New Canon R6 Mark III or Used Canon R5 Mark II

Purpleorange

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I already have an R6 Mark II as my primary body, and my second body is a Canon 90D. I’d like to move completely over to RF so that I can get rid of my remaining EF kit.

I mostly use two bodies at airshows — the R6 II with a Canon 200–800mm, and the 90D with a Canon EF-S 18–135mm. I already own an RF 24–240mm, so I have a lens to cover the range of the EF-S 18–135mm on a full-frame body.

I also do some motorsports photography, and I like to go for slow-shutter panning shots.

I also do fireworks photography, so having higher resolution would be beneficial, as it allows me to crop more when needed.



Why I Want a New Body

  • I run into the buffer limit on the R6 ii more often than I’d like. A larger buffer and faster storage would be nice to have.
  • SD cards are slow and expensive compared to CFexpress Type B cards.
Things to Consider

  • I’ll be buying a battery grip — both bodies use the same one. For battery life, and because I have large hands, I find a grip more comfortable.
  • They both use the same batteries.
  • Weight and size are not an issue.
  • I’ll need to buy some CFexpress cards for either body.
  • I shoot almost exclusively with the mechanical shutter or first curtain, so 12 fps on both.
  • The R5 ii may have a fast enough readout that I can use the electronic shutter sometimes, where the R6 iii isn’t quite there.
  • I already have money set aside for this purchase.
  • I don’t do any video work.
Why Not Get a Second R6 ii

  • I could — it would be cheaper, and I don’t need anything else other than the body. However, I wouldn’t gain any real benefits from it.
Do Nothing

  • I could, but my 90D is old, with somewhere around 150K–200K on the shutter. It’s a much slower body compared to the R6 II.
I’m Leaning Towards the R5 II

  • It fixes my annoyance with the small buffer and slow storage.
  • I could maybe use the electronic shutter sometime.
  • A used one is not much more than a new R6 iii.
  • I’m not a professional, so there’s no way I could justify an R3 or R1.
  • I can see myself keeping an R5 II and R6 II combo for a long time. im not shore i could say the same for a R6 ii and R6 ii combo.


The only negatives I can see with going for a used R5 II are that it’s used, the files are bigger (which I’m fine with), and the cost is bit higher.

Im a missing anything?
 
Have you considered buying grey

 
Have you considered buying grey

This really, and based on your post why not just pick up a another cheap R6II because it is not like your megazoom glass would resolve on R5 anyway. You really need one of these if you do large format, high fidelity printing or advanced video work. R6II is already pretty capable anyway. Maybe then put the rest to high quality prime or something if you need to spend the lot.
 
This really, and based on your post why not just pick up a another cheap R6II because it is not like your megazoom glass would resolve on R5 anyway. You really need one of these if you do large format, high fidelity printing or advanced video work. R6II is already pretty capable anyway. Maybe then put the rest to high quality prime or something if you need to spend the lot.

R6 ii doesn’t fix the annoyance i have with the small buffer and slow storage.

I have all the lens i what im not a big fan for prime lens i find them limiting. Yes im giving up some IQ but a zoon lens lets me get shorts im going to missing with a prime. As photography is my hobby i will take an image that is good and composed how I what it over some IQ improvement i maybe sometime see.

What about a EOS R6 Mark 111, link below is to my go to review site with a comprehensive review of the R6 Mark111

LINK

The R6 iii looks to be a good camera and if i was looking for my first mirrorless body today that is what I would go for. That said I have a R6 ii and the R6 iii is not a big upgrade and the new price is not far from the used price of R5 ii. And all the supporting item I need are the same for R6 iii and R5 ii.
 
R6 ii doesn’t fix the annoyance i have with the small buffer and slow storage.

I have all the lens i what im not a big fan for prime lens i find them limiting. Yes im giving up some IQ but a zoon lens lets me get shorts im going to missing with a prime. As photography is my hobby i will take an image that is good and composed how I what it over some IQ improvement i maybe sometime see.



The R6 iii looks to be a good camera and if i was looking for my first mirrorless body today that is what I would go for. That said I have a R6 ii and the R6 iii is not a big upgrade and the new price is not far from the used price of R5 ii. And all the supporting item I need are the same for R6 iii and R5 ii.
1. Suggest you try r5 on your glass. You might find you dont get any more details, just more noise. Its up to you really.

2. Not bashing r6iii but launch price. I might get one a year or two later when it is sub 1500 from hk where it really belongs and where all the competition is: r6ii, z6iii, zr, a7iv...
 
