EOS R5vs A9
Canon
EOS R5 (2020)
Starting from £2499 new
Best for Professional hybrid shooters, portrait & wildlife
View EOS R5
Sony
A9 (2017)
Starting from £1999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography
View A9
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 & Action Photography — A9 (2017): The camera that changed professional photography — the A9's 20fps blackout-free burst and silent shutter proved mirrorless had definitively surpassed the DSLR.
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
A9 (2017)
- Sports photographers who want the original 20fps mirrorless at a lower used price than the A9 II
- Wildlife photographers who need blackout-free burst with fast, reliable tracking
- Sony FE system users who want a professional sports body
- Photographers interested in the camera that changed the industry
Quick take: The eos r5 has the highest resolution at 45mp; the a9 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R5 (2020) | A9 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £2,499 | £1,999 |
| Sensor | 45MP Full-Frame CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 45.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 8K RAW/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/120p | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II — 1053 AF zones, subject/animal detection | 693 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 8 stops combined with IS lenses | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 12fps mechanical, 20fps electronic | 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~320 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 650g (with battery) | 673g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 138.5 × 97.5 × 88mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 5.76M dots, 0.76× magnification | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free) |
| Screen | 3.15" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF mount | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | CFexpress Type B + SD UHS-II | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI | USB, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS R5 | A9 |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Wedding | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with EOS R5
Camera family history