Canon R5 R5 question/request for opinions

[Bryan Conner]

I am currently a EOS R shooter and am thinking of moving up to an R5 (MK1) in a few months. I have really enjoyed my R and have to say that it is the best camera that I have ever owned.

As I am primarily a still photographer and don't normally shoot a lot of bursts of action, I would like to hear your opinions on using UHS-II cards only in the R5 or if you actually see an advantage in using CF Expess cards? I know that video is limited by UHS-II cards, but that isn't an issue with me. I may have shot two videos in the last few years with my R. I also know that transfer speed when copying the images from the card to computer is also much faster, so that is something I do like.

I have 7 UHS-II V90 cards at the moment and would definitely by a CFexpress card if I added another card to my arsenal. Am I missing something in terms of shooting landscapes, nature, and general travel images by not using a CFexpress card?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and opinions.

 

[PKM-UK]

Hi Bryan,

I had an EOS R until I moved up to my R5. I use a mix of UHS-II cards (SanDisk Extreme PRO 300 and Kingston Canvas React Plus 300) and some older UHS-I cards (SanDisk Extreme PRO 170) and I have a single, relatively slow, CFexpress card (Integral 128GB Type B).

I also shoot a mix of (generally) still subjects - architecture, landscape, travel - with occasional short bursts of wild/ zoo animals, but almost no video.

All of the cards are perfectly fine for my purposes when shooting general stills. The UHS-II and CFexpress cards are definitely better for bursts/ clearing the buffer at the zoo - and for downloading files (but I just take a little longer finishing my coffee - it's not a huge problem!). I usually record to 1 card - typically the SD card - and have set my R5 to roll over to the other if this becomes full (my SD cards are a mix of 128GB and 64GB).

I really enjoyed using my R and the files it produced were superb to work on in post - but the R5 is from a different universe (in a good sense!).

(My opinion is you're going to have a lot of fun with your R5... ).

Phil

 

[Archibald]

At first I used only an SDXC card in my R5 and it worked fine. I don't do long bursts though, and never shoot movies. Later I got a CFexpress card, because the empty slot irritated me. Now I shoot to the CFexpress, but don't notice any difference while shooting.

I need a card reader to transfer files from the CFexpress card. That is a bit inconvenient compared to using the built-in SD slot, but it's OK. The transfer goes real fast initially, but then slows dramatically after a few dozen files have been transferred.

In short, the CFexpress card is an unnecessary thing (for me) but fun.

I agree with Phil that the R5 is an amazing camera. Sometimes I go back to shoots done with the 7D2, which was also a great camera, but there is no comparison. For sure the RF 24-105mm L lens contributes a lot to that too.

 

[Bryan Conner]

Hi Bryan,

I had an EOS R until I moved up to my R5. I use a mix of UHS-II cards (SanDisk Extreme PRO 300 and Kingston Canvas React Plus 300) and some older UHS-I cards (SanDisk Extreme PRO 170) and I have a single, relatively slow, CFexpress card (Integral 128GB Type B).

I also shoot a mix of (generally) still subjects - architecture, landscape, travel - with occasional short bursts of wild/ zoo animals, but almost no video.

All of the cards are perfectly fine for my purposes when shooting general stills. The UHS-II and CFexpress cards are definitely better for bursts/ clearing the buffer at the zoo - and for downloading files (but I just take a little longer finishing my coffee - it's not a huge problem!). I usually record to 1 card - typically the SD card - and have set my R5 to roll over to the other if this becomes full (my SD cards are a mix of 128GB and 64GB).

I really enjoyed using my R and the files it produced were superb to work on in post - but the R5 is from a different universe (in a good sense!).

(My opinion is you're going to have a lot of fun with your R5... ).

Phil

Thanks for your input Phil. I have rented an R5 and battery grip for a weekend at the end of May. I am really looking forward to using it

 

[Bryan Conner]

At first I used only an SDXC card in my R5 and it worked fine. I don't do long bursts though, and never shoot movies. Later I got a CFexpress card, because the empty slot irritated me. Now I shoot to the CFexpress, but don't notice any difference while shooting.

I need a card reader to transfer files from the CFexpress card. That is a bit inconvenient compared to using the built-in SD slot, but it's OK. The transfer goes real fast initially, but then slows dramatically after a few dozen files have been transferred.

In short, the CFexpress card is an unnecessary thing (for me) but fun.

I agree with Phil that the R5 is an amazing camera. Sometimes I go back to shoots done with the 7D2, which was also a great camera, but there is no comparison. For sure the RF 24-105mm L lens contributes a lot to that too.

Thanks for your thoughts Archibald.

I never had a 7D2, but had the 7D and then the 6D before getting the R. And the difference from those two (and all others from the previous 23 years of Canon DSLRs) was a huge step as well for me.

To both you and Phil, as people might say back home in Mississippi...you done flung a craving on me! Well, I have been wanting an R5 for a while but you are definitely encouraging the itch.

 

[Only RF]

Here is link. When I had an R5 I used a Lexar Professional 128GB, 1750 MB/s. I rarely maxed the buffer and I did a lot of burst shooting. For my R7 I use a Lexar professional 128GB, 300 MB/s, V90, XC II.

Best Canon R5 Memory Cards With Speed & Buffer Tests - RF Shooters

We test over 30 memory cards in the Canon R5 to find out which CFexpress and SD cards are the fastest in-camera.

rfshooters.com

 

[dgphoto8]

I am currently a EOS R shooter and am thinking of moving up to an R5 (MK1) in a few months. I have really enjoyed my R and have to say that it is the best camera that I have ever owned.

As I am primarily a still photographer and don't normally shoot a lot of bursts of action, I would like to hear your opinions on using UHS-II cards only in the R5 or if you actually see an advantage in using CF Expess cards? I know that video is limited by UHS-II cards, but that isn't an issue with me. I may have shot two videos in the last few years with my R. I also know that transfer speed when copying the images from the card to computer is also much faster, so that is something I do like.

I have 7 UHS-II V90 cards at the moment and would definitely by a CFexpress card if I added another card to my arsenal. Am I missing something in terms of shooting landscapes, nature, and general travel images by not using a CFexpress card?

Thanks in advance for your thoughts and opinions.

Hi Bryan,

I also switched from an R to an R5. I used an SDS card initially and it works fine for scenics and conventional single shot photos. However, since I do a lot of bird photography and am trying to capture twitchy birds, I ended up getting a CF Express card (SanDisk 128GB Extreme Pro) on sale, then a second one when I started filling up the first one on a regular basis during birding shoots.

 

[Bryan Conner]

Hi Bryan,

I also switched from an R to an R5. I used an SDS card initially and it works fine for scenics and conventional single shot photos. However, since I do a lot of bird photography and am trying to capture twitchy birds, I ended up getting a CF Express card (SanDisk 128GB Extreme Pro) on sale, then a second one when I started filling up the first one on a regular basis during birding shoots.

Thanks for your input Don.