TeT said:
How does it track compared to your 6D?
I can't do side-by-side testing since my 6D and 24-70 f/4 lens are with my son in Europe. But, I shot with it expensively for nearly 4 years so am very familiar with 6D capabilities.
6D's are terrific cameras, but autofocus tracking is not one of their strengths. I got to the point where I almost never used it in AI Servo mode, even for moving subjects. I got more keepers pre-focusing and using Single Shot. By contrast, I use(d) my 5D3 and 5DsR in Servo mode the vast majority of the time.
The M5 does a great job of tracking by comparison. I've used mine extensively for taking pictures of the kids (4,6,7 years old) playing when they are moving quickly and randomly, and its does a very good job of retaining focus, much better than the 6D overall. I've tried both the 6D and M5 to shoot birds in flight using my 300 f/2.8 II with extenders (eagles, herons and geese) with limited success. The M5 did a little better, but neither is going to replace my 5DsR for bird photography!
The M5 lacks the autofocus customization that is possible with the 5D and 1D series bodies - AF options are fairly limited. So, for general purpose use: family, portraits, street, landscape, etc. the M5 autofocus is very capable. For serious sports and wildlife photography, you want to use a DSLR with phase detect autofocus, designed for these uses (7DII, 5D3, 5D4, 5Ds(R), 1D series).
One other observation about the M5 vs. a 5Dx or 6D is the viewfinders. The M5's EVF is very nice and capable, but its much darker and smaller than the big, bright OVF's on the 5D's and 6D. Last weekend I was shooting birds from a blind and had my 300 mounted on a tripod with gimbal and was exchanging my M5 and 5DsR bodies on the lens. The difference in the viewfinders was really noticeable when done side by side like this. EVF technology has improved quite a bit, but still has a ways to go before it will match a good OVF in my opinion.
