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 p.77 #8 · Sony-shooters thoughts on the Canon R5/R6 | |
AlphaPhotography wrote:
I don't think that I'm switching completely as I have a fair bit invested in Sony including an A7RIV, A9II, and several lenses. I have an A7SIII on pre-order and the A7C looks intriguing (leaked pic below). I'm a Sony fanboy but I will use whatever brand/model/etc. performs the best for my needs. I've previously used some Canon Rebels way back and owned the Sony A6000, A6300, RX100IV, A7II, A7RII, A7RIII, A7RIV, and A9II as well as some Olympus cameras and still own a Panasonic GH5.
I received my R5 on day one and it has been a pleasure to use coming from an A7RIV and having recently picked up an A9II after the R5. The short version is I will be selling my A7RIV, maybe keeping the A9II for action/BIF, maybe keeping my A7SIII pre-order, but definitely keeping the R5.
I do real estate photography professionally full-time. While I was never disappointed in the performance of the A7RIV, a few things kept it from being perfect.
-The file sizes on the A7RIV are massive and there is no comparable compressed RAW option like the R5 has.
-Sony has always had a strange issue where they don't allow you to "disable flash" in M, S, or A modes with my Godox/Flashpoint triggers. This means that when I am working doing real estate photography taking over 1,000 pictures per day in a combination of flash/ambient, I have to turn off my flash trigger between each set of shots. With the R5 I simply press the top mode button, move to a custom setting (C3) and press the shutter. It's a minor gripe that I've never found a solution for. I'd love if someone has one in case I ever use my Sony(s) for real estate again but it's annoying enough that I much prefer using the R5.
-Along with the above issue the IBIS/IS on the R5 is FAR better than the A7RIV. It's incredible how well it works. This means in pretty much any lighting situation I can get usable handheld shots. Since I'm often shooting at f8 in poor lighting I would previously get tons of motion blur on many A7RIV photos, specifically on the brightest image in a 3-bracket exposure. With the R5 I have yet to get a single blurred photo during shoots and I've shot as long as 2 seconds handheld with the 15-35mm.
-The high ISO performance of the R5 is better than the A7RIV. Dynamic range is comparable.
-I've never loved the grip of the A7RIV or any of the Sony bodies. They are okay but my pinky has nowhere to go. The R5 fits like a glove.
-The video quality on the R5 is far superior to the A7RIV, especially in low light. The R5's video overheating issues have had me hesitating about whether I can use it professionally and that's why I have an A7SIII on order. With some recent updates Canon seems to be partially resolving the issue.
-The R5 menus are better.
Besides real estate photography some other things I love about the R5 for my personal use:
-The autofocus works fantastic and is better than the A7RIV especially in low light. It may not be quite as good as the A9II but close in many situations.
-The silent electronic shutter works well for most of my uses and I haven't encountered any noticeable rolling shutter issues.
-The mechanical shutter is very quiet and much quieter than the A7RIV.
-The bird/animal eye-AF is AMAZING. This in itself has been a game-changer moving back and forth between the R5 and A9II. The A9II never quite knows where to focus on perched subjects, constantly gets the birds tail, beak, etc unless I manually select a flexible spot focus point. The Canon just grabs the eye/head in most scenarios and stays on it. I can't wait to take it to the zoo.
-The lenses are fantastic. The 15-35mm has been a dream with it's excellent IS combined with the R5's IBIS. The 70-200mm is exceptional and the size allows me to put it face down attached into bags like my Peak Design 10L sling, something that wouldn't be possible with any other 70-200mm f2.8. The 100-500mm is also great for its compact size and comparable to the Sony 200-600mm. I had it in my Thinktank Urban Access 15 recently and I don't think the 200-600mm would have fit. The MFD of the 100-500 is much better too. The Sony 100-400mm GM (which I don't own) would have fit but then I'd be 100mm short and on a 24mp sensor if I want comparable AF and 20fps electronic shutter of the A9II to match the R5. I also have a 28-70 f2 on order which looks incredible from the samples I've reviewed. I wish Sony were making more unique lenses now that I've seen what Canon is doing with their RF line. The 12-24mm GM does look great but other than that I haven't seen them push the envelope much recently. The Canon RF, 50mm f1.2, 85mm f1.2 and 85mm f1.2 DS are all tempting too.
The negatives of the R5 for me (vs. Sony):
-The A7RIV + certain lenses (135mm GM for example) is still the highest resolving combo in good light in my tests so far. But I haven't yet used a prime on the R5.
-I miss the 4-way directional pad on Sony vs. the Canon spinny wheel.
-I think the Sony bodies have more custom buttons which I miss some of. For example I used C4 to punch into APS-C mode. I need to play more with the R5 settings on that.
-The R5 battery life is just okay.
-No dual/simultaneous video recording on the R5 is a huge letdown.
-I don't think I love the fully articulating display of the R5 since there is an extra step involved just to tilt the display.
-No 35mm f1.2 option. I was going to buy the Sigma 35mm f1.2 for Sony FE but I may now wait for a Canon RF 35mm f1.2.
-The AF-on button is tiny.
-I much prefer the Sony lens-release button placement. I still haven't figured out how to comfortably hold and remove lenses on the Canon with the left mounted button. The RF rear lens caps are hard to put on.
-The 100-500mm w/ teleconverter requires the lens to be extended to 300mm+. This makes it much less ideal to travel with since I often have to remove and replace the teleconverter to save space. Not a knock on the R5 but on the 100-500mm vs. 200-600mm which is part of the equation for me.
-At ultra high ISO's (25600) I've seen some weird issues, banding, and poor colors. Nothing conclusive yet but I need to do more testing. The A9II seems better at high ISO and shockingly clean/sharp.
I've just loved using the R5 over the past few weeks. It works better for my professional use and I think lenses like the compact 70-200mm f2.8 + better ergonomics and IBIS make it more enjoyable for my personal use. The A9II still seems to outperform it for fast action and the A7RIV still seems better for ultimate resolution (landscapes in good light). But as an all around camera I think the R5 is my favorite. I hesitate to switch completely since I know Sony will be attempting to counter with something incredible within the next year but the Canon RF lenses alone are making me want to shoot more with the R5 and invest in more RF glass.
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Similar to you, I shoot a lot buildings and find the R5 IS functioning would be a feature that I could really use for hand held work. I can get pretty good results with Sony using 1/30 sec. with 17mm to 50mm lenses, but if I could get down to 1/8 sec with the R5, it would keep my ISO down in the low range for best results in sharpness and noise.
A minor note: I still prefer the Canon and Nikon lens release button on the left side of the body, compared to Sony's right side. I find it easiest (being right-handed) to hold the lens in my right hand and the body/release with my left. Sony has much less clearance for fingers too. I've never dropped a lens, but I've come close several times with Sony dismounting.
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