Since the advent of digital photography, pixel count has been a controversial but unshakable standard for DSLRs.
But is it the new king of DSLRs?
Will Canon photographers trade in their 5D MkIIIs for this massive, 50 megapixel behemoth?
Speaking as Canons target market for such a DSLR, Im optimistic, but also a little skeptical.
The release of the Canon 5DS is actually the release of two slightly different cameras.
There are advantages and drawbacks to both.
It can help prevent moire, a visual phenomenon that can be especially distracting in video.
Low-pass filter or not, both the Canon 5DS and the R model will feature this ground-breaking image sensor.
Heres the rub that is a tiny fraction of working and enthusiast photographers today.
The rest of us shoot for the web or small print.
They are serious challengers that could wind up producing the highest image quality that DSLR shooters have seen.
But megapixel counts are not an indicator of quality, and bigger is not always better.
In fact, bigger can be a real hassle.
Photographers who dont shoot composites will still need to adjust.
Double the file size also means double the storage card space.
Criticisms of what I see as an unnecessarily large megapixel count aside, this is a remarkable camera.
Itll allow for creative cropping opportunities that older cameras just couldnt hack.
My gut perspective on the Canon 5DS?
Its an effort by Canon to catch up to Nikons full frame advancements since 2012.
Now even entry level Nikon cameras offer that option.
The D800 series was the last king of the megapixel count, producing 36.3MP back in 2012.
The other shoe has yet to drop, however.
Canon has also lagged behind Nikon in image quality, not image resolution.
Independent camera and lens test firms likeDxOMarkhave been very critical of Canons image quality in recent generations.
Nikon and Sony have out-performed most Canon full frame camera releases in recent years in overall image quality.
In color depth, dynamic range and low-light ISO performance, Canon has fallen behind.
The Canon 5DS could be different.
[Canonpress release]
Canon 5DS 50.6MP DSLR | Gallery
