Canon 5D IV vs Sony A7S II – Comparison

Here’s a comparison of two full frame cameras, the Canon 5D Mark IV vs Sony A7S II. The latter is smaller, cheaper and a little bit older, so let’s see which one is better for the money.

Our comparison table below covers all the important specifications of each camera. Below that, we specifically talk about the new improvements and which model is better suited for your needs.

	Canon 5D IV	Sony A7S II
Megapixels	30.4	12.2
Sensor Type	CMOS	CMOS
Sensor Format	Full Frame	Full Frame
Crop Factor	None	None
AA Filter	Yes	Yes
Image Resolution	6720 x 4480	4240 x 2832
Body Image Stabilization	No	Yes - 5-Axis
Lens Mount	Canon EF	Sony E
ISO	100 - 32,000	100 - 102,400
Expanded ISO	102,400	50 - 409,600
AF Points	61	169
Cross-type AF Points	41	169 phase
Continuous Mode	7fps	5fps
LCD	3.2" - Fixed	3.0" - Articulating
LCD Resolution	1,620,000 dots	1,228,800 dots
Touchscreen	Yes	No
Focus Peaking	No	Yes
Top LCD Display	Yes	No
Viewfinder Type	Optical	EVF
Viewfinder Coverage	100%	100%
Viewfinder Magnification	0.71x	0.78x
Video Resolution	4096x2160 (30/25/24p)	3840x2160 (30/25/24p)
	1920x1080 (60/50/30/25/24p	1920x1080 (120/100/60/50p)
Microphone Jack	Yes	Yes
Headphone Jack	Yes	Yes
Memory Card Type	CF + SD	SD or MS Pro
Dual Card Slots	Yes	No
SD UHS Support	UHS-I & UDMA7	UHS-I
Fastest Shutter Speed	1/8000	1/8000
Slowest Shutter Speed	30"	30"
Bulb Mode	Yes	Yes
JPEG Buffer Size	Unlimited	63
RAW Buffer Size	19	28
Time Lapse	Yes	Yes
Built-in Flash	No	No
Max Flash Sync Speed	1/200	1/250
Startup Time	0.5s	2.9s
Built-in Wi-Fi	Yes	Yes
Built-in GPS	Yes	No
Built- in NFC	Yes	Yes
Bluetooth	No	No
USB Type	USB 3.0	USB 2.0
Environmentally Sealed	Yes	Yes
Battery Life (CIPA)	900 shots	370 shots
Battery Included	Yes (LP-E6N)	Yes (NP-FW50)
Weight	31.4 oz (890g)	22.1 oz (627g)
Size	5.9 x 4.6 x 3.0"	5.0 x 3.8 x 2.4"
Price	Amazon	Amazon
Release Date	2016	2015

Canon 5D Mark IV Advantages:

• Sensor – 18 more megapixels, huge difference for prints and cropping

• 7 vs 5fps – Makes a difference when shooting sports and wildlife

• LCD Size – 3.2″ vs 3.0″ and higher resolution

• Top LCD Screen – Very useful for quickly checking out all of your settings, battery info etc.

• Dual Memory Cards – You can use SD + CF cards

• JPEG Buffer – Unlimited vs 63

• Startup Time – The 5D IV turns on 6x faster

• Built-in GPS

• USB 3.0 vs 2.0 – Faster file transferring out of the camera

• Battery Life – 530 shots longer battery life

The Canon 5D IV has a lot more megapixels. If you need the resolution for large prints or cropping then it beats the A7s II by a mile. It’s slightly faster, has 2 memory cards and turns on a lot faster

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.

Sony A7S II Advantages:

• Body Stabilization – The A7S II has built-in 5-axis stabilization that works for photographs and videos

• Higher ISO Range – 2 stops higher native, 2 stops higher expanded ISO.

• AF System – The A7S II has 169 vs 61 AF points, and they’re all phase-detection. The 5D IV is still extremely fast and might be more reliable for really fast moving subjects, especially in low light where the 5D wins

• LCD Screen – It’s fully articulated compared to the fixed one, so it’s better for shooting in awkward positions

• Focus Peaking – The Sony A7S II can highlight what’s in focus! Excellent when focusing manually, whether it’s video or photography

• Full HD – 120p instead of 60p, much better for clear, smooth slow motion clips

• RAW Buffer – 28 vs 19

• Flash Sync Speed – 1/250 vs 1/200

• Built-in Flash

• Weight & Size – The A7S II weighs almost 300g less and is a lot smaller

• Less Expensive – Body only, the A7S II costs around $800 less

The Sony A7 II is an affordable full frame camera made for low light photography and 4K video without carrying around a big DSLR.

You can buy it at Amazon or read more reviews here.