Buy R5 or R6 mark II and wait for R5 mark II

Currently, I'm an olympus shooter, but as a portrait photographer I know I need more...everything as I level up in my photography. I mainly shoot lifestyle, portrait, headshots, and moving into boudoir photography later this year. I do not shoot weddings or video, but since I photograph people low light, autofocus, and picture quality are super important. I watched as many videos as possible and it points to the Canon R5 being heaven-sent. But should I just buy the R6 MII and spend the extra money on lenses and wait till the R5 MII comes out, or just jump on the R5 right now and just get one strong lens? I don't have a massive budget, so it would be an investment to step up and charge more.

Also, I know it's not the camera that makes a person a good photographer, I just want to be able to give my clients the best quality I can offer with the least amount of retouching and stressing about getting the shot or not.

Thanks and I appreciate the feedback

Circle6 wrote:

But should I just buy the R6 MII and spend the extra money on lenses and wait till the R5 MII comes out,

Yes! I think an R6mk2 would be fine for your case use, invest in good glass and save for a backup body

or just jump on the R5 right now and just get one strong lens? I don't have a massive budget, so it would be an investment to step up and charge more

No, don’t get an old R5 now, the new R5 mk2 will be out within 6 months, when it’s clear how much better the R5mk2 is, there will be many on the secondhand market much cheaper, however, in your position I would still not buy the R5, I would pick the R6mk2 and eventually the R5mk2 once I earnt it from commissioned work.

Only buy the R5mk2  if you can afford it and need to crop.

Also, I know it's not the camera that makes a person a good photographer, I just want to be able to give my clients the best quality I can offer with the least amount of retouching and stressing about getting the shot or not.

Thanks and I appreciate the feedback

You will have to learn how to do advanced studio lighting, get a hair & makeup artist and master fast retouching if you are going to satisfy paying clients.

Goos luck

Circle6 wrote:

Currently, I'm an olympus shooter, but as a portrait photographer I know I need more...everything as I level up in my photography. I mainly shoot lifestyle, portrait, headshots, and moving into boudoir photography later this year. I do not shoot weddings or video, but since I photograph people low light, autofocus, and picture quality are super important. I watched as many videos as possible and it points to the Canon R5 being heaven-sent. But should I just buy the R6 MII and spend the extra money on lenses and wait till the R5 MII comes out, or just jump on the R5 right now and just get one strong lens?

What do you need what the current R5 is missing?  It could be nothing. For low light AF it could be simply all you need.

It could be wise to think about your lenses as well for low light AF.  Another forum member doing boudoir photography had problems with the AF of the RF 50mm f/1.2 L. I've rented that lens and it disappointed me for low light AF as well.  I own the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 Art, and that lens focuses better in low light. It's also a whole lot more affordable, easily the difference between the R5 and R6II.  Oh, it's sharper as well.

I don't have a massive budget, so it would be an investment to step up and charge more.

If you're willing to drop the Mp-count to 24Mp, you might want to drop it to 20Mp as well and get the R6mkI for now.

Also, I know it's not the camera that makes a person a good photographer, I just want to be able to give my clients the best quality I can offer with the least amount of retouching and stressing about getting the shot or not.

Thanks and I appreciate the feedback

If I may ask: what is the budget? Is the R5 + 28-70mm f/2.0 within reach?  Is there anything you would need beyond that?

I just went through the very same. I owned an R6 and I was torn between the R5 or R6 II. I went with the R5. I knew, deep down, I wanted that resolution. It's as simply as that.

thunder storm wrote:

Circle6 wrote:

Currently, I'm an olympus shooter, but as a portrait photographer I know I need more...everything as I level up in my photography. I mainly shoot lifestyle, portrait, headshots, and moving into boudoir photography later this year. I do not shoot weddings or video, but since I photograph people low light, autofocus, and picture quality are super important. I watched as many videos as possible and it points to the Canon R5 being heaven-sent. But should I just buy the R6 MII and spend the extra money on lenses and wait till the R5 MII comes out, or just jump on the R5 right now and just get one strong lens?

What do you need what the current R5 is missing? It could be nothing. For low light AF it could be simply all you need.

