Canon 5DS R vs Sony A7R II

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Canon 5DS R vs Sony A7R II

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35mm 864.0mm²
50.6 megapixels
ISO 100 - 6400

Go in depth with our full Canon 5DS R Review.
How does it shoot? Canon 5DS R in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the 5DS R.
Compare Canon 5DS R image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Canon 5DS R conclusion.

35mm 861.6mm²
42.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7R II Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7R II in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7R II.
Compare Sony A7R II image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7R II conclusion.

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Differences

Canon 5DS R advantages over Sony A7R II

Less expensive
$1499 vs $1798
Save money for lenses or accessories
Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 1.5 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
Longer stills battery life
More info

Longer stills battery life

Cameras with longer battery life can take more photos before exhausting their batteries.

Special note: The measurement standard for battery life stipulates that if a camera has an internal flash, it must be used for 50% of photos taken. For this reason, comparisons of one camera with an internal flash to another without will not be comparable

700 vs 340 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
More pixels
50.6 vs 42.4 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility

Sony A7R II advantages over Canon 5DS R

Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Yes vs No
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Shoot 4K video
4K (UHD) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Built-in Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi vs None
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Yes vs No
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
Higher effective ISO

Higher effective ISO

Maximum effective ISO is an estimate of the highest sensitivity at which a camera can capture excellent quality photos.

Cameras with higher effective ISO will be better choices for indoor photography, night shooting, and indoor sports photography, especially if you intend to make large prints.

You can learn more at our glossary entry.

Maximum effective ISO test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7R II test data on DxO Mark 5DS R test data on DxO Mark

3,434 vs 2,308 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
More dynamic range

More dynamic range

Cameras with more dynamic range allow you to take photos with dramatic differences in highlight and shadow areas while retaining detail in both.

Think of a brilliant sunset on a rocky beach: Bright sunset in the background, with dark rocks in the foreground. High dynamic range means more of the extremes will be faithfully reproduced.

Dynamic range test data courtesy of DxO Mark.
A7R II test data on DxO Mark 5DS R test data on DxO Mark

13.9 vs 12.4 evs
Retain detail in highlight and shadows
On-sensor phase detect
Yes vs No
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
Lighter weight
640g vs 948g
Lighter weight
More viewfinder magnification
0.78x vs 0.71x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Bigger RAW buffer
23 vs 15 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
102400 vs 12800 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
External Mic Jack
Both provide
Improved sound fidelity when shooting video
HDMI out
Both provide
Use HDMI output to monitor or review video
Hot shoe
Both provide
Off-camera flashes open new possibilities
Bulb shutter
Both provide
Hold the shutter open manually for long exposures

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Touchscreen
Neither provide
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Built-in GPS
Neither provide
Geotag your photos
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read 5DS R User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7R II User Reviews

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Review Excerpt

Phenomenal resolution and sharpness; Fine Detail Picture Style is like in-camera Unsharp Mask; Excellent print quality; Decent high ISO performance; Improved normalized dynamic range compared to 5D Mark III; Decent burst speed with good buffer depths; Built-in intervalometer & timelapse movie mode.
AF speed tested closer to consumer-level DSLRs; Dynamic range lower than competing models from Nikon & Sony; Lack of OLPF means subject to more aliasing artifacts with some subjects; No 60p video frame rate; No headphone jack; Timelapse video is only 1080p.
Read our Canon 5DS R Review

Superb image quality; Very high resolution; Surprisingly good high ISO performance; Fast autofocus; Compact, comfortable body with lots of customization potential; Bright, roomy and clear viewfinder; Tilting LCD display; Five-axis stabilization; Intuitive Wi-Fi / NFC connectivity
Movie button is poorly located; No touch screen; Not as fast to start up or shoot photos as a similarly-priced SLR; Rather slow buffer clearing; No built-in flash; Single card slot; Not weather-sealed to the same degree as some rivals
Read our Sony A7R II Review

The Competition

Compared to Nikon D810

Canon 5DS R

Nikon D810

$1849
35mm

Less expensive
More cross-type AF points

$2246
35mm

Bigger pixels
Higher effective ISO

Compare Canon 5DS R vs Nikon D810

Sony A7R II

Nikon D810

$2348
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$2246
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7R II vs Nikon D810

Compared to Canon 5DS

Canon 5DS R

Canon 5DS

$1849
35mm

Lacks anti-aliasing filter

$1549
35mm

Less expensive
Has anti-aliasing filter

Compare Canon 5DS R vs Canon 5DS

Sony A7R II

Canon 5DS

$2348
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$1549
35mm

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7R II vs Canon 5DS

Compared to Sony A9

Canon 5DS R

Sony A9

$1849
35mm

Less expensive
Lens selection

$2997
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 5DS R vs Sony A9

Sony A7R II

Sony A9

$2348
35mm

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$2997
35mm

Bigger pixels
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7R II vs Sony A9

Compared to Nikon D850

Canon 5DS R

Nikon D850

$1849
35mm

Less expensive

$2464
35mm

Focus peaking
Shoot 4K video

Compare Canon 5DS R vs Nikon D850

Sony A7R II

Nikon D850

$2348
35mm

Less expensive
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$2464
35mm

Lens selection
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7R II vs Nikon D850

Compared to Sony A7R III

Canon 5DS R

Sony A7R III

$1849
35mm

Less expensive
Lens selection

$2151
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 5DS R vs Sony A7R III

Sony A7R II

Sony A7R III

$2348
35mm

In-camera panoramas

$2151
35mm

Touchscreen
High resolution composite

Compare Sony A7R II vs Sony A7R III

Compare Other Cameras?