5D Mk iv

There have been rumours for some time now on such websites as dpreview and petapixel about a canon 5d Mk iv, and following the release of the 5DS and 5DS R I’m wondering if and when we will see a 5d mark 4. But more importantly, will it be up to scratch and will it be in my price range? The reason this is so pertinent just now amongst wedding photographers using canon gear is the unprecedented rise to fame of a camera from the other side. Nikon’s own d750 has taken the wedding photography market by storm and people are selling their canon gear by the bucket load to make the switch. It seems that for many wedding photographers the main draw is the amount of information the d750 sensor is able to record, giving a dynamic range which is superior to the files produced by the 5d’s 22.3 megapixel CMOS sensor. The ability to be able to recover data by 3 or 4 stops and still have a clean image is a game changer for many.

Cost

Coupled with the advantages (there are also disadvantages, such as the build quality) of the 750d there is also the cost. If you find the right place, potentially you could get 2 750s and a couple of third-party speedlites for the cost of a 5Diii. And if canon launch a 5D iv it’s likely to have a hefty price tag that may see even more canon users leaving the rebel alliance.

Purpose

I can only speak for myself in saying that I have no real interest in shooting video, bit I would imagine that most wedding photographers are the same. So I guess I pay a big chunk of money for part of the technology that I don’t use. From my point of view the improvements from the 5D mark ii to the mark iii were great. The focusing system is better for a start and the sound of the shutter gives me more confidence than the mark ii did. I’m also able to shoot at a much higher ISO than with the mark ii. So why do I want something better? Well I guess I’m envious of my friends who are using the better low light capabilities and dynamic range of the Nikons to make their jobs easier and to be able to get better  results in difficult lighting conditions. I have my fingers crossed that the next Canon DSLR aimed at stills shooting professionals will keep pace with the offering from Nikon. Don’t get me wrong, I’m quite happy with the 5D iii and the canon RT flash system. But as a life long Canonista I’m hoping for something even better.

My own canon experience

I’ve used Canon cameras since I was a nipper. Starting off very young with my Dad’s AE1 and following on from that several other canon film cameras of my own. I moved from scanning slide film to using a 300d and shooting jpegs then upwards through the models to the 5d original, mark ii and then mark iii. I’ve never used anything else.

NB – I have nothing against Nikon cameras, in fact I’ve never used one. I held one once, and felt a bit naughty.