Is the DSLR dead? The Canon EOS 5D line certainly is, if the latest reports are to be believed. According to the rumor mill the 5D Mark IV will be the last of its bloodline, with the manufacturer having abandoned plans for a Mark V.
• Read more: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV vs EOS 6D Mark II
While not as prolific as its predecessor, the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is one of the most popular cameras on the market – and until recently had been the camera of choice for many Canon professionals, thanks to its fantastic image quality, rugged build and dual memory card slots.
Amid all the hyperbolic criticism of the Canon EOS R when it launched in 2018, one thing that critics were absolutely right about was that few pros would migrate to the new camera due to the lack of dual card slots (regarded as a necessary for professional work). As such, the Mark IV continued its reign unabated.
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However, the arrival of the Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R6 changes the dynamic completely, with both cameras offering dual memory cards along with a bevy of mirrorless features such as in-body image stabilization. Where, then, was left for the Canon EOS 5D Mark V to go?
Onto the scrap heap, according to Canon Rumors.
“I have been told that the EOS 5D series is going the way of the EOS 7D series,” wrote the outlet. “There will be no direct DSLR successor for the EOS 5D Mark IV. The source claims that the EOS 5D Mark V development was stopped ‘some time ago’, and that there are no plans to make an EOS R5 version of the popular professional DSLR line.
“The same source adds that Canon is obviously aware of the popularity of the 5D line and the fact that there are still a lot of shooters that will prefer the DSLR experience. The source suspects that there is some kind of development going on to appease those users, but didn’t know exactly what it was.”
It’s sad, but not a huge surprise. As we reported at the start of the year, Canon has stopped developing new EF lenses, and has been consolidating its DSLR range (amalgamating the 7D and 80D lines into the Canon EOS 90D, and the 800D and 77D into the Canon EOS 850D / Canon EOS Rebel T8i).
Day by day, Canon’s future is increasingly a mirrorless one – and there are only going to be more DSLR casualties from here…
Read more:
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV review
Hands on: Canon EOS R5 review
Hands on: Canon EOS R6 review
