EOS Mvs EOS R1vs Canon EOS R5 Mark II

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Canon EOS M (2012) Starting from £80 new Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors View EOS M

Canon EOS R1 (2024) Starting from £5999 new Best for Professional sports, wildlife & photojournalism View EOS R1

Canon Canon EOS R5 Mark II (2024) Starting from £4299 new Best for Hybrid shooters & professionals View Canon EOS R5 Mark II

GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?

Canon Mirrorless History & Ef-M Collectors — EOS M (2012): Canon's first mirrorless — a historic body that broke new ground with touch-AF and EF-M, but its sluggish contrast-detect system quickly became its Achilles heel.

Professional Sports, Wildlife & Photojournalism — EOS R1 (2024): Canon's ultimate professional camera — 40fps, a class-leading EVF, and AI AF that simply doesn't miss.

Hybrid Shooters & Professionals — Canon EOS R5 Mark II (2024): The most complete hybrid camera Canon has ever made — 45MP stacked BSI, 30fps burst, 8K/60p RAW, and Canon's legendary Dual Pixel AF in one body.

↓ Full specifications below

Who should buy what

EOS M (2012)

Canon shooters who want the camera that started Canon's mirrorless story
Budget first-time mirrorless buyers who already own EF/EF-S glass
Collectors of significant digital camera milestones

EOS R1 (2024)

Professional sports and news photographers who cannot miss a shot
Wildlife photographers needing the fastest AF and burst available
Photojournalists requiring reliable pro-grade build and connectivity
Canon R3 owners or 1D X Mark III users upgrading to mirrorless flagship

Canon EOS R5 Mark II (2024)

Professional photographers who want 8K RAW and 45MP in one body
R5 owners upgrading to faster AF, improved overheating, and neural network processing
Wildlife and sports professionals who need high resolution and fast burst
Hybrid shooters who demand the very best Canon has to offer

Quick take: The canon eos r5 mark ii has the highest resolution at 45mp; the eos m is the most affordable; only the eos r1, canon eos r5 mark ii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification	EOS M (2012)	EOS R1 (2024)	Canon EOS R5 Mark II (2024)
Price	£80	£5,999	£4,299
Sensor	18MP APS-C CMOS	24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked CMOS	45MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS
Resolution	18.0MP	24.2MP	45.0MP
Video	1080p 30fps	6K RAW/60p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p	8K/60p RAW, 4K/120p, Cinema RAW Light
Autofocus	Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow	Dual Pixel CMOS AF III — 100% coverage, deep learning subject detection	Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, AI subject tracking
Stabilisation	—	IBIS — up to 8 stops combined	8-stop IBIS (coordinated with IS lenses)
Burst Rate	4fps	40fps electronic, 12fps mechanical	30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical
Battery Life	~230 shots (CIPA)	~530 shots (CIPA)	570 shots (CIPA)
Weight	262g (body only)	1470g (with battery)	746g body only
Dimensions	108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm	159.5 × 143.9 × 87.3mm	138.5 × 101.2 × 93.5mm
Weather Sealed	No	Yes	Yes
Viewfinder	None (optional EVF accessory)	EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification	0.64" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps
Screen	3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots	3.2" fully articulating touchscreen	3.2" fully articulating touchscreen
Mount	Canon EF-M mount	Canon RF mount	Canon RF
Memory Cards	1× SD/SDHC/SDXC	Dual CFexpress Type B	CFexpress Type B + SD UHS-II
Connectivity	USB 2.0	USB-C (10Gbps), Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI	USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth

Suitability by genre

Genre	EOS M	EOS R1	Canon EOS R5 Mark II
Casual	7.0	—	—
Travel	6.0	—	—
Street	6.0	—	—
Portrait	6.0	7.0	9.0
Vlogging & Video	5.0	9.0	9.0
Sports	—	9.0	—
Wildlife	—	9.0	9.0
Photojournalism	—	9.0	—
Wedding	—	9.0	—
Sports & Action	—	—	9.0
Landscape	—	—	9.0
Wedding & Events	—	—	9.0

GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →

⚡ Compare specs side by side EOS M prices → EOS R1 prices → Canon EOS R5 Mark II prices →

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Camera family history