OMG! Dpreview reviewed the 5DS/5DSR - Do you have to sell it?

[xps]

Found at : http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canon-eos-5ds-sr/12

Silver award. Got just 83%.


Maybe the rumored 5DS(R) update will bring it up to 90% as its competitors.

 

[wsmith96]

Re: OMG! Dpreview reviewed the 5DS/5DSR - Do I have to sell it?

Not a bad idea to sell it. I'd go dirt cheap too to get rid of it before someone sees you with it. What would people say if they saw a silver award camera in your kit.... :

 

[xps]

Re: OMG! Dpreview reviewed the 5DS/5DSR - Do I have to sell it?

Not a bad idea to sell it. I'd go dirt cheap too to get rid of it before someone sees you with it. What would people say if they saw a silver award camera in your kit.... :

;D

Honestly, I decided to buy an 5D series body in spring, as I spent a lot of money (thanks to all of the hints and tips from CR users) for an 600 and 7DII and a lot of other gear to shoot BIF.
But in my personal opinion, the 5DSR feels more than 83%, maybe around 85-87%. But not more, as the critizised point are true. One of my children has bought one and feels happy with it. Not only for studiophotography and landscape. Son, sometimes the person behind the cam seems to be important too 8)

 

[Viggo]

Re: OMG! Dpreview reviewed the 5DS/5DSR - Do I have to sell it?

I read most of the conclusion on the different parts, and I must say I agree with it all. I think DPreview did a fair and good review this time, and that's not always the case. The silver or gold or whatever I don't care about, but the reason behind the scores is pretty much what I think also.

One of the thing that surprised me a bit is the AF tracking. My friend bought a7rII and he said for tracking at shallow dof with the kids the accuracy is much better with the on sensor phase AF than his 5d3 for example.

I wonder what the 5d4 and 1dx2 will bring.

 

[AlanF]

Re: OMG! Dpreview reviewed the 5DS/5DSR - Do I have to sell it?

It is a very interesting and deep review with much food for thought. There are several asides in it that are useful, such as the general problem of Nikon's VR interacting with the mirror slap to degrade IQ. The 5DS/R has great pluses, but could be even better. Let's see what Canon comes up with next year.

 

[Eldar]

Re: OMG! Dpreview reviewed the 5DS/5DSR - Do I have to sell it?

My negative remarks about this camera are not many. Metering locked to AF-point is the most important short coming (I really don´t understand why they did not implement that). Ergonomics are market leading, even though the extra thumb lever we got on the 7DII would have been nice. Yes, I can agree that there are some odd limitations to the programability of the various buttons, but I have learned to live happily with them.

So if I should rate it for my use, which includes portraits, landscape, wildlife, birds and events, with or without a tripod, I would remove video from the equation, since it has no interest, I would increase the ergonomics evaluation and I´d rate it fairly good value for money. With that, the rating would be a lot more than 83%.

I had the pleasure of trying a Sony A7RII on a safari trip this fall (I actually had it on preorder, but cancelled when I realised how good the 5DSR was). Balance with larger lenses is poor. The EVF on moving targets is poor. Ergonomics is close to horrible and access to key functionality is cumbersome (my lack of experience with it must take some blame here, but the owner agreed to most of my critique) and the battery draining is a constant worry. The guy who owned it had his pockets full of batteries and was running for the charger every time we got to camp. it does have two functions of interest to me though. In body stabilisation and easier control with manual focus would make it a good team mate for my Zeiss glass.

 

[Rupp1]

Re: OMG! Dpreview reviewed the 5DS/5DSR - Do I have to sell it?

