Canon EOS R5 Sensor Measurements at PhotonsToPhotos

[bclaff]

There are a couple of surprises with the Canon EOS R5.

The first is that it is the first Canon that I have tested that shows dual conversion gain, which starts at ISO 400.

The second is that there is Noise Reduction (NR) in the raw files at low ISO up to ISO 640.
Normally one only sees this at high ISO settings.
This is with all NR menu settings at OFF.
(I delayed publishing to confirm this with additional measurements.)

Here's the Photographic Dynamic Range (PDR) chart :

You can explore this and other measurements at the site.

--
Bill ( Your trusted source for independent sensor data at PhotonsToPhotos )

 

[starfly]

Thanks for posting. So better than the Nikon Z7 and comparable to the Sony A7R4. Well done Canon!

Otherwise strange they're applying NR at low ISO.

 

[Yaamon]

Thank you and glad to see better dynamic range than the R.

 

[RH McCaslan]

There are a couple of surprises with the Canon EOS R5.

The first is that it is the first Canon that I have tested that shows dual conversion gain, which starts at ISO 400.

The second is that there is Noise Reduction (NR) in the raw files at low ISO up to ISO 640.
Normally one only sees this at high ISO settings.
This is with all NR menu settings at OFF.
(I delayed publishing to confirm this with additional measurements.)

Here's the Photographic Dynamic Range (PDR) chart :

You can explore this and other measurements at the site.

Two thoughts:

-The DR wars are over. Yay!! Now we can talk about other things like IBIS effectiveness and tracking stickiness. :-D

-The other gentlemen who did an estimate came pretty darn close. Kudos to both!

 

[Tambopata]

Thanks for posting. So better than the Nikon Z7 and comparable to the Sony A7R4. Well done Canon!

Otherwise strange they're applying NR at low ISO.

It's actually a hair better than A7R4 at iso100.

 

[Willow w]

Its fun to be better than other cameras, but the truth is they are all very close these days.

 

[starfly]

Thanks for posting. So better than the Nikon Z7 and comparable to the Sony A7R4. Well done Canon!

Otherwise strange they're applying NR at low ISO.

It's actually a hair better than A7R4 at iso100.

That's splitting hairs as far as I'm concerned

Photographic Dynamic Range versus ISO Setting

 

[Mika Y.]

The second is that there is Noise Reduction (NR) in the raw files at low ISO up to ISO 640.
Normally one only sees this at high ISO settings.
This is with all NR menu settings at OFF.
(I delayed publishing to confirm this with additional measurements.)

I wonder how much this affects astrophotography on that ISO range, especially with faint deep-sky targets.

 

[Tambopata]

Dual gain confirmed, DR at iso200 10,43 and at iso400 10,47.

 

[Poefolk]

Thanks for posting. So better than the Nikon Z7 and comparable to the Sony A7R4. Well done Canon!

Otherwise strange they're applying NR at low ISO.

It's actually a hair better than A7R4 at iso100.

Won't see any real world difference. Though the 3 year old 42MP Sony A7R III is still a little better than both the Canon R5 and Sony A7R4.

 

[gium]

There are a couple of surprises with the Canon EOS R5.

The first is that it is the first Canon that I have tested that shows dual conversion gain, which starts at ISO 400.

Hello Bill, thanks so much for testing it out and for the post. But what exactly does this dual conversion thing mean? And if it is good, why does it start at ISO 400 and not ISO 100?

 

[Willow w]

Thanks for posting. So better than the Nikon Z7 and comparable to the Sony A7R4. Well done Canon!

Otherwise strange they're applying NR at low ISO.

It's actually a hair better than A7R4 at iso100.

Won't see any real world difference. Though the 3 year old 42MP Sony A7R III is still a little better than both the Canon R5 and Sony A7R4.

No it is not. But it doesn't matter in the real world. Its splitting the thinnest of hairs.

https://www.photonstophotos.net/Charts/PDR.htm#Canon EOS R5,Sony ILCE-7RM3

 

[CameraBeans]

There are a couple of surprises with the Canon EOS R5.

The first is that it is the first Canon that I have tested that shows dual conversion gain, which starts at ISO 400.

The second is that there is Noise Reduction (NR) in the raw files at low ISO up to ISO 640.
Normally one only sees this at high ISO settings.
This is with all NR menu settings at OFF.
(I delayed publishing to confirm this with additional measurements.)

Here's the Photographic Dynamic Range (PDR) chart :

You can explore this and other measurements at the site.

Interesting and impressive performance. I have to say I’m happy to see Canon has caught up. So much dynamic range is an excellent thing. When does DR stop being a thing? Never? Can these sensors get to 18 stops PDR? That is supposed to be the limit of the human eye.

 

[Tambopata]

Thanks for posting. So better than the Nikon Z7 and comparable to the Sony A7R4. Well done Canon!

Otherwise strange they're applying NR at low ISO.

It's actually a hair better than A7R4 at iso100.

Won't see any real world difference. Though the 3 year old 42MP Sony A7R III is still a little better than both the Canon R5 and Sony A7R4.

Agree, now all cameras basically share the same real world DR.

This mark a definitive stop to the "Canon is behind in DR "- discussions.

 

[gavin]

+1 Now we have to find something new to complain about ;-)

 

[Horshack]

Thanks for posting. So better than the Nikon Z7 and comparable to the Sony A7R4. Well done Canon!

Otherwise strange they're applying NR at low ISO.

Hard to know how it compares in absolute terms since Bill found the raws have NR applied to the data.

 

[RDM5546]

There are a couple of surprises with the Canon EOS R5.

The first is that it is the first Canon that I have tested that shows dual conversion gain, which starts at ISO 400.

