In my experience, Lexar Professional Gold CFexpress Type B Card 256GB is great value, plus the ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type B & SD Card Reader stays cool. Stick with Canon batteries for speed tho!

Curious about one thing: are you doing 8K video or just stills? It changes the card math. Basically ProGrade Digital 165GB CFexpress Type B Cobalt (faster sustained speeds) vs SanDisk 128GB Extreme PRO CFexpress Type B (way cheaper but slower for long video). Also, stick with Canon LP-E6NH for the 12fps burst speed... third-party stuff is risky for the R5. What’s your main focus gonna be??

Oh man, congrats on the R5!! Seriously amazing choice. Ngl, those files are huge, so just get any CFexpress from ProGrade or SanDisk. For batteries, honestly stick with Canon originals so you dont lose that high burst speed. Also, definitely get an L-bracket from SmallRig... literally a game changer for landscapes imo. Enjoy that beast! 👍

Ugh, late to the party but I gotta vent a bit. Honestly, its ridiculous how much these companies expect us to shell out just to make a camera we already paid thousands for actually work. I remember getting my R5 and thinking I was set, but then I realized the hidden costs are basically a second mortgage.

• The way Canon throttled the frame rate unless you use their specific, overpriced batteries is such a scam. I tried a few alternatives and it just felt like my camera was stuck in second gear. It drives me crazy that we are forced into their ecosystem like this.
• CFexpress prices are honestly offensive. You spend a fortune on the body and then realize you need another grand just to record for more than twenty minutes. Its such a scam how proprietary everything has become.
• Most stuff I have bought lately has been a letdown, just poor quality control and companies that dont care once they have your money. Before I dive into my specific horror stories tho, are you planning on shooting 8K or mostly just high-res stills? Because if you are pushing the video features hard, the frustration with the storage and power situation only gets way worse.

Congrats on the R5!! It’s such a beast but yeah, it’ll drain your wallet fast if you aren’t careful. Since you’re looking to save a bit, I’ve been doing some market research lately on the best price-to-performance gear. For cards, you should definitely check out the Angelbird AV PRO CFexpress B SE. It’s usually way more budget-friendly than the big brands while still handling the high bitrates for most video modes, honestly. On the battery front, I know everyone says stick to OEM, and they aren't wrong if you absolutely need that 12fps "green" mode. But for slower shooting or as secondary spares, the Neewer LP-E6NH Replacement Battery packs are a fraction of the price and work surprisingly well for non-action stuff, you know? One 'hidden gem' I swear by is the JJC Tempered Glass Screen Protector. It’s super cheap and fits the articulating screen perfectly without adding bulk. Also, maybe look into the Peak Design Anchor Links? It lets you swap straps instantly, which is great when you're switching from a tripod to handheld, right?? **TL;DR:** Go with Angelbird AV PRO CFexpress B SE for storage savings, Neewer LP-E6NH Replacement Battery for backups, and get some decent screen protection for the investment!

Helpful thread 👍

tbh, after having mine for a good while, I realized I was way more worried about the physical safety of the sensor than I expected. Coming from a DSLR, seeing that sensor just sitting there when you swap lenses is kinda terrifying. I ended up making sure I always have the shutter-closed-on-power-down setting active, though I still worry if thats actually better or if Im just adding more wear to the shutter mechanism. It still makes me nervous every time I swap glass in the wind. Another thing I learned the hard way was about power management. I tried using a portable power bank I already had to top it off during lunch breaks, but it basically did nothing because the R5 is so picky about the power delivery requirements. I eventually found one that worked, but it took some trial and error and research into the specific specs needed for that to actually trigger the charging light. Also, I found that the weight of the new RF lenses really changed the center of gravity compared to my old setup. I had to change how I carry the camera entirely because the old neck strap was just killing me after four or five hours. I switched to a different mounting style that lets it hang by the tripod thread, which feels way more secure and saves my back, but Im still always checking that the screw hasnt loosened up. Its a beast of a camera but definitely a different learning curve tho.

Re: "tbh, after having mine for a good while,..."

• I totally get that anxiety about the sensor. Since you're worried about keeping things pristine, I would strongly suggest picking up a Giottos Rocket Air Blaster Large. You might want to consider using it every time you swap glass, even with the shutter-down feature active. Just be careful never to use canned air; the chemicals can ruin your sensor coating instantly. For the power issues, I really think you should stick with the official Canon LP-E6NH Lithium-Ion Battery. Third-party cells often dont have the same discharge curve, and you might find your high-speed burst mode (the green H+ icon) disappearing much sooner than it would with a genuine pack. It's safer for the internal circuitry too. If you're looking for a hidden gem for protection, look at the SmallRig Black Mamba Cage for Canon EOS R5. It wraps around the body much tighter than a standard cage and adds a layer of safety if you accidentally bump a door frame or tripod leg. For the cards, if you want reliability over just raw speed, the Delkin Devices 128GB BLACK CFexpress Type B Memory Card is basically indestructible and they have a great replacement policy if anything goes south. Better to be safe when you're handling 45MP files.