"Wow" speaking of damning with faint praise. Even when DPreview, was saying some nice things I'm not sure that they could have been any more condescending. Wondering whether Canon intentionally hobbles cameras to differentiate models is interesting, but some itty-bitty evidence would be nice. DPreview gets on Canon's case for knowing best what to put in their cameras, which would go down better if the reviewer didn't believe that his/her opinion was better, obviously better. That was the most grudging compliment I think I've ever read. To top it off, they had to take a few swings at the 5DIII's shutter sound (what's with that-a couple of years ago the 5DIII was great and the 1DX was supposed to be horrible), but the Sony a7r line gets a pass? I still find it interesting that hey have never reviewed the 1DX.

I had the pleasure of trying a Sony A7RII on a safari trip this fall (I actually had it on preorder, but cancelled when I realised how good the 5DSR was). Balance with larger lenses is poor. The EVF on moving targets is poor. Ergonomics is close to horrible and access to key functionality is cumbersome (my lack of experience with it must take some blame here, but the owner agreed to most of my critique) and the battery draining is a constant worry.

Have to go... but wanted to say that the above comments on the a7RII are fair. It isn't a sports or wildlife camera, and the controls are off, and the system isn't anywhere near as good or complete as Canon's. Still, the a7R2 is a great camera which you can carry in a small satchel with three lenses (a couple of which are very good-if overpriced). Using Canon lenses makes little sense, but unlike DPreview, I can be fair and say that the image quality of the a7R2 can be wonderful. I have less nice things to say about the a7II, except that it is cheaper but useless.

 

[erjlphoto]

Haters gotta hate. Twice I have purchased DP highly recommended dslr's only to be dissapointed. One was the infamous Nikon D600, the other was a Pentax. At the time I switched to Canon, they rated the Canon 6D lower than the D600, but for me the 6D is a far better camera. Now have two and three L lenses.....shrew DP and their bent opinions.

 

[mackguyver]

I think the funniest part was reading the cons - here are the things that I think most people actually care about:

Conclusion - Cons

Raw dynamic range limited compared to peers
Base ISO images can be noisier than the best of the competition
Low light performance limited compared to peers
ISO cap of 12,800 (6400 for Auto ISO) feels arbitrary and limiting
JPEGs not as sharp or detailed as some competitors
AF subject tracking lags most peers
Mirror and shutter vibrations require workarounds at certain shutter speeds and focal lengths
No spot-metering linked to AF point
Limited video features: no zebra, 1080/60p, flat gamma profile, or peaking options
Slow AF in Live View and video

Of course the DR has to be qualified as it's only at the base ISO, and the low light doesn't matter given that it's meant to be a studio-type body. Finally, the Live View speed isn't a deal-breaker as it's not that slow and like the rest of the items, it's a nice to have.

 

[Larsskv]

I think the funniest part was reading the cons - here are the things that I think most people actually care about:

Conclusion - Cons

Raw dynamic range limited compared to peers
Base ISO images can be noisier than the best of the competition
Low light performance limited compared to peers
ISO cap of 12,800 (6400 for Auto ISO) feels arbitrary and limiting
JPEGs not as sharp or detailed as some competitors
AF subject tracking lags most peers
Mirror and shutter vibrations require workarounds at certain shutter speeds and focal lengths
No spot-metering linked to AF point
Limited video features: no zebra, 1080/60p, flat gamma profile, or peaking options
Slow AF in Live View and video

Of course the DR has to be qualified as it's only at the base ISO, and the low light doesn't matter given that it's meant to be a studio-type body. Finally, the Live View speed isn't a deal-breaker as it's not that slow and like the rest of the items, it's a nice to have.

I really don´t care about DPR anymore. They do their best, and are for the most part sincere enough in their opinions. The thing is though, that they seem to rate innovation way more than user friendliness. They are reviewers, and accordingly they get excited when getting new things in their hands. When actually using a camera, I for one, care a whole lot more about ergonomics, handling and controls, than whether the tech is new or not. This is where I disagree with their ratings the most. The Sony´s get away way too easy with their shortcomings - lagging, poor menus, poorer handling and ergonomics -all which is very annoying when using a camera. Canon on the other hand, does not get the credit they deserve, for providing the most evolved, tried out, photographer-friendly gear, or the best lens line up.

