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EOS R5vs A9

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Canon EOS R5 Canon EOS R5 (2020) Starting from £2499 new Best for Professional hybrid shooters, portrait & wildlife View EOS R5
VS
Sony A9 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.

↓ Full specifications below

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
Genre EOS R5A9
Portrait
9.0
9.0
Wildlife
9.0
9.0
Vlogging & Video
9.0
4.0
Sports
9.0
Landscape
9.0
Wedding
9.0
Sports & Action
9.0
Wedding & Events
9.0
Travel
7.0

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

⚡ Compare specs side by side EOS R5 prices → A9 prices →

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