Not a user of the R system but theoretically get the better camera R5mkii. It’s got the better electronic shutter and accelerator chip and you could also use smaller RAW files. It’s better to have it and not need it than the other way around.
 
Maybe try hiring one of these bodies? I am sure I read that there was an offer over Christmas for a weekend hire becoming about 10 days - maybe Wex?
 
Canon test drive will loan you an R5ii over Christmas for free.
But the R6iii is still on their wait list.

But I’d definitely try both.
 
R5ii is probably one of the best overall camera bodies if not the best one.
If you can afford it you should get it.
Unlike R6iii it comes with a proper stacked sensor for your action shooting.
Difference in file size between a 33mp body and 45mp isn't as large as coming from 24mp. So either way you are getting larger files anyway.

But the above idea of a canon test drive is a fantastic idea.
 
So in the end I picked up a R5 ii I found a good deal on one and an open box grip help offset cost a bit.

So fare happy with the R5 ii I when with the R5 ii as the higher resolution will be useful some time and electronic shutter maybe fast enough for some the motorsports and airshows photography.

Know its time to get all my old kit sold.
 
One thing I'd consider (Sorry not read the whole post yet and I'm in a rush so I want to post before I forget...) is button Layout.

I have an R5 and an R6 II and with the exception of the power switch (I still switch the R6 II to video so many times when trying to turn it on and off...) the button layout is exactly the same so I have zero issues switching between the 2 and can react correctly and very quickly on both.... So please take that into consideration too,

I hope this doesn't derail the thread but... I still not sure how people run into the buffer on these things? With my R5 and R6 II shooting Craw mechanical first curtain (even electronic) I don't think I can recall an instance where I have hit the buffer in 5 years of Ownership across both and I shot 14,000 images at MRL silverstone a few weeks ago including several electronic shutter 1/30 panning sessions!
 
sorry just read that you already did it... I wanted to add that since getting the R6ii I just use the R5 and R6 interchangeably, other than the aforementioned button arrangement, no top screen and the visibility of the current zoom level in my viewfinder (which I dont think the R5 has), if you gave me both cameras I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the 2. Point being, I wouldn't be disappointed with your R6ii as you allude to in the above post. I think after a while you really won't notice the difference between your R5ii and your R6ii in the field.... I don't (although I appreciate R5ii has some nifty new features and the stacked sensor..)
 
I already have an R6 Mark II as my primary body, and my second body is a Canon 90D. I’d like to move completely over to RF so that I can get rid of my remaining EF kit.

I mostly use two bodies at airshows — the R6 II with a Canon 200–800mm, and the 90D with a Canon EF-S 18–135mm. I already own an RF 24–240mm, so I have a lens to cover the range of the EF-S 18–135mm on a full-frame body.

I also do some motorsports photography, and I like to go for slow-shutter panning shots.

I also do fireworks photography, so having higher resolution would be beneficial, as it allows me to crop more when needed.



Why I Want a New Body

  • I run into the buffer limit on the R6 ii more often than I’d like. A larger buffer and faster storage would be nice to have.
  • SD cards are slow and expensive compared to CFexpress Type B cards.
Things to Consider

  • I’ll be buying a battery grip — both bodies use the same one. For battery life, and because I have large hands, I find a grip more comfortable.
  • They both use the same batteries.
  • Weight and size are not an issue.
  • I’ll need to buy some CFexpress cards for either body.
  • I shoot almost exclusively with the mechanical shutter or first curtain, so 12 fps on both.
  • The R5 ii may have a fast enough readout that I can use the electronic shutter sometimes, where the R6 iii isn’t quite there.
  • I already have money set aside for this purchase.
  • I don’t do any video work.
Why Not Get a Second R6 ii

  • I could — it would be cheaper, and I don’t need anything else other than the body. However, I wouldn’t gain any real benefits from it.
Do Nothing

  • I could, but my 90D is old, with somewhere around 150K–200K on the shutter. It’s a much slower body compared to the R6 II.
I’m Leaning Towards the R5 II

  • It fixes my annoyance with the small buffer and slow storage.
  • I could maybe use the electronic shutter sometime.
  • A used one is not much more than a new R6 iii.
  • I’m not a professional, so there’s no way I could justify an R3 or R1.
  • I can see myself keeping an R5 II and R6 II combo for a long time. im not shore i could say the same for a R6 ii and R6 ii combo.


The only negatives I can see with going for a used R5 II are that it’s used, the files are bigger (which I’m fine with), and the cost is bit higher.

