Canon’s EOS R5C is a hybrid cinema camera with 8K video and 45-megapixel stills

Canon has unveiled the EOS R5C, a new member of its cinema camera lineup that also looks like a good choice for stills. It looks a lot like Canon’s EOS R5 mirrorless camera, but has a large overhang on the back to accommodate an active cooling system. As such, it offers most of the benefits of the EOS R5 without any of the overheating issues when shooting high frame rate 8K or 4K video.

On the video side, the EOS R5C can record 8K at up to 60fps in Canon’s 12-bit RAW LT format using the full width of the sensor, a big step up from the RAW 8K 30p available on the R5. Even better, it can run on this setting “indefinitely”, while the R5 is limited to just 20 minutes at 8K 30p due to overheating issues. It can also handle RAW 5.9K/60p with a Super 35mm crop, 2.9K/120p with a Super 16 crop and 4K at up to 120 fps with no crop and full AF capability.

It also supports ProRes RAW output to an external recorder via the HDMI port at up to 8K/30P. “Proxy data can also be written simultaneously to an in-camera SD card, helping to provide efficient post-production operations,” Canon said. Unfortunately, it uses micro HDMI instead of a full-sized port – not ideal for a dedicated cinema camera.

Unlike the R5, however, the R5C doesn’t have in-body stabilization – so any optical vibration reduction for stills or video will only be available through supported lenses. However, optical lens stabilization can work in tandem with Canon’s electronic stabilization, with an image crop of 1.1x.

There is another notable limitation. As the EOS R5C uses the same LP-E6NH batteries as the R5, it does not have enough power to operate the lens mount in certain video modes (8K and 5.9K above 30p and 2.9K Super 16 above 60fps) . That means you lose autofocus at these settings on battery power alone, although you can get it back using external power from Canon’s PD-E1 USB power supply or their new DC coupler.

On the photography side, the 45-megapixel full-frame sensor is a big plus, as is the shutter speed of 20 fps in electronic shutter mode (12 fps with the mechanical shutter). It uses Canon’s Dual Pixel autofocus system for both stills and videos, along with eye/face detection and subject tracking, so it should offer the same excellent AF performance as the R5. When you turn the camera to photo mode, all menus and button settings change accordingly.

It comes with a 3.2-inch vari-angle flip-out LCD monitor and a 5.76 million-dot viewfinder, the same as the EOS R5. While you get Canon Log 3 for improved dynamic range, the superior Log 2 option found on other Canon cinema cameras isn’t available. Other features include two card slots (one CFexpress and one SD UHS-II), animal eye detection (cats, dogs or birds), vehicle detection, a multifunctional shoe for microphones and other accessories, a time code terminal for multi-camera recording and a DC coupler to provide continuous power.

The EOS R5C will arrive in March for $4,499, a $600 premium over the R5. It’s a pretty cool model as it can do more than some Canon cinema camera models for a lot less money, and it’s a lot smaller, to boot. At the same time, it might give hybrid photo/video shooters a serious break if they want to buy Sony’s $6,500 A1 hybrid.