Sony a1 vs Canon R5 – Which 8K camera to choose?
8K is incredibly real. As someone who follows the industry closely, I knew it was on the way, but I didn't think we would see it so soon in some cameras without m...
22/01/2022
8K is incredibly real. As someone who follows the industry closely, I knew it was on the way, but I didn't think we'd see it in some consumer mirrorless cameras so soon. Certainly not cheap enough for everyone, the
Canon R5
and
sony a1
have definitely changed the conversation about 8K video and convenience.
If you were looking at these new builds and looking for which ones you might want to upgrade to to add 8K to your kit, you should watch this video from
Dan Watson
. He has become familiar with both and approaches it from real-world shooting experience and not just specs.
Quality comparisons
8K is the big number - and the one Watson chooses to start with - but there's a whole lot more to these cameras. With 8K, you can absolutely see a difference between 8K and 4K quality. This is undoubtedly the way to get the highest quality images with the R5 and a1. They use their best sampling and resolution in these settings.
Upscaling to 4K, the R5 has a true downsampling option (4K HQ) which will take the 8K playback and create a beautiful 4K image. The problem here is overheating. To get around the overheating, there's a lower quality mode that uses binning to hit 4K. It is noticeably a little softer than the HQ option.
The a1 only has one option for 4K and that uses a fairly accurate binning method that does a great job of creating good 4K footage. That's a little less than Canon's HQ 4K option, but it's a lot better than Canon's standard option.
In practice, the a1 wins for 4K because it's much more usable. The R5's HQ mode is nice, but overheating severely limits its usability.
Build, Ergonomics & Color
Canon wins with design choices. The R5 has a fully articulating screen compared to the a1's tilting screen and although the a1 has a better viewfinder, it's not a huge thing for video.
An interesting point is the color. While the Sony a1 seems to have more accurate colors based on the color chart test, the R5 tends to have more pleasing color science in Watson's eyes. There's a degree of personal opinion here, but a love of Canon colors isn't an uncommon thing.
Bitrates & Formats
Looking at the raw specs, Canon has better options. The R5 has 8K raw as a real option for internal recording. It's hard to beat. However, if you take a closer look at the specs, you will see that the file sizes are enormous. Also, Canon has a weird limitation in that you have to use Canon Log to record in 10bit. I don't know why, but there is. In addition, it will take H.265. If you are having trouble with these formats on your computer, you should consider these things.
Sony is much more open and reasonable with their formats. Some high-end modes will require H.265 (8K in particular), but it can do 10-bit with various compression options and bitrates. And, you can choose the picture profiles you like. Being open with options is a major advantage if you plan to use the camera for professional video work.
Go more into raw options. The Canon can do 8K raw internally, which is the only way to record raw at the moment. Supposedly, the Ninja V+ will work with the R5 for 8K raw video. The Sony can also output raw, however, this is an odd 4.3K raw that will be ProRes RAW in Ninja V.NLE compatibility with a variety.
Potential problems
Right off the bat, the R5 has a big problem for video in that it doesn't offer any form of unlimited recording. At best, you get 30 minutes. You also cannot duplicate Canon at all. These two are not problems for the Sony a1.
As far as Sony is concerned, a potential problem is the use of the new CFexpress Type A media. They are better than SD cards but they are more expensive and at the moment only Sony makes them. You can only get them up to 160 GB at the moment. It's not necessarily enough, and the maximum recording speed is about half that of CFexpress Type B. With CFexpress Type B in the R5, the price is much lower now and the sizes are much, much higher.
Overheated
Let's not beat a dead horse here, but the Canon R5 has bad overheating. Really bad. In 8K it takes you around 20 minutes, in 4K60 you get up to 30 minutes.
Under similar conditions, the a1 is capable of recording over 40 minutes of 8K in a single take. 4K60 came in at an hour and 10 minutes. It's much more usable.
Settling outside in direct sunlight, the a1 was actually about the same if not a bit worse than the R5. Direct sunlight has a big impact on Sony's performance.
Price
The last point is the price. Right now, the a1 is way higher at $6,500 while the R5 sits at around $3,900. The Sony also sits high on the stills side, so just using it for video you might find it hard to justify.
A bonus point is that the Sony offers a lot more control over shutter speed, which can help with flicker in your images. Nice option to have what Canon doesn't offer.
Final Thoughts
The Canon R5 performs well and has amazing specs, it really falls flat with all the weird limitations. Sony has fewer drawbacks and you can easily get around them. So the a1 is the better option with a better price.
What is your opinion? Is the R5 still attractive due to its lower price?
[source:
Dan Watson
]
Order links: p>
Sony a1 mirrorless camera (
B&H
,
Amazon
,
Adorama
)
Canon EOS R5 mirrorless camera (
B&H
,
Amazon< /p>
,
Adorama
)
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