Canon 5DSR - why I am STILL using it in 2020!! 

The Canon 5dsr. A real stickler for the details!

Yeah at these prices I am definitely thinking about picking one up as a backup to my current 5DS. No point in me upgrading to have video features I'll never use!

I bought mine (again) in 2023. Just love it + 17mm TSE and 24mm TSE.

Now I've swapped the 5DSR for the 5DMIV (the IV was never my girlfriend...). The trigger mechanism is fantastic. She is not as sensitive as posted. The M-RAW setting also delivers 28 MIO pixels... What more could you ask for? OK, noise above 3200 ISO can definitely be forgotten ;-) I bought the Canon 11-24mm right away with the camera, and I'm perfectly happy ;-). But I photograph almost exclusively architecture (professionally) ...

Like you, I still use the 5DsR, I have a few of them now for back up though I've never needed a back up. I have no interest in moving to mirrorless as all the ones I've tried leave me wanting things they can't do. The 5DsR is a very powerful platform that when mastered will out shine just about anything else on the market. My clients love the results with the 5DsR and the quality of images has helped me to win many contracts. Stick to what works.... I do.

this camera pays itself off very rapidly....... I'm still using it in 2023 ......

Have had my 5DsR for 5 years and absolutely love it. Megapixels is hard to beat. Though picked up the mirror-less R6 6 months ago, image quality does not compare to the 5DsR, although it is fun to use and has wonderful capabilities. Though I will probably pick up the R5 as well later this year, I would never part with the 5DsR. At the new ridiculously low prices, I ought think of picking up another one, though I have never needed a back up, as it has never failed, hence no need for redundancy.

50mpx is also useful for 8K timelapses. I'll be getting one for having fun with timelapses in general since the price is dropping significantly.

I just got it. I own a Nikon d850 and found a second hand 5dsr (very few shots) Couldn't let it go. Always felt I wanted this camera (Owned a 5d mark iv before). I Thought there would be no reason having already the Nikon but their is actually. The colour rendition of the Canon wouldn't say it's superior, but it's frankly unique. I have a friend who is a reputed publicity advertising photographer and his main working tools are Fujifilm 100 mpx for studio and believe it or not, Canon 5dsr for architecture. He owns the R5 too and told me the image quality and general image results of the mirrorless canon is worst than his beloved 5dsr. He claims he doesn't understand!!

50mp .. damn right it's recommended. For those that are not tech headed and are purely focused on the megapixels for what they shoot in terms of image quality ... this is the camera. I'm tempted to buy this sob right now actually.

2024 and 5DSR is still making me money :)

Some people need to run and buy the latest and greatest because they think it will make them a better photographer. Completely ignoring the old teaching that says that a camera is just a light box. If you suck at photography getting a better camera will not make you an amazing photographer. Case study, I still shoot film. I have a 1v with the Canon vertical grip. That thing weights a ton but I love shooting film. I love the challenge. Digital is just way too easy. You could train a monkey to shoot digital. Point, look, adjust, and repeat the process until you get it right. With film you must use your brain for a change. From start to the end. You must rely on experience and genuine skills, and sometimes combined all that with a bit of luck to get the shot just right. Then nothing beats printing your own prints in a real dark room. I also have a 5Ds that I bought almost 3 years ago. It hardly ever comes out of my bag. I have taken about 100 shots since I bought it. The only reason that I've considered buying a new mirrorless is because I am considering getting into street photography. I like the smaller size and that they can pretty much be noiseless. Great for candid shots in public. You can't silence the mirror of a SLR camera, and that is a very distinct sound that people know very well. The point, shoot what you like or what works for you. If getting the latest and greatest os your thing, hey, it is your money. If you are OK with older equip,ent that still rocks to this day, more power to you. Just do what makes you happy. Because at the end, that is all it matters.

I picked up a 5DS R at B&H in the US for $1,400. Great bargain for a truly great camera. Goes well with my small collection of EF L lenses and my 5DM4. Great landscape images and can't be beat for normal architecture photos. Still a valid camera for 2021 and beyond!

Picking up a 5dsr shortly after an insane delay from Canon. Pairing it with the 16-35 L III. This lens stomps the V2 16-35. Also looking forwards to pairing with my trusty 135 f2 prime portrait lens.

hi sorry to bother you. i have canon 5dsr and I'm thinking of getting ATOMOS NINJA V 5. will it improve 5dsr video? thanks

I mainly film and photograph weddings. In the video sector, I used Canon 4K cameras, so my cameras don't have to be able to film. In 2019 I relegated my 6D to the newly built photo box and needed a replacement because I only shoot with fixed focal lengths on two bodies. I decided on the 5DSR, back then for a new price of € 1,340 on the gray market. I almost exclusively take photos with the 85mm 1.4 IS on the 5DSR, a stabilizer is very helpful with the high resolution. A dream!

Thx for this video man, actually searching a Photo body and i hesitate about 5dmk3, 5ds/dsr, and 1dxMkI. All three about 800 to 1200€ on 2nd hand market. I have decent number of EF L lens since i have a gh5 and metabones speedbooster, But for photography The gh5 is just decent, and my wife canon 1200d (lol) is better To use for photography and easier To edit IMO. 1st use is for wedding, 2nd for spotter use, jet and plane (huge passion, not pro for 2nd use). I hear isnt best for speed but the crop ability and generally 80% time i shooting plane, its full of sun so no light problem. Do you think 5ds/dsr is able to perform for shooting plane ? Thx for your video

Still shooting with my 5DS after 5 years. I use it for portraits and as thats predominately with strobes and therefor at 100 ISO it produces fantastics photographs with great colours and you can insanely crop with it.

Would this camera be good for event photography where you are running and gunning? I heard it is very apparent when you miss focus. I have a 5d mark 3 now. I'm needing a camera similar to it.

