Launched way back in February 2015, the Canon EOS 5DS and EOS 5DS R were meant to bridge the gap between professional camera bodies and enthusiast ones.
However, it seems like their time may have passed, with Canon Rumors reporting that the manufacturer is now ready to pull the plug on the production of the aging EOS 5DS line. Many Canon fans may have been expecting this, particularly after the announcement of the EOS R5 flagship, which does seem to be a mirrorless replacement for the full-frame, high resolution 5D line.
It's not just the R5 that could see the production of the 5DS line stopped – the EOS 5D Mark IV proved to be a more popular camera for Canon fans, outselling the 5DS globally.
That said, Canon doesn't seem to be done with DSRLs yet, having launched three new bodies recently: the EOS 90D in 2019, and the EOS 1D X Mark III and EOS 850D this year. At one time, a model called the EOS 5D Mark V even appeared in the company's internal roadmap.
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Filling a niche
We reached out to Canon for an official comment on this report and TechRadar was reassured that these are just rumors at this stage. Canon is still keen on reminding customers that both the 5DS and the 5DS R are going to be available on shelves for the foreseeable future and, if you happen to be in Australia, the shooters come with a local five-year warranty.
The 5DS and the 5DS R are practically identical in every way, with the sole exception of an additional optical filter on the 50.6MP full-frame sensor in the latter, which enables the 5DS R to capture even more detail than its sibling.
At the time of launch, these were some of the best Canon cameras out, but now their age is showing. In 2015, Canon's Digic 6 image processor was the latest engine in the company's arsenal, but that is now two generations old – albeit both cameras have dual processors under the hood to enhance performance.
There's also only 1080p video capture available on board both models, and a burst speed of just 5fps. These were absolutely acceptable a few years ago, but there are cheaper cameras from different manufacturers, Canon included, available today with better specs.
That said, if Canon does decide that it's time to halt the production of the 5DS line, chances are the price of existing stock will drop significantly and budding photographers will be able to score a really good deal.
