Updates:
08/29/2016: First Shots & photo shoot Gallery images posted
08/29/2016: A day in the studio with Parish Kohanim posted
08/31/2016: Image Quality Comparisons special supplement posted
09/29/2016: Performance test results posted
10/12/2016: Gallery Images updated
10/21/2016: Field Test Part I posted
01/05/2017: Print Quality Analysis posted
02/02/2017: Field Test Part II posted
02/17/2017: Review Conclusion posted
06/13/2018: Video Features & Analysis posted

Does weather-sealing matter? Watch our test and decide for yourself.

Canon 5D Mark IV Review – Product Overview

For years now, Canon’s 5D-series DSLRs have been incredibly popular with photographers and videographers alike. The 5D, 5D II and 5D III each hit a sweet spot in terms of price and performance for a full-frame camera, but after debuting in March 2012, the Mark III was getting a bit long in the tooth.

Now, the 5D Mark IV is here to take the 5D lineup into the future, and it sports a wide range of significant updates throughout, many of them borrowed from the flagship 1D-series or even marking firsts for Canon or the industry as a whole. No doubt about it, this is one extremely exciting and important camera!

A brand new, higher-res image sensor and faster processor

Perhaps the most important change of the bunch is a brand-new full-frame image sensor. In place of the earlier 22.3-megapixel chip used in the 5D III, the Canon 5D IV’s sensor now has an effective resolution of 30.4 megapixels. It also adds support for the company’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF system, which we’ll come back to in a moment.

Accompanying the new image sensor is an upgraded image processor, something that has allowed Canon to make a step forward in performance despite the significant increase in pixel count. The new DIGIC 6+ image processor replaces the earlier DIGIC 5+ chip, and was previously seen in the Canon 1DX II. (That model included twin DIGIC 6+ processors, however, where the 5D IV makes do with just the one.)

Swifter performance and a wider default sensitivity range

Canon rates its new camera as capable of up to seven frames per second in burst shooting, up from the six fps provided in the earlier 5D III. As well as the higher resolution and swifter performance, the new image sensor and processor together allow an improvement in sensitivity. Or at least, in that portion of the sensitivity range which Canon feels is good enough to merit availability by default. The overall expanded sensitivity range of ISO 50 to 102,400-equivalents is unchanged from the 5D III, but the Canon 5D IV allows everything from ISO 100 to 32,000-equivalents by default. The earlier 5D III, by contrast, topped out at ISO 25,600-equivalent unless you enabled ISO sensitivity expansion.

The Canon 5D IV has updated metering and autofocus systems, too

To better take advantage of its new sensor and processor, the 5D Mark IV also sports updated metering and autofocus sensors.

In place of the earlier 63-zone dual-layer iFCL metering sensor borrowed from the 7D, the Canon 5D IV now uses a 153,600-pixel, 252-zone RGB+IR metering sensor. This new design was borrowed from the 7D II, and thanks to its much greater resolution, it should allow for better, more accurate face recognition and tracking in particular. It should also deal with hard-to-meter subjects better thanks to its improved granularity.

The new autofocus sensor, meanwhile, retains the same 61-point count (complete with 41 cross-type points) as in the earlier 5D III. The change in the new High Density Reticular AF II chip — the earlier variant lacked the ‘II’ designation — is that the AF sensor in the Canon 5D IV now has wider coverage, better low-light sensitivity and improved performance.

To put a number on the improvement in low-light AF, where the 5D III had a lower limit of EV -2 to 18, the 5D IV will be able to focus down to EV -3 with its center point and an f/2.8 maximum aperture. And in live view mode, it will focus in even dimmer conditions, all the way down to -4 EV.

And as for the coverage improvement, the Canon 5D IV’s AF points now cover 24% more of the image frame horizontally, and 8% more vertically.

Dual Pixel CMOS AF with a touch-screen (and its not just for movies!)

Like the Canon 1DX II before it, the EOS 5D Mark IV now sports Canon’s clever Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology. In a nutshell, what this does is to allow for phase-detection autofocus across much of the image frame, either in live view shooting or during movie capture. And just like its flagship sibling, the Canon 5D IV includes a touch-screen to help you get the most from this new feature.

But where the 1DX II limited use of that touch-screen to use during movie capture and in playback mode, there are no such limitations on the 5D IV. Instead, you’ll be able to use the touch-screen to specify your subject for autofocus either in movie mode or in live view shooting.

And now, Dual Pixel RAW arrives to let you subtly fine-tune focus post-capture, too

And not just that, but the Dual Pixel CMOS AF tech is also being used in an entirely new (and we have to say, very clever) way in the 5D IV, courtesy of what Canon is calling Dual Pixel RAW.

It’s such an interesting and exciting new feature that we’ve devoted an entire section of this review to it, which you can read here. In a nutshell, though, what it allows is for minor post-capture adjustments to autofocus, bokeh and ghosting. You can also combine adjustments to all three, if you like.

