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Canon 80D vs Canon 5DS Comparison

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Canon 80D

24 MP | APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon 80D
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Canon 5DS

51 MP | Full frame (36 x 24 mm) CMOS Sensor

Canon 5DS
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Canon 80D vs Canon 5DS Comparison Overview

In this review, we will be comparing 80D and 5DS, two Advanced DSLR cameras by Canon. Canon 80D was introduced to market in February 2016 and Canon 5DS was launched in February 2015. There is 12 months difference between 80D and 5DS so we don't expect to see a huge technology difference between these two cameras but it would still give an advantage to younger 80D, especially in sensor tech.

Here is a brief look at the main features of Canon 80D and Canon 5DS before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Canon 80D Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2016-02-18
  • 24MP - APS-C CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 16000 ( expands to 25600)
  • Canon EF/EF-S Mount
  • 3.00" Fully Articulated Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 7.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 730g. 139 x 105 x 79 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Canon EOS 70D Compare

Canon 5DS Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2015-02-06
  • 51MP - Full frame CMOS Sensor
  • ISO 100 - 6400 ( expands to 12800)
  • Canon EF Mount
  • 3.20" Fixed Type Screen
  • Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder
  • 5.0fps continuous shooting
  • Full HD - 1920 x 1080 video resolution
  • 930g. 152 x 116 x 76 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body

Canon 80D was replaced by Canon EOS 90D. You may also be interested in these comparisons:
Canon EOS 90D vs Canon EOS 80D
Canon EOS 90D vs Canon EOS 5DS

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Canon 80D and Canon 5DS compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.


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Reasons to choose Canon EOS 80D over Canon EOS 5DS
Wireless Connection
Built-In vs None Better connectivity
LCD Screen
Fully Articulated vs Fixed Type Flexible shooting positions
Built-in Flash
Yes vs No Useful in low-light
Touch Screen
Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Max ISO
16.000 vs 6.400 150% higher Max ISO
Number of Cross Type Focus Points
45 vs 41 4 more cross type focus points
Continuous Shooting
7.0fps vs 5.0fps 2 fps faster
Battery Life
960 shots vs 700 shots 260 more frames with a single charge
Weight
730 g vs 930 g 200 g lighter
Headphone Port
Yes vs No better video control
Dynamic Range
13.2 vs 12.4 higher dynamic range
Selfie & Vlogger LCD
Yes vs No Rotate LCD for taking Selfies
NFC Connection
Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Smartphone Remote
Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
CHECK 80D PRICE


Reasons to choose Canon EOS 5DS over Canon EOS 80D
Viewfinder Magnif.
0.71x vs 0.6x Larger Viewfinder
Sensor Resolution
51 MP vs 24 MP 112% more pixels
Number of Focus Points
61 vs 45 16 more focus points
LCD Screen Size
3.2" vs 3" 0.2 inches larger display
Color Depth
24.7 vs 23.6 higher color depth
Low Light ISO
2381 vs 1135 better High ISO performance
Sensor Pixel Area
17.17µm2 vs 14.06µm2 22% larger pixel area
Flash Sync Port
Yes vs No Connect off-camera flash
Shutter Life Expectancy
150000 cycles vs 100000 cycles Longer use without changing the shutter mechanism
Storage Slot
2 vs 1 Extra storage slot
CHECK 5DS PRICE

Common Strengths of Canon EOS 80D and Canon EOS 5DS
External Flash Shoe
Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder
Yes (Optical) vs Yes (Optical) Better framing and control
RAW Support
Yes vs Yes Better image quality
Face Detection Focus
Yes vs Yes very handy for portraits
Max Resolution
24 MP vs 51 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size
3.20" vs 3.20" Large display
LCD Screen Resolution
1.040k dots vs 1.040k dots High resolution screens
Microphone Port
Yes vs Yes High quality audio recording option
Environmental Sealing
Yes vs Yes shoot at tough conditions
Timelapse Recording
Yes vs Yes creative shooting
Top LCD Display
Yes vs Yes Help viewing and changing settings easily
AE Bracketing
Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
UHS Card Support
UHS-I vs UHS-I Read/Write in High Speeds
Webcam Function
Yes vs Yes Use your camera as a Webcam
Anti_flicker
Yes vs Yes Reduced uneven color and exposure under flickering light
Common Weaknesses of Canon EOS 80D and Canon EOS 5DS
In-body Image Stabilization
No vs No No Built-in stabilization
Canon 80D vs Canon 5DS: Physical Specs and Body features Comparison

Size and weight is a big decision factor when you are trying to find the ideal camera for your needs. In this section, We are going to illustrate Canon 80D and Canon 5DS side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions. Canon 80D has external dimensions of 139 x 105 x 79 mm (5.47 x 4.13 x 3.11″) and weighs 730 g (1.61 lb / 25.75 oz) (including batteries). Canon 5DS has external dimensions of 152 x 116 x 76 mm (5.98 x 4.57 x 2.99″) and weighs 930 g (2.05 lb / 32.80 oz) (including batteries).

