DPReview: Canon EOS R5 and R6 overheating claims tested: cameras work as promised – but that’s not enough

[Random Orbits]

Got my R5 two days ago. Here are two interesting findings about the overheating:

1. I woke up this morning and wanted to import into my computer my photos from yesterday. It took about 10-15 minutes with the camera turned on and plugged into the computer to complete the process. Once this was done, I picked up the camera. Naturally, it was not hot. But when I checked into the video mode, My remaining time for shooting in 4KHQ 24p had gone from 25 minutes to 10 minutes.
At first, I did accept the limitations on paper. But seeing this, I feel like I almost got scammed from Canon. They didn't have the right to advertise 4KHQ with that kind of performance.

2. In the afternoon, it was 34 degrees out. I left the R5 in the car for 3 hours, in the sun. When I came back, it was boiling, and I could have almost cooked an egg on top of it. I turned it on thinking I would have 0 minute left of shooting. Well, I have the full 25 mins left, and same for 8k. Go figure !

My thought is that it's probably the best hybrid camera available right now. But if canon doesn't fix this overheating issue fast, I will most likely switch to the A74 when that comes out, if the rumors turned out to be exact. By that I mean at least 20MP for stills, and 4K 10 bit 24p for video.
I really wanted to love that camera, and although its great for still, the video performance is making me really sad.

I don't remember the last time I plugged a camera with a wire into a computer to transfer files outside of work, which is probably also why I don't understand why people are so gung-ho about USB-C charging. I'd rather not risk ruining the port or some other assembly on the camera that'll cost hundreds to replace in the case the wire gets snagged, etc.

The R5's closer competitor isn't the A74, it's the A7R4, which has more limited video features than the R5. And if the past is any indication, I'd also agree that the Sony would be better for video... but the A74 is slotted against the R6, which doesn't overheat when using 4K24 (similar to quality of R5 HQ) with an external recorder accord to Gerald Undone's latest tests. So you have the same dichotomy in Canon that you have with Sony. The higher IQ cameras are prone to overheating due to their higher resolution sensors that require more processing. The A7S3 is optimized for 4K with a 12MP sensor, and the A74 will fall somewhere in between. The bigger limitation I see with the R5/R6 is that only Clog is available and not Clog3, which preserves more DR. That and the record limit of 29:59 are limitations in the R ecosystem that are not in Sony's ecosystem.

Personally, I've been burned by Sony. First with an expensive DLP TV that had issues that Sony finally acknowledged but they killed off the line so they never had to fix it, and now more recently with one of their "Tough" UHS-II card. I had predominantly used SanDisk without issue, but I was tempted by Sony's higher speeds and how many have recommended the Tough cards. But then I had 3 file failures in 2 weeks with low-level formats in between. Of course, mine wasn't in the batch that was "recalled" but it also failed shortly after the warranty expired. I've had issues with my Canon gear, but Canon has always been able to fix (some under warranty and some not) them at reasonable prices. If I had only 1 camera body a couple consumer-grade lenses, then I might "risk" Sony, but I'd consider it disposable. But not with multiple bodies with lots of lenses. I'm just glad that Canon closed the "body gap" for stills. Canon may not have "won" video, but as of now, it's video is competitive as opposed to DOA like the 5D4/original R. What other FF MILC has 8K? Will I use it? Probably not, but now I might actually start using 4K instead of 1080P, and that is an upgrade. Do I need 4K HQ? Probably not... usually my videos are of the kids performances where I leave the camera on a tripod (with the start/stop in breaks to deal with the video limit). Is 4K HQ sharper and less noisy? Yes... but I'm not cropping video and at TV viewing distances, it should be OK. Perhaps I'll pick up an external recorder down the line, and by then maybe there will be an aftermarket solution (i.e. tilta cooling fan). Or perhaps Canon will release a RF camcorder. These ARE interesting times.

 

[CanonFanBoy]

They didn't have the right to advertise 4KHQ with that kind of performance.

Yes, they did have the right. They even specified the time limits. Fix the overheating issue? What issue? Switch to the A7 Mark IV? You don't think it will overheat when it shoots FF 8k or FF 4KHQ (downsampled 8k). Will it even shoot 8k? If not, then why not keep the R5 if it will not overheat in 4k? Just how many minutes of 8k do you typically shoot, and onto what size cards?

 

[VictraBarca]

Yes, they did have the right. They even specified the time limits. Fix the overheating issue? What issue? Switch to the A7 Mark IV? You don't think it will overheat when it shoots FF 8k or FF 4KHQ (downsampled 8k). Will it even shoot 8k? If not, then why not keep the R5 if it will not overheat in 4k? Just how many minutes of 8k do you typically shoot, and onto what size cards?

