The Canon 5D Mark IV ranks as Canon’s latest advanced level DSLR. For the most part, it looks and handles like its predecessor, the 5D Mark III. This advanced camera is a plus for veteran photographers who know their cameras by heart. Inside there’s a brand new 30MP sensor that utilizes Canon’s Dual Pixel AF tech.
With the EOS 5D Mark IV, Canon has further refined its semi-professional full-frame all-rounder. With a solid build and improved weather sealing, faster burst speed, increased resolution, increased dynamic range, updated autofocus system, and Dual Pixel live view functionality, the Mark IV will be as much camera as many people need, even if it doesn’t revolutionize the 5D-line the way its predecessors have.
Canon 5D Mark IV comes with an improved image processor that supports 7fps capture. The video engine for this camera for advanced photographers can record footage at 4K quality.
Check Out: Best Lenses for Canon 5D Mark IV
Canon 5D Mark IV: Design and Build
It’s a moderately-sized full-frame body advanced level camera measuring 4.6 by 5.9 by 3.0 inches. Canon 5D Mark IV weighs 1.8 pounds. It’s smaller than bodies with an integrated vertical shooting grip, like the Nikon D5. An option of adding the BG-E20 battery grip will make it a beefier camera.
The grip lets you use two batteries intended for powering the best-advanced user’s camera. CIPA rates it at a net 900 shots through the viewfinder when the battery is fully charged. It offers 300 shots when you resolve to use its rear LCD. The battery lifespan is not quite good as that of the 5D Mark III when using the optical viewfinder with 950 shots.
Canon 5D Mark IV: Performance
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has a new 30MP image sensor. It’s the first time we’ve seen this particular resolution on a full-frame camera. It delivers on its promise of balancing resolution and high ISO performance. The native ISO ranges from 100 through 32000, with ISO 51200 and ISO 102400 available as extended settings.
Canon 5D Mark IV: Viewfinder
The optical viewfinder is bright and clear. It covers 100 percent of the frame. What you see is what you shoot. Canon 5D Mark IV is quite bright due to its glass pentaprism design. It’s also large, delivering a 0.71x magnification rating.
There’s a lot of information which you can see in the viewfinder. Exposure settings and the number of shots left in the shooting buffer are displayed in green at the bottom. It is found in the frame area. The outline for the autofocus area is shown in black, together with the focus points. They light up in red when active for better visibility.
Check Out: Best DSLR Camera
Canon 5D Mark IV: Images
The Canon 5D Mark IV is a fine tool for capturing quick and candid moments. It starts, focuses, and captures an image in about 0.5-second. The autofocus is likewise speedy. The Canon 5D Mark IV locks onto your targets in less than 0.1-second.
It happens when in bright light and framing shots with the optical viewfinder. The focus system works slower a bit, to about 0.5-second. It occurs when you are shooting in extremely dim conditions. Live View focus with the Canon 5D is speedy. Locking on IS is done in about 0.15-second in bright conditions and 0.8-second in dim light.
Canon 5D Mark IV: Specifications
| Price | |
|---|---|
| MSRP | Body only: $3499, €3299, £2999 with 24-105mm: $4299 |
| Body type | |
| Body type | Mid-size SLR |
| Body material | Magnesium alloy |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 5760 x 3840 |
| Other resolutions | 3840 x 2560, 2880 x 1920, 1920 x 1280, 720 x 480 |
| Image ratio w:h | 3:2 |
| Effective pixels | 22 megapixels |
| Sensor photo detectors | 23 megapixels |
| Sensor size | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Processor | Digic 5+ |
| Color space | sRGB,Adobe RGB |
| Color filter array | RGB Color Filter Array |
| Image | |
| ISO | Auto, 100 – 25600 in 1/3 stops, plus 50, 51200, 102400 as option |
| Boosted ISO (minimum) | 50 |
| Boosted ISO (maximum) | 102400 |
| White balance presets | 6 |
| Custom white balance | Yes (1) |
| Image stabilization | No |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| JPEG quality levels | Fine, Normal |
| File format |
|
| Optics & Focus | |
| Autofocus |
|
| Autofocus assist lamp | by optional dedicated Speedlite |
| Digital zoom | No |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Number of focus points | 61 |
| Lens mount | Canon EF |
| Focal length multiplier | 1× |
| Screen / viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Fixed |
| Screen size | 3.2″ |
| Screen dots | 1,040,000 |
| Touch screen | No |
| Screen type | Clear View II TFT LCD |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | Optical (pentaprism) |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% |
| Viewfinder magnification | 0.71× |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/8000 sec |
| Exposure modes |
|
| Built-in flash | No |
| External flash | Yes (Hot-shoe, Wireless plus Sync connector) |
| Flash X sync speed | 1/200 sec |
| Continuous drive | 6.0 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Metering modes |
|
| Exposure compensation | ±5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
| AE Bracketing | ±3 (2, 3, 5, 7 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
| WB Bracketing | Yes (3 frames in either blue/amber or magenta/green axis) |
| Videography features | |
| Resolutions | 1920 x 1080 (29.97, 25, 23.976 fps fps), 1280 x 720 (59.94, 50 fps), 640 x 480 (25, 30 fps) |
| Format | H.264 |
| Videography notes | 1080 and 720 intra or inter frame, 480 inter frame |
| Microphone | Mono |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | Compact Flash Type I (UDMA compatible), SD/SDHC/SDXC |
| Storage included | None |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| HDMI | Yes (HDMI mini) |
| Microphone port | Yes |
| Headphone port | Yes |
| Wireless | Optional |
| Wireless notes | Wireless File Transmitter WFT-E7 |
| Remote control | Yes (Remote control with N3 type contact, Wireless Controller LC-5, Remote Controller RC-6) |
| Physical | |
| Environmentally sealed | Yes |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery & charger |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 950 |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 950 g (2.09 lb / 33.51 oz) |
| Dimensions | 152 x 116 x 76 mm (5.98 x 4.57 x 2.99″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| Timelapse recording | Yes (by cable and PC) |
| GPS | Optional |
| GPS notes | With optional GP-E2 unit |
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV: Conclusion
If at first glance the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV looks underwhelmingly similar to the model it supersedes, don’t be fooled-engineers Canon’s have not stood still.
Compared to the EOS 5D Mark III, it has tweaked and enhanced almost every feature. The full-frame 30.4MP sensor does not exactly catch the headlines like that of other competitors, but relative to the 22.3MP of the EOS 5D Mark III, it is still a nice improvement in resolution, whilst the increased noise and dynamic range efficiency make it an even more enticing proposition for those consumers dreaming of upgrading.
And if you update, you’ll get a camera you can immediately feel at home with, while enjoying a range of improvements-the AF system is better for instance, with a major leap forward with the Dual Pixel AF in Live View. The touchscreen functionality greatly increases handling, though performance is also much higher.
