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10 years ago, I wrote a comparison between high megapixel camera bodies and ultimately stated that the Canon 5Ds is one of the best that you can get your hands on. To my surprise, a friend of mine last year who is a VFX artist bought one simply because of the mount’s adaptability and the high megapixel count. On top of that, the camera is pretty affordable these days. In fact, Canon still hasn’t made another 50MP camera body. But even though it’s a DSLR, is it still a good camera today even though it’s around a decade old?
So overall, I’d say that yes, the Canon 5DS is still a great camera if you’re not necessarily shooting sports or something that requires you to do a lot of fast paced action. There’s also an issue with shooting in low light. But otherwise, the 5Ds is still a very capable camera. For the price point of around $1,000 (and it can probably be found lower) it’s still a pretty solid camera especially for photographer who want an optical viewfinder. At 38 years old, I find myself wanting that more and more.
The advantages this camera has over many of the newer Canon bodies mostly have to do with the sensor resolution. But besides that there’s the fact that the camera inherently makes you slow down because it’s a much slower device than many of the other current Canon cameras. On top of that, I truly think that there’s something to be said for the sensory experience of hearing a real shutter and a mirror.
As I type this article up, I’m looking back at images that I shot many years ago in the site’s review, previously hyperlinked. Here are my conclusions that I wrote so long ago:
The Canon 5Ds has a lot going for it. You’ve got tons of resolution, versatile files if you mind the highlights, lots of color depth, a beautiful viewfinder, pretty fast burst shooting rates, and a crop factor that is completely optional if you choose to get more reach from your lenses. On top of this, the camera’s autofocusing abilities are excellent.
But there is also a lot running against it too. For starters, the price. Second, it’s overkill. Not many people need a 50MP DSLR and most folks who say that they do are kidding themselves. If you truly need 50MP files, then you obviously know it by the type of work that you do. But most of those folks won’t need that much.
In all honesty, you’re better off sticking with the Canon 5D Mk III or the 6D if you’re most professionals. But if you really want to take on the equivalent of the medium format world, then you may need this. Even then we’d still recommend good old film or a medium format DSLR. Indeed, we’re not the only ones that think so as DXOMark does too.
In some ways, these conclusions aged well. It’s still got a high megapixel count for the cost and for a full-frame camera even 10 years later. But in other ways, the autofocus will probably be good enough in good lighting. In bad lighting, the Canon 5Ds probably is going to be outdone by many newer cameras.
If you buy one used, be sure to maintain the autofocus contacts by cleaning them with isopropyl alcohol. We’ve got a tutorial on how to do that right here for you.