Why are you talking about 8K? He's talking about 4K HQ.

 

[CanonFanBoy]

Why are you talking about 8K? He's talking about 4K HQ.

4kHQ is down sampled from 8k. What are you babbling about? He's not just talking about 4k HQ. He's talking about overheating and how a Sony might be the solution... it probably is, because it doesn't even shoot in the modes he's concerned about. In other words, Canon's overheating isn't really the issue with him because he'd be perfectly happy with a mode that won't overheat as long as the brand is different.

 

[stevensteven]

Actually, I am just talking about 4K HQ. I would never use anything above 24fps either.
Im just very disappointed by the idea of going into a lower quality mode of 4K. The DR is worse than on Sony as well..

4kHQ is down sampled from 8k. What are you babbling about? He's not just talking about 4k HQ. He's talking about overheating and how a Sony might be the solution... it probably is, because it doesn't even shoot in the modes he's concerned about. In other words, Canon's overheating isn't really the issue with him because he'd be perfectly happy with a mode that won't overheat as long as the brand is different.

 

[stevensteven]

I don't remember the last time I plugged a camera with a wire into a computer to transfer files outside of work, which is probably also why I don't understand why people are so gung-ho about USB-C charging. I'd rather not risk ruining the port or some other assembly on the camera that'll cost hundreds to replace in the case the wire gets snagged, etc.

I didn't receive my CFexpress reader yet. I don't care if the camera overheats while importing. Im just pointing out my first observations.

The R5's closer competitor isn't the A74, it's the A7R4, which has more limited video features than the R5. And if the past is any indication, I'd also agree that the Sony would be better for video... but the A74 is slotted against the R6, which doesn't overheat when using 4K24 (similar to quality of R5 HQ) with an external recorder accord to Gerald Undone's latest tests. So you have the same dichotomy in Canon that you have with Sony. The higher IQ cameras are prone to overheating due to their higher resolution sensors that require more processing. The A7S3 is optimized for 4K with a 12MP sensor, and the A74 will fall somewhere in between. The bigger limitation I see with the R5/R6 is that only Clog is available and not Clog3, which preserves more DR. That and the record limit of 29:59 are limitations in the R ecosystem that are not in Sony's ecosystem.

Today, its direct competitor is the A7R4, and its a better choice, sure. Thats why I sold my a7r4 last week and got the R5. I thought it was going to be the last camera I ever need to carry with me to do all I need, but I was wrong. Great for stills, not so great for video. I prefer 4K HQ 24fps to Sony's 8 bit. But I prefer Sony's 8bit to the LQ more that reminds me of the R. Bad 4k (in my opinion) and bad DR. Sony is better.
However, when the a74 will come out, it might become the direct competitor for the real 50/50 hybrid shooter. While the 12mp of the a7siii is a bit low for stills, I don't need 45 either. The 24 range is perfect for a hybrid shooter, I think... So if you give me an a74 with the same colours as the A7SIII, the DR of the A7III or better, and 4K 24 10 BIT 422 unlimited, I will think its a better choice than the R5 with its overheating. It will be the perfect camera for. And the perfect system, as I will also have the peace of mind that If I ever need more video specs, all I need to do is add an A7S3 body to my kit.

By the way, I love canon. I want to stick to canon. But they have really disappointed me before. And just so you know, I used to defend them until I received my R5. I was on their side. But after trying it, im just too shocked at how badly it performs in the HQ video modes. I even want to cry a little bit.

Personally, I've been burned by Sony. First with an expensive DLP TV that had issues that Sony finally acknowledged but they killed off the line so they never had to fix it, and now more recently with one of their "Tough" UHS-II card. I had predominantly used SanDisk without issue, but I was tempted by Sony's higher speeds and how many have recommended the Tough cards. But then I had 3 file failures in 2 weeks with low-level formats in between. Of course, mine wasn't in the batch that was "recalled" but it also failed shortly after the warranty expired. I've had issues with my Canon gear, but Canon has always been able to fix (some under warranty and some not) them at reasonable prices. If I had only 1 camera body a couple consumer-grade lenses, then I might "risk" Sony, but I'd consider it disposable. But not with multiple bodies with lots of lenses. I'm just glad that Canon closed the "body gap" for stills. Canon may not have "won" video, but as of now, it's video is competitive as opposed to DOA like the 5D4/original R. What other FF MILC has 8K? Will I use it? Probably not, but now I might actually start using 4K instead of 1080P, and that is an upgrade. Do I need 4K HQ? Probably not... usually my videos are of the kids performances where I leave the camera on a tripod (with the start/stop in breaks to deal with the video limit). Is 4K HQ sharper and less noisy? Yes... but I'm not cropping video and at TV viewing distances, it should be OK. Perhaps I'll pick up an external recorder down the line, and by then maybe there will be an aftermarket solution (i.e. tilta cooling fan). Or perhaps Canon will release a RF camcorder. These ARE interesting times.

