Canon 5Ds or 5Ds R?
 

Which would you buy? Assuming you were going to buy one or the other and nothing else...

Re: Canon 5Ds or 5Ds R?
 

I might purchase the version with no anti-aliasing filter. That's based on the following assumptions:

1) The application would be for high resolution photos. I wouldn't choose either if video was my main goal.
2) I'm making large prints - or planning to buy a large 8K TV someday.
3) I'm shooting landscapes, probably with the EF 11-24/4L. Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM Lens Review
4) I plan to spend as much time in post as is necessary to make world class photos.

Even with the sharpness of the 11-24/4L, the lens will be pushed to its limits. The lens itself will give some anti-aliasing. The lack of a filter preserves as much sharpness as possible. For still, natural scenes, the aliasing won't be noticeable. Powerlines and repeating textures might still cause problems (see point 4 above.) Note that intensive clean-up is feasible for a single photo. For video, where there are many frames and small differences between frames draw the eye, this is impractical so anti-aliasing is more important.

If I'm shooting portraits (say with an OTIS lens), where someone might wear clothing that aliases over large areas, and where softness can be a benefit, I want the AA filter. Same thing if I'm shooting 8K time lapses with an ultra wide lens.

So, as always, the decision comes down to the application. :)

Re: Canon 5Ds or 5Ds R?
 

Tough question - I'm seriously interested in moving up from my current 5D but haven't been able to make up my mind yet. However I wind up I'll almost certainly pair it with one of the two Zeiss OTUS lenses.

Regardless of which way I go it will be for stills only.

Re: Canon 5Ds or 5Ds R?
 

Thinking about this a bit more, get the R (no anti-aliasing filter) if you really value resolution. To me, this is the case for landscapes. If you value more balanced performance, get the 5Ds.

To me, that's what the Otis line provides. (I haven't used it, but have looked at sample photos.) These lenses have low CA, low flare, low coma, and great performance out to the corners. In other words, they deliver near flawless results. And that's why I'd get the version with the AA filter - the AA filter removes flaws.

In post, I find that I can sharpen properly anti-aliased images. Sharpening images with visible aliasing just makes them worse.

But really, there s no wrong answer. It's just a matter of best matching the camera to the subject matter and goals.