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Sony A7R IV vs Canon 5DS

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Sony A7R IV

61 MP | Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) BSI-CMOS Sensor

Sony A7R IV
$3498.00

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Canon 5DS

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

Canon 5DS
$3499.00

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Sony A7R IV vs Canon 5DS Comparison Overview

Here we are comparing two cameras with different body types: Sony A7R IV, which was introduced in July 2019 is a Pro Mirrorless camera with a 61.0MP Full frame sensor whereas Canon 5DS, which was introduced in February 2015 is a Semi-Pro DSLR camera with a 51.0MP Full frame sensor. As you can see, 5DS is 4 years older than A7R IV. Let's see if this age difference between two cameras makes a big difference.

Despite some fundamental differences of these two body types, Mirrorless cameras are becoming serious alternatives to DSLR cameras thanks to their size/weight advantages and recent improvements in their focus speeds , which makes this comparison even more interesting.

Let's have a brief look at the main features of Sony A7R IV and Canon 5DS before getting into our more detailed comparison.

Sony A7R IV Key Specs

  • Announcement Date: 2019-07-16
  • 61MP - Full frame BSI-CMOS Sensor
  • No Anti-aliasing (AA) filter
  • ISO 100 - 32000 ( expands to 50-102800)
  • Sony E Mount
  • Sensor-shift Image Stabilization
  • 3 Tilting Screen
  • 5760k dot Electronic viewfinder
  • 10.0 fps continuous shooting
  • 3840 x 2160 video resolution
  • Built-in Wireless
  • 665g. 129 x 96 x 78 mm
  • Weather Sealed Body
  • Replaced Sony Alpha A7R III Compare

Canon 5DS Key Specs

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

Let's read on the following sections in order to better understand in detail how Sony A7R IV and Canon 5DS compares and hopefully end up with enough arguments to decide which one is better for you.

Reasons to choose Sony Alpha A7R IV over Canon EOS 5DS
Wireless Connection Built-In vs None Better connectivity
Built-in Image Stabilization Sensor-shift vs None All the lenses are stabilized
Articulating Screen Yes vs No Flexible shooting positions
Touch Screen Yes vs No Easy control of camera functions
Max Sensor Resolution 61 MP vs 51 MP 19% more pixels
Max ISO 32.000 vs 6.400 400% higher Max ISO
Number of Focus Points 567 vs 61 506 more focus points
LCD Screen Resolution 1.440k dots vs 1.040k dots 38% higher resolution screen
Continuous Shooting 10.0fps vs 5.0fps 5 fps faster
Weight 665 g vs 930 g 265 g lighter
Headphone Port Yes vs No better video control
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 vs 1920 x 1080 Higher Resolution Video
AE Bracketing Range ±5 EV vs ±3 EV Wide Bracketing range is useful for HDR
NFC Connection Yes vs No Easy wireless connectivity with compatible devices
Shutter Life Expectancy 500000 cycles vs 150000 cycles Longer use without changing the shutter mechanism
Pixel Shift High Resolution Mode Yes (241.0MP) vs No Increased resolution with pixel shift
Bluetooth Yes vs No Connect your camera to other devices via Blueetooth
Smartphone_remote control Yes vs No Remote control your camera with a smartphone
Real time Animal Eye AF Tracking Yes vs No Easily lock and track focus on animals
Reasons to choose Canon EOS 5DS over Sony Alpha A7R IV
LCD Screen Size 3.2" vs 3 0.2 inches larger display
Battery Life 700 shots vs 670 shots 30 more frames with a single charge
Sensor Pixel Area 17.17µm2 vs 14.15µm2 21% larger pixel area
Top LCD Yes vs No Help viewing and changing settings easily
Autofocus at f/8 aperture Center point vs none Autofocus with teleconverters
Common Strengths of Sony Alpha A7R IV and Canon EOS 5DS
External Flash Shoe Yes vs Yes Better for flash photography
Viewfinder Yes (Electronic) 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 61 MP vs 51 MP Bigger prints and more details
LCD Screen Size 3 vs 3.2" Large display
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
AE Bracketing Yes vs Yes Useful for tough lighting conditions and HDR
Flash Sync Port Yes vs Yes Connect off-camera flash
Shutter Life Expectancy 500000 cycles vs 150000 cycles High Shutter Rating
Dual-axis Electronic Level Yes vs Yes Level the camera easily in two axis
Storage Slot 2 vs 2 Extra Storage Slot
Support for UHS Memory Cards UHS-II vs UHS-I Read/Write in Ultra High Speeds
Common Weaknesses of Sony Alpha A7R IV and Canon EOS 5DS
Built-in Flash No vs No Require external flash
Sony A7R IV 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 Sony A7R IV and Canon 5DS side-by-side from the front, back and top in their relative dimensions.

