The Sony A9II and the Canon EOS R5 are two cameras that people commonly consider for fast action like sports and wildlife. They are both very capable and similarly priced, even though there are some interesting differences between them. Which one is right for you? Read on to find out!
Sony a9 II vs Canon EOS R5 Specifications Comparison
| Camera Feature | Sony a9 II | Canon EOS R5 |
|---|---|---|
| Announced | October 2019 | July 2020 |
| Camera Type | Mirrorless | Mirrorless |
| Sensor Type | Stacked CMOS | CMOS |
| Image Processor | BIONZ (front-end LSI) | DIGIC X |
| Resolution | 24.2 MP | 45 MP |
| Pixel Dimensions | 6000×4000 | 8192×5464 |
| Sensor Dimensions | 35.6 x 23.8 mm (Full Frame) | 36 x 24 mm (Full Frame) |
| Sensor Pixel Size | 5.93µ | 4.39µ |
| Low Pass Filter | Yes | Yes |
| IBIS (In-Body Image Stabilization) | Yes | Yes |
| Base ISO | ISO 100 | ISO 100 |
| Max Native ISO | ISO 51,200 | ISO 51,200 |
| Extended ISOs | 50-204,800 | 50-102,400 |
| High-Resolution Sensor Shift | No | Yes (JPEG only) |
| Focus Stack Bracketing | No | Yes |
| Fastest Shutter Speed | 1/32000 | 1/8000 |
| Longest Shutter Speed | 30 seconds | 30 seconds |
| Continuous Shooting (Mechanical Shutter) | 20 FPS | 12 FPS |
| Continuous Shooting (Electronic Shutter) | 20 FPS | 20 FPS |
| Notes for High FPS Shooting | Compressed raw only at 20 FPS (uncompressed raw is available at 12 FPS) | None |
| Buffer Size (Raw) | 239 (20 FPS) | 180 (12 FPS), 83 (20 FPS) |
| Autofocus System | Hybrid PDAF | Hybrid PDAF |
| Autofocus Points | 693 | 1053 |
| Low-Light AF Sensitivity (f/2 Lens, ISO 100) | -3 EV | -4.5 EV |
| Voice Memo | Yes | Yes |
| Built-in Flash | No | No |
| Standard Flash Sync Speed | 1/250 | 1/250 |
Video Features | ||
| Maximum Video Bit Depth (Internal) | 8 bits | 12 bits |
| Maximum Video Bit Depth (External) | 8 bits | 12 bits |
| Raw Video | No | Yes |
| 8K Maximum Framerate | N/A | 30 FPS |
| 4K Maximum Framerate | 30 FPS | 120 FPS |
| 1080P Maximum Framerate | 100 FPS | 120 FPS |
| Additional Video Crop Factor | No | No |
| Chroma Subsampling | 4:2:0, 4:2:2 (External) | 4:2:2 |
| Video Recording Limit | 780 min | 30 min |
Physical and Other Features | ||
| Card Slots | 2 | 2 |
| Slot 1 Type | SD (UHS-II) | CFExpress Type B |
| Slot 2 Type | SD (UHS-II) | SD (UHS-II) |
| Rear LCD Size (Diagonal) | 3 in | 3.2 in |
| Rear LCD Resolution | 1.44 million | 2.1 million |
| Articulating LCD | Single Axis | Fully Articulating |
| Touchscreen | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF | EVF |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.78x | 0.76x |
| Viewfinder Resolution | 3.69 million | 5.76 million |
| Viewfinder Coverage | 100% | 100% |
| GPS | No | No |
| Bluetooth | Yes | Yes |
| WiFi | Yes | Yes |
| USB Type | Type C 3.2 Gen 1 | Type C 3.1 |
| Battery Type | NP-FZ100 | LP-E6NH |
| Battery Life (Viewfinder) | 500 frames | 220 frames |
| Battery Life (Rear LCD) | 690 frames | 320 frames |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Weight (Body Only w/ Battery + Card) | 678 g (1.49 lbs.) | 738 g (1.63 lbs.) |
| Dimensions (LxHxD) | 129 x 96 x 78 mm (5.1 x 3.8 x 3.1″) | 138 x 98 x 88 mm (5.43 x 3.84 x 3.46″) |
Price Comparison | ||
| MSRP, Body Only | $4498 (Check Current Price) | $3900 (Check Current Price) |
| Used Prices | Sony a9 II Used Prices | Canon EOS R5 Used Prices |
Summary and Recommendations
As you can see, the Canon EOS R5 and Sony a9 II are similar cameras, with one major exception: the 45MP higher resolution of the Canon EOS R5 over the Sony a9 II’s 24.2MP. This extra resolution will be appreciated by those who print large or need to crop.
The 45MP resolution of the R5 enables it to shoot 8K video, although with time limits due to heating. The Sony a9 II with its 24MP sensor is not capable of 8K video. However, there is one characteristic of the Sony a9 II that could be very useful for video shooters: no practical recording limits, whereas the R5 is limited at 30 minutes. It also has a longer battery life, which is especially important when shooting video.
The Sony a9 II costs more, which may seem surprising because of the lower resolution, and otherwise similar specs. So is there any reason to buy the Sony a9 II? Part of the allure of Sony comes from its lens ecosystem. Due to Sony’s open licensing system for its mount, it simply has far more lenses offered. Beyond that, some wildlife photographers actually prefer lower resolution because it saves hard drive space and makes their post-processing faster.
There’s also the potential cost of switching. As a general rule, I don’t recommend switching camera brands, because it’s an expensive proposition that usually doesn’t offer as many benefits as you’d think. If you’re an existing Canon shooter, I would stick with the Canon EOS R5. If you’re an existing Sony shooter, I would stick with the a9 II – or with another Sony camera like perhaps the a7R V if you need higher resolution.
In short, in most real-world regards, the Canon R5 and Sony a9 II are fairly close and they are both very capable cameras. The higher resolution of the EOS R5 makes it probably the winner in this specific head-to-head, but it really depends on what you shoot. You definitely can’t go wrong either way.
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