network" noise reduction are pretty favorable, with the camera doing a good job of working out which areas can be smoothed and which details should be preserved, all with the noise level reduced.

The R5 II is also the first generation of cameras we've seen to support the new, faster 802.11ax (Wi-Fi 6E) Wi-Fi standard that promises quicker, more dependable communication.

Image quality

The one thing we won't know for sure until we get hold of a production-spec EOS R5 II is how its image quality compares to that of the existing model.

We've not seen enough Stacked CMOS sensors from Canon to be able to predict what, if any impact the change in sensor will have. We've seen slight increases in read noise in other fast Stacked CMOS chips, which decreases the peak (ie: low-ISO) dynamic range measurements but has minimal impact on overall image quality.

And, while it's perilous to extrapolate from the behavior of these other designs, the image quality and performance of the EOS R3 means we're not overly concerned that Canon has decided to risk its reputation in order to offer slightly faster video.

As with the EOS R3, the EOS R5 II has a high-frequency flicker mode, which scans the scene to measure the flicker rate of fast-flicking LEDs then tries to find a fractional shutter speed that's at a harmonic of that flicker rate (ie: that allows a whole number of flicker cycles during the exposure so that each line of the sensor captures the same number of dark/light cycles and thus minimizes banding).

Summary

The EOS R5 II arrives on the market four years on from the original model. And, after a period of high inflation, is built around a much more expensive Stacked CMOS sensor, both of which help explain a price hike of $400 to $4299. Whether you feel it's worth the extra, vs the heavily discounted original R5 is an entirely personal decision.

Purely considered as a stills camera, lots of the R5 II's specs have been improved. Its faster shooting, faster readout and latest generation autofocus will certainly expand the types of photography for which it can support the photographer. That's not to say you can't shoot sports with the Mark 1, of course, but the Mark II will make your life considerably easier.

But the question of what it brings to, say, landscape shooters and even wedding photographers is where we think it gets interesting. Eye control AF is likely to mean a lot to the latter, if it proves to work dependably, and it's always hard to say no to improved autofocus. But the EOS R5 II is going to have to impress us a lot if it's to step clear from the shadow of its already capable predecessor, as an all-rounder.

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The EOS R5 II is Canon's newest high-resolution mirrorless camera. Featuring a 45mp Stacked CMOS sensor alongside new capabilities like eye-controlled autofocus, Action Priority modes, and new in-camera processing modes for noise reduction and image upscaling.

View our Canon EOS R5 II pre-production sample gallery

Buy now:

$4299 at B&H Photo$4299 at Adorama

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The EOS R1 is Canon's newest flagship camera and the first mirrorless EOS-1 series camera. Check out our pre-production sample gallery from Canon's North American launch event, which includes examples of Canon's new in-camera upscaling and neural network noise reduction.

View our Canon EOS R1 pre-production sample gallery

Buy now:

Buy at B&H PhotoBuy at Adorama