5DS R vs 7DII

[AlanF]

I have been toying with getting a 5DS R for my bird photography as well as being an upgrade for my 5DIII. There has been debate in various forums about Moire and colour artefacts, but they are minimal, a consensus that the 5DS R is about 10% sharper than he 5DS, but the difference gets less after sharpening, a huge plus that it has the same reach as an APS-C and the field of view of an FF, but the files are huge and the fps slow. Arthur Morris raves about the 5DS R for bird photography whereas Glenn Bartley considers it just a studio camera.

On Thursday, Canon announced a £250 cashback on the 5DS R and an official Canon retailer in the UK was selling one at a 20% discount. I couldn't resist the overall 28% discount and ordered one immediately to test for myself.

My first tests just using iso 12233 charts have indeed shown that before sharpening the 5DS R gives images distinctly sharper than from my 7DII, using the 300mm f/2.8 II and 100-400mm II with or without 1.4x and 2cxTCs. On sharpening, the difference is indeed lowered, but is still there. So, my 5DIII is about to be sold and I'll be using the 7DII and 5DS R as my stock cameras. By the way, the 100-400mm II, with or without the 1.4xTC stands up well against the 300mm f/2.8 II with the 1.4 or 2xTC on the 5DS R. I am going to enjoy the 5DS R. OK, the files will be huge and the fps lower, but the larger field of view with its easier locating of small birds and less clipping of large ones will be a serious compensation.

 

[bdunbar79]

All else equal, the 5Ds will always be sharper than the 7D2, because the enlargement ratio of the 7D2 to reach the same output size of the 5Ds. You lose fps. Everything else, including the AF system arguably, is better in the 5Ds. Fps might be very important for BIF however. Tough call.

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

Its good to hear information from someone that I consider to be reliable.

I'm holding back to see what the 5D IV brings. I see prices as low as $2200 for a used D1X on Craigslist. That's also hard to resist.

 

[AlanF]

All else equal, the 5Ds will always be sharper than the 7D2, because the enlargement ratio of the 7D2 to reach the same output size of the 5Ds. You lose fps. Everything else, including the AF system arguably, is better in the 5Ds. Fps might be very important for BIF however. Tough call.

Sorry, I should have been clearer. If you are the same distance away from the subject with the same lens, the 5DS R is slightly sharper than the 7DII with the image occupying the same number of pixels on each sensor.

 

[Big_Ant_TV_Media]

what's a D1X??

 

[takesome1]

You mentioned 10% and any sharpness edge goes away when you sharpen.
I did some quick tests when I first got my 5Ds R and I couldn't see enough difference in sharpness to be significant at all, however I was comparing PP pics. Are you seeing similar results?

But, the illusion of the "crop factor" benefit is completely gone with the 5Ds bodies.
The FPS disadvantage is huge, but with my copy of the 7D II and 5Ds R I have to say if I were shooting BIF I would prefer the 5Ds R just because the AF system is superior. I was never impressed with the 7D II AF, and have been very impressed with the 5Ds R.

 

[bdunbar79]

All else equal, the 5Ds will always be sharper than the 7D2, because the enlargement ratio of the 7D2 to reach the same output size of the 5Ds. You lose fps. Everything else, including the AF system arguably, is better in the 5Ds. Fps might be very important for BIF however. Tough call.

Sorry, I should have been clearer. If you are the same distance away from the subject with the same lens, the 5DS R is slightly sharper than the 7DII with the image occupying the same number of pixels on each sensor.

Ok, I got it.

 

[xps]

I met some wildlife photographers in the last week, who were using the 5DSR too. And they say, it is an phantastic camera for wildlife - if you shoots not fast animals. We compared shots of flying seagulls/herons/curlews on their laptops and the image quality is really a step above the 7DII. Shots of faster flying birds like falcons and near passing gray geese and cormorants are definitively sharper on the 7DII.

I am waiting for the 5DIV release - and if this body does not meet my needs (I know.... GAS ;D) I will look for an 5DSR.

 

[Deleted member 91053]

I have been toying with getting a 5DS R for my bird photography as well as being an upgrade for my 5DIII. There has been debate in various forums about Moire and colour artefacts, but they are minimal, a consensus that the 5DS R is about 10% sharper than he 5DS, but the difference gets less after sharpening, a huge plus that it has the same reach as an APS-C and the field of view of an FF, but the files are huge and the fps slow. Arthur Morris raves about the 5DS R for bird photography whereas Glenn Bartley considers it just a studio camera.

On Thursday, Canon announced a £250 cashback on the 5DS R and an official Canon retailer in the UK was selling one at a 20% discount. I couldn't resist the overall 28% discount and ordered one immediately to test for myself.

