It appears Canon’s high-end range of cameras will be getting two new models added to its line-up, the 5DS and 5DS R. The stand-out feature of the new DLSRs are their enormous sensors, which should weigh in at 50.6 megapixels, double that of Canon’s current best in the 6D, 5D Mark III and 1D C.
The specifications themselves are sourced from Japanese site Digicame, however, Canon Rumors has helpfully translated the information:
- 50.6MP full frame CMOS sensor
- 5DS R has the low pass filter removed
- Magnesium Alloy Body
- Dust and weather sealed
- Dual DIGIC6 processor
- ISO Range of 100-6400
- 5FPS continuous shooting
- High precision 61-point AF
- EOS Itr AF
- “fine detail” added to the Picture Styles
- 1.3x and 1.6x crop shooting mode
- Customizable “Quick Control screen”
- Time-lapse movie
- Anti-flicker
- Interval Timer
- Bulb timer
While the sensor size is certainly impressive, it’s the removal of the low-pass filter in the 5DS R that’s of the most interest, as TechCrunch’s Darrell Etherington explains:
…an “R” variant will do away with the low pass filter, which is also called an anti-aliasing filter and which is used in digital cameras to prevent moiré … That’s going to be much better for photographers who do wide landscape shots, however, since low pass filters work by blurring fine details before they reach the image sensor.
With colour accuracy also be improved on the 5DS and 5DS R, at the expense of low-light performance, it’s clear that these models will appeal to certain niches. If the specs prove accurate, Canon’s current models might be a better (and more affordable) choice for the budding professional photographer.
[Canon Rumors, via TechCrunch]