What are the must-have accessories for a Canon EOS R5?

Question

So I finally pulled the trigger on the R5 after saving up for what feels like a decade. Im taking it to Iceland in about three weeks for a dream photography trip and honestly the price tag of the body alone almost killed me. Im mostly doing landscapes and hopefully some puffins or arctic foxes if I get lucky but now I am staring at my empty bag realizing I need the actual stuff to make it work. I have about 1500 left in the budget for accessories which sounds like a lot but then I started looking at CFexpress Type B cards and holy cow they are pricey. I saw some people online saying you HAVE to get the ProGrade Cobalt ones for the high bitrate video or fast bursts but then others say the cheaper ones like Lexar are fine if you arent shooting 8K? I dont plan on doing tons of video but I dont want to bottleneck the camera either especially with the file sizes this thing puts out.

Then there is the whole battery situation. I keep reading that the R5 eats through the LP-E6NH batteries like crazy so I was looking at the BG-R10 battery grip. Some forums say it makes the ergonomics way better for vertical shots but others complain it makes the camera too heavy for hiking which is basically all I will be doing in the highlands. If I skip the grip should I just buy like four extra batteries? Also I am super paranoid about the weather over there so I was looking at those Peak Design covers or maybe just a really good L-bracket. I already have a decent tripod but I feel like I am missing something obvious that every R5 owner knows about because this is a big jump for me from my old DSLR.

If you guys were setting up an R5 from scratch for a big nature trip what would be on your absolute must-have list? Is the grip a trap for hikers? What cards are you actually using day to day without issues...

Mfuehudwj hiwjswdwidjwidji jdi · Accepted Answer

> Is the grip a trap for hikers? Unfortunately, the Canon BG-R10 Battery Grip was a total weight trap on my last trek. My neck was wrecked by day two... definitely not as good as I expected for steep hauls. Id skip it and grab four Canon LP-E6NH Lithium-Ion Battery spares. Are you planning on using the 20fps electronic shutter for the birds or just slow landscapes? That really dictates if you need the 1700MBs write speed on ProGrade Digital CFexpress Type B Cobalt cards.

CartoonGuru · Answer

Like someone mentioned, that grip is just extra weight you dont need when you are trekking through mud and wind. Honestly tho, I have been very satisfied with a simpler setup. For the cards, unless you are shooting 8K cinema stuff, you really dont need to spend your whole budget on the top-tier ones. I use the SanDisk Extreme PRO 512GB CFexpress Type B and it has never let me down during high-speed bursts. It is fast enough for those puffins and saves you a ton of cash for actual travel. Since you are doing landscapes, an L-bracket is a total must. I use the SmallRig L-Bracket for Canon EOS R5 and it makes life so much easier when you need to flip to portrait mode on your tripod without the whole rig getting floppy or off-center. Plus, it adds a bit of protection to the camera body. For the battery drain, instead of just carrying a dozen spares, I highly recommend a beefy power bank like the Anker 737 Power Bank 24000mAh. The R5 can charge via USB-C, so I just plug it in while I am driving between waterfalls or eating lunch. It works well and keeps the weight off your neck while you are hiking. Also, definitely grab a rain cover for that Iceland weather. The Peak Design Shell Camera Cover Medium is great for that constant mist and spray. You are gonna have a blast, the R5 is such a powerhouse once you stop worrying about the price tag and just start shooting.

Beatrice Rose Wilson · Answer

> For the cards, unless you are shooting 8K cinema stuff, you really dont need to spend your whole budget @Reply #2 - good point! Technical data shows mid-tier cards often share controllers with flagship brands. Just verify sustained write speeds meet R5 buffer requirements so you dont get lag during bursts.