Sony A7 vs Canon 5D Mark IV

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Sony A7 vs Canon 5D Mark IV

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35mm 855.6mm²
24.3 megapixels
ISO 100 - 25,600

Go in depth with our full Sony A7 Review.
How does it shoot? Sony A7 in the real world.
See real-world photos taken with the A7.
Compare Sony A7 image quality against competitors.
What’s the bottom line? Read our Sony A7 conclusion.

35mm 864.0mm²
30.4 megapixels
ISO 100 - 32,000

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

Succeeded by the Sony A7 II
Compare A7 vs A7 II
Compare Sony A7 II vs Canon 5D Mark IV

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Differences

Sony A7 advantages over Canon 5D Mark IV

Less expensive
$819 vs $2899
Save money for lenses or accessories
Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
Thinner
48 mm vs 75 mm
Thinner
Bigger RAW buffer
28 vs 19 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)

Canon 5D Mark IV advantages over Sony A7

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Shoot 4K video
4K (DCI) vs 1080p
Make sure you have a fast computer
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 2.1 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
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.
5D Mark IV test data on DxO Mark A7 test data on DxO Mark

2,995 vs 2,248 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Built-in GPS
GPS vs None
Geotag your photos
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

900 vs 340 shots
Capture more photos
Top deck display
Yes vs No
Check settings with a screen on top of the camera
Higher-res screen
540k vs 307k pixels
More detail on the screen lets you judge focus and composition
More pixels
30.4 vs 24.3 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Faster JPEG shooting
7.0 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 50 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Faster RAW shooting
7.0 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster RAW shooting in burst mode
Slow-motion videos
Yes vs No
Shoot slow-motion videos
Higher extended ISO
102400 vs 51200 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
Built-in Wi-Fi
Both provide
Share your photos wirelessly
NFC
Both provide
Simplifies pairing your camera with supported phones
On-sensor phase detect
Both provide
Usually improves live view and video AF performance
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
Headphone jack
Both provide
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
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
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Neither provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 User Reviews

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Buy the Sony A7

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Body Only
Kit with 28-70mm f/3.5-5.6 lens

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Buy the Canon 5D Mark IV

Body Only

Body Only
Kit with 24-105mm Lens
Kit with 24-70mm Lens

All 5D Mark IV Deals

Review Excerpt

Incredibly small body for a fully-featured, full-frame camera; Very high resolution; Hybrid autofocus is reasonably fast and confident; Significantly better burst-shooting performance than A7R; Excellent image quality even at very high sensitivities; Faster x-sync than A7R; Accepts existing Alpha-mount and E-mount lenses, and can optionally crop to APS-C image circle.
Grass-is-greener syndrome when compared to its higher-res sibling; Moderate performance; Loud shutter (but electronic first-curtain helps); Mediocre battery life when using electronic viewfinder; Weak low-light autofocus considering its price; Limited selection of native Sony FE lenses.
Read our Sony A7 Review

Superb image quality from RAW files; Improved dynamic range; Excellent high ISO performance; Fast 7fps burst rate with unlimited JPEG buffer; High-quality cinema 4K video; Built-in Wi-Fi; Dual Pixel CMOS AF is very good.
JPEG files look soft at default settings; 1/200s flash sync; 4K video codec is cumbersome; 29:59 continuous video recording limit.
Read our Canon 5D Mark IV Review

The Competition

Compared to Canon 5D Mark III

Sony A7

Canon 5D Mark III

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

$2079
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 vs Canon 5D Mark III

Canon 5D Mark IV

Canon 5D Mark III

$2249
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$2079
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

Compare Canon 5D Mark IV vs Canon 5D Mark III

Compared to Sony A7R

Sony A7

Sony A7R

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

$1399
35mm

Higher effective ISO
More pixels

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7R

Canon 5D Mark IV

Sony A7R

$2249
35mm

Lens selection
Shoot 4K video

$1399
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Canon 5D Mark IV vs Sony A7R

Compared to Nikon D810

Sony A7

Nikon D810

$748
35mm

Focus peaking
Less expensive

$2291
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 vs Nikon D810

Canon 5D Mark IV

Nikon D810

$2249
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$2291
35mm

Less expensive
Longer stills battery life

Compare Canon 5D Mark IV vs Nikon D810

Compared to Sony A7 II

Sony A7

Sony A7 II

$748
35mm

Less expensive

$1148
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7 II

Canon 5D Mark IV

Sony A7 II

$2249
35mm

Lens selection
Shoot 4K video

$1148
35mm

Focus peaking
Less expensive

Compare Canon 5D Mark IV vs Sony A7 II

Compared to Leica SL (Typ 601)

Sony A7

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$748
35mm

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$3999
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7 vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Canon 5D Mark IV

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$2249
35mm

Less expensive
Fast startup

$3999
35mm

Focus peaking
Thinner

Compare Canon 5D Mark IV vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

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