R6 mark ii or R5 - which to go for

Hi. I currently shoot predominantly wildlife and use Lightroom on an iPad to process. Not necessarily the most sophisticated but works well for me.

I want to buy a second body to supplement my R6 as I go on more adventures (and maybe take my processing up a level but not necessarily have to). Torn between the R5 (more megapixels so more reach, better build, not keen on moving away from dual SD cards, bigger file sizes and having to change processing to do justice) and R6 mark ii (restrictions on cropping, missing the opportunity to ‘upgrade’). I don’t use video. I’ve also ruled out the R7 as I like full frame.

Ignoring any price differential for now, I would really appreciate the views of this community especially as I have read that the R5 raw images need rather more work - I’d especially like to know if anyone is using an iPad to process images.

I’m really caught over whether I should take this opportunity to step up or whether this will be overkill and force a change in the enjoyable way I photograph.

Thank you!

If I wished to supplement an R6 for wildlife, an R6-2 would add little more than a rather negligible degree of resolution, so would serve only as a backup, or "extra" body; so, my choice/s would be either an R5 which would offer a significant resolution increase, or and an R7 which would offer additional "reach" perspective.

I have decided to go with R62 v/s R7 or R5

I have great reach with a 500 F4, a 150-600 and I think I will order the 800mm F/11 down the road. I prefer the clean sensor and smaller files of the R62over the R5 so I would rather invest in reach v/s the R7 crop factor. For portrait work and other needs, IMHO, the full frame sensor greatly exceeds the crop sensor.....so an R7 and R5 benefits would only benefit me for wildlife needs......and the ISO benefits of the R62 would favor over the R7.....If you have reach or investing in an 800mm for absolute reach needs.....R62 is the better choice in my opinion

hope that makes sense

Leigh wrote in post #19453914
If I wished to supplement an R6 for wildlife, an R6-2 would add little more than a rather negligible degree of resolution, so would serve only as a backup, or "extra" body; so, my choice/s would be either an R5 which would offer a significant resolution increase, or and an R7 which would offer additional "reach" perspective.

This!

Makes no sense to have two cameras that are basically the same. Not for shooting wildlife. You want something to complement the R6, like an R5 or R7 with high resolution/more reach.

Levina de Ruijter wrote in post #19453933
This!

Makes no sense to have two cameras that are basically the same. Not for shooting wildlife. You want something to complement the R6, like an R5 or R7 with high resolution/more reach.

Or invest in quality glass...which gives full frame the nod for me

umphotography wrote in post #19453922
I have decided to go with R62 v/s R7 or R5

I have great reach with a 500 F4, a 150-600 and I think I will order the 800mm F/11 down the road. I prefer the clean sensor and smaller files of the R62over the R5 so I would rather invest in reach v/s the R7 crop factor. For portrait work and other needs, IMHO, the full frame sensor greatly exceeds the crop sensor.....so an R7 and R5 benefits would only benefit me for wildlife needs......and the ISO benefits of the R62 would favor over the R7.....If you have reach or investing in an 800mm for absolute reach needs.....R62 is the better choice in my opinion

hope that makes sense

Mike, you have yet to purchase your first mirrorless camera and for anyone in that position the R6II does make a lot of sense.

But the OP states that she already has the R6 and wants a second body. If she wanted to upgrade from a R6 to a R6II, that could make sense but to have a R6II as a second body to the R6 does not. You want complementary cameras, not two of the same. Not for wildlife anyway.

Thank you.

Anne D wrote in post #19453808
...I want to buy a second body to supplement my R6 as I go on more adventures (and maybe take my processing up a level but not necessarily have to)...

Why do you want the second body? My wife and I both carry two bodies, but we do it because we want to have two lenses available all the time without having to switch them. She uses two 80Ds; one with the EF-S 18-135 and the other with the EF 70-300 II. For several years I carried a 1DX2 with the EF 100-400 II and the 5D4 with the EF 24-105 f/4L. This gave us the ability to shoot whatever we saw as the photo opportunities presented themselves.

I moved to mirrorless two years ago with an R5 and R6. I preferred the R6 images to the R5, and I really didn't like the 45mp files. The "cropability" of the R5 just didn't come into play in my shooting.

On the day the R6 II became available, I traded my R5 for one. The R6 II sensor is as close to the 1DX2 sensor as any body that I've had. Yesterday, I took my R6 to my local camera shop and traded it for a 2nd R6 II. I've also settled on the RF 3-lens STM set -- the 15-30, 24-105, and 100-400. The total weight of the two bodies and three lenses is just 6 pounds. I'm almost 70 years old, and I needed to lighten my gear!

So if you want to carry two bodies and lenses like my wife and I do, I recommend another R6 or the R6 II. If you want the second body to give you more "reach" then the R5 is the way to go.

LJ3Jim wrote in post #19454622
If you want the second body to give you more "reach" then the R5 is the way to go.

Don't you mean R7?

Lou

lowrider wrote in post #19454702
Don't you mean R7?

Lou

No. She said in her initial post that she had ruled out the R7. The R5 gives "reach" by cropping its 45mp down to 20.

I was doing the same debate and I went ahead and pre-ordered the R6 2. 24 mp is enough for me but the R6 2 also has the new hot shoe plus a better autofocus system. I’m still a bit concern loosing the top screen but with the R I mostly use the back LCD so I think I’ll adjust.


I’m sure either would be an improvement for me. I think the MP is what id base my choice on.

For a second body an R7 may be a good choice but the r5 will give you a lot of pixels to crop

I also hear an R5 mark 2 is coming in the spring so maybe hold out and get a R5 at a lower price

LJ3Jim wrote in post #19454622
...The total weight of the two bodies and three lenses is just 6 pounds. ...

Wow, that has value.

Hi. And that’s my essential problem! I like to have two bodies as I like to keep a landscape lens on one and a 100-500mm on the other and also as increasingly going on big photo trips need a back up body in case and would like it to be compatible with the RF zoom lens - thus inclined to have the R6ii with latest updates. But I’d like the reach at times too so tending to R5! I know one will be the best fit, just not entirely sure which!!

Thanks for all the comments on this thread.

LJ3Jim wrote in post #19454713
No. She said in her initial post that she had ruled out the R7. The R5 gives "reach" by cropping its 45mp down to 20.

It just occurred to me that the R5 'with reach' by cropping is a bit like carrying both an R5 body and a 7DII body and using the same lens on both, in terms of delivered optical resolution.

Anne D wrote in post #19455384
Hi. And that’s my essential problem! I like to have two bodies as I like to keep a landscape lens on one and a 100-500mm on the other and also as increasingly going on big photo trips need a back up body in case and would like it to be compatible with the RF zoom lens - thus inclined to have the R6ii with latest updates. But I’d like the reach at times too so tending to R5! I know one will be the best fit, just not entirely sure which!!

Well, if you already have the R6, I would add the R7. What, ruled out crop? Why? OK, then the R5, but it does not have the pixel density of the R7.

The R6 II is better than the R6, but it is a lot of money to upgrade.

The R6 and R5 should go well together since they are similar, whereas the R7 is different in several ways. I have the R5 and R7 and it is going to be difficult switching back and forth. I'm thinking the R6 II is more like the R7, so that would make a nice pair. That will cost some $$$!