And those cons - "AF subject tracking lags most peers" - yeah, right. I haven´t read the review, but I suspect they refer to face-tracking in auto mode, and fail to point that out. It´s hard for me to see how the AI servo tracking on my 5Ds could be any better, as it´s pretty much perfect as it is.

 

[MrToes]

Every camera has it's short fall. You just have to learn how to work around them!!!

 

[jaayres20]

As soon as I saw them use a wide angle lens to take a close up portrait, I realized they don't really consider the important aspects of what makes an image (particularly a portrait) good. Instead they are zoomed into a patch of shadow noise that nobody will ever see. What sticks out of me is not the DR, it is a distorted face of an otherwise beautiful model because they stuck a wide angel lens up her nose to take the picture.

 

[ahsanford]

I think the funniest part was reading the cons - here are the things that I think most people actually care about:

Conclusion - Cons

Raw dynamic range limited compared to peers
Base ISO images can be noisier than the best of the competition
Low light performance limited compared to peers
ISO cap of 12,800 (6400 for Auto ISO) feels arbitrary and limiting
JPEGs not as sharp or detailed as some competitors
AF subject tracking lags most peers
Mirror and shutter vibrations require workarounds at certain shutter speeds and focal lengths
No spot-metering linked to AF point
Limited video features: no zebra, 1080/60p, flat gamma profile, or peaking options
Slow AF in Live View and video

Speak for yourself, sir. No spot metering at any AF point -- though expected (they save that for the 1D-level) -- is still a con in my book when the other guys slap it on their Rebel equivalent.

When we talk about there's more to a camera than the 'powertrain' specs: sensor performance, AF system, FPS, etc., usually that's a Canon-positive finding: handling, usability, build quality, menus, etc. usually are very positive for Canon. To me, not being able to spot meter at any AF point is a decided negative for the entire 5D brand. It's 2015, a professional rig like that should have that option.

Also, how did the AF let the reviewers down? Isn't it highly similar to the 1DX AF system? I know the 5DS is not meant for sports given its framerate, but shouldn't it run circles around the A7 camp for servo AF needs? Camera Store TV's review said this was one of the clear advantages the 5DS (and SLRs in general) have over the A7R II. (Or were they referring to the D810/D750 as the competition here?)

- A

 

[jaayres20]

This is a quote form their review "I spend countless hours fiddling with Nikon and Sony Raw colors to get the skintones I desire". Well I am sure they are relieved to have the extra DR to make up for those countless hours of editing to get the skin tones right. At the end they mention that the 5D3 has better noise at high ISO. That is flat out wrong. I have shot weddings for years and have spent a considerable amount of time with the 5D3 and the 5DSr in low light. The 5DSr is a little better. Not as good as the 1DX, but it is better than the 5D3.

 

[ahsanford]

As soon as I saw them use a wide angle lens to take a close up portrait, I realized they don't really consider the important aspects of what makes an image (particularly a portrait) good. Instead they are zoomed into a patch of shadow noise that nobody will ever see. What sticks out of me is not the DR, it is a distorted face of an otherwise beautiful model because they stuck a wide angel lens up her nose to take the picture.

I'm of two minds here:

• I cannot stand reviews that state a sensor is definitively better because you can push the shadows 4-5 stops.
  
  
• That said... we've all been in situations where the lighting / time of day could not be controlled, the background/foreground contrast was simply overpowering, etc. and we still had to take the shot. In those circumstances, some additional latitude to brighten the foreground and tame the sky would be appreciated.
  
  

I did laugh out loud when they showed that sunset portrait and then tried to draw our eyes to a tiny little spot in the background. That's a very DPR thing to do.

