Users are unhappy with the Canon R5mkII low light performance

Canon photographers had been eagerly awaiting the launch of the latest mirrorless body update, the EOS R5 Mark II. The Mark I was four years old already, and many photographers had been saving up to get the latest and greatest camera that Canon makes.

After the official sponsored reviews, we are now seeing real-world, everyday photographers who have used this camera for around a month, and the opinions are surprising and somewhat divided. Whilst many are extremely happy with the R5mkII’s performance, I have noticed a definite cohort of disappointed photographers commenting in forums or YouTube videos.

Newer, faster, better?

The original EOS R5 (touted as the mirrorless version of the popular EOS 5D series) did have some issues. These included a penchant for overheating when videoing for any length of time, throwing out random error codes willy-nilly, freezing in inopportune moments, and generally being a bit buggy and unreliable. So, I can understand why many R5 users were excited to hear about an update.

The R5 Mark II didn’t have many improved specs over the R5, however. Most notable were the promise of fixes to the overheating issues and the ability to record 8K Raw video at 60fps (only useful if shooting VR 180). At a price point of $4299 at the time of writing, you’d hope for a solid and reliable camera suitable for professional use.

Bear in mind that many of the photographers buying this camera body are professionals working in studios or as wedding photographers. They cannot afford to have a camera freeze or fail on them.

Photographers disappointed

I first noticed some of these disgruntled posts a couple of weeks ago when I was researching Canon camera bodies after a mishap with my EOS R. I had to buy a new one, and I was trying to decide between an R6 mark II, a secondhand R5, and a new R5 mark II. I quickly discounted the older R5, knowing that investing in newer technology is often a good plan if you can afford it. Those 45 megapixels and the ability to shoot VR 180 were tempting me towards the R5 mark II. However, the cost was definitely a deterrent.

At first, I noticed a few comparison videos between the original R5 and the R5mkII. “Everything is awesome,” people said until they started pushing up the ISO. And I’m not talking to excessive levels, either. It seems as though the R5mkII was losing quality from around ISO 1600 and upwards.

Now, one thing I loved about the R was its low noise at relatively high ISOs. I shoot concerts and events fairly frequently and also dabble in some night sky photography for fun, so low-light quality is important to me. Obviously, my ears pricked up, and I decided to investigate more.

In this video, nature photographer Fabian Fopp did a test between the two camera bodies and noticed that there was a marked difference in noise levels at high ISOs (especially around the 25,000 level). The images were the same with both the electronic shutter and the mechanical shutter.

Ken Rockwell’s high ISO tests seem to agree with this, showing considerable issues with noise from around the ISO 25,600 as well. Compared with his previous tests of the EOS R5, the comparison is quite marked between the two camera bodies, with the R5mkII having far worse noise at high ISOs. Admittedly Rockwell shoots jpegs so that does need to be taken into account.

Once looking around camera forums and on subreddits, I began to find more posts corroborating these opinions about poor handling of low light.

Megapixels and low light explained

Now, you may be wondering who actually shoots at these high ISOs, but occasionally it is necessary. I do remember, on occasion, shooting at 25,000 ISO or close to there. However, I cannot imagine being in any situation (other than a stakeout) where I’d ever need an ISO as high as 102,400 and still expect to use the image for anything.

So why would the newer R5 mark II be worse in quality than the R5 (at least at high ISOs)? Well, it’s a little confusing because this camera uses a newer stacked sensor, the same one used in the EOS R3. This new sensor type is helpful in eliminating the rolling shutter effect that can occur with the older style sensors. This is particularly visible when panning sideways shooting video and can result in warped verticle lines (quite annoying and nearly impossible to correct in post). However, Canon also says that it should help eliminate noise when shooting in low light. Apparently, then, that’s not the case.

It seems that perhaps Canon has improved its video game at the sacrifice of its still photography users? Perhaps, and yet the R5 and R5mkII are very much marketed at still photographers who shoot some video. For true hybrid shooters the R5 C is still a better choice in my opinion (although that body lacks and in body stability).

Additionally, there’s a thought that higher megapixel sensors can actually result in lower quality low light sensitivity than lower megapixel sensors of the same size. This is in fact, a myth and has been debunked. So the 45 megapixel count of the R5 mark II has no effect on it’s low light caperbilities. Especially as the R5 is also a 45mp camera, it makes no sense that this is the reason.

These might be a better fit if you’re buying a Canon camera

Don’t get me wrong, I love shooting Canon (check out our guide to Canon’s best cameras), and I’m not about to trade in my lenses and jump ship anytime soon. I’ve also spoken directly to one photographer friend who shoots portraits mostly in studio with strobes, and she is absolutely delighted with the R5mkII. But then she’s not really shooting at high ISOs.

For nature photographers, sports photographers, event and concert photographers, and anyone who shoots a lot in low and challenging lighting conditions, you may want to hold off upgrading to the R5mkII just yet. It’s quite possible that this is a bug common with early rollouts, and a firmware update may well fix this issue over the coming months.

However, if you’re like me, and don’t need 45mp and want to save some serious cash, other options do exist. I’m very happy with my R6mkII, for example. It’s perfect for my everyday shooting needs, and if I need anything more, I am happy to rent.

Once again, before you splash out on the latest camera body, have a long think about your current and near-future needs. One thing is for sure: there will always be a newer camera body right around the corner. The real question to ask yourself is: do you actually need it?

We have reached out to Canon and will update this post when they respond.

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