Mark
Ive burnt more than a few brain cells over the last couple of months trying to decide on which way to go, Canons 5DSR or Sonys A7RII. Fortunately, after selling a house and liquidating some gear, I decided to plunge into the best both of worlds and pick up both bodies. Here are some thoughts specifically on the 5DSR with regard to touted items off its marketing literature as well as topics of interest relative to the Sony body. Hopefully, Ill cover a few topics not hit by others. - ISO6400 Limit - I never really had a need to go past 6400 on any body given the grain that is added. So I dont see this as a limiting factor. The noise added on the A7RII is also quite appreciable and oddly, prefer Canons signature. I have not used the A7S or the new A7SII so the grain may be less noticeable on those bodies given the larger pixels. - Mirror Lock-Up Delay - On the Canon 5D3 for years, I used the 10-second delay with Live-View which basically did the same thing and creates an electronic first-curtain. Marketing at its best here. - Pixel Noise - Both bodies have visible noise when images are magnified (pixel peep); with the Canon there is a bit more however, at base ISO settings. Given the 5DSR has more resolution, you can sacrifice some of that by dialing in a bit more noise reduction bringing the noise level to about the same. At higher ISO settings, the noise looks to be similar between the two. However, if your aim is going for exposures longer than 2 minutes, I cant recommend either body and would recommend a 20-something MP body. It seems those little pixels get hot quickly on both the Sony and Canon and leave hot-pixel artifacts. - Dynamic Range - Yep, the A7RII has more DR, its well documented, at native ISO settings. Whats not well talked about is the DR is about the same from ISO1600 onward. Further, if one exposes correctly, you shouldnt need to pull 5-stops of shadows up, which cause photos to look a bit baked. This topic is a bit overblown (sorry couldnt resist that pun). I must admit however, the raw files coming out of the Canon have a higher contrast than the Sony, I wonder if the processing is artificially destroying some DR bandwidth and clipping the shadows and highlights - unfortunately, I leave that answer to those who more technical than myself. - Lenses - There are some pretty good lenses native to the Sony mount and Sonys stable is getting bigger and better all the time, largely with the help of Zeiss (love those Loxias). But if you need scalpel-sharp images availing a high megapixel sensor, the EF mount is really the only place you will find what youre looking for right now for anything on the Canon or the Sony. Some lenses on the EF mount simply dont have a Sony-mount peer - ironically with the help of Zeiss (think Otus & APO135). The new 35mm f/1.4L II and 300mm f/2.8L IS II also really make the 5DSR sing. Mounting any of these EF lenses to the Sony negates any idea of a small inconspicuous package. - Focus - Focusing Canon lenses on the A7RII is better now than on previous models, but still not quite as good as on a Canon body. The longer telephoto and super-telephotos are not so good on the Sony. - Build - This one is pretty clear to me, I have taken a 5D3 out in rainstorms and torrential blizzards where Ive had to chip away at the ice that collected on the body - no problems over the years of abuse with operations and functions. I assume the 5DSR is at least as rugged. I just dont have that same confidence in subjecting the Sony to the same abuse - time might tell if I get brave and Ill report back. - Ergonomics - I really wish I could re-assign the magnification button to somewhere on the right hand so I can hit LiveView and magnification without having to bring my left hand back behind the camera (its usually holding a heavy lens. Otherwise, those coming from a Canon 5D# or 1D# body should come up right to speed with the 5DSR. P.S., the Sony isnt as bad as everyone says it is once you get accustomed to where things are. - Moire - Not normally a problem, but there have been a few instances of shooting buildings where I get patterns on the shades in the windows and of the air-duct exhaust fins on buildings, but usually only see them when zoomed in. Very little problem here. Generally, between the two models and all the hype/bash that was floating around, the Canon 5DSR compared more favorably (maybe my expectations were low) and the Sony A7RII compared less favorably (maybe my expectations were high) - so it seems reality is somewhere between all the hubbub. My only advice is to know what youll be using the camera for, dont get upset that the screwdriver you bought is not able to pound in the nails like a hammer. If you need insane resolution where youll be blowing up prints that people will actually be viewing up close to (versus a billboard), Canon has produced a wonderful tool for architecture, landscapes, macro, portraiture, etc., and this might be your ticket. But the 5DSR is remarkably unforgiving to a lazy or casual photographer that relies on post-production to get things right. If undecided, go out and rent them to find out which fits you best. Both are remarkable tools and should fully satisfy your needs, if those needs fall within each cameras respective capability. Peace & Happy Shooting!
