dkguill Loc: Elkhart, IN

I just chatted with a CS person at Canon regarding my confusion about the difference between the coming 5DS and the 5DS R. I asked if the 5DS R allowed you to turn the low-pass filter on and off thus making it an advantage over the 5DS. He said that the 5DS R does have the LPF and it can be turned on or off as needed. For me that makes the extra $200 in cost worthwhile. Everything I have read up to now was written ambiguously with regard to the LPF.

I also asked if both models were going to be released in June at the same time. He said that the latest information he had was that they would both be available beginning in June, but he didn't have an official date as yet. What we know historically is that such statements are seldom reliable, but it is a carrot to be watched.

I thought some might be interested.

Chris F. Loc: San Francisco

Great post and thanks for sharing. It sounds like the R version would be the way to go then. I'm just curious now to see if there will be a 5DIII replacement or if these two latest versions of the (5DS & 5DS R) are that?

Chris

Photographer Jim Loc: Rio Vista, CA

Chris, for what it's worth, I was talking with the owner of the full service camera store in Petaluma, and he said that they had just met with their Canon rep, and that the two new models are not replacements for the 5DIII; they are simply new additions to the 5D line. He also said that he asked about any possible update or replacement for the MarkIII, but was told that there is nothing on the horizon for any time soon.

chaprick

You trust what a CS Rep tells you??? Show me the switch....

dkguill Loc: Elkhart, IN

I'm well aware of workforce incompetence and especially the inaccuracies of corporate information emanating from large company CS sources. This, however, is the closest thing to an authoritative answer I have gotten after many attempts to find one. It, of course, occurred to me that this fellow may not know what he's talking about, but there would be some logic to his answer in light of the fact that several sources reference the presence of a LPF in the 5DS R. The ambiguity comes from statements, like that in the companies news release, that say "for the first time in an EOS camera the low-pass filter effect in the EOS 5DS R model is cancelled". My old and feeble mind asks why they would insert an LPF if it were permanently disabled and not selectable for use. That was my question to the CS representative, and his answer was that "the filter can be turned on and off". I would encourage someone else to contact Canon and ask the same question again to see if they get the same answer. I just reported what I was told for those who might be interested. You can be sure I will confirm this before paying my money, but I'm encouraged that there might be a valid reason for charging $200 more for the "R" model. Just sayin'.

dkguill Loc: Elkhart, IN

OK...my friend Chaprick's question above about believing the CS rep seems to have been well placed. It caused me to recontact Canon on the phone and talk to a member of the EOS Group who was described to me as an "Expert". He "researched" my question (by reading the manual) and said that there was no evidence that the LPF feature was switchable. He said "that would be an engineering question and all of the engineers are in Japan".

Alas, my hopes are again dashed and my logic disproved. I am now left to wonder why they would not make the filter switchable, but I guess that would have made the 5DS an unnecessary model. Forget it guys. I have raised a false hope...sorry.

Architect1776 Loc: In my mind

If the CS person is right that is great info as I have been struggling with which way to go. Definitely the $200.00 is well worth it if it can be turned off and on.
Thank you for the post.

Chris F. Loc: San Francisco

Thanks Jim, yes I haven't heard much either except a while back I heard something about August...who knows. To buy or to wait, that is the question. Other than the super high megapixels of the 5DS & SR, the camera's performance is not that exciting.

Chris