I don't care about 8K and I don't need raw either.

 

[Otara]

I copy the data to the sd card slot in the camera, then read off that card. Slower but avoids having to connect the whole camera.

 

[Random Orbits]

Today, its direct competitor is the A7R4, and its a better choice, sure. Thats why I sold my a7r4 last week and got the R5. I thought it was going to be the last camera I ever need to carry with me to do all I need, but I was wrong. Great for stills, not so great for video. I prefer 4K HQ 24fps to Sony's 8 bit. But I prefer Sony's 8bit to the LQ more that reminds me of the R. Bad 4k (in my opinion) and bad DR. Sony is better.
However, when the a74 will come out, it might become the direct competitor for the real 50/50 hybrid shooter. While the 12mp of the a7siii is a bit low for stills, I don't need 45 either. The 24 range is perfect for a hybrid shooter, I think... So if you give me an a74 with the same colours as the A7SIII, the DR of the A7III or better, and 4K 24 10 BIT 422 unlimited, I will think its a better choice than the R5 with its overheating. It will be the perfect camera for. And the perfect system, as I will also have the peace of mind that If I ever need more video specs, all I need to do is add an A7S3 body to my kit.

By the way, I love canon. I want to stick to canon. But they have really disappointed me before. And just so you know, I used to defend them until I received my R5. I was on their side. But after trying it, im just too shocked at how badly it performs in the HQ video modes. I even want to cry a little bit.

Looks like the R6 would have been a better fit for you rather than the R5 because you don't need the resolution. 40 min 4K24 internal recording or unlimited external recording with its regular 4K is similar to the R5's 4K24 HQ. Either that or stuck with your Sony.

 

[Random Orbits]

I copy the data to the sd card slot in the camera, then read off that card. Slower but avoids having to connect the whole camera.

I ordered a CFexpress card and a reader. The card is available but the reader is backordered, so i told them to charge both when both are available in a couple weeks. For now, it's a UHS-II SD card only.

 

[SecureGSM]

Resolution is fixed. But noise and DR are going to vary with any variation in temperature in the analog stages (so basically the sensor circuitry before the ADCs). That's true of any camera, and it's the reason why dedicated astro cameras are cooled. For a given temperature change the change in IQ may be too small to notice or worry about. But it's going to be there.

It would be interesting to see PTP take a few DSLR and mirrorless bodies, run a high use test (a thousand frames?), and measure the initial and final frames to determine if the changes are human observable and how they compare between OVF and EVF.

To be clear this isn't specifically an R5/R6 issue. Their sensors may be warmer or cooler than the average mirrorless under heavy shooting. There's no way to know without measuring them. But it's pretty clear that it's not the sensors which are retaining heat and creating an issue for video work.

Oh, noise and DR would certainly vary with any variation of temperature. To what extend though? Micro variations?
my point is though: it won’t affect photographic application beyond perhaps the most extreme types of photography like Astro or “photo measurbation”. Example: one will be taking photos 6 stops under exposed and pushing shadow in post by 6 stops to to spot a slight Banding or slightly increased noise levels.
I am not a photo measurbator and focus on creativity instead. So in my view, R5 is an immensely useful camera but unfortunately priced way to high in Australia at this stage. prohibitively expensive.

 

[PGSanta]

Actually, I am just talking about 4K HQ. I would never use anything above 24fps either.
Im just very disappointed by the idea of going into a lower quality mode of 4K. The DR is worse than on Sony as well..

The DR is limited by C-Log, something Canon could easily fix if it desires. If you check out Gerald Undone's video, he shows through an examination of the PDR profile that they could very easily improve video DR to bring it in line with everyone else.

Based purely on PDR though... Canon has the best dynamic range in the business now.

Yet another thing getting buried under the overheating mess.

The R5 has BETTER DR than a Sony, has BETTER low light eye AF than even the A7III, BETTER IBIS, BETTER tracking... it really is shaping up to the the best stills tool on the market.

Video.... not so much.

 

[stevensteven]

The DR is limited by C-Log, something Canon could easily fix if it desires. If you check out Gerald Undone's video, he shows through an examination of the PDR profile that they could very easily improve video DR to bring it in line with everyone else.

