p.1 #1 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
I don't "do" video except to document my kids or my pets and that kind of household situation.
I just recently got my hands on a R5 (to go with my R6II) for the 45mp sensor. I also realize it can do 8K video. I have 2, maybe 3 TVs that are 4K. None of our collective 6 monitors do 4K, they're all 1440p. So I have nothing that does 8K now. I might foresee myself upgrading one of my TVs soonish to 8K since one of our TVs is due for an upgrade. But that would be for next year.
Point is I can't do anything with the 8K footage now and it will burn through storage space. But...is it worth it for future proofing? Are you doing 8K video for current usage or for future proofing?
Let me know your thoughts. Thanks.
Sep 03, 2025 at 11:15 PM
AmbientMike Offline • • • • • • [X]
p.1 #2 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
I bought a GH1 long ago after taking a video class. If I'd gotten into video I'd probably be sitting on a lot of 1080i/720p nature video. So for nature videos having basically unlimited shelf life future proofing can definitely be desirable
Family stuff is more your call, I'm generally happy using 1080 although I don't do a lot either.
p.1 #3 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
I've been doing 4K with my R6II and in the short time I've had the R5 I've been doing the HQ 4K. I feel like that could be a good compromise between file size and image quality. I'm SURE we're going to be at 32K in my lifetime. But 4K should still be decent for the next several years. Just wondering if i'm missing out on anything by foregoing 8K content.
p.1 #4 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
It's absolutely brutal on processing and storage, but I always use the highest possible resolution that a camera practically gives me. Just as my kids were born with some of the earliest HD camcorders in their face, I use 8k now because why not.
p.1 #7 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
I see. I'm a Windows guy. I recently got DaVinci Resolve but I haven't had a chance to dig into how to use it. Using the Windows built-in editor has been enough for my simple uses of video content but I believe it caps out at 4K.
p.1 #8 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
For video 4k -> 8k would be a modest gain, but if you want to pull stills out of the video, then all of the sudden it's a big deal. 8MP vs 33MP. If you already have a high bitrate for 4k, then up scaling 4k is going to be plenty serviceable.
On the R5 the bitrates are interesting. If you are just shooting 30 fps then 4k to 8k can have triple the bitrate.
4K-D/U 30 ALL-I Fine = 470mbps
4K-D/U 30 IPB Fine = 170mbps
If you're shooting 4K HQ ALL-I, then it still uses the same bitrate as non "HQ". If you use IPB then it's a decent bump. If you went 8K but IPB instead of 4K ALL-I, it's the same amount of space. If you go up to ALL-I then triple the storage. I can't imagine doing RAW unless you really plan on a full editing workflow in the future.
For me I'm not even concerned about 4K vs 8K. There are so many other aspects of video to worry about that resolution isn't a primary focus. Perhaps the more important aspect is making sure you have quality audio, if you don't already have good audio then it's much more important than the resolution differences. If the rest of your workflow is solid then I can see bumping up to 8K just to have it for the future.
p.1 #9 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
Max_Pain wrote:
I don't "do" video except to document my kids or my pets and that kind of household situation.
Good quality 4K is more than enough now and in the future. The capture quality is more important than the resolution once you get to 4K+. And your kids will not care years from now when many of the people are deceased and you are ederly. It's mostly about capturing the memories.
p.1 #10 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
EB-1 wrote:
Good quality 4K is more than enough now and in the future. The capture quality is more important than the resolution once you get to 4K+. And your kids will not care years from now when many of the people are deceased and you are ederly. It's mostly about capturing the memories.
EBH
So true. I recently watched a VHS tape from 1985 or '86 made for my grandfather by one of his good friends. I'm so glad to see the tape even if the camcorder or whatever was used wasn't the latest or greatest technology of the day. (That said, I would have been happy to see the video in 4K too.)
p.1 #11 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
Max_Pain wrote:
I see. I'm a Windows guy. I recently got DaVinci Resolve but I haven't had a chance to dig into how to use it. Using the Windows built-in editor has been enough for my simple uses of video content but I believe it caps out at 4K.
AI tells me that Resolve (the free version) will export only up to 4K UHD (3840 x 2160) and 60fps. I'm not sure if you can edit 8K and export at 4K. It's also apparently limited to 8-bit codecs. I've used it to edit R6II 4K and it was really good, I thought, though the learning curve was kind of steep considering the last time I seriously edited video was on FCP about 10 years previously...
As for capture at 8K vs 4K... 8K might be worth it for 'special' moments if it's not going to overheat and lockout the camera. And you can justify the storage. Maybe more important is whether you want to shoot in C-Log vs. a baked in camera profile. C-Log would potentially better avoid shadow/highlight clipping and provide more flexibility in post, but then you actually have to spend time in post to grade it. Before I was semi-comfortable with using C-Log and grading, I used the Neutral Picture Style with contrast at the lowest setting. SOOC this video still looked fine to the average person and I found it had enough flexibility in Resolve for basic grading if not pushed it too hard.
