What if... the Canon EOS 5DsR was released one year earlier?

The Canon EOS 5DsR never made the shortlist of possible replacements for my then EOS-1D Mark II/Ds setup simply because it wasn't announced, let alone produced, at that time. Neither did de Pentax 645Z, which was announced by then but not yet in production.

Me and my Canon EOS 5DsR. Image: Joeri van Veen.

The holy grail: a large-resolution image sensor without anti-alias filter

By then, several brands offered cameras with large megapixel image sensors without an anti-alias filter for optimum sharpness and I decided that my next camera would have such a sensor. After evaluating the Phase One P45+ and P65+, the Pentax 645D, the Sony A-7R and the Nikon D800E I in the end went for a Pentax 645D augmented with a second-hand Canon EOS-1Ds Mark II for my aviation photography. 

All selected cameras had what I considered to be the holy grail, a large megapixel image sensor without an anti-alias filter. Superb machines as they are, both Phase One options were just too expensive for me to be considered as a replacement for my then-current cameras. The introduction price for the Pentax 645Z was expected to be quite high - although significantly lower than the Phase One options - but going for the Z version of the Pentax 645 digital camera meant waiting at a time when the D version was getting an attractive price because of the announcement of its successor and was readily available. 

In the end, my choice for the Pentax 645D was partly explained because I already owned a number of lenses for it. At that time, I had already invested in Canon EOS and Pentax 645/67 cameras and lenses. All other options meant I had to obtain new lenses too, adding to the cost of such a purchase. That choice however also meant that I had now de facto two digital setups as the Pentax 645D wasn't able to take over the action part of aviation photography. I had to keep my Canon gear and ending up buying the EOS 1Ds Mark II to gain resolution there. Don't get me wrong, I was quite happy with this arrangement and it worked quite well for me. I briefly considered the then new EOS-1DX too but as that wasn't adding enough improvement on the sensor front it didn't make the selection.

Enter the Canon EOS 5DsR

And then, a year after the purchase of my Pentax 645D, the Canon EOS 5DsR was introduced. What a contender that would have been. It ticked all the boxes: a huge 50,6 full frame megapixel sensor, no anti-alias filter, compatible with all my Canon EF glass and thus usable for not only my landscape photography but also my aviation photography. In other words, very hard to resist!

Upgrading from the 1D series to a 5D series would have had a few drawbacks too. I really love the way the 1D series cameras work, feel and fit in my hands. That built quality had to be given up. I would also lose my 10 frames per second shooting ability as the 5DsR only manages 5 frames per second. Being able to shoot 10 frames per second is very useful when shooting fast jets. But that sensor...

So, what if...

The Canon EOS 5DsR has a lot going for it. Really a lot. The only thing it isn't, is a medium format camera. With a medium format camera you win a lot of extra sensor space and that means a lot more detail. So I guess that had I been forced to choose between the Pentax 645D and the Canon EOS 5DsR that would have been the deciding factor in favor of the 645D. As I said earlier I already owned lenses for both cameras so no issues there. The prices would have been comparable at that time. So there you have it. Option number one: The Pentax 645D, optimum image quality but at the same time the need to operate two systems or option number two: The Canon EOS 5DsR, no need for two sets and an increase in megapixels but not that lovely big medium format image sensor. My guess is that I would have gone with the 'sane' choice of the EOS 5DsR and that I would have continued to work with medium format 120 film cameras as well until I could obtain a 645D at a later date.

In real life

As you know, I bought the Pentax 645D and that really made an impression on me. Those gorgeous photos full of detail. That was something I wanted but lacked in my aviation photography so when the Canon EOS 5DsR was introduced a year later I did the only 'sane' thing I could do. I bought one...

The Pentax remained my go-to camera for land- and cityscapes and I used both as a set for my aviation photography. Despite the lower megapixel count I found I preferred the Pentax images for the 'slower' aviation shots and being able to use the EOS 5DsR for the fast aviation stuff I really had the best from both worlds.

Oh, and did I really buy that EOS 5DsR on a whim? Well, not exactly. At the same time Canon introduced their second installment of the EF 100-400mm L lens which I had been saving for and in the end I was able to make a good deal on the 5DsR and 100-400 combo.

Interestingly, the Canon EOS 5DsR has never been replaced with an updated model. With its 50,6 megapixel sensor without anti-alias filter it still reigns supreme in Canons line-up in 2024. Although Canon has introduced its R5 mirrorless model as sort of a replacement that model "only" packs a 45 megapixel sensor and is still equipped with an anti-alias filter. That means that I will be happily using the EOS 5DsR in the years to come, now in combination with my Pentax 645Z. 

Wait, is that a Fujifilm GFX 100MP camera? Oehhhhhhh... ;-)

[I actually wrote this post in July 2021 but for some reason never published it. Now, with my quest for a new digital camera it suddenly seems relevant again so I finally pushed that 'publish' button.]

