Guest post by Carlo Cruz, Custom SLR Pro Team
Coming from all the 5D series, the Mark IV is like seeing a familiar face. I received the camera on October 31 – updated the time, date and location, set up my custom functions and quick menu shortcuts, did a few test shots, installed the Canon app and messed with the wi-fi functions.
The next day I am shooting day 1 for a series of events for Red Bull called Red Bull Sound Select: 30 days in LA 2016 – I shot 9 out of 30.
This is the third year in a row I’ve shot this event and in both previous years, I was using the 5D Mark III.
Comparison Photos: Mark III vs Mark IV
2015 - Shot on a Mark III
2016 - Shot on a Mark IV
2015 - Shot on a Mark III
2016 - Shot on a Mark IV
2015 - Shot on a Mark III
2016 - Shot on a Mark IV
Click here to view more photos from my Mark III in 2015
Click here to view more photos from my Mark IV in 2016
Canon 5D Mark IV Review for Concert Photos
So here’s my initial impression for the 5D Mark IV coming from a Mark III, when shooting concert photos.
As I mentioned earlier, the transition from a MK III to a MK IV is flawless – once you’re done with your custom functions, you are good to go. Weight and size are almost the same, the card slots still use SD and CF, and no change in batteries. One noticeable change would be the remote shutter slot location is moved to the front. Not a big deal for me.
Now for the differences. For concert events where you constantly deal with low light situations, the two biggest noticeable improvements for me are the ISO quality and the faster autofocus. Speaking from experience, I would say I can now push my ISO to 3200 and still have acceptable “clean” images compared to MK III’s 2500 ISO ceiling. Autofocus improved as well and I find myself not switching to manual focusing as much when it gets really dim in the venue. Somehow the focusing finds my subject.
Another cool upgrade is the built-in wifi for fast image transferring, it is much easier to connect your phone and select the photos you need to send out right away. I used to have eye-fi for that, and although eye-fi works well once everything is set-up, it is still another thing to worry about. Having a built in wifi just makes things a little less complicated.
Other functions worth mentioning are the ability to view, pan, and zoom in and out using touch screen. It makes it easier to select your photos and check for details or to see if they are sharp or not. The 7fps burst rate is also a welcome addition coming from 6fps as well as the 30 MP jump, which may or may not be a good thing if you have a slow computer, my 2015 MacBook experienced some slight lag when editing.
Stuff I don’t care about (yet): 4K video and Dual Pixel RAW.
Conclusion, the additional functions of the MK IV are definitely a great improvement over the MK III.
Is it worth the upgrade? Yes and no. Yes if you are waiting for the next 5D- this in my opinion is a worthy replacement for the MK III series. No if you are happy with your MK III and debating if it’s worth upgrading. Unless you need the 4K video and that 30 MP jump in your workflow, you are not really missing out.
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