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Canon 80D and Canon 5DS. Canon 80D is 13mm narrower and 11mm shorter than Canon 5DS but it is also 3mm thicker.

Canon 80D vs Canon 5DS Camera Size Comparison - Front View
Comparison image of Canon 80D and Canon 5DS Size, Weight and External Dimensions - Front View

Here is the back view size comparison of Canon 80D and Canon 5DS.

Canon 80D vs Canon 5DS Camera Size Comparison - Back View
Comparison image of Canon 80D and Canon 5DS Size and Weight - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Canon 80D and Canon 5DS.
Canon 80D vs Canon 5DS Camera Size Comparison - Top View
Top View Comparison image of Canon 80D and Canon 5DS Size

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Canon 80D is significantly lighter (200g ) than the Canon 5DS which may become a big advantage especially on long walking trips.

Also keep in mind that body weight is not the only deciding factor when comparing two interchangeable camera bodies, you have to also take into account the lenses that you will be using with these bodies. Since Canon 5DS has a Full frame sensor and Canon 80D has a smaller APS-C sensor, Canon 80D's lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will generally be lighter and smaller than the Canon 5DS lenses.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

80D
5DS
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

80D
5DS
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both 80D and 5DS have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon 5DS's 3.20" LCD screen is slightly larger than Canon 80D's 3" screen.

On the other hand, Canon 80D sports a Fully Articulated screen which you can change the angle and position of the screen almost freely, making it possible to shoot from waist or over the head levels, and especially very useful for shooting selfies and video. On the other hand, Canon 5DS has a fixed type screen which provides almost no flexibility in shooting positions compared to 80D.
Canon 80D vs Canon 5DS: Sensor Comparison

Canon 80D has a 24.0MP APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features DIGIC 6 processor. On the other hand, Canon 5DS has a 51.0MP Full frame (36 x 24 mm ) sized CMOS sensor and features Dual DIGIC 6 processor.

Canon 5DS's sensor provides 27MP more than Canon 80D's sensor, which gives a significant advantage in real life. You can print your images larger or crop more freely. On the other hand, please keep in mind that Max sensor resolution is not the only determinant of resolving power. Factors such as the optical elements, low pass filter, pixel size and sensor technology also affects the final resolution of the captured image.

Below you can see the 80D and 5DS sensor size comparison.

Canon 80D vs Canon 5DS Sensor Size Comparison
Sensor Size and Resolution Comparison image of Canon 80D and Canon 5DS Cameras


As seen above, Canon 5DS has a 2.6x Larger sensor area than Canon 80D. Larger sensors give photographer more control on the depth of field and blurry background compared to smaller sensor when shot in same focal length and aperture.

DxOMark Sensor Scores

DxOMark is a benchmark that scientifically assesses image quality of camera sensors. It scores camera sensors for color depth (DXO Portrait), dynamic range (DXO Landscape) and low-light sensitivity (DXO Sports), and also gives them an overall score. Canon 80D and Canon 5DS sensors have been tested by DxO and the results show that 5DS has a better overall score of 87, 8 points higher compared to 80D's score of 79.

Model Overall Color Depth Dynamic Range Low-light ISO
Canon 80D 79 23.6 bits 13.2 Evs 1135 ISO
Canon 5DS 87 24.7 bits 12.4 Evs 2381 ISO
Canon 80D vs Canon 5DS Comparison of Available Lenses
Which camera has more lenses?

Number of available lenses is a big decision factor while choosing your interchangeable lens camera. When we look at the available lenses for these two cameras, we see that Canon 80D has an advantage over Canon 5DS There are 333 lenses for Canon 80D's Canon EF/EF-S mount, on the other hand there are only 257 lenses for Canon 5DS's Canon EF lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. None of these bodies have sensor based image stabilization so you have to buy lenses with Optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 113 lenses for Canon EF/EF-S mount and 77 lenses for Canon EF mount with IS.

Lens Type # of Canon 80D Lenses # of Canon 5DS Lenses
Standard Zoom 40 22 (22 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 21 19 (19 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 37 20 (20 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 51 48 (48 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 59 51 (51 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 44 44 (44 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 28 9 (9 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 7 3 (3 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 28 24 (24 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 16 16 (16 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime 1 n/a
TOTAL 333 257 (256 Full Frame)


Now let's compare some sample lenses from each mount with typical Focal ranges for Canon 80D and Canon 5DS to see how these lenses compares:

Fast Standard Zoom Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM Lens Canon 17-55mm f2.8 IS USM
27.2 - 88mm 645gr 1375gr 111mm Amazon B&H Photo
Canon 24-70mm f2.8L II USM Lens Canon 24-70mm f2.8L II USM
24 - 70mm 805gr 1735gr 113mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM Lens Sigma 50-150mm F2.8 EX DC OS HSM
80 - 240mm 1350gr 2080gr 198mm Amazon B&H Photo
Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L IS III USM Lens Canon EF 70-200 F2.8L IS III USM
70 - 200mm 1440gr 2370gr 199mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Normal Prime Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM Lens Sigma 30mm F1.4 DC HSM
48mm 435gr 1165gr 63mm Amazon B&H Photo
Canon 50mm f1.4 USM Lens Canon 50mm f1.4 USM
50mm 290gr 1220gr 51mm Amazon B&H Photo
Fast Wideangle Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM Lens Sigma 10-20mm F3.5 EX DC HSM
16 - 32mm 520gr 1250gr 88mm Amazon B&H Photo
Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III Lens Canon 16-35mm F2.8L III
16 - 35mm 790gr 1720gr 128mm Amazon B&H Photo
24-105mm f4 Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM Lens Canon 15-85mm f3.5-5.6 IS USM
24 - 136mm 575gr 1305gr 88mm Amazon B&H Photo
Canon 24-105mm f4L IS USM Lens Canon 24-105mm f4L IS USM
24 - 105mm 670gr 1600gr 107mm Amazon B&H Photo
Super-Tele Zoom Equivalent Lenses
Model FF Equiv. Weight Weight w/ Cam Length Street Price
Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM Lens Canon 100-400mm f4.5-5.6L IS II USM
100 - 400mm 1590gr 2320gr 193mm Amazon B&H Photo
Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM C Lens Sigma 150-600mm F5-6.3 DG OS HSM C
150 - 600mm 1930gr 2860gr 290mm Amazon B&H Photo
What types of Photography are Canon 80D and Canon 5DS Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Canon 80D and Canon 5DS for five different photography types in order to make your decision process easier in case you are specifically interested in one or more of these areas.

Canon 80D for Portrait Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 5DS for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 51.0MP
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Canon 80D for Street Photography

GOOD

Canon 5DS for Street Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Fully Articulated LCD Screen
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
No Image Stabilization
Large Body
Read the details

Canon 80D for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 5DS for Sports Photography

GOOD
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 7.0fps
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
45 Cross Type Focus sensors
45 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 960 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
No Image Stabilization
Read the details
Optical Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
41 Cross Type Focus sensors
61 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 700 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Anti Flicker feature
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Canon 80D for Daily Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 5DS for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm) sensor
Anti Flicker feature
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
730g
Body Thickness 79mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Anti Flicker feature
Large Body
930g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details

Canon 80D for Landscape Photography

AVERAGE

Canon 5DS for Landscape Photography

GOOD
Large APS-C (22.5 x 15 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 24.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 51.0MP
Environmental Sealings
Live-view
Read the details

Canon 80D vs Canon 5DS: OUR DECISION

You may have already made your decision about which camera suits better for your needs and your budget so far but in case you wonder how we rated Canon 80D and Canon 5DS, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 69 different specs, current price and DxO Mark scores (where possible) in order to make a more objective and consistent comparison.

Here is a summary of how Canon 80D and Canon 5DS scores compare:

Canon 80D
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #18 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #90 out of 1244 in all Cameras
Canon 5DS
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #23 out of 95 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #107 out of 1244 in all Cameras

Canon 80D has a higher Overall Score than the Canon 5DS. It also has more features, more compact body and offers higher value for the money. But there is one area that 80D trails behind the 5DS: Imaging.
If image quality is the most important aspect in a camera, choose the Canon 5DS. If not, we recommend the Canon 80D.

Canon 80D
Canon 80D
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Canon 5DS
Canon 5DS
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Canon 5DS vs Canon 80D Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Canon EOS 80D Canon EOS 5DS
Brand Canon Canon
Announced 2016-02-18 2015-02-06
Body Type Mid-size SLR Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type CMOS CMOS
Size APS-C Full frame
Dimensions 22.5 x 15 mm 36 x 24 mm
Area 337.50mm2 864.00mm2
Megapixels 24 megapixels 51 megapixels
Max Resolution 6000 x 4000 8688 x 5792
Max Native Light sensitivity 16,000 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 25600 ISO 12800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
RAW Support
Autofocus
AF Touch
AF Continuous
AF Single
AF Tracking
AF Selective
AF Center
AF Multi Area
AF Live View
AF Face Detection
AF Contrast Detection
AF Phase Detection
Number of Focus Points 45 61
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Canon EF/EF-S Canon EF
Number of Available Lenses 333 257
Screen
Type Fully Articulated Fixed type
Size 3.00" 3.20"
Resolution 1,040k dots 1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Optical (pentaprism) Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.6x 0.71x
Photography Features
Max Mechanical Shutter 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Built-in Image Stabilization No No
Built-in Flash
Flash Range 12.00 m (at ISO 100) no built-in flash
Max Flash Sync 1/250s 1/200s
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 7.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment Metering
Average Metering
Spot Metering
Partial Metering
AF-Area Metering
Center Weighted Metering
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 1920 x 1080 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, H.264 H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 730g 930g
Dimensions 139 x 105 x 79mm 152 x 116 x 76mm
Battery Life 960 shots 700 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score 79 87
DxO Color Depth 23.6 24.7
DxO Dynamic Range 13.2 12.4
DxO Low Light ISO 1135 2381
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