- A

 

[ritholtz]

As soon as I saw them use a wide angle lens to take a close up portrait, I realized they don't really consider the important aspects of what makes an image (particularly a portrait) good. Instead they are zoomed into a patch of shadow noise that nobody will ever see. What sticks out of me is not the DR, it is a distorted face of an otherwise beautiful model because they stuck a wide angel lens up her nose to take the picture.

Their sample pics are always disappointing. Even the pics posted by users, their website has some issues. I always like sample pics posted on fredmirinda and poton.

 

[ahsanford]

At the end they mention that the 5D3 has better noise at high ISO. That is flat out wrong. I have shot weddings for years and have spent a considerable amount of time with the 5D3 and the 5DSr in low light. The 5DSr is a little better. Not as good as the 1DX, but it is better than the 5D3.

Context matters with noise. I thought noise was slightly better for the 5D3 at a pixel level...

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Camera-Noise.aspx?Camera=792&Test=0&ISO=12800&CameraComp=979&TestComp=0&ISOComp=12800

but if you downsample your 5DS/R shots down to 22 MP, they are effectively the same:

http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Camera-Noise.aspx?Camera=792&Test=0&ISO=12800&CameraComp=979&TestComp=1&ISOComp=12800

(TDP also has all sorts of options in the pull down flagged 'Standard' if you want to get into the weeds on processing options.)

Carnathan's summary covers this pretty well:

"When compared at native resolutions, 5Ds images are noisier than 5D III images. The differences, especially at higher ISO settings, are less than 1 stop. Down-sized to 5D III pixel dimension (using DPP, see "Standard Down-Sized to 5D III" in noise tool), 5Ds noise levels are essentially equal to full frame 5D III noise levels and even slightly better at the highest ISO settings. So, while Canon is not promoting this camera for its low light capabilities, I see it as one of the best options available with output size being comparable."

- A

 

[wsmith96]

Re: OMG! Dpreview reviewed the 5DS/5DSR - Do I have to sell it?

Not a bad idea to sell it. I'd go dirt cheap too to get rid of it before someone sees you with it. What would people say if they saw a silver award camera in your kit.... :

;D

Honestly, I decided to buy an 5D series body in spring, as I spent a lot of money (thanks to all of the hints and tips from CR users) for an 600 and 7DII and a lot of other gear to shoot BIF.
But in my personal opinion, the 5DSR feels more than 83%, maybe around 85-87%. But not more, as the critizised point are true. One of my children has bought one and feels happy with it. Not only for studiophotography and landscape. Son, sometimes the person behind the cam seems to be important too 8)

Thanks for understanding that my sarcasm was directed at the review and not directed at you personally. The fact is that a review is based upon someone's opinion of the particular product. Regarding the pro's and con's, it's up to the buyer to determine what's best for them and if they will allow a product review to influence their decision. Reviews in general are a good thing and the different views on a product can be quite revealing for your own personal goals.

But, I wouldn't sell it

 

[RGF]

Found at : http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canon-eos-5ds-sr/12

Silver award. Got just 83%.


Maybe the rumored 5DS(R) update will bring it up to 90% as its competitors.

Weakest scores are movie mode - ZERO value to me and value. Price is a bit high but coming down.

without these perhaps the score would have risen to 86% ?

 

[ahsanford]

Found at : http://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canon-eos-5ds-sr/12

Silver award. Got just 83%.


Maybe the rumored 5DS(R) update will bring it up to 90% as its competitors.

Weakest scores are movie mode - ZERO value to me and value. Price is a bit high but coming down.

without these perhaps the score would have risen to 86% ?

"220, 221, whatever it takes." -- Mr. Mom

Forget numbers. I ask a simpler question: Is it worth it to upgrade from a 5D3?

Since I live in higher ISO (1600-6400), the answer is no -- I'd probably be downsizing a lot to walk the noise back -- so I wouldn't be getting the 50 MP I paid for and I'd be $3500-4000 poorer. Pass.

Were I a studio/landscape photog, where I could live in lower ISO, I'd get this in a heartbeat.

- A