The camera we called a 'cheat code' for wildlife photography is $500 off in the Black Friday sale

Whether you're out to capture pics of wildlife, people, or the cosmos, the Canon EOS R5 is one of the top cameras you can get your hands on. And, thanks to the Black Friday sale (and the competitive spirit it triggers in other retailers), it's $500 off at Amazon, minus lens. If you're considering pairing it with a lens, the only one worth looking at is the bundle with the 24-105mm f/4, which is currently $500 off. However, if you're looking to take photos of wildlife or the night sky, you probably need a more specialized lens, rather than the kit model.

The EOS R5 features in our list of best cameras for wildlife photography and its lower-megapixel brother, the EOS R8, made our best camera for astrophotography guide. The EOS R5 is powerful but easy to use and you'd be hard pressed to go wrong with it, especially at this price.  It's currently down to just $3,399 at Amazon (or BestBuy, for that matter).

You'll need to couple this with an appropriate lens (see our sister site Space.com's best picks in their skywatching lens guide) but with $500 off, this is a great deal for serious or semi-serious snappers. For night sky photos, something like the RF 15-35mm f/2.8 is a good pick, and it's currently $300 cheaper at Amazon. If you're shooting animals and you don't want to spend masses on a decent telephoto zoom, the RF 70-200m f/4 is on sale right now and has $100-off.

Was £3,899 now £3,399 at Amazon

Canon EOS R5 (Body Only)
Was: $3,899
Now: $3,399 at Amazon
Overview: A superb still camera, this easy to use Canon EOS R5 sports a 45MP sensor and, if you suddenly need to catch something on the go, 8K video capabilities.

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Key features:  45MP Full Frame Sensor, ISO range 100-51200, 8K 30p / 4K 120p video, dual memory card slots

Product launched: July 2020

Price comparison: Amazon: $3,399.00 | Walmart: $4,279.95 | Best Buy: $3,399.99 | B&H Photo: $2,999.00 (second-hand)

Reviews consensus: This is a superb camera, one of the best we've put to the test. It's an outstanding performer, particularly if you're into wildlife photography or astrophotography. 

We remarked that it's "..so good at photographing wildlife, it’s effectively a cheat code for capturing images of animals – not to mention humans or any other subject." And with a great battery life, you won't be losing out on any fantastic shots. 

LiveScience: ★★★★½ | Digital Camera World: ★★★★ | TechRadar: ★★★★½ 

Featured in guides: Best wildlife cameras

Buy it if: You're after a powerful, easy to use camera that captures high quality images no matter what you point it at. 

Don't buy it if: You're just starting out and don't need the power or megapixel count that the camera offers. Perhaps consider the EOS R8 instead.