Canon Announces EOS R5 C Cinema Hybrid Camera

Canon announced its latest Cinema-line camera, the EOS R5 C earlier this month. The camera is Canon’s smallest Cinema EOS camera and seems to be an evolution of the acclaimed EOS R5. In contrast, the R5 C has a few video-specific features. It may look like just an EOS R5 with an extended back, but the changes go further than just the visual differences. Let’s dive in and find out just what they are.

The EOS R5 C is the latest, and smallest Cinema EOS camera that Canon has released. The previous smallest was the S25 format EOS C70 which featured 4K video at 60fps and at up to 180fps in S16 mode. It also did not allow for still photographs.

In contrast, the EOS R5 C sports a full-frame sensor that allows 8K RAW video capture up to 30fps, and up to 60fps with external power support. There’s also full support for still photography, with an image sensor that allows for 45-megapixel RAW images at 12 or 20 frames per second.

The big difference from the base R5 model is that the R5 C is video-oriented. It has a larger body, better thermal control, and an active cooling system to keep the sensor cool – a major failing of the R5. The R5 C goes further… The three-way photo-off-video switch that allows it to change mode actually changes the entire menu system. There’s the original R5’s menu system for photography and another one that will be familiar to Canon cinema camera users, with more cinema-focused settings and features. In essence, the Canon EOS R5 C is two cameras in one.

EOS R5C back views
Back Views of the Canon EOS R5 C Cinema Camera

Key Features of the EOS R5 C

  • Full-frame 8K Sensor: The camera offers 8K 30fps shooting in-camera, with the option to shoot 8K 60fps with an external power supply.
  • Two Cameras In One: The camera brings two full-featured software menus in one body. With the ability to change over with just a flip of a button. This means that it can quickly change itself to function either as a dedicated stills camera or as a full-featured cinema camera.
    • 45MP stills @ 12FPS with Mechanical Shutter / 20FPS with Electronic Shutter
    • 8K DCI Video RAW Internal 12bit and ProRes RAW external recording via HDMI while simultaneously recording XF-AVC proxies to the SD card.
    • 4K120FPS with accurate autofocus
  • CMOS Sensor with Dual Pixel CMOS AF with Eye Detection
  • RF mount for compatibility right out of the box
  • Electronic Image Stabilisation
  • Waveform monitor and Timecode in/out for working in professional video ecosystems
  • CFexpress Type-B and SD UHS-II Slots
  • Unlimited record time via dual slot recording
  • Multi-Function accessory shoe allows the use of a 4-Channel audio recording via the optional XLR Adapter
  • 13 Reassignable buttons
  • Compatibility with Canon VR via the RF 5.2mm f/2.8 L Dual Fisheye Lens
  • Audio Recording with High Frame Rate (HFR) recording
  • Dual Base ISO: 800/3200 ISO in Canon Log 3 and 400/1600 ISO in BT.709, PQ and HLG. ISO Sensitivity up to 51,200 ISO
  • Use external USB-C power banks with PD can be used, as well as other options from Canon as well.

Camera Specs

Max resolution8192 x 5464
Image ratio w:h1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9
Effective pixels45 megapixels
ISO RangeISO 100-25,600 (L:50, H:102,400)
Sensor sizeFull frame (36mm x 24mm)
Sensor typeCMOS
Image ProcessorDigic X
Image StabilizationLens-based IS for Still Photos; Electronic Image Stabilization for Video (video is cropped to 1.1x – standard or 1.43x – high)
Lens MountCanon RF
AutofocusDual Pixel CMOS AF II
Focus Points1053
AF MethodsFace+Tracking AF
Spot AF
1-Point AF
Expand AF Area (above, below, left and right/ around)
Zone AF
Large Zone AF (Vertical/Horizontal)
Subject DetectionPeople, Animals, No Priority
Articulated LCDYes, Fully Articulating
Screen Size, Resolution3.2″, 2.1 Million
Storage OptionsCFexpress B and SD (UHS-II) slots
USBUSB 3.2 Gen 2 (10 GBit/sec)
USB ChargingYes, PD
HDMIMicro HDMI
Microphone & Headphone PortsYes
Weight770g (including battery and CFexpress card, but without body cap)
Dimensions142 x 101 x 111 mm (5.6 x 4.0 x 4.4″)

