Several months ago Canon announced that it would release two new high-megapixel DSLR cameras in the 5D series, the 5Ds and the 5Ds R in June. June is now only a couple of days away. Although I don’t have any inside information, there are hints that the release could come as early as the first week of the month.
I think there will be a large pent-up demand for these cameras from Canon photographers, some of whom have watched from the sidelines as companies like Sony and Nikon have introduced higher MP camera bodies. Those who want to get early copies can preorder — here are links to site-sponsor B&H:
The primary value proposition of the new camera series is the 50.6 megapixel sensor. This is a higher sensor resolution than on any other current full-frame DSLR, and it more than doubles the number of photo sites on earlier Canon DSLRs. For photographers who make big prints from DSLR photographs, and especially for those who work with a great deal of care and focus on subjects in which image resolution may become critical, this will likely be significant advance.
(To be sure, not everyone will want or need such high sensor resolution, and for many photographers factors other than sensor resolution are more important.)
The difference between the two models — the 5Ds and the 5Ds R — comes down to their approach to anti-alias filtering. With digital sampling fine details, especially when they appear in more or less orderly arrangements (such as in some fabrics, window screens, etc.) may produce false details in a photograph. These image artifacts may be seen as the familiar moire effect. (See an example here.) Most digital cameras add an anti-aliasing filter above the sensor to minimize this effect. The filter minimizes the amount of alias-producing detail before the image gets to the sensor. In the process it also reduces the sharpness of the image slightly.
Anti-alias filtering is a sort of two-edged sword. Without anti-alias filtering the photographer may be more likely to encounter effects such as moire in a few photographs, but there is potential for an image with slightly better resolution. With anti-alias filtering a small increment of resolution may be sacrificed, but the likelihood of moire-like effects is considerably reduced. To make things even more complicated, note that anti-alias filtering doesn’t eliminate all aliasing effects and the resolution improvement by eliminating the filter is very small.
The 5Ds R cancels the anti-aliasing effect. Some other cameras eliminate anti-aliasing filters, but that is not how Canon handles it in this camera. As I understand it, normal anti-aliasing filter use two layers — one to produce the effect in each axis. Rather than removing the filter from the sensor, Canon retains two filter layers — but the second cancels the effect of the first. (One explanation is that this simplifies the design of the two cameras as a system. I’ll spare you the details!)
What to do? I have a hunch that the difference isn’t going to be that great in the end in most cases. I suspect that both cameras will be able to produce very high resolution images. Further, I expect that neither will be completely immune to moire effects. If you aren’t certain that you want the “R” version, then getting the non-R will be a fine choice.
I preordered the 5Ds R. Why? I have some experience with another camera that has no anti-aliasing filter, and this has almost never been a problem in my photography. Fellow photographers who use cameras without anti-aliasing filters (including the Nikon D810 and several MF systems) do not seem to have a problem as a result. So I am confident that the anti-alias filtering is not going to be too important to me in my photography. (And there are ways to deal with aliasing effects in the rare cases where they might occur — these range from using a smaller aperture to produce a tiny amount of diffraction blur to some techniques that can be applied in post.)
The higher MP sensor is not the only advance in these cameras. The incorporate a new mirror mechanism, scene detection software, a feature to compensate for certain kinds of flickering artificial light, a built-in intervalometer and timer (about time!), some crop modes, an improved viewfinder, an improved LCD, and more.
Way back before the Canon EOS 5D Mark III was announced, I was expecting that it would increased sensor resolution to perhaps 36MP. It didn’t, and I’ve continued to work happily with a 5D Mark II. Given the magnitude of the change in the sensor resolution and the fact that it matters in my photography, I pre-ordered my 5Ds R very soon after the announcement. I’m hoping I get mine fairly soon after the camera becomes available — and I’ll certainly be sharing a lot more about it after I have a chance to put it through its paces.
What are your thoughts about this camera? Will you be getting one?
Finally, if my coverage of these cameras has helped persuade you to get one, I would be grateful if you’d use the links here to order from site-sponsor B&H. This helps support the website, and it doesn’t increase your cost at all!
5Ds and 5Ds R Articles:
- The Canon EOS 5Ds R — Autofocus Torture Test
- The Canon EOS 5Ds R — Dynamic Range Examples
- The Canon EOS 5Ds R — A Resolution Example
- Canon 5DS R: A Printing Test
- Looking at Canon 5Ds RAW Files: Noise and Dynamic Range.
- Canon EOS 5Ds and 5Ds R Release Near?
- Canon 5Ds and 5Ds R Pre-orders Available
Notes:
- The day after I published this, Michael Frye published an interesting and informative article about what to expect from cameras like these: Working With High Resolution Cameras
G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. Blog | About | Flickr | Twitter | Facebook | Google+ | 500px.com | LinkedIn | Email
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