The second is that there is Noise Reduction (NR) in the raw files at low ISO up to ISO 640.
Normally one only sees this at high ISO settings.
This is with all NR menu settings at OFF.
(I delayed publishing to confirm this with additional measurements.)

Here's the Photographic Dynamic Range (PDR) chart :

You can explore this and other measurements at the site.

This should be no surprise consider all the data revealed by Forum members yesterday after receiving and testing the very own R5s. Of course I am envious of them!! Where is my preorder I continue to aks.

Canon has pulled out all the stops and carefully optimize the design for good low light and good high speed 45MP sensor readout. Good work Canon!

The high readout greatly improves the rolling shutter and EVF stutter found the EOS R and most other cameras shooting with electronic shutter. Canon does this in the R5 by droping the A/D convergence to 12 bits rather 14bits when shooting in Drive Mode H+, 12 fps and in Electronic Shutter 20 fps. The 12bits greating speeds up sensor readout time probably by more than 14%. Great news for fast EVF shooters with minimum shutter and rolling sensor sensitve stills shooters using electronic Shutter Mode.

 

[RogerZoul]

There are a couple of surprises with the Canon EOS R5.

The first is that it is the first Canon that I have tested that shows dual conversion gain, which starts at ISO 400.

The second is that there is Noise Reduction (NR) in the raw files at low ISO up to ISO 640.
Normally one only sees this at high ISO settings.
This is with all NR menu settings at OFF.
(I delayed publishing to confirm this with additional measurements.)

Here's the Photographic Dynamic Range (PDR) chart :

You can explore this and other measurements at the site.

This should be no surprise consider all the data revealed by Forum members yesterday after receiving and testing the very own R5s. Of course I am envious of them!! Where is my preorder I continue to aks.

Canon has pulled out all the stops and carefully optimize the design for good low light and good high speed 45MP sensor readout. Good work Canon!

The high readout greatly improves the rolling shutter and EVF stutter found the EOS R and most other cameras shooting with electronic shutter. Canon does this in the R5 by droping the A/D convergence to 12 bits rather 14bits when shooting in Drive Mode H+, 12 fps and in Electronic Shutter 20 fps. The 12bits greating speeds up sensor readout time probably by more than 14%. Great news for fast EVF shooters with minimum shutter and rolling sensor sensitve stills shooters using electronic Shutter Mode.

Doesn't 12 bit mean worse color than 14bits? What is the significance of this?

And what about NR in a raw file? Is that not cheating? I hope someone can explain this.

 

[Willow w]

There are a couple of surprises with the Canon EOS R5.

The first is that it is the first Canon that I have tested that shows dual conversion gain, which starts at ISO 400.

The second is that there is Noise Reduction (NR) in the raw files at low ISO up to ISO 640.
Normally one only sees this at high ISO settings.
This is with all NR menu settings at OFF.
(I delayed publishing to confirm this with additional measurements.)

Here's the Photographic Dynamic Range (PDR) chart :

You can explore this and other measurements at the site.

This should be no surprise consider all the data revealed by Forum members yesterday after receiving and testing the very own R5s. Of course I am envious of them!! Where is my preorder I continue to aks.

Canon has pulled out all the stops and carefully optimize the design for good low light and good high speed 45MP sensor readout. Good work Canon!

The high readout greatly improves the rolling shutter and EVF stutter found the EOS R and most other cameras shooting with electronic shutter. Canon does this in the R5 by droping the A/D convergence to 12 bits rather 14bits when shooting in Drive Mode H+, 12 fps and in Electronic Shutter 20 fps. The 12bits greating speeds up sensor readout time probably by more than 14%. Great news for fast EVF shooters with minimum shutter and rolling sensor sensitve stills shooters using electronic Shutter Mode.

Doesn't 12 bit mean worse color than 14bits? What is the significance of this?

And what about NR in a raw file? Is that not cheating? I hope someone can explain this.

For the record, the A9ii does this too. 20 fps is 12 bit only. The A9ii also can't shoot lossless raw files at 20 fps. It drops to 12 fps for that, at 20 they raw files are lossy.



So far I've seen no rolling shutter in my hummingbird or other "action" pictures. It was hard to see it in my ceiling fan test when it was set to high.

 

[Ketan G]

There are a couple of surprises with the Canon EOS R5.

The first is that it is the first Canon that I have tested that shows dual conversion gain, which starts at ISO 400.

The second is that there is Noise Reduction (NR) in the raw files at low ISO up to ISO 640.
Normally one only sees this at high ISO settings.
This is with all NR menu settings at OFF.
(I delayed publishing to confirm this with additional measurements.)

Here's the Photographic Dynamic Range (PDR) chart :

You can explore this and other measurements at the site.

Hi Bill,

Thank you. Before seeing this I did a side by side comparison with my A7R3 at base ISO and wondered aloud if the R5 was applying NR in the deep shadows. I believe you are saying this is confirmed. It's interesting comparing them. My A7R3 is showing greater chroma noise but after NR it retains more detail in some of the darkest shadows there the Canon in the same spots seems to be cleaner but hazy. Then again, if I look at another part of the image which is in the shadows but not as dark, the Canon sometimes looks a little better. Overall I am finding both sufficient but I need to apply NR differently in post. The A7R3 seems to benefit from more up front whereas the Canon needs less from me. If people are interested I can create some crops showing this.

--

Ketan Gajria Photography

Ketan Gajria Photography featuring pictures from more than 35 countries including Syria, Bhutan, Pakistan, Iraq, Kyrgyzstan, Jordan, Lebanon, Russia, China, Turkey, Indonesia, India, Japan, Nicaragua, Oman, and more.

www.ketangajria.com