Video Specs

Internal RAW recordingNon-Stop 8K Video up to 60P internal recording with the Canon Cinema RAW Light format
Canon LogCanon Log 3
8K HDR RecordingHDR recording in Hybrid Log Gamma (HLG) and Perceptual Quantization (PQ) formats
Video FormatsMPEG-4, XF-AVC, H.264, H.265
Cinema RAW Video Size8192 x 4320 (Full Frame), 5952×3140 (Super 35mm), 2976×1570 (Super 16mm)
12 bit color sampling
XF-AVC Video Size409×2160/3840×2160 (Full Frame/Super 35mm), 2048×1080/1920×1080, 1280×720
YCC 422 10 bit
MP4 Video Size8192×4320/7680×4320 (Full Frame only), 4096×2160 / 3840×2160, 2048×1080/1920×1080, 1280×720
YCC422 10 bit (HEVC) or YCC420 8 bit (H.264)
Video Framerates23.98, 24, 25, 29.97, 50, 59.94
Clean HDMI OutYes (via HDMI micro OUT terminal Type D (Resolution switches automatically) / CEC not compatible)
High Frame RateUp to 120P at 4K resolution (4096×2160/3840×2160) in 4:2:2 10-bit without cropping the sensor
8K RAW Output via HDMIRAW output via HDMI and ProRes RAW recording with compatible external recorders such as Atomos devices. Proxy data can also be recorded to an in-camera SD card at the same time.

Positives

The EOS R5 C is everything that video-oriented shooters wanted the R5 to be. After all, it does provide unlimited 8K RAW shooting times, with Cinema EOS menus, Waveform and Vector scopes for monitoring, and the ability to add XLR ports, a tally light, and timecode in/out. The icing on the cake is that this is still a full-frame sensor that outputs 45-megapixel images at an incredible 20FPS.

But is that enough?

Negatives

The EOS R5 C is a very capable 8K hybrid digital cinema/still camera, but it doesn’t quite have everything that one would want out of a cinema camera. It still does retain its mirrorless heritage – that of the R5. Here are a few features that cinema video shooters would like to have incorporated:

  • Dual tripod mounting points
  • A Full-Size HDMI port
  • Variable ND filters built-in
  • Hardware mounting points on the body
  • IBIS (however, it is not unexpected that this is missing since most cinema cameras don’t have it anyway)

The lack of these features reflects in the pricing, which at $4,499 is $1,000 less than the EOS C70, but $600 more than the EOS R5. Canon seems to have positioned this camera quite appropriately.

Top view of the Canon R5 C
Top view of the Canon R5 C

Pricing and Availability

The camera is currently available on preorder . The release date is March 2022.

The Canon EOS R5 C is priced at $4,499, while the Canon EOS R5 can be purchased at $3,899 – a difference of $600.

Canon EOS R5 C Preorder

The R5 C is currently available for preorder at $4,499 right now, from Adorama, B&H, Best Buy, and Canon (aff.). Click the link to choose. Cameras are expected to ship by end of May 2022.

Who is the Canon EOS R5 C Cinema camera for?

This is a rather powerful camera, in a compact package. Given the Cinema focus, I would suggest that this camera is meant for a serious video shooter who also shoots still images quite frequently. It would pair up very well with an existing R5, especially if the photographer is having trouble with getting sustained video performance without the camera overheating. Finally, it is NOT for someone who uses the IBIS feature often.

Review Videos

As usual, we have a slew of videos that have been released along with the announcement reviewing the camera and helping people understand what they can expect from it.

Gordon Laing

One of the most comprehensive is Gordon Laing from Camera Labs. He also compares it against the Canon EOS R5, so that you can really see where the major differences are to be found.

Gordon Laing Canon EOS R5 C Hands-On review vs R5

Kai W – A Hands-on First Look

ProAV TV – IBIS, or no IBIS?

ProAV TV did a side-by-side comparison between the R5 and the R5 C to see whether the lack of IBIS would make a difference for professional cinema camera setups, or whether the digital IS would be sufficient.

CineD – First Impressions

CineD has put together a video that is more of a first look at the specs and key features of the camera.

CineD first look at the Canon EOS R5 C

Image Credits: Canon

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Susheel Chandradhas

Susheel Chandradhas

Susheel Chandradhas is a Product Photographer and Filmmaker based in India. He has been taking photographs (almost) all his life. He has a diploma and a bachelors degree in Visual Communication, where his classmates all believed that he would write a book on photography... Instead, he writes on this website (because - isn't a community more fun?).

His passions include photography, parkour, wide-angle lenses, blue skies, fire extinguishers, and fast computers.

In addition to writing for Beyond Photo Tips, Susheel is a staff writer for Fstoppers.com, and owns and runs ColoursAlive, a photography, and video production studio.

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