There’s a new pro body on the block in the shape of Canon’s latest version of its revered 5D. Roger Payne gets hands-on with a pre-production sample and gives an introduction to a camera that’s created quite a stir
There are few cameras that have endeared themselves to the professional audience as much as Canon's 5D. The original model was the first relatively affordable full-frame DSLR in town, while the legendary Mark II version virtually single-handedly kick-started the low-end film-making market. The Mark III built on that solid foundation and developed the HD video facilities, making it more of a model intentionally aimed at the filmmaker than one that slipped almost by accident into that role.
And now we have the EOS 5DS/5DS R to consider. This is actually something of a second cousin, as opposed to a sibling, of the 5D Mark III, as its feature set is radically different and no serious attempt has been made to aim it at the film-making fraternity. Its role is very much to sit alongside the EOS 5D Mark III in the range, not to replace it, acting as an alternative for those in the same professional/semi-professional bracket, but with a feature set that aligns it with those working in different sectors.
Clever marketing, then: a number within the name that immediately bestows credibility, coupled with a powerful sensor designed to compete with the likes of the Nikon D810. This is a camera that raises the megapixel numbers game to a new level: the 5DS is capable of delivering the kind of resolution that's never been seen before in the 35mm DSLR arena, while the 5DS R features a low-pass cancellation filter that’s said to bump up sharpness still further, all for an extra £200.
Under the bonnet
The headline-grabbing statistic is the 50.6-megapixel full-frame sensor, which somehow ludicrously makes the Nikon D810’s 36.3-megapixel offering seem inadequate. You don’t really appreciate just how big the resulting files are until you see the pixel dimensions: 8688x5792. We’re going to need a bigger hard drive. By comparison, files out of my 5D Mark II, which I've comfortably enlarged to A2, measure 5616 pixels on the LONG side. Mockingly, the EOS 5DS also offers 1.3x and 1.6x cropped options, which produce 30.5 and 19.6-megapixel files respectively. There's also a 1:1 ratio option. Hasselblad should probably look away now.
As Nikon D810 users will be quick to tell you, however, owning a DSLR with a grand pixel count isn’t always an АО-sized bed of roses. Such sensors are far less forgiving in terms of both camera shake and optical quality. It’s fair to say that you need to be confident of your handholding ability, even if you're into the realms of what may be considered safe shutter speeds. Buy an EOS 5DS and your tripod may well spend less time in the boot of the car.
Canon engineers were clearly aware of the perils of creating this megapixel monster and set about countering camera shake by designing a new mechanism that controls the movement of the reflex mirror. As a result, both the 5DS and 5DS R feature a new Mirror Vibration Control System. Cams are used to drive the mirror up and down, reducing the 'slapping' effect that other, non-damped mirror mechanisms can suffer from. A quieter overall shutter sound is a welcome by-product of this engineering feat. Naturally, I have no idea how the camera would perform without this feature installed, but even with it on board, I still found that camera shake was quite easy to induce, although I was using a pre-production version.
With such large file sizes, not to mention the ability to shoot at up to 5fps for more than 500 JPEGs, the 5DS needs some serious processing power, provided in the form of Dual DIGIC 6 processors that chunk through data at a suitably rapid rate. Videographers may feel that, with all this power, Canon could have been more lavish with video functionality, but talk of 4K was quickly dismissed by the Canon hierarchy, who went on to explain that the 5DS is all about the still image.
Getting creative
When it comes to capturing stills, the EOS 5DS bristles with features. The AF system offers a very healthy 61 points, 41 of which are cross-type, while moving subjects can be tracked in terms of both colours and faces using Intelligent Tracking and Recognition AF, or iTR to its friends down the pub. Likewise, accurate exposures are highly likely with the 150k pixel RGB+IR metering sensor that also incorporates Flicker Detection to optimise exposure under artificial lighting.
