Canon EOS R5 C Body + 1 SanDisk 32GB Extreme PRO UHS-II SDXC 300 MB/s

Canon has unveiled a new mirrorless camera in the EOS Cinema line, the Canon EOS R5 C.

It's aimed at experienced videographers and professionals, and it can produce 8K 60p RAW video. It also has the same design as the Canon EOS R5, with an RF mount and active heat dissipation system to prevent overheating.

It is also capable of shooting 45MP at 20fps. Here is a summary of all its features.

Canon EOS R5 C: combining the EOS Cinema and EOS R ecosystems

Announced in July 2020, the Canon EOS R5, the first "consumer" (and photo oriented) camera capable of capturing 8K RAW, has been the talk of the town since its launch. Unfortunately, the R5's overheating issues dampened the enthusiasm of videographers at its debut.

The Canon EOS R5 C is a new "version" of the EOS R5 camera that is expressly focused on video. The Japanese firm intends this new model mainly for content creators, independent filmmakers, video reporters, corporate photographers or directors specialized in events or documentaries.

A big potential target, but the majority of its sales are concentrated on popular cameras that are both photo and video, such as the Sony and Panasonic bodies (hello GH5 and A7S series).

The new Canon EOS R5 C camera bridges the gap between the Canon EOS C cinema line and the EOS R ecosystem. The latter camera, like the recent EOS C70, uses an RF mount - which definitely moves.

The EOS R5 with a ventilation system

The EOS R5 and EOS R5 C are almost identical, with only a few changes. The camera body is identical, at 14.2 centimeters wide and 10.1 centimeters high. However, a number of changes have been made to this cinema camera to differentiate it from previous Canon mirrorless cameras. The original R mark has been replaced by the C mark that designates cinema bodies.

Note the red shutter release and the small indicator light in the upper left corner of the body. On the back, you'll find at least 13 customizable buttons, to which you can assign one of 80 different capabilities.

On the top edge, there is a "new generation" hot shoe, which we had already seen on the EOS R3. It makes the EOS R5 C compatible with Tascam's accessories for high quality sound recording by adding more connections.

The most important distinction is on the back of the camera. The new Canon EOS R5 C camera includes an active ventilation system, which is placed on the back of the camera (like the Panasonic S1H), to remedy the overheating problems that the EOS R5 suffered from.

The EOS R5 C is thus clearly heavier than its big brother (11.1 cm against 8.8 cm). Fortunately, the weight is well contained (680 g).

We should be able to shoot very long sequences using this active fan approach. In this regard, consider that the EOS R5 C also removes the 30-minute limit imposed on videos by the (now repealed) European legislation on camcorders.

The EOS R5 C also has many of the same components as its big brother, the EOS R5. The 0.5-inch OLED viewfinder with 5.76 megapixels, as well as the tiny top-edge monitor, are both present.

The 3.2-inch rear screen is again mounted on a swivel and offers 2.1 million dots, as on the EOS R5. Note that it can be used to see more clearly by activating the Zebra mode or the "false color" control (to more easily view the exposure). A Zebra setting is also available.

The EOS R5 C has the same three elements as the EOS R5: a 45 MP CMOS sensor (here unstabilized), a Digic X processor and an RF mount. The three elements that allow to record videos in 8K while capturing photos at 70 frames per second in burst (with electronic shutter).

Another notable feature is that the EOS R5 C is a dual-headed camera due to its separate photo and video capabilities. The mode dial, for example, must be turned off before switching from photo to video (and vice versa).

Even better: the "photo" firmware and the video firmware are completely separate - and different. We find the same menu structure in photo as on the EOS R5 (see below). The autofocus modes, however, are different. WiFi is only accessible in photo mode: you will have to use a separate accessory if you want to use it in video mode.

The separate separation of photo and video operations within the same camera is surprising, as it gives the impression of having two separate cameras in the same housing.

The Canon EOS R5 C records 8K 60p RAW video internally.

Beyond these factors, the EOS R5 C is a serious combat video camera that can shoot RAW in 8K at 30p internally - all thanks to the full width of the sensor. The result is 8192 x 4320 pixels (oversampling) and a maximum bitrate of 2140 Mbps.

And, if you want to make the most of this camera's capabilities, it can record up to 60 frames per second... but only if it is connected to an external power source. Otherwise, recording is possible but without the "motorized" functions (aperture, focus, zoom).

The EOS R5 C also has "crop" modes that allow filming in Super 35 and Super 16. Note also that the camera can produce 4K (or 2K) images by oversampling the photos taken with 8K resolution.

Photos are captured in 12-bit and Cinema RAW Light format, which includes similar color grading options to "classic" Cinema RAW. The latter offers the same degree of color customization as "classic" Cinema RAW, but with smaller file sizes. Canon claims to have incorporated "three distinct variations of the new RAW format": Raw HQ, Raw Standard and Raw Light.