Much more on this brand-new tech can be found in our Dual Pixel RAW Insights section below.

Ever more capable movie capture including in-camera 4K and high frame-rate video

The 5D III was already a favorite of videographers, and for good reason. Recognizing that, Canon has really worked to make the 5D Mark IV an even more capable video shooter. We’ve already mentioned the availability of full-time phase-detection autofocus during video capture, but what else is new?

Perhaps the most significant change in this area is in-camera 4K video capture, just as in the flagship Canon 1DX II. And just as in that camera, there’s one important thing to note: The sole compression type for 4K video is Motion JPEG.

That’s both good and bad news. Since there’s no interframe compression, image quality in 4K mode is good. However, file sizes will also be spectacular. (Although not quite as much so as is possible with the 1DX II, because where that camera tops out at 60 frames per second in 4K capture, the 5D IV is limited to 30 fps capture.)

Just as in the 1DX II, the Canon 5D IV allows you to extract single high-quality 4K frames at their native 8.8-megapixel resolution in-camera, as well.

And even if you’re not shooting 4K yet, the Canon 5D IV brings other video improvements for you. For one thing, you can now shoot Full HD (1080p) at up to 60 frames per second, instead of the earlier 30p limit. And if you’re willing to drop the resolution to HD (720p), you’ll get 120 fps capture for either silky-smooth motion, or up to a 4x slow-motion effect without dropping your output below 30p.

There’s also a new HDR movie function, which allows true high dynamic range shooting. This shoots frames at 60 fps, then combines them to create a Full HD output video at 30 frames per second. And if you want to record video externally, there’s also a clean video output via HDMI, although this is at a maximum of Full HD resolution, not 4K, sadly.

Wireless networking and geolocation no longer need clumsy external accessories

If you had the need, the Canon 5D III could be connected to wireless networks to share photos and videos, and could automatically tag your photos with their capture location. Both functions needed external accessories that were expensive and radically changed the camera’s handling.

The Canon 5D IV fixes all this, sporting Wi-Fi wireless networking and GPS without the need for external accessories. Instead, these features are built into the camera itself. For Android users, the Wi-Fi connectivity comes complete with NFC for quick-and-easy pairing.

Incidentally, it’s worth noting that even if you don’t want GPS for its geolocation capabilities, it’s also handy for keeping your camera’s clock updated. This could be particularly useful if you’re shooting multiple cameras, and need their internal clocks to be synced extremely accurately.

A redesigned, better-sealed body, but you’ll need to buy a new battery grip

Although it has almost the exact same layout as its predecessor in terms of the controls and features, the Canon 5D IV has a newly-designed body. That means you’ll also need a new battery grip accessory, if you’re upgrading from the earlier 5D III. In place of that camera’s BG-E11 battery grip, the Canon 5D IV requires a new BG-E20 grip.

On the plus side, Canon says that it has taken the opportunity to improve the 5D Mark IV’s weather-sealing. It’s now said to be similar to the 7D Mark II in this area, with the controls better-sealed than they were in the 5D III.

One change of note to the controls is the addition of a new AF Area Select control on the back of the camera. It’s customizable, so if you don’t want to use it for this function, you can repurpose it for something else. Oh, and if you’re looking for the remote control terminal, it’s now been moved to the front of the camera.

Canon 5D Mark IV pricing and availability

The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV went on sale in the US market in early September 2016 in a body-only configuration or in a kit with the EF 24-70mm f/4 L lens. A second kit, opting instead for the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens, is also available and went on sale in late October 2016. Pricing is set at around US$3,500 body-only, the exact same point at which the 5D III launched back in 2012. The 24-70mm kit retails for around US$4,400, and the 24-105mm kit for US$4,600.

In the Box

The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body-only retail package (as reviewed) contains the following items:

• Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera (Body Only)
• LP-E6N Lithium-Ion Battery Pack (7.2V, 1865mAh)
• LC-E6 Charger for LP-E6 Battery Pack
• Eyecup Eg
• RF-3 Body Cap for Canon EOS Cameras
• IFC-150U II USB 3.0 Interface Cable for DSLRs
• Cable Protector
• Wide Neck Strap
• Canon Digital Solution Disk
• Warranty Card

Recommended Accessories

• Large capacity SD and/or CompactFlash memory cards
• USB 3.0 or Thunderbolt Card Reader
• Given the high resolution and large file sizes of the 5D Mark IV, 32GB is a good tradeoff between cost and capacity. If you plan to capture high-definition or 4K movie clips, shoot image bursts, or shoot in RAW format, opt for the fastest cards you can afford. Canon specifies that 4K requires the following write speed requirements: CF UDMA7 (100MB/sec. or faster); SD UHS-I (90MB/sec. or higher).
• Extra LP-E6N lithium-ion rechargeable battery pack for extended outings
• External shoe mount flash (e.g. Canon Speedlite 600EX II-RT)
• BG-E20 Battery Grip
• Canon Remote Switch RS-80N3
• Medium to large camera bag