Below you can see the front view size comparison of Sony A7R IV and Canon 5DS. Sony A7R IV is 23mm narrower and 20mm shorter than Canon 5DS but it is also 2mm thicker.

Sony A7R IV vs Canon 5DS Camera Size Comparison - Front View


Here is the back view size comparison of Sony A7R IV and Canon 5DS.

Sony A7R IV vs Canon 5DS Camera Size Comparison - Back View

Now lets look at the top view comparison of Sony A7R IV and Canon 5DS.
Sony A7R IV vs Canon 5DS Camera Size Comparison - Top View

Sony A7R IV vs Canon 5DS Detailed Size Comparison

Weight is another important factor especially when deciding on a camera that you want to carry with you all day. Sony A7R IV is significantly lighter (265g ) 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 both Sony A7R IV and Canon 5DS have the same Full frame sized sensor, their lenses for a similar focal length and aperture will be similar in size and weight.

Weight Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A7R IV
5DS
Min
Average
Max
Thickness Comparison

DSLR Cameras

A7R IV
5DS
Min
Average
Max

Weather Sealing

Both A7R IV and 5DS have weather sealings in their body, making them resistant to water and dust.

LCD Screen Size and Features

Canon 5DS's 3.2" LCD screen is slightly larger than Sony A7R IV's 3 screen.

Sony A7R IV vs Canon 5DS: Sensor Comparison

Sony A7R IV has a 61.0MP Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm ) sized BSI-CMOS sensor and features Bionz X 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.

Sony A7R IV's sensor provides 10MP more than Canon 5DS'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.

Another difference between these two cameras is that Sony A7R IV's sensor lacks anti-alias (Low-Pass) filter. Removing anti-alias filter increases the sharpness and level of detail but at the same time, it increases the chance of moire occurring in certain scenes.

Below you can see the A7R IV and 5DS sensor size comparison.

Sony A7R IV vs Canon 5DS Sensor Size Comparison


Sony A7R IV and Canon 5DS have almost the same sensor size so none of them has any significant advantage over other in providing control over depth of field when used with same focal length and aperture.

What types of Photography are Sony A7R IV and Canon 5DS Good for?
In this section, we rank and compare Sony A7R IV 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.

Sony A7R IV for Portrait Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 5DS for Portrait Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 61.0MP
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
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

Sony A7R IV for Street Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 5DS for Street Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Live-view
Face-Detection Focusing
Tilting LCD Screen
Medium sized 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

Sony A7R IV for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 5DS for Sports Photography

EXCELLENT
Image Stabilization
Electronic Built-in Viewfinder
Good Ergonomics&Handling
Fast Continuous Shooting: 10.0fps
Environmental Sealings
Fast Max shutter speed: 1/8000s
567 Focus Points
Good Battery Life: 670 shots
Good Low Light ISO
Wireless Connection
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
Average Continuous Shooting: 5.0fps
No Image Stabilization
Read the details

Sony A7R IV for Daily Photography

EXCELLENT

Canon 5DS for Daily Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Medium size Body
665g
Body Thickness 78mm
Read the details
Large Full frame (36 x 24 mm) sensor
Environmental Sealings
Large Body
930g
Body Thickness 76mm
Read the details

Sony A7R IV for Landscape Photography

GOOD

Canon 5DS for Landscape Photography

GOOD
Large Full frame (35.8 x 23.8 mm) sensor
Very High Resolution Sensor: 61.0MP
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 5DS vs Sony A7R IV 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 5DS has an advantage over Sony A7R IV There are 271 lenses for Canon 5DS's Canon EF mount, on the other hand there are only 115 lenses for Sony A7R IV's Sony E lens mount.

Another important factor is the availability of image stabilization. Sony A7R IV has a big advantage in this regard because it has a sensor based image stabilization which means that all the lenses mounted to this body will be stabilized. On the other hand, Canon 5DS doesn't have this feature so you have to buy a lens with optical stabilization feature. Currently there are 77 lenses for Canon EF mount with Optical Image Stabilization features.

