Canon
EOS R 2018
Best for Entry to full-frame mirrorless & RF lens exploration
£799
list price · used from £400 at eBay
Decision tools · Compare
EOS R vs EOS R5
Quick take: The EOS R5 has the highest resolution at 45MP; the EOS R is the most affordable.
16 specs side by side·15 genres scored·UK prices from Wex Photo Video and Clifton Cameras
How to read this page. Highlighted cells win that row on the spec alone. Genre scores are the engine's base scores (enthusiast, photo and video); Camera Match re-weights them for your level and priorities. Price buttons are affiliate links; the price you pay is the same.
Canon
EOS R5 2020
Best for Professional hybrid shooters, portrait & wildlife
£2449
new today at Wex Photo Video
Price buttons are affiliate links — GearFrame may earn a commission at no extra cost to you. It never affects a score. Learn more
Verdictwhich should you buy?
EOS R — Entry To Full-Frame Mirrorless & Rf Lens Exploration: The RF mount's founding camera — 30MP, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, and the proof-of-concept that launched Canon's mirrorless era.
EOS R5 — Professional Hybrid Shooters, Portrait & Wildlife: A landmark camera — 8K video and 45MP in one body set the standard for what mirrorless could be.
Who should buy what
EOS R (2018)
is the right camera for you if…
- Canon DSLR users wanting to enter the RF ecosystem at the lowest full-frame price
- EF lens collectors who want an affordable RF body to use with the EF-RF adapter
- Photographers stepping up from APS-C who want full-frame quality on a budget
- RF system fans who want a second body without full EOS R6 pricing
EOS R5 (2020)
is the right camera for you if…
- Professional photographers who need both resolution and video in one body
- Wildlife and sports photographers who want top AF with 20fps burst
- Hybrid shooters who need 8K or 4K/120p alongside high-resolution stills
- R5 Mark II buyers on a budget — the R5 still delivers exceptional results
Full specificationsthe better value in each row is highlighted
| Specification | EOS RCanon · 2018 | EOS R5Canon · 2020 |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £799Best | £2,449 |
| Sensor | 30.3MP full-frame CMOS | 45MP Full-Frame CMOS |
| Resolution | 30.3MP | 45.0MPBest |
| Video | 4K/30p (1.7× crop), 1080p/60p | 8K RAW/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF — 5655 AF areas, Eye AF | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II — 1053 AF zones, subject/animal detection |
| Stabilisation | No stabilisation | IBIS — up to 8 stops combined with IS lenses |
| Burst Rate | 8fps continuous (5fps with AF/AE) | 12fps mechanical, 20fps electronicBest |
| Battery Life | ~350 shots (CIPA)Best | ~320 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 660g (body only) | 650g (body only)Best |
| Dimensions | 135.8 × 98.3 × 84.4mm | 138.5 × 97.5 × 88mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.71× magnification | EVF, 5.76M dots, 0.76× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" touchscreen, fully articulating | 3.15" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF mount (full-frame) | Canon RF mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot | CFexpress Type B + SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Wins the row — price, resolution, burst, battery, weight and sealing are compared; text specs aren't ranked.
How they score by genreengine base scores out of 10
Genre
EOS R
EOS R5
Portrait
7.0/10
8.2/10
Street
5.8/10
6.2/10
Travel
5.5/10
5.9/10
Wedding & Events
5.7/10
7.6/10
Vlogging & Video
4.8/10
5.7/10
Filmmaking
5.7/10
7.2/10
Documentary
6.0/10
7.3/10
Sports & Action
6.3/10
7.5/10
Landscape
6.2/10
7.5/10
Wildlife
6.8/10
7.8/10
Casual
4.3/10
5.0/10
Food
6.5/10
7.8/10
Macro
5.3/10
7.6/10
Architecture
6.2/10
8.0/10
Astrophotography
6.1/10
6.0/10
Scores come from the same engine as Camera Match: verified specifications weighted by what each genre needs, with documented adjustments. The product page and this table show the enthusiast base score. See how scores are calculated →
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