The Canon EOS R5 and the Sony A7 IV share quite a lot of similarities when it comes to their core specifications and features at the same price point, so which one should you pick?
We’re bringing you this in-depth Sony A7 V vs Canon EOS R5 head-to-head comparison to help you choose between these two full-frame mirrorless cameras.
You can also read our detailed Canon EOS R5 review to find out exactly what we think of that camera.
Sensor
The Canon EOS R5 has a 45 megapixel CMOS sensor while the A7R V has 61 megapixels, giving it a clear edge in out-and-out resolution.
You’d probably be hard-pressed to tell the difference between the two in the real world, though, unless you’re making large prints or aggressively cropping into the image.
Still, those extra 16 megapixels may be worth the extra storage and performance overheads for some photographers.
ISO Speed
The native sensitivity range of the Sony A7R V is ISO 100-32,000, which can be expanded down to ISO 50 and up to ISO 102,400.
The Canon R5 has an ISO range of 160-51,200, which can similarly be expanded down to ISO 50 and up to ISO 102,400.
Pixel Shift Multi Shooting
The Sony A7R V has a special multi-shot shooting mode in which it takes 16 different images that can then be combined using the Imaging Edge Desktop software to produce a single, 241-megapixel image.
Furthermore, a new version of Sony’s Imaging Edge Desktop app that will be released at the same time as the A7R V can automatically detect and correct small movements in the 16 images, such as leaves in trees or people. This should greatly expand where and when you can deploy the Pixel Shift Multi Shooting mode.
In stark contrast, the Canon R5 doesn’t have any such equivalent mode.
Video
The A7RV can record 8K/24p and 4K/60p with a modest 1.2x crop in 10bit 4:2:2 quality. It also offers 4K/30/25/24p and 1080/120p recording with no crop.
Other new video features supported by the A7R V include 16 bit RAW output, S-Cinetone profile, breathing compensation, focus map, and Active+ stabilisation.
The Canon R5 offers uncropped 8K internal video recording from its native 8.2K resolution up to 30p in 4:2:2 10-bit Canon Log (H.265) or 4:2:2 10-bit HDR PQ (H.265), in addition to uncropped 4K video at up to 120p.
The Canon R5 can also shoot shoot raw video internally at up to 12 bit RAW.
When shooting 8K/30p and 4K/60p, the EOS R5 can record for up to 20 minutes before it overheats, whereas the Sony A7 V has a 30 minute advisory limit, but is allegedly able to continue recording for even longer than that.
Autofocus
The new A7R V has 693 on-sensor phase-detection AF points covering 79% of the image frame.
Sony has added an AI deep learning processing unit to the A7RV which enables it to recognise more subjects than the EOS R5, whilst also greatly improving the detection of humans and animals/birds.
For the first time ever on any Sony camera, the A7R V can recognise a human via its pose as well as its eye and face. So if the person’s head is turned away from the camera, the A7 R V will still accurately detect the subject as human based on its AI deep learning.
Animal and bird detection has been expanded so that the A7R V can recognise the eye, head and body. Also new to the A7RV is the ability to recognise airplanes, cars, trains and insects.
The Canon R5 employs the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with a whopping 5,940 individual phase detection points that cover the frame up to 100% vertically and horizontally using the Auto AF area selection.
It also offers a Face/Eye detection mode and the ability to recognise and track cats, dogs and birds and focus on either their bodies, faces or eyes.
Finally, the EOS R5 has better low-light AF performance, being able to focus down to -6EV versus the Sony A7R V’s -4EV.
Burst Shooting
The Canon R5 can capture images at up to 20fps with the electronic shutter or 12fps with the mechanical shutter for 170 JPEG frames, 83 RAW or 130 Compressed C-RAW files.
The burst shooting rate of the new A7R V model is much slower at 10fps with either the mechanical or electronic shutter, but the buffer size is bigger than the R5’s.
The A7R V can record up to 88 uncompressed RAW, 184 compressed RAW+ JPEG, 583 compressed RAW, or 1000+ JPEGs, which is pretty impressive for a 61 megapixel camera.
