Confirmed: Canon's EOS R5 will definitely shoot 30fps 8K video

Canon EOS R5
(Image credit: Canon)

The Canon EOS R5 development announcement claimed that the upcoming camera will be able to shoot 8K video. Turns out, not everyone believed it was possible on a consumer-level shooter – after all, such high resolution footage has, so far, been the premise of professional cinema cameras.

To set the disbelievers straight, Canon has released an official statement to tease us with a few more tidbits, and thus confirming a rumor or two. The Japanese camera maker is reassuring fans that the EOS R5 will definitely shoot 8K internally, and will do so at 30fps – a framerate that was previously only speculated at – using the full width of the sensor. No crop to see here, folks.

What's more, Canon has also revealed that its tried-and-tested Dual Pixel CMOS autofocus system will come into play for all 8K modes, giving users excellent AF tracking when using Live View.

Keep an eye out

Canon has also confirmed that the EOS R5 will come equipped with animal AF as well, and will be able to recognize cats, dogs and birds straight out of the box. 

Eye detect AF will be able to lock in on an animal's eye, but the head detection autofocus available on the EOS 1D X Mark III will also be found on the R5. That means if an eye is not visible, the camera will automatically be able to fixate on either the body or the head of the subject being tracked.

And that's about where the teasing stops. We already know that the R5 will be able to shoot 12fps when using the mechanical shutter but will match the Sony Alpha A9 II's and its EOS 1D X Mark III cousin's whopping 20fps when employing the electronic shutter. To make sure all the shots are safely stowed away, there will be dual card slots on both, although we still don't know if either or both will support CFexpress or UHS-II SD cards.

It will also be the first time Canon offers in-body image stabilization on one of its shooters.

There is so much more we don't know about the R5 and it's one of the most highly anticipated cameras this year. If Canon is giving is a teaser now, then perhaps the announcement won't be delayed due to the coronavirus pandemic currently gripping the world.

Sharmishta Sarkar
Managing Editor (APAC)

Sharmishta is TechRadar's APAC Managing Editor and loves all things photography, something she discovered while chasing monkeys in the wilds of India (she studied to be a primatologist but has since left monkey business behind). While she's happiest with a camera in her hand, she's also an avid reader and has become a passionate proponent of ereaders, having appeared on Singaporean radio to talk about the convenience of these underrated devices. When she's not testing camera kits or the latest in e-paper tablets, she's discovering the joys and foibles of smart home gizmos. She's also the Australian Managing Editor of Digital Camera World and, if that wasn't enough, she contributes to T3 and Tom's Guide, while also working on two of Future's photography print magazines Down Under.