The 50MP EOS 5Ds and EOS 5Ds R are now available to pre-order at most major camera stores:
Availability is scheduled for the end of June.
Savvy readers have noticed that Camera Canada, an authorized Canon Canada dealer, has excellent pre-order pricing. After adding shipping (about $40) and converting to USD at current exchange rates, the final price is about $350-$400 less than the US dealer price, about a 10% savings.
- EOS 5Ds: $4099.00 (Canadian $), final price approx. $3350 USD
- EOS 5Ds R: $4299.00 (Canadian $), final price approx. $3500 USD
Historically, Canadian camera bodies have come with Canon USA and Canada warranty cards good for warranty in both countries, but this is yet to be confirmed specifically for the EOS 5Ds.
Ordered mine via BH at 6:02. Couldn’t be more excited!
Why do these bodies cost so much more than my 5D Mark II cost so long ago? I don’t get it.
Canon said in a 2006 white paper on full frame versus crop sensors that the larger megapixels in full frame cameras were much more expensive to manufacture and superior to the small megapixels of crop sensor cameras. They said full frame sensors, which are 2.6 times as large as APS-C sensors, cost 5-10 times as much to produce as APS-C crop sensors. So if 2.6 times of that difference is the larger sensor size, it suggests the larger megapixels, which have superior light gathering capability and superior ability to capture fine detail and subtle color differences, cost 2-4 times as much to produce as the smaller megapixels of the APS-C crop sensors.
So now Canon is putting the less expensive and less capable small megapixels on a full frame sensor (which they could have done years ago if they thought it would create a superior camera) and in the existing 5D Mark III body and charging a roughly 50% premium to what a 5D Mark III can now be bought for. I wouldn’t trade my 5D Mark III for one of these new cameras straight up.
Don, the cost of a FF sensor has everything to do with the physical size of the image sensor….fewer sensors per wafer…and nothing to do with megapixels. A FF sensor is a FF sensor whether it is 12 MP or 24 MP or 50 MP.
Now companies may charge more for more MP due to perception of increased value. And indeed, there may be some extra engineering that goes into other features, such as preserving high ISO capabilities with more MP. Then again, in the case of the Sony A7s, which has only 12 MP, Sony charges a premium for other reasons, like extreme low light capabilities.
Of course in the case of the 5ds/r models you also have the 2 new DIGIC 6 image processors to handle all that data, and probably other engineering costs to cover.
So my point is that your idea that more MP should mean lower cost doesn’t hold up. Now you can argue that the price of the 5Ds/r is unreasonable, not worth it, etc…which is your right to your opinion. I guess we will see what the market will bear.
A brief quote from Canon’s 2006 white paper on bigger versus smaller pixels:
“From the diagram below, one can see that bigger pixels offer higher sensitivity because they can gather more light in less time than smaller pixels. The diagram also shows that larger pixels are less inclined to light overflow or spillover because of their greater capacity, improving dynamic range. Finally, for a given quantity of noise, more light gathered means a higher signal-to-noise ratio and increased optical signal purity.”
In skimming through that white paper again you may be right that the larger megapixels don’t cost more to manufacture. Canon doesn’t directly say that, but they say quite a bit about why the larger megapixels are superior to smaller more densely packed ones. That would suggest to me that the larger megapixels cost more to manufacture, but maybe not. And I’m sure there are extra costs with the 2 DIGIC 6 image processors, but doesn’t the $1800 (retail) 7D Mark II also have those?
In any event, while I’m not interested in these new cameras, I agree that people should buy whatever appeals to them and is within their budget.
Don, the concept of larger pixels explains why for any given number of megapixels, a FF sensor will be superior to a crop sensor or any other sensor that is smaller.
But a FF sensor is 36 X 24 mm, regardless of the megapixels. Canon doesn’t manufacture a sensor pixel by pixel. They create silicon wafers using very sophisticated processes, and each wafer yields a certain number of image sensors. For FF, a wafer has far less sensor yield than for a smaller crop sensor, hence the higher cost for FF sensors.
So the key to manufacturing cost is the sensor size, not number of megapixels.
I think it’s due to the 50mp.
Waiting on the 5Dmark IV PLEASE !!
Why? Do you think the 5div will have better performance?
The 5DIV should be a better low light camera with better frame rate but these two cameras are completely different animals.
Yes
Better ISO, Dual pixel sensor , 4k video , so yes for what I shoot it will !!
What is the lens compatibility?
Any Canon EF lenses will work with the 5DS and 5DS R. EF-S and EF-M lenses are not compatible. Canon makes it pretty easy, if camera and lens were made in or after 1987, chances are they’ll work together.
same
This new body offers crop alternatives… Yet the EF-S lenses won’t fit?
The sensor doesn’t get physically smaller.
Correct. Ef-s will NOT fit
Thank you Shawn and thank you Larry for the answers!!
R and d cost recoupment. Eventually price will drop significantly
meh.
I don’t know anyone looking for this. Who the heck needs 50 mega pixels? The Mark iii is a way better camera and is about $1500 cheaper.
The same thing was said when the D800 came out so thats moot now.
The Mark III was about the same price when it came out (adjust for inflation).
Just because you don ‘t want it, doesn’t mean someone else wouldn’t need it.
Leah Woods holy sssshhhh
Canon 5d mkiii is the deal of the day for $1999 just fyi.
I just bought a 5D Mk III from Best Buy @ $2499. Couldn’t find anywhere they would price match, but I have another week to produce a valid source. Where did you get yours?
I just bought a 5D Mk III from Best Buy @$2499. Couldn’t find anywhere that they would price match, but I have another week to produce a source they will accept. Or, I guess I could return it and put $500 back in my pocket. Where did you get yours?
Sorry it was deal of the day on ebay. Don’t know if that will work for price match.
http://m.ebay.com/itm/141611061595?nav=DEALS
I think I’ll just stay with the markIII….It’s tempting but I don’t need it…LOL
Derek whatcha gonna do!?
neither one of these are for me.
Nice. Wouldn’t mind testing it.
Nice, wouldn’t mind testing it
Brian
Hussein Abdulghani
I wouldn’t pay 36.99 for this piece of ….. Mirror flopping cameras are like Windows 98 or VHS.
cool story.
It’s a good thing professional photographers who shoot events, from weddings to the Olympics, don’t agree with you.