Im a missing anything?
Are you shooting in RAW or RAW-C, c mode files are much smaller and faster with little differance to image Q
 
I am following this with interest, I have the R6 mk2 and considering another, the same or the mk3
 
I’m a way off this decision, I currently have a pair of R6’s and a very occasional need for 2 bodies.

But as I’m getting old, I’m not sure how much longer I need 2 bodies, so will I just go down to 1 R6? Or go for an R5II or R6III instead. Particularly intrigued by the pre-capture, though I don’t really think the mk1 R6 is really lacking, it’s the most capable camera I’ve ever owned, but both these alternatives are supposedly much better.
 
I am following this with interest, I have the R6 mk2 and considering another, the same or the mk3
I too have an R6m2 and am sort of looking at the R6m3 or R5m2

The two things that I'm looking for really are

1. low light focus performance (neither seen to offer anything over the R6m2) - the only yoke that offers that seems to be the R3
2. pre-capture that actually works

Additional resolution would be nice but I'm happy enough at present. Rarely hit the buffers given the ludicrously priced v90/UHS-II SD cards on using.

What I suspect I'll do is see if I can get my hands on both. But will probably wait for the R5m3 or R6m4.
 
sorry just read that you already did it... I wanted to add that since getting the R6ii I just use the R5 and R6 interchangeably, other than the aforementioned button arrangement, no top screen and the visibility of the current zoom level in my viewfinder (which I dont think the R5 has), if you gave me both cameras I wouldn't be able to tell the difference between the 2. Point being, I wouldn't be disappointed with your R6ii as you allude to in the above post. I think after a while you really won't notice the difference between your R5ii and your R6ii in the field.... I don't (although I appreciate R5ii has some nifty new features and the stacked sensor..)

I’m not disappointed with my R6 II at all — it’s a great body. It makes the 90D feel old and slow. The mirrorless body and the RF lenses just work so well together; focusing is incredibly fast, and the tracking helps more than I ever would have believed.

Mirrorless bodies are a big step up in what you get from a camera. Two years ago, I was against getting a mirrorless camera — it felt like a backwards step: no optical viewfinder and a new mount. But I was lent an RP for a bit, and it really opened my eyes to what mirrorless can do, how good the EVF is with all the info on it, and the newer features you get. By the time I gave the RP back, I already had an R6 II on order.

If I wasn’t fortunate enough to have the money to buy a new body, I’d have happily used the R6 II for years, and I’m sure I’ll keep it as my second body for years.

Are you shooting in RAW or RAW-C, c mode files are much smaller and faster with little differance to image Q

I mostly shoot in RAW. What I’ve found is that when I want to use RAW-C, I have a higher chance of messing up my exposure settings. It’s high-speed action there are no second chances, so sticking with full RAW helps in those situations where the exposure is off but the image is still sharp. I typically go slightly underexposed to keep a good sky at airshows, knowing I can recover plenty of detail from a slightly underexposed aircraft. I could expose for the aircraft instead, but then I risk ending up with a boring sky or, worse, a blown-out sky.

Additional resolution would be nice but I'm happy enough at present. Rarely hit the buffers given the ludicrously priced v90/UHS-II SD cards on using.

The V90/UHS-II SD cards are indeed ludicrously priced. I sold two used Kingston Canvas React Plus 128GB V90 UHS-II cards and covered the cost of a new Lexar Professional SILVER Series 512GB CFexpress Type B (R 1750 MB/s, W 1300 MB/s) plus a card reader.

That’s 2× the capacity, 5× the write speed, and about 5.8× the read speed — all for the same price or less.

I hope this doesn't derail the thread but... I still not sure how people run into the buffer on these things? With my R5 and R6 II shooting Craw mechanical first curtain (even electronic) I don't think I can recall an instance where I have hit the buffer in 5 years of Ownership across both and I shot 14,000 images at MRL silverstone a few weeks ago including several electronic shutter 1/30 panning sessions!

For me, I don’t run into the buffer all the time, but when I do it’s super frustrating in the moment.
It’s more or less only at airshows and motorsports where it happens. You get a pass, and the next one comes before the buffer has had time to clear. After two or three of them in a row, you eventually hit the buffer and all you can do is wait for it to clear — and miss shots in the process.
 
IIRC, shooting in raw can help clear the buffer faster. Shooting raw + JPEG can make the processor busier which can slow everything down.

A less machine gun frame rate will help too - unless you really NEED 20+fps.
 
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