Canon R5 vs R6: Can the 20 megapixel R6 compete for wildlife, birds, and milky way photography?

Want to take amazing wildlife photos? Check out my new course with 20 modules and over 5 hours of content, no fluff! AND A CHANCE TO WIN A $13,000 600mm f4 LENS!

Join me as I share my experiences as a nature photographer with owning both the Canon EOS R5 and R6. I've had the R5 for over a year, and the R6 for several months, and it's time for a showdown of these two in shooting birds, deer, whales, foxes, and even the milky way. I have lots of examples of the same shots with the same settings, and I discuss many of the more intangible attributes that you can't get from a spec sheet.

Follow me on:

[redpillnibbler]

To offer another perspective on 20 megapixels, people sometimes forget that not that long ago photographers were raving about 8 megapixels and what great large prints they made.

[johnkorth]

After following your channel for a while, the one thing I’ve noticed is that the quality of your videos have drastically improved, both audibly and visually. The content has stayed the same, always useful tips and tricks

[Rubinobill]

I’ve watched so many of these versus videos and IMO this should be the required video to watch before making the purchase. I bought the R6 in 2021 because the R5 was impossible to find at the time so I still watch these from time to time to keep myself grounded that for my needs I don’t need to upgrade. Thanks for making this man.

[frankanderson]

Probably the best and most balanced comparisons of these two cameras I've seen. I do own the R6 and it is more than enough for my type of wildlife photography. I'm particularly impressed by its low light ability where I can shoot at 25600 ISO. What a lot of photographers, especially YouTubers forget is how important the cost factor is. I could have got an R5 but instead for the money I saved, got a battery grip, additional battery and a used RF24-105 f4 lens. I liked that you mentioned the addtional cost factors of getting the R5.

One thing that nobody mentions is that you can use Topaz Gigapixel A1 to help with crops. No it won't make the R6 the equivalent of an R5 but it gets close. Today you could by an R6 and get an R7 for the cost of an R5. The R7 will give you much of what the R5 will give you.

At the end of the day you get what you can afford and what best suites you. If money is no issue, you may as well get the R5 but if, like for many, money is tight, the R6 is more than able.

[robertlawrence]

I bought an R6 originally because I could see that mirrorless is killing DSLRs and that my 5d and 6d bodies would rapidly lose their value.
Having bought one I was absolutely delighted with it. I actually like the body layout on the R6 as I find it slightly reminiscent of old analogue cameras with dials and buttons rather than mode screens. I shoot wildlife and sport and find 20 mp to be absolutely fine for my style of work. A big consideration for me for not getting the R5 was not wanting to upgrade my computer yet again to cope with the big files.
I don't shoot video so the higher video specs didn't interest me.
I think many photographers these days would rather have more mp's in order to crop in rather than honing their skills to get closer to their subject. Yes, there will always be times when getting closer is impossible but on those occasions I simply put the camera down and just enjoy the moment.
I have been so pleased with the R6 that I have bought a second body and although the EF lenses work perfectly when adapted I hope to gradually replace them with RF lenses as soon as finances allow.
An excellent balanced review Simon.

[marktaylor]

Simon, what a great openminded review. I have an R6 and have never used an R5. I can honestly say that I haven't missed any of the R5's extra features (I don't do video) and extra costs. When deciding which of the 2 to purchase I decided that price difference was better spent on a week long photography workshop on the Isle of Skye, an experience I'll never forget. I've been very impressed with the R6 (upgraded from an EOS80D) as I have all of the benefits of the frame rate, low light performance, and the awsome autofocus system that it comes with. I can afford an R5, but I can't justify it based simply on more megapixels and video capabilities, there would need to be much more to get me to change.

[krejn]

Excellent video, I've just recently purchased the R5 and am definitely glad I chose it over the R6. Brilliant features, built like a tank, has a nice heft to it and the extra megapixels and top screen come in absolutely clutch. I came from the 80D and as someone who always wanted a 5dmkiv, the R5 is absolutely legendary, especially with the amount of updates they've given it, I don't expect to upgrade until 2030 at least

[Adesh_Singh]

A year later and this video is still doing a great service to us enthusiasts. I have used the R6 mk 1 for the past year and have been quite pleased, although the R5 mk 2 may (if rumors are to believed) may be quite a leap forward. I am currently pairing my R6 with an EF 300mm F2.8 and absolutely love the combination.

[chrisbrown]

Thank you so much. I have the Canon R6 and buying an R5 seems too much of a stretch in cost for me. I also bought the R7 that did not exist when I bought the R6 for reach advantage.

[estone]

It's amazing how life is so much better when you surround yourself with people who bring value by way of knowledge, interest, and compassion. This is the recipe for a better society and to end racism. Your video inspired me to say that. Thanks and I'll be getting an R6 very soon.

[jonathanscherer]

It's really surprising to me. I'm looking at the samples from the R6 in the video, taken at higher ISO's, and these are not that far off what I've seen with the OM-1. Considering the pixel density, though similar pixel count, it's surprising how well the OM-1 sensor does. With a good lens, it resolves a lot of detail. I know it's not going to be quite as good as the R6 in a lot of situations, but having a BSI stacked sensor with cross-pixel AF it's still a fairly impressive sensor. The R5 is another level of course.

[havarsigurjonsson]

Excellent review. I have had the R6 for 12 months and not missed anything from the R5. The R6 and the RF100-500 is the perfect combination for my photography. Still I have
sometimes wondered if I should have gone for the R5 instead. Your video convinced me that I made the right choice.

[alanbudge]

Brilliant video and exactly the comparison I needed. Still using the 5D but now convinced the R6 is the way forward for me. It will also leave a considerable amount I can spend on lenses. Thank you Simon.

[sfxddpj]

Simon-

I love the fact that you comment on every post here... just wanted to say thanks for that. I learn a lot just reading comments

[zetacrucis]

Sensor performances seemed to have plateaued in the past 10 years or so. In low light the old 6D seems to be able to keep up with the R6 from the shots I've seen. The R5 has more dynamic range at low ISO but nothing groundbreaking. The Nikon D600 from a decade ago can more than match it there. It's a great time to get into photography proper with high-performance digital cameras more affordable than ever for those of us happy to buy used.

[billrhea]

I am a wedding photographer and I shoot both. When I edit I can never tell which camera shot the photos

[andrewyoder]

FINALLY someone with the comparison I've always wanted! Wildlife after sunset. Thank you!!

[albertnebe]

The sharpness of the 500 f4 with the 2times extender applied is outstanding. Great comparison btw 😊

[kevaljoshi]

Great video just what i was looking for just got refurbished R6 for $1299 US can’t wait to take into the field . I love your videos straight to the point.

[bunkermagnus]

This was the best comparison I’ve seen so far between these 2 cameras. Thank you!