12/03/2026 5:20 am
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So I finally pulled the trigger on the R5 Mark II after shooting with the original R5 for years but man I am feeling way more stressed than I expected about this transition. I thought my old kit would carry over just fine but now Im reading all this stuff about the new LP-E6P batteries and how the camera basically hobbles itself if you use the older NH ones. Like my logic was that I could just use my existing stash of 6 batteries but now it looks like I gotta spend another few hundred bucks just to get the high frame rates and pre-shooting features to actually work which is honestly kinda driving me crazy because I already stretched my budget to get the body.
And then theres the CFexpress situation. I mainly do fast-paced event work and some wildlife stuff when I can get out of the city and I heard the bus speeds on the Mark II are way higher so I probably need the 4.0 cards right? Or can I get away with the older ones? Im looking at ProGrade or maybe the Delkin Black series but the prices are all over the place. I also saw that weird cooling grip with the ethernet port... do I actually need that for general use? I mostly shoot in NYC or upstate and it gets humid but I dont know if the internal fan is enough on its own for long bursts. I really dont want the thing to shut down during a wedding ceremony.
I basically have like three weeks before my first big gig with this thing and I am staring at my B and H cart just second-guessing every single thing. Should I get a dedicated cage or will my old one fit? Does the old R5 screen protector even fit this one or did they change the dimensions by a millimeter just to annoy us? I feel like a total newbie again even though Ive been shooting Canon for fifteen years its just a lot of new tech to juggle at once and I am terrified of missing a shot because I cheaped out on a card or a battery... any of you guys who already have it in hand, what was the one thing you realized you absolutely needed after the first day?...
4 Answers
12
12/03/2026 6:26 am
Honestly, be careful with the CFexpress situation because 4.0 is mostly about offload speeds right now. If youre doing long bursts at weddings, the buffer clears faster, but the camera itself doesnt technically saturate the 4.0 bus yet. I would suggest looking at the Delkin Devices BLACK CFexpress Type B 4.0 if you want to be future-proof, but the Lexar Professional CFexpress Type B Card DIAMOND Series is a 2.0 card that still outperforms almost everything and might save you some cash. Just make sure if you go 4.0, you also buy a 4.0 reader like the ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type B USB 4.0 Workflow Reader or youll never see those transfer rates. About the cooling, that Canon CF-R20EP Cooling Fan Grip is a massive investment and honestly kind of a niche tool. Unless youre shooting 8K raw in direct sunlight for twenty minutes straight, the internal fan should handle NYC humidity fine. I wouldnt stress that for a wedding ceremony. For the cage, do not try to force the old R5 one. The top dial and the new venting ports on the bottom mean it wont sit flush. You really need the dedicated SmallRig Cage for Canon EOS R5 Mark II 4734 to keep it secure. Its better to spend the fifty bucks now than risk the body twisting in a loose cage while youre running around... seriously dont risk it.
11
12/03/2026 5:21 am
Unfortunately, old batteries are a letdown. I had issues until switching to these:
- Canon LP-E6P Lithium-Ion Battery: Full speed.
- Canon LP-E6NH Lithium-Ion Battery: Lacks features. It's honestly a total cash grab.
2
12/03/2026 5:35 am
I am obsessed with this camera! I did a wedding last weekend and the autofocus is just magic!
- Go with any ProGrade CFexpress Type B card, you really cant go wrong for those fast bursts!
- Grab a ULBTER Screen Protector, it saved my screen on day one!
- My old cage didnt fit right so I just got a new SmallRig Cage and it feels fantastic!
2
22/03/2026 3:41 am
Just found this thread and yeah, the transition is rougher than I expected. I tried using my old setup at a local park last week and the performance was honestly not as good as expected... it felt like the camera was constantly fighting me because of the old power source. Its a total bummer and feels like a step back in some ways. Before you drop thousands on new stuff, are you planning to do a lot of 8K raw video or just sticking to 4K and high-speed stills for those weddings? That really determines if you can save some cash on the media or if you have to go top-tier. Heres some budget-friendly stuff I found after a lot of trial and error:
- Instead of the official cooling grip, I picked up a Ulanzi Camera Cooling Fan for way less. It is a bit clunky but it helps for those humid NYC days without breaking the bank.
- For cards, I went with the Angelbird AV PRO CFexpress B SE 512GB. Its much cheaper than the big name stuff and has been rock solid for my event bursts so far.
- I also skipped the expensive cages and just got a Neewer Camera Cage for Canon EOS R5 Mark II which is way easier on the wallet. Unfortunately, the battery thing is just a mess. I tried a couple off-brand ones and they were a total letdown because they wouldnt trigger the high speed modes... I guess we are stuck with the official ones for now if we want the actual performance we paid for.