My first tests just using iso 12233 charts have indeed shown that before sharpening the 5DS R gives images distinctly sharper than from my 7DII, using the 300mm f/2.8 II and 100-400mm II with or without 1.4x and 2cxTCs. On sharpening, the difference is indeed lowered, but is still there. So, my 5DIII is about to be sold and I'll be using the 7DII and 5DS R as my stock cameras. By the way, the 100-400mm II, with or without the 1.4xTC stands up well against the 300mm f/2.8 II with the 1.4 or 2xTC on the 5DS R. I am going to enjoy the 5DS R. OK, the files will be huge and the fps lower, but the larger field of view with its easier locating of small birds and less clipping of large ones will be a serious compensation.

It really comes down to what sort of shots you are after. If the light is decent and the subject is static or easy to track and you are not trying to catch a specific moment then the 5DsR will blow the socks of any other Canon DSLR.
I use the Canon 7D2 and the Canon 1DX - simply because my wildlife photography needs do not fit in with the above scenario. In the case of the 7D2 I want/need the faster AF and better tracking that it offers - the frame rate is handy too. With the 1DX I have even more solid AF, better high ISO, better detail resolution etc etc.
These two cameras suit my needs very/extremely well but if the best in speed and responsiveness are not your ultimate priorities and the light is generally decent then a 5DsR would fit the bill VERY nicely. If you have the time and the light then, currently, the 5DsR is a very good(best?) choice, if you need the faster response, af , frame rate etc then Canon have cameras for that.

 

[nc0b]

I just ordered a 5DS R which hasn't arrived yet. Currently I am using a 6D and 400mm f/5.6 for BIF, but use my 100-400mm II for other wildlife where IS is helpful. One is lucky to get within a few hundred yards of an antelope herd, so I am anxious to see how the 5DS R, 100-400mm zoom and 1.4X TC III perform together. I shoot everything handheld, and a 500mm or 600mm big white is totally out of my comfort zone for cost and weight. In Alaska I shot a Sigma Sport 150-600mm briefly, and it seemed impractically heavy for me. The owner was less than half my age, and produced stunning breaching whale shots with his Sigma. I never have enough reach with wildlife, so I am hoping the TC will be a net benefit vs. cropping the 5DS R image. Since I will now be able to AF with an f/8 lens/TC combination, am I expecting more image quality than the 560mm focal length can deliver? Thermal air distortion is a real problem in Colorado at 1000 feet. Also, will the TC work on my 400mm f/5.6? The bare lens isn't listed in Canon's recommended 5DS chart. Here is an example of what I currently can capture with a 6D & zoom for antelope at about a quarter mile away.

 

[Jack Douglas]

I just ordered a 5DS R which hasn't arrived yet. Currently I am using a 6D and 400mm f/5.6 for BIF, but use my 100-400mm II for other wildlife where IS is helpful. One is lucky to get within a few hundred yards of an antelope herd, so I am anxious to see how the 5DS R, 100-400mm zoom and 1.4X TC III perform together. I shoot everything handheld, and a 500mm or 600mm big white is totally out of my comfort zone for cost and weight. In Alaska I shot a Sigma Sport 150-600mm briefly, and it seemed impractically heavy for me. The owner was less than half my age, and produced stunning breaching whale shots with his Sigma. I never have enough reach with wildlife, so I am hoping the TC will be a net benefit vs. cropping the 5DS R image. Since I will now be able to AF with an f/8 lens/TC combination, am I expecting more image quality than the 560mm focal length can deliver? Thermal air distortion is a real problem in Colorado at 1000 feet. Also, will the TC work on my 400mm f/5.6? The bare lens isn't listed in Canon's recommended 5DS chart. Here is an example of what I currently can capture with a 6D & zoom for antelope at about a quarter mile away.

Seems like an ideal situation for a portable blind??

Jack

 

[tron]

I have been toying with getting a 5DS R for my bird photography as well as being an upgrade for my 5DIII. There has been debate in various forums about Moire and colour artefacts, but they are minimal, a consensus that the 5DS R is about 10% sharper than he 5DS, but the difference gets less after sharpening, a huge plus that it has the same reach as an APS-C and the field of view of an FF, but the files are huge and the fps slow. Arthur Morris raves about the 5DS R for bird photography whereas Glenn Bartley considers it just a studio camera.

On Thursday, Canon announced a £250 cashback on the 5DS R and an official Canon retailer in the UK was selling one at a 20% discount. I couldn't resist the overall 28% discount and ordered one immediately to test for myself.

My first tests just using iso 12233 charts have indeed shown that before sharpening the 5DS R gives images distinctly sharper than from my 7DII, using the 300mm f/2.8 II and 100-400mm II with or without 1.4x and 2cxTCs. On sharpening, the difference is indeed lowered, but is still there. So, my 5DIII is about to be sold and I'll be using the 7DII and 5DS R as my stock cameras. By the way, the 100-400mm II, with or without the 1.4xTC stands up well against the 300mm f/2.8 II with the 1.4 or 2xTC on the 5DS R. I am going to enjoy the 5DS R. OK, the files will be huge and the fps lower, but the larger field of view with its easier locating of small birds and less clipping of large ones will be a serious compensation.

Alan have you confirmed that 7DII is better at high iso and that 5DSR is better at low iso?