Canon 5D Mark IV Field Test

The Canon 5D Mark IV: An evolution of the 5D series
I've been a Canon fan for a while now, having purchased my first one, a Canon 7D -- that's still working perfectly by the way -- back in 2010. I've shot with various Canon DSLRs along the way since then, including the 5D Mark II extensively as well as their latest beast, the 1D X Mark II. However, between then and now, I've gravitated towards the mirrorless world, as the size and weight advantages have become rather important qualities if I am to haul some photo gear around with me. Hiking, traveling, or social gatherings all lend themselves to having smaller, lighter camera gear.

So, when the Canon 5D Mark IV made its debut, I was a little hesitant to get excited about the camera, at least from a size and ergonomics standpoint. For one thing, I wasn't too excited about its typical DSLR bulk and weight. Under the hood, on the other hand, the 5D IV sports a lot of great new features, including some nice amenities, such as built-in Wi-Fi and a touchscreen; two features that have quickly become must-have features on my own personal cameras.

So, without further ado, let's dive in and see how Canon's latest 5D-series camera performs out in the field.

Performance for almost any type of shooting
If there's one thing you can count on from an enthusiast or pro-level Canon SLR, it's superb responsiveness, and the 5D Mark IV does not disappoint. It just does everything fast. For example, I know that it can't actually shoot at the exact moment that it's turned on, but the lag is so short I can't detect it -- power-on to first shot seems instantaneous. Every other camera operation and control are similarly quick. When I'm shooting, I often take 3-shot bracketed sequences, and the 5D Mark IV rips through these in a 1/3 of a second. During my time with the 5D Mark IV, I never found myself waiting for the camera, which is, of course, exactly as it should be for a pro-level tool.

The Canon 5D Mark IV's autofocus as advanced as it gets
As we noted in our overview, the 5D Mark IV comes equipped with an extremely advanced autofocus system, very similar in many ways to the EOS 1DX Mark II. In my tests, it's pretty amazing in low light, able to focus reliably and relatively quickly in situations so dark that I can't really see the subject with my naked eye. The good low light sensitivity holds for both normal viewfinder operation and in live view mode thanks to Dual Pixel CMOS AF.