However, 8K 60p RAW recording is only available in RAW Light format. The same goes for RAW 8K 25p: it is only available in 5.9K at 25p or 3K at 25/50p (in RAW light). In terms of maximum duration, it takes 31 minutes for 8K 50p, 63 minutes for 8K 25p (in RAW light), 41 minutes for 8K 25p (in RAW standard), and 38 minutes for 5.9K at 25i (in Raw HQ).

Obviously, the time required to process low-resolution video is much longer than the time required to process high-resolution video (up to 8 hours in continuous 2.9K at 25p in RAW).

The EOS R5 C also has an HDMI output that allows you to record images in 8K RAW. The ability to shoot ProRes RAW footage with the EOS R5 C has been confirmed by the brand, so an Atomos Ninja V+ can be used to capture ProRes RAW video with the EOS R5 C.

There are several possibilities for filming.

The EOS R5 C records in 12-bit Cinema RAW Light format as well as Canon's 10-bit XF-AVC format (up to 810 Mbps). MP4 recording is also available (10-bit HEVC 4:2:2 and 8-bit H.264 4:2:2), especially for creating proxy video files.

Therefore, keep in mind that the EOS R5 C allows for two simultaneous recordings thanks to the inclusion of an SDXC slot (UHS-II compatible) next to the CFexpress card slot.

The EOS R5 C will also be capable of capturing slow motion footage in 4K at 120p with autofocus, compatible with 10-bit 4:2:2. For colorimetry, the camera offers the ability to capture in Canon Log 3 and is HDR PQ (Perceptual Quantization) compatible for those who want to shoot in HDR.

However, there are no built-in ND filters; they remain the domain of the EOS C70 camera. We can rely on user LUT tables to help, as well as the ability to design your own custom LUT.

The EOS R5 C is compatible with anamorphic lenses thanks to electronic image decompression in the viewfinder and on connected monitors. All three anamorphic formats 2x, 1.8x and 1.3x are accessible.

The EOS R5 C's sensor is not stabilized, but the camera includes an in-body electronic image stabilizer (IS) that can correct motion blur in 5 axes. A system developed by Canon in late 2020 for use with the EOS C500 Mark II RF lenses.

The camera takes advantage of the gyro chip built into the lenses to improve roll and pitch stabilization when shooting with RF lenses. In standard mode, 10 percent crop is required, while in "enhanced stability" mode, 30 percent crop is required.

The EOS R5 C's Dual Pixel autofocus is inherited from the EOS R5. The camera uses EOS iTR AF X technology in video, with automatic face and head detection and tracking (even when the subject's back is turned or is hidden behind an obstacle). The AF should be able to adjust speed and responsiveness in ten steps each.

In still mode, however, the system behaves similarly to the EOS R5; it detects and tracks subjects' eyes.

Finally, Canon would like to assure its former customers that their EF mount lenses can be used with the EOS R5 C using EF-RF adapter rings.

Therefore, we should note that the camera is compatible with the original EF-EOS R 0.71x adapter ring, which was created for use with Super 35mm cameras.

Finally, the EOS R5 C becomes the second camera to be compatible with its RF 5.2mm f/2.8L Dual Fisheye lens and virtual reality platform. 

The EOS R5 C uses the same battery as the EOS R5

When it comes to connectivity, the EOS R5 C is no slouch. In addition to the two "classic" 3.5mm jacks for headphones and microphones, there is a micro-HDMI port and a USB Type C 3.2 port. There is also a DIN Time Code connector and an N3 port for the wired remote control, as mentioned before.

In addition, there is the multi-functional flash shoe compatible with the Tascam CA-XLR2dc-C adapter to connect four XLR cables for high quality sound.

The R5C can accommodate CFexpress 2.0 Type B cards in its slot. The presence of an SDXC card slot, as mentioned earlier, is a pleasant surprise.

On the battery side, the EOS R5 C uses a rechargeable Li-ion LP-E6NH battery, identical to that used in the EOS R5. Canon has indicated a maximum shooting time of 50 minutes in 8K RAW 25p or 35 minutes in 4K XF-AVC 50p at the moment.

However, the camera can be used in wired mode with the PD-E1 USB-C adapter or the DR-E6 power coupler (which has the advantage of continuing to power the camera even after it's powered up). Note that the BG-R10 grip of the EOS R5 doubles the battery life.

The EOS R5 C is compatible with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi (2.4 and 5 GHz). Video mode requires the use of the WFT-R10 grip, which has Wi-Fi capabilities as well as image transfer to a server.

The EOS R5 C, meanwhile, comes with a new Canon CTM app. Exclusively for iOS, it allows you to connect the camera to your iPhone via USB or Wifi to send video and metadata to an external server.

The EOS R5 C is also compatible with a "browser remote" feature that allows you to control the camera remotely using its IP address using a basic browser. Finally, the camera is compatible with Canon's image.canon service, created two years ago.