Body and Design
The Sony A7R V largely follows the tried and tested design of seemingly almost every previous Sony Alpha camera – if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it again seems to be the mantra for the newest Alpha camera on the block.
The Canon R5 utilises a top-panel LCD and Mode button combo in place of a more traditional shooting mode dial – we prefer the latter approach. Otherwise it mixes together the best of Canon’s DSLR and mirrorless user interfaces into one mostly coherent whole.
The Canon EOS R5 has a slightly more protruding, chunkier grip which we prefer to the smaller, more angled grip offered by the Sony A7R V.
Both cameras are weather-sealed, as you’d perhaps expect from a professional level model.
On both cameras the shutter mechanism is closed and protected by a cover when it is powered off.
IBIS
The Canon R5 has a pretty incredible stabilisation system. It features 5-axis in-body image stabilisation (IBIS) which provides up to 8-stops of IS when using the camera with certain compatible lenses.
The release of the A7R V marks a big step forward for IBIS in Sony Alpha cameras, though, bringing it on par with the R5 and other main rivals.
Most previous Sony models have exactly the same 5-axis optical in-body image stabilization system which provides up to 5.5-stops of compensation. This has been one of the few areas where Sony lags behind some of its main rivals, including Canon.
Now Sony has joined the party with the launch of the A7R V, which thanks to a newly redesigned stabilisation unit now offers up to 8 stops of in-body stabilisation when used with certain lenses, making it the most capable Alpha camera in this regard.
It also additionally benefits from having a special Active Mode that increases stabilization for hand-held movie shooting.
Viewfinder
The new Alpha A7R V has a 9.44M-dot OLED Quad-XGA electronic viewfinder with 0.90x magnification and a refresh rate of up to 120fps.
The Canon R5 has a still very impressive 5.76M-dot OLED electronic viewfinder with 0.76x magnification and a fast 120fps refresh rate, but it can’t quite match up to the Sony.
LCD Screen
The Canon EOS R5 has a familiar 3.2-inch LCD panel with 2.1 million dots of resolution, unchanged since its debut on the EOS R camera. It has a fully articulating screen that can be flipped out to the side, rotated to the front, and folded against the back of the camera to help protect it.
One of the best features on the A7R V is its staggeringly good LCD screen, which is even better than the one on the R5.
It has a very similarly specced 3.2-inch, 2095K dot resolution screen to the R5, but the biggest change is the new screen’s sheer versatility.
It has an incredible new 4-axis multi-angle screen that can be flipped out to the side, rotated to the front, folded against the back of the camera to help protect it, and set to many other positions in-between.
Memory Cards
As you would expect from a professional camera, both models have dual memory card slots.
The Canon R5 uses one for high-speed UHS-II type SD cards and the other for ultra-fast CFexpress Type B cards.
Both of the Sony A1’s dual slots can be used for either SD UHS-I/II compliant memory card or CFexpress Type A cards, making it a little more versatile.
Battery Life
The Sony A7R V uses exactly the familiar NP-FZ100 battery that all the other recent Alpha cameras use, which provides up to 440 shots when using the viewfinder and approx. 530 shots when using the LCD monitor.
The Canon R5 uses the LP-E6NH battery that is also used by the R6 camera, which offers a lifespan of 470 shots when using the viewfinder and 490 shots when using the LCD monitor.
Connectivity
Both models offer a number of connectivity options including remote tethered shooting via wireless LAN or USB, 2.4GHz and 5GHz wi-fi, FTP transfer, and the ability to operate as a webcam.
Price
The Sony A7R V is priced at £4,000 body only in the UK, $3,900 in the US and €4,500 in Europe.
The Canon EOS R5 has a body only price of £4,199 in the UK and $3,899 in the US.
Conclusion
It’s a close run thing between the Sony A7R V and the Canon EOS R5, with the former offering more megapixels, an incredible LCD screen and viewfinder, and a 241 megapixel multi-shot shooting mode, but Canon fighting back with uncropped 8K and 4K video, much faster burst shooting, and a more ergonomic design.
So what do you think? Would you choose the new Sony A7R V or the Canon EOS R5? Leave a comment below!