It could be wise to think about your lenses as well for low light AF. Another forum member doing boudoir photography had problems with the AF of the RF 50mm f/1.2 L. I've rented that lens and it disappointed me for low light AF as well. I own the Sigma 40mm f/1.4 Art, and that lens focuses better in low light. It's also a whole lot more affordable, easily the difference between the R5 and R6II. Oh, it's sharper as well.

I don't have a massive budget, so it would be an investment to step up and charge more.

If you're willing to drop the Mp-count to 24Mp, you might want to drop it to 20Mp as well and get the R6mkI for now.

Also, I know it's not the camera that makes a person a good photographer, I just want to be able to give my clients the best quality I can offer with the least amount of retouching and stressing about getting the shot or not.

Thanks and I appreciate the feedback

If I may ask: what is the budget? Is the R5 + 28-70mm f/2.0 within reach? Is there anything you would need beyond that?"

"Is the R5 + 28-70mm f/2.0 within reach?"

Been there, done that. My poor bank. LOL

Arthur Stanley Jefferson wrote:

No, don’t get an old R5 now, the new R5 mk2 will be out within 6 months,

Dear Arthur Stanley Jefferson,

I'm very interested in R5 mk2.  Where do you get your information on the R5 mk2 release?

I shoot mainly wildlife and owned the R3 & R5.  Both are great cameras, with the R3 having significantly better AF for what I shoot (wildlife).  Th thing I liked about the R5 was the 45mp with plenty of room to crop.  I don't have another big wildlife trip scheduled until 2024 and decided to cash out on the R3 (I got a VERY good price) before the R1 or an upgraded R5 II was announced.  In early December I decided to sell my R5 (at a VERY good price) on the premise that we would see an R5 II in either 2023 or 2024 and the R6 II would inherit some of the AF capabilities from the R3.  I bought the R6 II with the plan it will be my backup for either an R5 II or an R1. I really like the R6 II and it will work great for  the wildlife trips I have planned in 2023 (Yellowstone, Banff).  If the R5 II has the same or better AF than the R3 and some of the new rumored specs, I can't think of much that I would want from a R1.  In that case, I will go with the R5 II + R6 II combination.  The r6 II will meet all of my wildlife needs until we see what happens with the R5II/R1. Having related on the 24mp sensor of the R3, I am fine with 24mp on the R6II.  If I need a higher resolution camera or back for my domestic wildlife trips, there is always Lensrentals.

My view has always been "Bodies are temporary, glass is forever (unless they change the mount).  Basically, invest in good glass and you can always change bodies at a future date.  I put as much money as I can in lenses and tend to keep them forever.  I did switch from EF to RF glass because I didn't want to deal with converters.

Note: Personally, even though you can get a better price on the R6, I stick with he R6 II for the improved AF and better sensor (24mp and faster readout).

Although most of my work is urban landscapes with the R7, I also feel the need for better low light performance. A new R6 is selling for the same as used and that kind of price is hard to pass up (buy refurbished from Canon and the price is even better).

But I like the previous advice of waiting for the R5 mark II to arrive, and then making a final decision. If the R5 ends up being discounted to the same degree as the R6 is now, I'll probably get the R5...

Circle6 wrote:

Currently, I'm an olympus shooter, but as a portrait photographer I know I need more...everything as I level up in my photography. I mainly shoot lifestyle, portrait, headshots, and moving into boudoir photography later this year. I do not shoot weddings or video, but since I photograph people low light, autofocus, and picture quality are super important. I watched as many videos as possible and it points to the Canon R5 being heaven-sent. But should I just buy the R6 MII and spend the extra money on lenses and wait till the R5 MII comes out, or just jump on the R5 right now and just get one strong lens? I don't have a massive budget, so it would be an investment to step up and charge more.

Also, I know it's not the camera that makes a person a good photographer, I just want to be able to give my clients the best quality I can offer with the least amount of retouching and stressing about getting the shot or not.

Thanks and I appreciate the feedback

You don't seem to need a new camera now, or you'd be buying one, so why not wait? cameras are tech and tech improves. With a caveat: sometimes the early firmware leaves much to be desired. And it can be tough sometimes to get your hands on one (as with the R7). So if you wait, and really really really need it then you could be disappointed.

