Canon EOS R5 C

Jan 19, 2022. You see it right away. On the front: EOS C. C as in Cinema. On the left side, there’s a big red shutter/start-stop button. The Canon EOS R5 C Full-Frame hybrid video and stills, mirrorless, RF-mount 8K camera is here.

From the front, the R5 C looks very similar to the R5, which launched on July 9, 2020. If you said that the R5 was essentially a remarkable 45 megapixel still camera that also did 8K video, well, the new R5 C is a remarkable 45 megapixel camera equally adept at both stills and video. If you were ever thwarted from endless recording by over-heating, the new R5 C seems to have more endurance than a camera operator without meal breaks.

It’s the depth that is different. R5 C has a fan for “cool runnings” during uninterrupted non-stop recording. The official, non-bobsled Canon terminology is “active cooling system.”

Notice the Cerberus-like, three-way main switch on top, above left, for equal access to Photo, Video and OFF. The extra depth of the camera provides not only extra space for the fan, but also for additional ports and controls. The function buttons are nicely numbered, 1 through 13.

As Canon’s Ryan Synder pointed out, “this is a full EOS R5 in still mode and a full Cinema EOS in video mode.

EOS R5 C Video

EOS R5 C is Canon’s first camera to record internal 8K (8192 x 4320) 12-bit Cinema RAW Light up to 60 fps. It is also the lightest Cinema EOS camera. There are two internal slots: one CFexpress and one SD. You can record internal RAW Light to the CFexpress and a proxy or XF-AVC file to the SD (V90 300 MB/s recommended). It also does relay recording.

Cinema RAW Light was introduced with Canon’s EOS C200. You also find it on the C300 Mark III and C500 Mark II. File sizes are significantly reduced from standard Cinema RAW. Cinema RAW Light comes in 3 varieties: RAW HQ (high quality), RAW ST (standard quality), and RAW LT (light recording). All three modes are 12-bit at every frame rate.

(Note that Full Frame 8K is available in RAW Light ST 12-bit up to 30 fps, 2.0 Gbps data rate and RAW LT to 60 fps, 2.6 Gbps. But not in RAW HQ.

R5 C can also record 4K 120 fps Full-Frame, uncropped and 4:2:2 10-bit XF-AVC and MP4.
Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Autofocus) can track faces, animals and vehicles with appropriate lenses, even in slow motion (HFR).
Simultaneous Audio Recording even in slow motion (HFR)
RF Mount (20 mm flange focal depth)
Canon Log 3, HLG/PQ
Unlimited recording time
Time Code mini connector (DIN 1.0/2.3. Canare cable recommended because it has a longer barrel that is easier to remove)
HDMI RAW Output
4K and 2K oversampling from 8K sensor

Of course, Atomos Ninja V+ will record ProRes RAW from the R5 C via HDMI up to 8K 30fps.

EOS R5 C as a Still Camera

As Tatsuro “Tony” Kano, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Canon USA Imaging Technologies & Communications Group said, “Imaging professionals are living in a multimedia world. Gone are the days of only needing to be sufficiently equipped and skilled at video or stills. The EOS R5 C provides end-users with a camera that can tackle all facets of the ever-demanding multimedia and content production landscape.”

And so, turn the top switch to Stills and you have most of the features of the EOS R5 C:

45-megapixel CMOS sensor, approx. 36.0 x 24.0 mm, with approx. 4.40 μm square photosites.
DIGIC X image processor
ISO 100-51200, expandable to 102400.
Dual Pixel CMOS AF II
high-speed continuous shooting of up to 12 frames-per-second in mechanical shutter mode and up to 20 fps in silent electronic shutter mode.
Eye, Face and Head Detection AF
Animal Detection AF
Vehicle subject detection
(no IBIS, but there’s digital stabilization for video and optical IS with equipped lenses)
Uses most R5 accessories
New Multi-Function Shoe. Compatible with optional TASCAM CA-XLR2d-C XLR microphone adapter for up to 4-channel digital audio
Weight: 1.7 lb. (body only)
Size: 5.6″ wide x 3.8″ high x 4.4″ deep.
3.2-inch variable-angle LCD monitor and 5.76 million-dot viewfinder
Dual card slots: one CFexpress and one SD UHS-II
USB Video Class (UVC) enables direct video streaming
New DR-E6C power supply for continuous recording