Thank you very much As always very interesting I will look forward to Thursday

Shock horror. Why would you not use a camera like this in 2030?

Many thanks for a great video, I’m trying to get back into photography particular landscape photography are used to own a canon 5D Mark two and I had great results from that, I was after a canon 5D Mark four but on a limited budget, and managed to pick up the SR for £1000, I definitely agree with you about the limitations of the camera in low light ,in these early stages in a controlled environment with a tripod I’ve had some amazing images with such detail. Many thanks again I have now subscribed! Keep up the great work😊

I'm a canon shooter and just looked at some other options which have led me all the way back to the 5DSR in 2020. Canon just did it with these cameras even compared to what we have today.

I think that if you are earning your living as a photographer then 'upgrading' your kit or the tools of your trade is something you just have to do at regular intervals. However as a 'hobbyist' photographer where anything you buy comes from post tax income, it's a very different story unless "fashion" is more important than function to you. I have a collection of Canon L glass built up over time and both my main DSLR bodies are 5/6 years old in design, a 5Ds and a 7D MkII, the first for detail the second for speed and yes I do shoot a lot of landscapes and wildlife on my daily morning bike rides. I mainly shoot stills and for the limited amount of video I do, I use a Canon M6 and most certainly mirrorless cameras are a whole lot better for video, DSLRs are really not the tool for that. Right now, if I were to upgrade anything in the near future it would be the M6 because I have a lens collection for my M series bodies and in cost effectiveness terms £800 on an M6 MkII body for greatly improved video potential would make sense for me whereas and regardless of the brand, spending £2.5k to £4K on a new body for which I have no native glass would be just silly.

Excellent review. I just bought 5DsR for the same reasons. I also see the same limitations as you pointed out in your video. I shoot with both Sony & Canon FF DSLRs, and my purchase surprised me. The R5 was too much money for me at this stage. 5DsR is my everyday camera, but will always have a Sony A7r3 or Canon R in my bag for lowlight situations, or when I need a better dynamic range. Thanks for your review!

Great video! I wish canon would make some RF TS lens. Bet the quality would be crazy with the new mount and with new lens technology. i had this video on the watch latter for some time now, damg i regret taking soo much time haha. Stay safe out there :D

Super camera. Files only beaten after the R5 came out.

you can use the 17mm ts-e perfectly on a sony a7rIV with the sigma mc-11 adapter. Works like a charm

Probably my next camera

On my 5DSR after I put the 1 point AF square on my subject, let’s say a tree about 40-50 yards away, then tap back button AF everything looks clear but then I tap the magnify button to either level to check focus and the image goes to a blurry mess? When I next turn the focus ring on lens the image clears right up and looks great.

Gorgeous photography. Many thanks 🙏🙏🙏😊

If you find a tool that works for any one specific application buy it. I have 2 7Dmii bodies ,1 5D mii , 1 5D miv , 1 5D sr , and a 1DX mii. All for one or more reasons.

Since 5dsr and 5ds,there is no more Canon camera with such a amazing color output...i plan to sell my Eos R and buy 5dsr.

Arch shooter here,, still the standard (besides the technical cameras)

Is it true that the 5DSR is noisier at base ISO (100) and has less dynamic range than its competitors (Pentax K-1, Nikon D850, Sony A7R, etc)?

Thank ou 4 this Video - great !!

still using the 5DS and battery grip ... can not see a need to upgrade

wow you got the 17mm and the 24mm, i got my eyes on the tilt and shift to do panos and exterior work, which. will you recommend to get between the 2 if you can only have 1? I use to shoot 17-40 for a while before going longer. Nice info.

This was an early Christmas present from hubby. I've taken some incredible photos with it - the clarity and detail is mind-blowing. However, its a tricky camera to adjust the settings to suit the scene. I love it though, after watching this and one other RU-vid video, am reassured I have the perfect camera for my needs - portrait and landscape. Thank you so much!

Sold my 5dsr for the Canon R5... I should have sold another body. The images from the R5 pale in comparison to the majestic character of the 5dsr. I like the R5, but I LOVED my 5dsr. I know that the fact that there isn't a proper Lightroom profile for the R5 probably has something to do with the doo-doo RAW files, but regardless. Currently there is no comparison. 5dsr by 2 lengths!

Thanks for the video James. Love this camera myself. I always pick it up even over my 5D Mark IV. Hoping to add another one to the kit or a 5Ds at somepoint and get rid of the 5D4.

hi james, have you compared the 5dsr to the 5dMk4? i am struggling with the very high noise level of the 5dsr. from iso 640 on i feel the noise is too high for large prints. what is your experience with it?

Bought a 5DS R last July, hated it, a right pic to use! However, I learned to work with it and it is one hell of a camera, as you say low light is a no go, so bought a 6D which is pretty damn impressive, I still kept using my 5DS R but didn't know the shutter count so bought a 5DS with a shutter count of only 17k!. Amazing bit of kit.

Nice video! Will you be out taking images of upcoming election?

When i passed from 6D to Eos R,i noticed that even when uploading to web 2048px the Eos R with more megapixels always looked better with more fine details...so this is another reason why more mega pixels always better !

I've had this camera second hand for 6 months and I must say this camera can be unforgiving if your careless with your exposures. But as a technical tool for perfecting detail and image quality, this is camera is INSANE. The only tool for the job.

Oh! So you're the author of this photo taken in Lebanon. Cool. So I've been using the 5DsR since 2016, nothing Canon so far can compete with what this camera is made for and I'm so happy with it. Thing is, everyone is like ''Yeah well it's got bad low light performance'' and yeah a Ferrari is bad at off-roading because it's not made for that. Thanks for the vid.