I continue to get daily emails asking me which of the newest cameras I like best -Canon or Sony. It’s not really a Canon vs Sony thing for me. I like and use both. Having almost given up on Canon after years and years of loyal support. I had sold all but a few of my Canon lenses. I never sold my Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens because I paid $13,900.00. I kept it because I didn’t want to have to purchase another 13k or 14k lens.
Years ago, if you bought a quality lens, took care of it, and kept the original box, the lens would hold its value-for the most part. For example, I bought the Canon 500mm lens f/4 many years ago. I used it for years and sold it for almost what I paid for it. I did the same with other quality lenses. But somewhere along the line Canon started reducing their lenses right after their first run of sales which depreciates the lenses for those of us that who bought it straight out of the gate. This practice began to wear away at me, needless to say, I almost never buy anything as soon as it is released. Nowadays, I wait to see if it goes on sale and if there are any kinks that need working out. Camera bodies are even worse. they never hold their value.
So, which one. Well, I like both the Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital Camera and the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera. They both fit into my gear line up and I like both for different reasons. The Canon EOS R5 Mirrorless Digital Camera will allow me to use my Canon EF 600mm f/4L IS II USM Lens and a few of my other Canon lenses without having to purchase a new Canon or Sony 600mm lens right away. I bought the Sony Alpha 1 Mirrorless Digital Camera for its amazing abilities and also the mega-pixel upgrade from my a9. I didn’t upgrade when Sony came out with the a9II as there were just not enough upgrades to warrant a jump. But the A1 is a definite upgrade, so I sold two of my older camera bodies and three older lenses to pay for it.
As for the Canon R5, I like the feel and ease of use that the camera offers, it feels like an old friend. The auto focus on both cameras is great, I have had no issues with either one. I’m not going to go into more about what features each one has -the gear heads online have that covered. The menu of the R5 is less complicated—especially if you ever shot Canon before. I also love the fully articulating screen that I wish Sony had. The R5 is one of the best Cameras that Canon has put out. It’s much lighter than their previous pro cameras—they were too heavy in my opinion. Men with big hands and muscles may disagree <wink>.
The Sony A1 will take a bit more time to initially set up. That’s ok, I like a challenge. The 50mps will be a welcomed addition to my gear bag. I love my Sony FE 200-600mm f/5.6-6.3 G OSS Lens. I also like traveling lighter than I did in the past. I am hopeful that Sony and Canon and even Nikon will continue to lighten the load for photographers while improving the cameras and lenses —it’s a great time to be a photographer, I am anxious to work extensively with both camera systems. I have had a lot of folks ask me which is better—in my opinion it boils down to which one fits into your gear line up and which one you can afford. The Canon R5 is about $3,000. less than the Sony A1.
Whichever you choose, remember that it is not only about having the right gear, but it is also about knowing how to use that gear. Also, having the latest greatest gear will not make you a better photographer and it will not necessarily make your images better—only you can do that.