Based purely on PDR though... Canon has the best dynamic range in the business now.

Yet another thing getting buried under the overheating mess.

The R5 has BETTER DR than a Sony, has BETTER low light eye AF than even the A7III, BETTER IBIS, BETTER tracking... it really is shaping up to the the best stills tool on the market.

Video.... not so much.

It might have the best DR for stills, but not at all for video. Sure, maybe CLOG 3 an help, but CLOG 3 isn't here, and if we look at history, it might be a long time (or never) until we get it.
So I'm getting a little bit tired of waiting...
For now, its the best hybrid. But im not investing in anything else than an RF 35MM 1.8 at the moment, because I fear they might not be able to keep up with Sony, especially when they A74 comes out and becomes the best hybrid on the market...

 

[koenkooi]

It might have the best DR for stills, but not at all for video. Sure, maybe CLOG 3 an help, but CLOG 3 isn't here, and if we look at history, it might be a long time (or never) until we get it.[..]

Only buy electronics for features they have right now, don't buy them for features that are promised in future updates.

 

[stevensteven]

Only buy electronics for features they have right now, don't buy them for features that are promised in future updates.

Couldn't agree more with you. Thats why I don't get the people saying but maybe with an update it will not overheat and maybe with an update the dynamic range because this YouTube said that.

The point is, for whatever reasons that belongs to Canon's management decision, the camera overheats and doesn't have a DR in video comparable to the older Sonys...

 

[Kit Lens Jockey]

Has anyone seen this yet? It appears that the "overheating" is almost completely a software issue, and not based on actual camera overheating.

EOSHD testing finds Canon EOS R5 overheating to be fake, with artificial timers deployed to lock out video mode - EOSHD.com - Filmmaking Gear and Camera Reviews

In this test, we will probe my Canon EOS R5’s actual internal temperature in Celsius, as reported by the firmware. Is overheating real or fake? CDA-TEK and I are developing a Temperature Status Monitor app for the Canon EOS R5. It connects to the camera via the Canon API over Wifi from an...

www.eoshd.com

 

[privatebydesign]

Has anyone seen this yet? It appears that the "overheating" is almost completely a software issue, and not based on actual camera overheating.

EOSHD testing finds Canon EOS R5 overheating to be fake, with artificial timers deployed to lock out video mode - EOSHD.com - Filmmaking Gear and Camera Reviews

In this test, we will probe my Canon EOS R5’s actual internal temperature in Celsius, as reported by the firmware. Is overheating real or fake? CDA-TEK and I are developing a Temperature Status Monitor app for the Canon EOS R5. It connects to the camera via the Canon API over Wifi from an...

www.eoshd.com

Stop reading EOSHD, they are so biased and ridiculous about this anything they say is trained by their previous unmitigated comments.

But specifically they are recording a single point camera internal temp, NOT the temp of the CFexpress cards that have been shown to be the bottleneck, not the software. Others have done similar things and when you record to card then pull the card they are hot.

 

[Kit Lens Jockey]

Stop reading EOSHD, they are so biased and ridiculous about this anything they say is trained by their previous unmitigated comments.

But specifically they are recording a single point camera internal temp, NOT the temp of the CFexpress cards that have been shown to be the bottleneck, not the software. Others have done similar things and when you record to card then pull the card they are hot.

Ah, I understand. I was also suspicious about maybe another part of the camera outside of where the temperature was being measured may be getting hot. I had heard that the CF express cards get hot, but I'm surprised that they seem to be the bottleneck for how long this camera can record for. But I guess that does give hope that newer CF express cards may run cooler in the future.

 

[privatebydesign]

Ah, I understand. I was also suspicious about maybe another part of the camera outside of where the temperature was being measured may be getting hot. I had heard that the CF express cards get hot, but I'm surprised that they seem to be the bottleneck for how long this camera can record for. But I guess that does give hope that newer CF express cards may run cooler in the future.

I think newer tech working better is unlikely as it would be a newer standard that isn't implementable retroactively, like SD and SD UHS-II. I understand some people need more than the R5 can do but for them I'd just say move on and get a camera that does do what you need. The R5 does do what Canon says it does and you should plan any purchasing decision on that, and by most reasonable accounts and examples I have seen the standard 4k is extremely close to the 4kHQ and that is unlimited. I have also seen accounts of people shooting entire weddings with an R5 in one of the HQ modes using it smartly with the published design limitations in mind.

There will be people making a noise and EOSHD seem to have staked their claim as being the most ridiculously mistreated by Canon for daring to sell such a POS camera. Others are using it for what it was designed for and within its stated limits and are loving it.