Sony A7 vs Canon 5DS R

Cameras
Compare Cameras
Sony A7 vs Canon 5DS R

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
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.

Succeeded by the Sony A7 II
Compare A7 vs A7 II
Compare Sony A7 II vs Canon 5DS R

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Differences

Sony A7 advantages over Canon 5DS R

Less expensive
$819 vs $1499*
Save money for lenses or accessories
Focus peaking
Peaker vs Non-peaker
Your camera will highlight what's in focus
Bigger pixels
~ 5.97 vs 4.14 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
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
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.
A7 test data on DxO Mark 5DS R test data on DxO Mark

14.2 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
Thinner
48 mm vs 76 mm
Thinner
Headphone jack
Yes vs No
Monitor audio recording while you shoot video
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Bigger JPEG buffer
50 vs 28 shots
Take more JPEG shots before waiting (burst mode)
Bigger RAW buffer
28 vs 15 shots
Larger buffer for RAW shots (burst mode)
Higher extended ISO
51200 vs 12800 ISO
Higher extended ISO can give more low-light flexibility

Canon 5DS R advantages over Sony A7

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 2.1 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 24.3 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos

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
In-Camera Image Stabilization
Neither provide
Reduces the effects of camera shake at slower shutter speeds
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
Slow-motion videos
Neither provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

User reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read A7 User Reviews

Amazon
Adorama
Read 5DS R User Reviews

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Buy the Sony A7

Body Only

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

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Buy the Canon 5DS R

Body Only

All 5DS R 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

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

The Competition

Compared to Sony A7R

Sony A7

Sony A7R

$748
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

$1799
35mm

Higher effective ISO
More pixels

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7R

Canon 5DS R

Sony A7R

$1729
35mm

Lens selection
Less expensive

$1799
35mm

Focus peaking
Bigger pixels

Compare Canon 5DS R vs Sony A7R

Compared to Nikon D810

Sony A7

Nikon D810

$748
35mm

Focus peaking
Less expensive

$2346
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 vs Nikon D810

Canon 5DS R

Nikon D810

$1729
35mm

Less expensive
More cross-type AF points

$2346
35mm

Bigger pixels
Higher effective ISO

Compare Canon 5DS R vs Nikon D810

Compared to Sony A7 II

Sony A7

Sony A7 II

$748
35mm

Less expensive

$1165
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Sony A7 vs Sony A7 II

Canon 5DS R

Sony A7 II

$1729
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

$1165
35mm

Focus peaking
Less expensive

Compare Canon 5DS R vs Sony A7 II

Compared to Canon 5DS

Sony A7

Canon 5DS

$748
35mm

Focus peaking
Less expensive

$1299
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

Compare Sony A7 vs Canon 5DS

Canon 5DS R

Canon 5DS

$1729
35mm

Lacks anti-aliasing filter

$1299
35mm

Less expensive
Has anti-aliasing filter

Compare Canon 5DS R vs Canon 5DS

Compared to Leica SL (Typ 601)

Sony A7

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$748
35mm

Less expensive
In-camera panoramas

$3802
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7 vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Canon 5DS R

Leica SL (Typ 601)

$1729
35mm

Less expensive
Fast startup

$3802
35mm

Focus peaking
Bigger pixels

Compare Canon 5DS R vs Leica SL (Typ 601)

Compare Other Cameras?