Canon EOS R5 review

The Canon EOS R5 combines unsurpassed stills with fantastic, if frustrated, video

Canon EOS R5 review
(Image: © James Artaius)

Digital Camera World Verdict

As a stills camera, the Canon EOS R5 is simply Canon's finest product ever. It’s the perfect amalgamation of the EOS R’s form, the EOS 5D’s function, and the professional-grade autofocus of the EOS-1D X. If you're a stills or hybrid shooter who flits between photography and videography, it's one of the best cameras you will ever have the pleasure of using. Alas, we can’t recommend the R5 if your primary interest is pure video shooting. Don’t get us wrong, its video is incredible – but having to navigate the overheating restrictions prohibits it from being your A-camera (unless you only shoot 4K 30p, in which case you don’t need this anyway).

Pros

  • +

    Pristine image quality

  • +

    Best AF on the market

  • +

    Best full-frame IBIS

  • +

    8K video is astounding

  • +

    Lightning-fast burst

Cons

  • -

    Recording limitations

  • -

    Standard 4K is just okay

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.

The Canon EOS R5 is finally here after months of waiting and masterful teases by the – there’s no other word for it – exceptionally canny manufacturer. 

No camera in recent memory has received or, dare we say it, deserved this amount of hype. The Canon EOS R5 is a powerhouse performer in every possible respect; its 8K video outclasses many of the best cinema cameras, its shooting speed puts it on par with the best cameras for sport, and its 45MP sensor outmuscles all but a few of the best mirrorless cameras, and its 8-stop in-body image stabilization is the new IBIS champion. 

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James Artaius
Editor

The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon MagazineN-Photo: The Nikon MagazineDigital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.