Whisper it quietly, but does Canon have a problem with high-resolution cameras? The elephant in the room is that, while the likes of Sony are churning out 61-megapixel monsters, over a decade later, the highest-resolution Canon camera is still the 5DS R. That’s right; despite the launch of some amazing units like the R5 Mark II and 6D Mark II, we’re now years into the mirrorless age and an old DSLR from 2015 is still Canon’s highest-resolution offering.
If you’ve never heard of the Canon EOS 5DS R, then let’s take a step back and enjoy a little history lesson. Back in February 2015, Canon launched a pair of DSLRs, the 5DS and 5DS R (essentially the same camera though the 5DS R had no Anti-Aliasing filter so benefited from enhanced image quality). The 5DS R / 5DS were the first Canon cameras to smash through that 50-megapixel ceiling, with the full-frame sensor returning 51-megapixels of resolution.
This was an Everest moment for DSLR users – remember, this was a year before the 30-megapixel 5D Mark IV had been launched and many photographers were making do with the 22-megapixel 5D Mark III. In resolution terms, this was a quantum leap forward for landscape and portrait photographers who wanted to make huge prints from their files.
Fast-forward to just over a decade later and the rumour mill is full of articles suggesting a new high-resolution camera may be on the way. In fact, Canon confirmed in January the development of a 410 megapixel 35mm full-frame CMOS sensor but there appears to be no further information on when this sensor could break cover or if it will make it into a new mirrorless model.
Arguably, Canon appears to have focused more on speed and precision with amazing cameras like the 24MP Canon EOS R1 and R3 breaking new ground in sports and wildlife photography, while the flagship R5 Mark II does get close to the 5DS R, it tops out at 45-megapixels. That said, the hybrid qualities of the R5 Mark II, which is capable of filming 8K video, far outweigh anything the older DSLRs could compete with.
Times have changed and it’s fair to say there are many who are simply less bothered about ultra-high resolution – they prefer a balance between megapixels and burst rate to suit their style of photography. But there are others who are counting down the days until Canon serves up a modern mirrorless equivalent of the 5DS R. And, as an interesting side note and proof of their demand, used examples of 5DS R’s are still plenty available on sites such as MPB and are still holding their value at around $1,050 / £1,050 for a low shutter count model – not many 10-year-old cameras can say that!
In my opinion, we need that new high-resolution camera sooner rather than later. The 5DS R / 5DS proved Canon was ahead of its time, but in the new days of higher megapixel counts, the brand will need to play catch up. Over to you Canon…
Related reading:
- Forget megapixels: The one spec that actually matters in a camera
- APS-C vs full-frame – which sensor size is best, and why it matters
- Why I switched to mirrorless – the move from DSLR
The views expressed in this column are not necessarily those of Amateur Photographer magazine or Kelsey Media Limited. If you have an opinion you’d like to share on this topic, or any other photography related subject, email: ap.ed@kelsey.co.uk