Lens Type # of Sony A7R IV Lenses # of Canon 5DS Lenses
Standard Zoom 10 (7 Full Frame) 25 (22 Full Frame)
Standard Prime 17 (8 Full Frame) 16 (16 Full Frame)
Wideangle Zoom 6 (5 Full Frame) 29 (20 Full Frame)
Wideangle Prime 37 (22 Full Frame) 45 (45 Full Frame)
Telephoto Zoom 9 (7 Full Frame) 53 (50 Full Frame)
Telephoto Prime 16 (12 Full Frame) 41 (41 Full Frame)
SuperZoom 8 (1 Full Frame) 17 (9 Full Frame)
Wideangle Fisheye Prime 2 (0 Full Frame) 3 (3 Full Frame)
Macro Prime 8 (7 Full Frame) 25 (23 Full Frame)
Perspective Control Prime 2 (2 Full Frame) 16 (16 Full Frame)
Telephoto Mirror Prime n/a 1 (0 Full Frame)
TOTAL 115 (71 Full Frame) 271 (245 Full Frame)
Sony A7R IV 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 Sony A7R IV and Canon 5DS, below you can find their scores in five different aspects. Our Decision Algorithm dynamically scores cameras using 63 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 Sony A7R IV and Canon 5DS scores compare:

Sony A7R IV
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #2 out of 68 in SLR-style mirrorless cameras
Ranked #2 out of 1190 in all Cameras
Canon 5DS
Imaging
Features
Value
Portability
Overall
Ranked #21 out of 94 in Mid-size SLR cameras
Ranked #54 out of 1190 in all Cameras

Sony A7R IV is the clear winner of this comparison. It has a higher Overall Score and beats Canon 5DS in all criteria. It has better general image quality, more features, more compact body and offers more value for the money

Sony A7R IV
Sony A7R IV
$3498.00

Canon 5DS
Canon 5DS
$3499.00

Canon 5DS vs Sony A7R IV Specs Table
Detailed comparison of specifications
General Sony Alpha A7R IV Canon EOS 5DS
Brand Sony Canon
Announced 2019-07-16 2015-02-06
Body Type SLR-style mirrorless Mid-size SLR
Sensor
Type BSI-CMOS CMOS
Size Full frame Full frame
Dimensions 35.8 x 23.8 mm 36 x 24 mm
Area 852.04mm2 864.00mm2
Megapixels 61 megapixels 51 megapixels
Max Resolution 9504 x 6336 8688 x 5792
Max Native Light sensitivity 32,000 ISO 6,400 ISO
Max Boosted Light Sensitivity 102800 ISO 12800 ISO
Min Native Light sensitivity 100 ISO 100 ISO
Min Boosted Light Sensitivity 50 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 567 61
Lens
Manual Focus
Lens Mount Sony E Canon EF
Number of Available Lenses 115 271
Screen
Type Tilting Fixed type
Size 3 3.2"
Resolution 1,440k dots 1,040k dots
Touch Screen
Viewfinder
Viewfinder Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Resolution 5,760k dots no electronic viewfinder
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78 0.71
Photography Features
Max Shutter Speed 1/8000s 1/8000s
Shutter Priority
Aperture Priority
Manual Exposure Mode
Custom White Balance
Image Stabilization Sensor-shift No
Built-in Flash
Max Flash Sync 1/250s no built-in flash
External Flash
Continuous Shooting 10.0 fps 5.0 fps
Multi-Segment
Average
Spot
Partial
AF-Area
Center Weighted
AE Bracketing
WB Bracketing
Video Features
Max Video Resolution 3840 x 2160 1920 x 1080
Video Formats MPEG-4, XAVC S, H.264 H.264
Microphone Port
Headphone Port
Connectivity
Wireless Connectivity Built-In None
HDMI
Physical
Environmental Sealing
Weight 665g 930g
Dimensions 129 x 96 x 78mm 152 x 116 x 76mm
Battery Life 670 shots 700 shots
Other Features
Timelapse Recording
GPS None None
DxO Sensor Scores
DxO Overall Score not tested 87
DxO Color Depth not tested 24.7
DxO Dynamic Range not tested 12.4
DxO Low Light ISO not tested 2381
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