EOS R5vs Nikon Z9
Canon
EOS R5 (2020)
Starting from £2499 new
Best for Professional hybrid shooters, portrait & wildlife
View EOS R5
VS
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional Hybrid Shooters, Portrait & Wildlife — EOS R5 (2020): A landmark camera — 8K video and 45MP in one body set the standard for what mirrorless could be.
Professional Sports & Wildlife — Nikon Z9 (2021): The Z9 redefined what professional mirrorless could be — no mechanical shutter, 45MP stacked BSI, and 8K RAW in the most rugged Z body.
Who should buy what
EOS R5 (2020)
- 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
Nikon Z9 (2021)
- Professional sports, wildlife and photojournalism photographers
- Nikon D6 or D850 users making the final switch to mirrorless
- Those who need the fastest, most reliable AF Nikon has ever made
- Professionals who need a flagship body with no mechanical shutter
Quick take: The nikon z9 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the eos r5 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R5 (2020) | Nikon Z9 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,499 | £5,499 |
| Sensor | 45MP Full-Frame CMOS | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 45.0MP | 45.7MP |
| Video | 8K RAW/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/120p | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II — 1053 AF zones, subject/animal detection | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 8 stops combined with IS lenses | 6-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical, 20fps electronic | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG |
| Battery Life | ~320 shots (CIPA) | 740 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 650g (with battery) | 1340g body only |
| Dimensions | 138.5 × 97.5 × 88mm | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 5.76M dots, 0.76× magnification | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps |
| Screen | 3.15" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF mount | Nikon Z-mount |
| Memory Cards | CFexpress Type B + SD UHS-II | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS R5 | Nikon Z9 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Landscape | ||
| Wedding | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Travel | — |
More comparisons with EOS R5
Camera family history