Given that type of shooting, lots of other cameras would work though. The distinguishing feature of new cameras seems to be AF, and studio stuff isn't as demanding as say wildlife or other action. And I wouldn't spend so much you have to make a compromise on lenses. That would seem to be descending a level or three.

And R5 is a superb machine. So the R6ii.
I hope Canon will release the R5ii this year so I can get my hands on an “obsolete” R5 at a bargain price 😂

Circle6 wrote:

Currently, I'm an olympus shooter, but as a portrait photographer I know I need more...everything as I level up in my photography. I mainly shoot lifestyle, portrait, headshots, and moving into boudoir photography later this year. I do not shoot weddings or video, but since I photograph people low light, autofocus, and picture quality are super important. I watched as many videos as possible and it points to the Canon R5 being heaven-sent. But should I just buy the R6 MII and spend the extra money on lenses and wait till the R5 MII comes out, or just jump on the R5 right now and just get one strong lens? I don't have a massive budget, so it would be an investment to step up and charge more.

The only real advantage of an R5 over the R6 mkII is the resolution. Otherwisae the R6 mkII is just better camera. For your type of work there is no extra need for cropping (for reach) so unless you regularily do really big prints (1 meter shorter side) the R6 mkII seems to be more convenient.

For a low light AF it is very much about lens too. 70-200/2.8 (EF mkIII or RF) would do great. For shallower DoF I can only recommend stellar Sigmas 40/1.4 and 105/1.4 which are very confident in low light focusing (with my "old" R6).

And if you are ready to buy the new camera now, just do so, There will always be something newer on the horizon.

Also, I know it's not the camera that makes a person a good photographer, I just want to be able to give my clients the best quality I can offer with the least amount of retouching and stressing about getting the shot or not.

Thanks and I appreciate the feedback

You don't really need the high Mpix for portraits so R6 II is fine. I think people tend to forget what was a good resolution a few years back. Anyways most people don't want very high res portraits as it shows up their blemishes.

Hi, the rumours of what is in development at Canon are in regular circulation. The information that is getting out there is somewhat confused as features from the Canon R1 model are being tagged to the R5mk2.

The new R5mk2 will offer many small improvements that taken together will make it a very good semi pro camera. The improvements may not be tempting for light current R5 users who are not pushing against the limits of the current R5….but Canon hope to entice existing 5D series dslr users to finally transition to mirrorless (if they want more resolution than the R6mk2 offers)

The R5 mk2 will have significantly reduced overheating, increased battery life, strengthened hot-shoe, 60 mp resolution and and better af tracking due to increased data throughput via new processor architecture, it will not have a stacked sensor.

The R1 will have a stacked sensor, dual CFE, double processor, quad pixel af, real feel evf and the best in class data throughput. It will also have a class leading  xsynch and be launched with a new speed light.
This is what I believe…I was right about the dual release of the R7 & R10 six months before it happened, it’s purely my prediction based on logic and web research…I’m not an employee of canon or under an nda.

we will see what comes this summer

Arthur Stanley Jefferson wrote:

Hi, the rumours of what is in development at Canon are in regular circulation. The information that is getting out there is somewhat confused as features from the Canon R1 model are being tagged to the R5mk2.

The new R5mk2 will offer many small improvements that taken together will make it a very good semi pro camera. The improvements may not be tempting for light current R5 users who are not pushing against the limits of the current R5….but Canon hope to entice existing 5D series dslr users to finally transition to mirrorless (if they want more resolution than the R6mk2 offers)

The R5 mk2 will have significantly reduced overheating, increased battery life, strengthened hot-shoe, 60 mp resolution and and better af tracking due to increased data throughput via new processor architecture, it will not have a stacked sensor.

The R1 will have a stacked sensor, dual CFE, double processor, quad pixel af, real feel evf and the best in class data throughput. It will also have a class leading xsynch and be launched with a new speed light.
This is what I believe…I was right about the dual release of the R7 & R10 six months before it happened, it’s purely my prediction based on logic and web research…I’m not an employee of canon or under an nda.

we will see what comes this summer

Thanks for your most comprehensive reply which I forwarded to a long-time Canon-using friend waiting on the R1 announcement.

I will watch with interest.