The quest for a new camera: Part 1

Lately I've been thinking about upgrading my digital camera arsenal. Currently I use a 51.4MP Pentax 645Z as my main digital shooter and a 50.6MP Canon EOS 5DsR for my aviation photography. I've switched to Pentax medium format in 2014 and got the Canon when it was released in 2015. They are both great cameras that I love to shoot with, they still deliver when it comes to the quality of the images. But they have been used for around ten years and technology has moved forward quite a bit.

My Pentax 645Z fitted with a Carl Zeiss Jena Sonnar 180mm f/2.8

The story so far

Now, I am quite happy with my current arrangement, two cameras for two different purposes. Back when I switched to the Pentax medium format camera I came from using a Canon EOS-1D Mark II and a Canon EOS-1Ds. I had quite a few EF lenses as well. At the same time I used the Pentax 645 medium format film camera and again had a few lenses for that. So selecting the Pentax 645D in 2014 I got that whopping medium format sensor and the quality of the images blew me away. Choosing the Pentax 645D  as a replacement for my Canon EOS-1Ds was a logical choice for me as I already owned lenses for the system. Now the Pentax 645D is not a practical camera for aviation photography use so I augmented my Canon EOS-1D Mark II with a EOS-1Ds Mark II which I bought second hand. Ok, the Canon EOS-1D X was available too in 2014 and as expensive as the Pentax. But that camera lacked the punch in resolution I was after so that was never a realistic option for me at the time. I was so blown away with the qualities of the large sensor of the Pentax that when the EOS 5DsR was released a year later I knew that this was the upgrade I needed for my aviation photography. Aside from adding the Pentax 645Z to my arsenal at a later date I have never looked back. 

The 100MP barrier

Back in 2015 50MP was about the best resolution you could get. True, in 2016 Phase One released a 100MP camera back but that came with such a price that it was completely out of my budget. In 2024 however, there are several cameras and camera systems that utilize a 100MP sensor. Sadly, the brands I use do not offer such cameras. Canon abandoned DSLRs and their EF lens lineup completely and Ricoh never released an update to the Pentax 645Z (which in fact can still be bought new). So if I want an upgrade in image quality both are not an option. That really is too bad as I really like the Canon and would probably get a new EOS camera that combined a more-than-50MP sensor with the latest autofocus system or a 'Pentax 645Z II' with more resolution. 

Other options

This poses a bit of a problem for me. I am heavily invested in Canon EF and Pentax 645 lenses. Just throwing those aside does not sit well with me. So I need to look for other options. At this point I am mainly looking to upgrade my main shooter, so I want something that can really add to the image quality the Pentax provides. Ideally this would be a camera that I could use existing lenses on (with an adapter) and with a higher pixel count than 50MP. So what is available these days?

First on the list is the Leica S3, a 64MP camera that currently sells for € 18,600. Now this is one I don't have to think about long, 64MP is not that much of a step up compared to my 51.4MP Pentax and the price is way out of my budget. Add to this the fact that I need new lenses as well, that only drives up the price even more. The ridiculous choice.

The Hasselblad X2D 100c 100MP camera is the second option on my list. € 8,699 for a body only. Add the cost of adding lenses to this and it becomes really expensive really fast. The insane choice. 

The Hasselblad 907X & CFV 100C is next. 100MP in a tiny package for € 7,799. Now this is a setup I would love to use combined with a Hasselblad 500 series camera but since I don't own one of those or the lenses they use that would inflate the price. If I owned a Hasselblad body and lenses I would consider it, but for now it remains the impossible choice.

Photo used with permission from Fujifilm

Slightly more expensive than the 907X & CFV 100C is the 2023 Fujifilm GFX 100 II. This is the current Fujifilm flagship camera. This 102MP camera, body only, is yours for € 7.999. To sweeten the deal you'll temporary get € 500 off that price when you trade in another camera (plus whatever they deem that other camera to be worth I guess). What makes the GFS system interesting is the amount of third party lenses you can use with adapters. That would really benefit the transition to this system. However, € 7,499 is still a lot of money. The expensive choice.

Photo used with permission from Fujifilm

The second GFX camera in this lineup is the 2021 Fujifilm GFX 100S. Older than the GFX 100 II it is also less expensive at € 5,999 for a body only. To sweeten this deal, there is a temporary € 1,600 cash back offered. This lowers the price to € 4,399. Despite being an older camera it offers the same benefits regarding third party lenses and with the cash back program it is currently the least expensive camera. The sane choice.

Photo used with permission from Fujifilm

Added to this list on May 16th, 2024 is the brand new Fujifilm GFX 100S II. It combines the sensor and processor of the flagship GFX 100 II with better autofocus in a smaller package comparable to the GFX 100S. Body only, this goes for € 5,499 so it is € 1,100 more expensive than its predecessor when you take the cash back program into account. There is however one other thing to consider. It is said that the AF on this GFX camera is the best so far, making it an ideal camera for nature- sports- or, yes, aviation photographers. And to emphasize this Fujifilm also released a 500mm f/5.6 G series lens on the same day. This translates to a 396mm lens in full frame nomenclature. That would make this camera together with this 500mm lens a viable aviation camera set. You can buy them both for € 9.498. Now that is too much for my taste, but with the added potential this might work as a future replacement for my Canon as well. The challenging choice.

Food for thought...