Sony A7R II vs Canon 5D Mark IV

Cameras
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Sony A7R II vs Canon 5D Mark IV

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.

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 A7R III
Compare A7R II vs A7R III
Compare Sony A7R III vs Canon 5D Mark IV

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Differences

Sony A7R II advantages over Canon 5D Mark IV

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
In-camera panoramas
Yes vs No
Stitches multiple shots into a panoramic photo
Tiltable Screen
Tiltable vs Fixed
Tilt the screen for shooting flexbility
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 5D Mark IV test data on DxO Mark

3,434 vs 2,995 iso
Take photos in low light with less noise
Lighter weight
640g vs 890g
Lighter weight
More viewfinder magnification
0.78x vs 0.71x
Get a bigger view of the scene through the eye-level viewfinder
More pixels
42.4 vs 30.4 megapixels
Higher resolution photos
Lacks anti-aliasing filter
No Filter vs Filter
Enjoy sharper photos

Canon 5D Mark IV advantages over Sony A7R II

Lens selection
Excellent vs Good
Better lens selection gives you more options
Bigger pixels
~ 5.36 vs 4.51 microns
Better low-light and dynamic range (all else equal)
Touchscreen
Touch vs No touch
Interact with your camera just like your smartphone
Fast startup
~0.50 vs 1.5 sec
Faster startup lets you catch the moment
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
Dual card slots
Yes vs No
Gives you more storage flexibility
Has anti-aliasing filter
Filter vs No Filter
Reduces unsightly moiré in photos
Faster JPEG shooting
7.0 fps vs 5.0 fps
Faster JPEG shooting (burst mode)
Bigger JPEG buffer
Unlimited vs 23 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

Similarities

Common Strengths

Eye-level viewfinder
Both provide
You'll be able to frame photos even when the sun is out
Shoot 4K video
Both provide
Make sure you have a fast computer
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
Slow-motion videos
Both provide
Shoot slow-motion videos

Common Weaknesses

Tilt-swivel screen
Neither provide
Tilt and swivel the screen for maximum shooting flexibility
Built-in Bluetooth
Neither provide
Always-on wireless connectivity
Internal flash
Neither provide
Useful in a pinch for fill flash

User reviews

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Read A7R II User Reviews

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

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Review Excerpt

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

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 A7R II

Canon 5D Mark III

$2898
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$2139
35mm

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7R II vs Canon 5D Mark III

Canon 5D Mark IV

Canon 5D Mark III

$2499
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$2139
35mm

Less expensive
Bigger pixels

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

Compared to Nikon D810

Sony A7R II

Nikon D810

$2898
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

$2346
35mm

Lens selection
Less expensive

Compare Sony A7R II vs Nikon D810

Canon 5D Mark IV

Nikon D810

$2499
35mm

Shoot 4K video
Touchscreen

$2346
35mm

Less expensive
Longer stills battery life

Compare Canon 5D Mark IV vs Nikon D810

Compared to Sony A7R

Sony A7R II

Sony A7R

$2898
35mm

In-Camera Image Stabilization
Shoot 4K video

$1799
35mm

Less expensive
Lighter weight

Compare Sony A7R II vs Sony A7R

Canon 5D Mark IV

Sony A7R

$2499
35mm

Lens selection
Shoot 4K video

$1799
35mm

Less expensive
Focus peaking

Compare Canon 5D Mark IV vs Sony A7R

Compared to Sony A99 II

Sony A7R II

Sony A99 II

$2898
35mm

Higher effective ISO
Lighter weight

$3198
35mm

Tilt-swivel screen
Built-in Bluetooth

Compare Sony A7R II vs Sony A99 II

Canon 5D Mark IV

Sony A99 II

$2499
35mm

Lens selection
Bigger pixels

$3198
35mm

Focus peaking
Tilt-swivel screen

Compare Canon 5D Mark IV vs Sony A99 II

Compared to Sony A9

Sony A7R II

Sony A9

$2898
35mm

In-camera panoramas
More pixels

$3147
35mm

Bigger pixels
Touchscreen

Compare Sony A7R II vs Sony A9

Canon 5D Mark IV

Sony A9

$2499
35mm

Lens selection
Fast startup

$3147
35mm

Focus peaking
In-Camera Image Stabilization

Compare Canon 5D Mark IV vs Sony A9

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