6. Touchscreen
Touchscreens have traditionally been confined to entry-level and enthusiast cameras, rather than pro-level offerings, but this has started to change.
Not only did Canon recently integrate a touch-sensitive unit into its flagship EOS-1D X Mark II, so did Nikon for its rival D5 DSLR.
Whether we'll get one on the EOS 5D Mark IV is unclear. After all, while the recent EOS 80D was gifted with one, the still-fresh EOS 7D Mark II and the full-frame 5DS and 5DS R were not. Still, given how useful touchscreens are for focus-point selection alone, the inclusion of one will no doubt please many.
7. New metering sensor
It's highly likely that we'll see the EOS 5D Mark IV sporting a different metering sensor to the 63-zone iFCL model used on the 5D Mark III.
The EOS 7D Mark II offers a 150,000-pixel RGB + IR version, and the EOS-1D X Mark II is fitted with an even more recent 360K-pixel option. Both of these allow for iTR, or Intelligent Tracking and Recognition Auto Focus, which is lacking from the 5D Mark III.
Of course, unlike those cameras, EOS 5D models have not traditionally been designed with action photography as their main focus, and so the new camera may not be quite as adept at keeping track of moving subjects as some of its stablemates. Nevertheless, four years is a long time in DSLR development, and it would be surprising to see Canon sticking with the same metering sensor as before.
8. Tilting LCD
Is the EOS 5D line ready for a tilting screen? The EOS 5D Mark IV would be the most senior EOS model to have one – and there are good reasons to believe that this could be the EOS 5D that breaks with tradition.
For a start, many rival full-frame models, from Nikon's D750 and Pentax's K-1 to Sony's A7 line of mirrorless cameras, now benefit from tilting or articulating screens. And the EOS 5D line has always sought to appeal to the widest audience possible, in contrast to other EOS models that are clearly built for speed or resolution. Given how standard this feature has become, we would definitely want it here.
9. USB 3.0
With the expected boost in pixel count and the strong possibility of 4K video, it would be surprising not to see these complemented by a USB 3.0 port for speedy data transfer.
This feature wasn't deemed necessary on the EOS 5D Mark II, although it has featured on a number of enthusiast and pro-level EOS DSLRs since the 5D Mark II's launch, such as the EOS 7D Mark II and EOS 5DS.
10. Wi-Fi and GPS
Canon has included Wi-Fi and GPS inside a number of its most recent EOS models, but only the EOS 6D has managed to offer both alongside a full-frame sensor.
The EOS 5D Mark III had neither, but we reckon the 5D Mark IV will follow the recently announced Pentax K-1 in offering both features built in.
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