There was a lot of buzz about Canon releasing the EOS R5 Mark II this year. Then the same source told us that, nope, no EOS R5 Mark II but a massive firmware update instead.

Now the same source claims a future firmware update will bring something called “pixel-shift” to the Canon EOS R5. What is pixel-shift? According to Wikipedia:

Pixel shift is a method in digital cameras for producing a super resolution image. The method works by taking several images, after each such capture moving (“shifting”) the sensor to a new position. In digital colour cameras that employ pixel shift, this avoids a major limitation inherent in using Bayer pattern for obtaining colour, and instead produces an image with increased colour resolution and, assuming a static subject or additional computational steps, an image free of colour moiré. Taking this idea further, sub-pixel shifting may increase the resolution of the final image beyond that suggested by the specified resolution of the image sensor.

Additionally, assuming that the various individual captures are taken at the same sensitivity, the final combined image will have less image noise than a single capture. This can be thought of as an averaging effect (for instance, in a pixel shift image composed of four individual frames with a classic Bayer pattern, every pixel in the final colour image is based on two measurements of the green channel).

Sounds super-cool, doesn’t it? For that reason alone you should take it with a huge grain of salt.

Stay tuned.

Source: Canon Rumors