Thinking about 8K displays... often current 4K television programming is sub 4K and/or massively compressed. So usually people aren't viewing at optimum 4K quality. I can't imagine how much 8K will be butchered if 4K already is via transmission. Point being, I think if you present your viewers a high quality 4K video, with low compression, it will look great and often better than what they are getting over the air or via cable anyway. At least currently. And a massive 4K TV would be comparable to viewing massive prints. You generally are not right up close where you can see the pixels, but rather at a certain viewing distance relative to the size of the display. If 4K is already sufficient for general viewing in these situations, 8K might be splitting hairs. But like 4K vs. HD, or 45MP vs. 20/24, another advantage is cropping flexibility. It's one of the things I liked about editing 4K for HD delivery: cropping and creating camera movements from crops of stationary compositions. Same with oversampling for export to a lower resolution. The export generally will be cleaner/sharper than had the image/footage been captured at export resolution.
I'd say play around with 8K to figure out if it fits your workflow and storage budget even if only so you're comfortable working with it, and recognize the equipment's limitations, so that you're somewhat prepared if a situation arises when you definitely want to record in 8K. Worst case, if you had to, you could probably export 8K footage oversampled to 6K or 4K with low compression to free up storage, etc. It's a bit unfortunate the R5 doesn't offer a 6K option as a midway compromise.
p.1 #12 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
The one thing about shooting 8K for me is that it's raw and it makes color correction easier after the fact. If Canon gave me 4K raw, maybe.
Sep 04, 2025 at 11:02 PM
AmbientMike Offline • • • • • • [X]
p.1 #13 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
Max_Pain wrote:
I don't "do" video except to document my kids or my pets and that kind of household situation.
I just recently got my hands on a R5 (to go with my R6II) for the 45mp sensor. I also realize it can do 8K video. I have 2, maybe 3 TVs that are 4K. None of our collective 6 monitors do 4K, they're all 1440p. So I have nothing that does 8K now. I might foresee myself upgrading one of my TVs soonish to 8K since one of our TVs is due for an upgrade. But that would be for next year.
Point is I can't do anything with the 8K footage now and it will burn through storage space. But...is it worth it for future proofing? Are you doing 8K video for current usage or for future proofing?
I think you can shoot 6k raw on the R6II if you use some kind of recorder or something (Atomos?) Might be good, better than 4k. A bit of future proofing anyway
p.1 #14 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
I also love filming family videos, and I always want the best quality. Started with zv-e1 and bought an r5 ii to accompany it for highest image quality outside of low light / indoor scenarios. Currently I plan to sell the r5 ii (not because of recent rumors or anything), but mainly that while 8k 60p raw looks super nice, its quite a hassle as I really just want 4k 60p oversampled which looks super sharp. I had to use davinci resolve studio since at the time, 4k 60p was studio only (otherwise 1080p maximum was free).
Some thoughts:
1) 8k 60p raw file codec .CRM requires special video players or davinci resolve studio to view. Im on a mac studio and theres no quick preview like .mp4 or .mov. Because of that, sometimes im not sure what video files are what without importing to davinci.
2) Takes up ridiculous amount of space that just isnt worth saving at times since family vids can be alot. I dont want to worry about space when filming my family.
3) I have to downsample to 4k 60p hevc to keep it in good size.
4) If you convert it to 8k60p hevc, theres so much artifacting with davinci resolve studio that it looks disgusting at times. Like moire mixed with artifacting (at least from my experience a few times).
5) Compared to the zv-e1 or fx3, I need to use neat video to clean up the image (neat video is amazing btw, despite laggy timeline playback) which takes time.
6) Even with 8k60p hevc videos, thats also limited to a few video players that can play it smoothly, otherwise its laggy (on M2 Ultra).
7) The image quality sure is beautiful with 8k60p raw graded and downsampled to 4k60p though. Trees in the background can look so cinematic (in the sense that its like, just so beautifully colored and detailed and such).
8) If you are ok with the extra work and storage situation, then it will give you great image quality. I just found myself using the zv-e1 more since it's fast, has good internal codec, keep slog3 +1.7EV (not the best, but convenient), and just recording family vids while trying to be in the moment as best as possible (run and gun) without worrying about other stuff). The Canon r5ii video file pileup can take away from the overall experience.
p.1 #15 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
hsiunghsiung wrote:
I just found myself using the zv-e1 more since it's fast, has good internal codec, keep slog3 +1.7EV (not the best, but convenient), and just recording family vids while trying to be in the moment as best as possible (run and gun) without worrying about other stuff).
Honestly, for this reason I prefer to just put my iPhone on a gimbal and have fun. In some respects it's so liberating. And if I really want to, I can record in ProRes.
No, the image quality is not as good as a large sensor, especially if used other than at 1x 'zoom' but that's offset by the sheer simplicity and flexibility. There are angles I've shot from in spaces where I never could have fit a mirrorless system.
p.1 #16 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
rscheffler wrote:
Honestly, for this reason I prefer to just put my iPhone on a gimbal and have fun. In some respects it's so liberating. And if I really want to, I can record in ProRes.
No, the image quality is not as good as a large sensor, especially if used other than at 1x 'zoom' but that's offset by the sheer simplicity and flexibility. There are angles I've shot from in spaces where I never could have fit a mirrorless system.
p.1 #17 · Canon R5 (Mark I) 8K video - worth it for future proofing?
Yeah, I actually use an iphone 15 pro with blackmagic app for applelog h.265 for casual things like recording videos in restaurants or places where a camera seems out of place. Its so convenient and accessible. I also use a dji pocket 3 if I plan to do a lot of walking with the kids and just point it somewhere without worrying if its level or not (though I might replace it with the go ultra so I can have a hand free as sometimes it's restricting when I have to also hold hands with my kids). The zv-e1 is specifically for if I end up going somewhere like an aquarium.