While all of this technology is fiendishly clever, the latter is worthy of special mention. Human eyesight automatically compensates for artificial lighting, which constantly varies its brightness by minuscule amounts. The 5DS identifies these variations and takes the picture only when the light source is at its brightest -and it all happens in a matter of milliseconds.
Alongside the new sensor, there's also the new Fine Picture Style. This draws out every last ounce of detail from the sensor and, like other Picture Styles on other EOS cameras, can be customised to your preferences. Talking of customising, alongside the pre-requisite PASM exposure modes, there are three custom functions on the exposure mode dial, so you can have all your favourite settings ready to go.
You want more creativity? Check out the in-camera Multiple Exposure and HDR modes that appeared on the EOS 7D Mark II, plus the integral timer that allows you to create time-lapse movies capturing as many frames as your battery - and your patience - will allow.
Hands on
A big sensor does not a big camera make; the EOS 5DS has the same form factor as the EOS 5D Mark III, so it will be instantly familiar to many photographers. As a 5D Mark II user, I certainly didn't feel alienated by the design of the camera, although it does feel comparatively chunkier in the hand, just as the Mark III does.
The user-defined rear LCD menu is a great extra, as is the ability to change what appears on the viewfinder overlay. In the case of the former, you can create a Quick Menu for rapid access to favourite features. It doesn’t replace the existing Q Menu, just lets you create your own. The viewfinder overlay is slightly less bespoke, but still useful: choose from a suite of camera functions, such as battery status, to appear at the base of the viewfinder.
While all this tells you what the camera has and does, it doesn’t really tell you how it feels. The word that springs to mind is ’dependable’. The magnesium-alloy casing wraps the body in a weather-resistant shell that oozes durability. The rear LCD, although fixed, is bright and easy to read. The shutter mechanism is wonderful as it flips up and down in its newly controlled manner. The viewfinder (100%, by the way) is large and bright and, generally speaking, this feels like a great camera.
Initial verdict
It's important to appreciate exactly what the EOS 5DS means to your photography before you rush out and pre-order one. While it may seem like the perfect model for bragging rights among your photo mates, anyone who buys the camera on this principle, or based on the theory that more pixels = better photographs will fall flat on their face. Fifty megapixels is not something to brag about, it’s something to be a little bit scared about. But in a good way.
I may have only used it for an hour or so, but it’s clear that the EOS 5DS is a camera that demands both respect and impeccable technique. You need to be vigilant about camera shake and prepared to invest in better glass. If you're happy to do both, chances are you'll start capturing your best pictures ever. I'd never suggest that a camera will make you a good photographer, but the EOS 5DS will almost certainly make you a better one.
Spec
PRICE EOS 5DS £2999.99; EOS 5DS R £3199.99, body only
SENSOR 36x24mm, CMOS, 50.6 megapixesl
PROCESSOR Dual DIGIC 6
IMAGE SIZE 8688x5792 pixels
ISO RANGE 100-6400 (expandable down to 50 and up to 12,800)
AUTOFOCUS MODES Al Focus, One shot, Predictive Al Servo
AUTOFOCUS POINTS 61
EXPOSURE COMPENSATION ±5EV in 0.3 or 0.5 EV stops, AEB 2, 3, 5 or 7 shots, ±3EV in 0.3 or 0.5 EV stops
SHUTTER SPEEDS 30secs - 1/8,000sec, plus В
METERING 150,000-pixel RGB+IR sensor. Evaluative, partial (6.1%), spot (1.3%), centre-weighted
EXPOSURE MODES Scene Intelligent Auto, Program AE, shutter-priority AE, aperture-priority AE, manual, custom x3
MAX FRAME RATE 5fps for up to 510 JPEGs or 14 Raw files
LCD Fixed 3.2in, 1040k dot resolution
VIDEO FUNCTIONALITY Full HD at 30p
STORAGE Dual card slots CompactFlash (UDMA 7 compatible), SD, SDHC, SDXC
DIMENSIONS (WXHXD) 152x116.4x76.4mm
WEIGHT 845g (body only)