My trusty Canon 5D IV was dying a slow death (external controls failing) and had almost 200,000 clicks so I bit the bullit and sold the camera and my EF L lenses for RF lenses and bought a R5. I know I could use the EF lenses with an adapter, but I was drawn to the image stabilization that the R5 offers with the RF lenses: a whopping 8-8.5 stops! So, I just returned from the Eastern Sierra and here are my thoughts. First, there is something I hate about the R5 and something I love. I hate the electronic viewfinder. (EVF) The colors aren’t realistic and the light is weird. As people describe, looking at a potential composition through an EVF is like looking at a crappy television screen. I found it difficult to make compositions with it…I was just guessing. There is something about an optical viewfinder that makes it easier to judge the composition as good or bad. The R5 does have a screen viewfinder but I’ve never loved those either, and it is impossible in bright light. OK, what I love is the image stabilization. Except for sunrise and sunset I never used my tripod. I went on hikes and tramped around like usual without that bothersome thing resting on my shoulders. It was liberating! The other selling points of the digital R5 are that it has amazing focusing ability for moving objects, so if you photograph birds or wildlife or other moving objects, then this is your camera. For someone who does still landscapes, its just expensive useless bells and whistles. There was one bell I liked. Because I wasn’t using a tripod most of the day, it would be almost impossible to focus stack. The R5 has built in focus stacking which is easy to set up and use (it doesn’t create an in camera focus stack…it creates multiple (you choose) photos that you have to combine in Photoshop, Helicon Focus, or such software. The color balance, contrast, light, etc. looks likes just like the Canon 5D IV. Since the R5 has 45 megapixels instead of the 32 that the 5D IV has, with good lenses like the old EF with an adapter or the new RF lenses, you get more resolution. This is actual not all good…it is a mixed bag. Many of the photos look crunchier. This is not unique to the R5, it happens with more megapixels in any camera. It requires more post processing to fix. So, as I read, fewer pixels (as long as you have enough) actually are more forgiving than more pixels. Regarding not using a tripod, I found the photos as sharp as those taken with my 5D IV and EF lenses. Conclusion: if you love your old fashioned full frame camera and shoot mostly stills, upgrading to this expensive mirrorless is not worth it unless not carrying a tripod around or more latitude to crop, which you get with more resolution, is worth the money.
Hi Tony,
I really enjoyed reading your review. Although my situation is a bit different from yours, I found myself agreeing with many of your points.
I shoot with both the Canon 5D IV and the Canon RP. I know the RP isn’t in the same league as your R5, but like you, I really don’t enjoy using its EVF. At first, I assumed the issue was simply that the RP is a budget body and that something like the R5 would offer a much better experience. It’s a shame, because the RP is my walkaround and scouting camera, and I rely on the EVF about 95 percent of the time. The “poor” quality definitely takes away from the experience.
By contrast, the optical viewfinder on the 5D IV is just so much more enjoyable. There’s nothing like seeing the scene directly, without electronics in the way. It’s ironic though because I mainly shoot landscapes with that camera, using a tripod and the rear screen, so I don’t actually look through the OVF all that often.
One thing I do love about the RP, aside from its small, light weight build, is the autofocus. Paired with my Tamron 100–400mm, it outperforms my 5D by fare. With the 5D IV, I struggle to get reliably sharp results unless I switch to Live View, which is awkward when shooting handheld. Even though the RP isn’t exactly a wildlife camera, I’ve had more success capturing handheld wildlife shots with it than with the 5D.
So yes, I suppose I’m a bit of a DSLR dinosaur, but I love my 5D IV and plan to keep using it as long as it keeps working. For landscapes, where I’m manually focusing on a tripod, it’s still more than enough. I’m even considering picking up another one used, just to have a backup for the future. 
Thanks for this review, Tony. I have the Canon 5D3 and while it is not as good as the IV, it has done everything I need it to do and still does.
My reason for considering the Canon R6ii is that it is lighter, marginally better resolution, and much better low light and ISO performance.
I’m considering the R6ii over the R5 partly because I don’t love the lack of a mode dial on the R5, and I don’t want every dang picture to be 45mp.
Like you, I am not a fan of EVF either. It is just a totally different experience, and I’m not sure I can overcome the loss of awe when seeing scenes rendered electronically.
One thing I noticed in my research is that the rf lenses are heavier than the comparable ef lenses. As a result, despite the lighter body, with a full bag, I’m not sure I save much weight. The weight in my hand is lighter. And I’m 60something and that matters.
I’m probably gonna keep thinking this through, maybe rent a kit from ProPhoto Supply in Portland for a long weekend and see whether the pros outweigh the EVF con.
Let us know if you ever get used to the EVF.
ML
Hi Tony, I too was disappointed with the look of the EVF when I first switched to mirrorless. After a while though, it dawned on me that I wasn’t a prisoner of the max aperture and that I could get focal lengths that were simply out of reach before if you wanted a bright view. Also my the entire outfit is lighter.
After a while I got used to the EVF while enjoying the benefits that it made possible.
At least you guys are going to mirrorless now when EVF technology has improved drastically. My first mirrorless was in 2013 and believe me, that screen was abysmal. Because I work from a kayak a lot of the time, two bodies became important since changing lenses was causing me to lose wildlife shots and leaving just the long lens on made things boring with no landscape photos. While mulling over what to do about a second body, I used my old one and OMG it was awful looking at that EVF compared to the one on the newer camera. Luckily for me a M2 version of that newer camera came out and I shoot with both versions in the boat. The EVF is improved yet again and I’m very comfortable with them now since it’s been over a decade for me. One thing I really appreciate is exposure preview to give me an idea of how things will look with the settings I’m using at any given time. So count your blessings with going to such new cameras, you didn’t have to suffer through the really bad years.