So why am I so excited about the Canon 5D Mark IV? Well, for one thing I believe it is going to be a considerable upgrade to the existing 5D Mark III. And in an article I wrote about the Canon 5DS in February 2015 titled “The New 50MP Canon 5DS DSLR: What It Is And What It Isn’t“, I had suggested waiting for the forthcoming 5D Mark IV instead. At the end of the article I wrote:

“If you are like me though, and are simply looking forward to being able to upgrade from a 5D Mark II or 5D Mark III to something similar, but with slightly more pixels, a better auto-focus system, and possibly built-in Wi-Fi, there is still hope yet. There is talk going around the rumor mill of a 5D Mark IV still to be released around August of this year that offers roughly a 24MP sensor, faster frame rates than the 5DS, higher ISO functionality, 4K video capability, a new, more advanced auto-focus system, and perhaps all at a price handle under US$3,000. Stay tuned.”

From the most recent rumored spec list I have received, it appears the 5D Mark IV will have everything I was hoping for, and even more. If the announcement is made next week as expected then it means it took Canon a year longer than I had predicted for them to release the camera, and the price of it may also be slightly higher than I had hoped, but I will get back to those points. Below is the list of the key anticipated specifications of the 5D Mark IV:

Main Camera Specs:

• 30.4 Megapixel
• 7fps burst rate in continuous shooting mode
• DIGIC 6+ processor
• 61 point AF, 41 cross type
• Dual Pixel auto focus
• GPS
• Wi-Fi
• SD / SDHC / SDXC and CompactFlash card slots
• USB 3.0
• Battery: LP-E6N / LP-E6
• 900 shot battery life (approx)

Video Capture Specs:

• 24/30fps @ 4K
• 60fps @ 1080
• 120fps @ 720
• Ability to capture 8.8mp still from 4K video

On the DIGIC processor, I was anticipating it being a newer generation DIGIC 7, rather than a DIGIC 6, as the DIGIC 7 chip was released in Canon’s latest PowerShot G7 compact camera announced in February. But lets see. The above specs are still not fully confirmed. For video it can only do 120fps @ 720p and not 1080p. That is a shame, but again final specs aren’t confirmed yet.

The fact that it may have both an SD and a regular CompactFlash (CF) card slot is fantastic. It was previously rumored that the standard CF slot would be replaced with a newer CFast card slot. CFast cards are much more expensive than regular CF cards and for many people (like myself) it would mean having to get rid of all your existing CF cards and buy new ones.

The battery type appears to be the same as the 5D Mark II and 5D Mark III. So legacy batteries from the previous two 5D series bodies can probably be used with the 5D Mark IV, which is great.

I understand a new model Canon BG-E20 battery grip is being designed for the 5D Mark IV. So if you want to use a battery clip with it, I believe you will have to buy the new BG-E20 and you wont be able to use an older one from a 5D Mark II or 5D Mark III. This is not uncommon with Canon though as proprietary battery grips were also designed specifically for the 5D Mark II and 5D Mark III when they were released.

I like the fact very much that the camera will have a USB 3.0 connector. Many people might not be so concerned about this because most people transfer their image and video files from their memory cards to computer using a card adapter rather than connecting a cable to the camera for file transfer. But faster USB transfer speeds mean that for tethered shooting to a laptop or desktop it will significantly reduce the amount of time it takes for the photo to be sent from the camera to the computer. With Wi-Fi it means you will also be able to tether it wirelessly, but if one wants the fastest transfer speeds for tethered shooting then tethered with a cable over USB 3.0 will be the way to go.

The dual pixel auto-focus technology is also Canon’s latest auto-focus system, only present on a few Canon camera bodies so far like the Canon 70D, 80D, and the new 1D X Mark II. None of the 5D bodies have ever had this. This new tech should significantly improve overall auto focus accuracy and increase its auto focusing speed in low-light conditions.

The one thing I am still curious about is the Wi-Fi and if it will actually be built into the camera body. According to the specs it will be, but there is also mention of a new Canon W-E1 SD card style Wi-Fi adapter in the US$150 range for the 7D Mark II that is also forthcoming. Thus, I am curious if this add-on Wi-Fi adapter will also be needed to use Wi-Fi with the 5D Mark IV.

So here we are, end of August, and Canon will be launching an event and photo exhibition next Saturday on August 27th called FIVEGRAPHY in Japan, which is to commemorate and celebrate the 5D series legacy of cameras which will feature the work of 13 Japanese photographers all running simultaneously at 9 different galleries. The work of 8 of the photographers will be exhibited in Tokyo and the other 5 in Osaka. The exhibition will run from August 27 through September 11. It is expected Canon will also showcase the new 5D Mark IV at FIVEGRAPHY. Info on FIVEGRAPHY in Japanese is here and more here.

The announcement of the 5D Mark IV is expected to be made in North America around August 25th and August 26th in Asia. It is anticipated there will also be 2 other new Canon lenses to be announced simultaneously, the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II and EF 16-35mm f/2.8L III, along with the W-E1 Wi-Fi adapter. I assume all this gear will also be on show at the Photokina photographic and imaging industries fair in Cologne Germany next month from September 20th through September 25th.

Price for the 5D Mark IV is expected to be set between US$3,200-US$3,500 with the battery clip costing around an additional US$300. There will also be some lens kits offered on the 5D Mark IV together with the Canon 24-70mm f/4L IS lens and the new 24-105mm f/4L IS II lens. 5D Mark IV bodies are expected to start shipping from the factory to dealers in mid September 2016.

For once I feel Canon may have totally got it right on a camera body and is finally giving us everything we really want and need in a DSLR.

Are you excited too? Would the above spec list fully satisfy your needs? Is there something more you would wish for in the new 5D Mark IV? Please share your thoughts below.

*UPDATE #1 / 22-August-16* It’s been more or less confirmed now that the new W-E1 Wi-Fi adapter Canon will be releasing is only to support the Canon 7D Mark II and the two Canon 5DS series bodies. So the 5D Mark IV most likely have Wi-Fi built in and not need the adapter. 

*UPDATE #2 / 23-August-16* More rumors on the announcement date of the camera now being on the 25th and perhaps be unveiled at some conference in Beijing, China. It sounds like an unlikely place to me for such an announcement, but perhaps China has become one of Canon’s biggest markets.