Canon has announced a new camera that brings cinema-grade video capabilities to a conventional full-frame mirrorless body. The EOS R5C looks a lot like the EOS R5, which in turn looked a lot like a Canon DSLR, but it’s much bulkier in the back. This is to accommodate an active cooling system so it can shoot for long stretches without overheating.
How long? Well, Canon says the cooling system allows the R5C to shoot up to 8K/60fps indefinitely. This was an issue with the R5; it was advertised as being able to shoot 8K for about 20 minutes, and Canon later released a firmware update to improve overheating problems. The R5C also supports 8K HDR recording in HLG and PQ formats as well as 4K/120fps recording in 4:2:2 10-bit color without cropping the sensor.
As a stills camera, it’s essentially identical to the R5 except for the lack of in-body image stabilization. The full-frame sensor is 45 megapixels and you can shoot at 12fps with the mechanical shutter or 20fps with the electronic shutter. The camera’s three-way power switch lets you boot it up into photo or video modes, with the menus and button functionalities changing accordingly.
The EOS R5C will be released in March for $4,499. That’s $600 more expensive than the EOS R5, but then you’re almost getting another separate camera at the same time. For some creators and producers, the all-in-one convenience could be worth it.
