EOS R vs EOS 5D Mark IV Comparison Review

In this informative review video, professional lifestyle and wedding photographer Gemma Peanut compares the new EOS R full-frame mirrorless camera with her faithful 5D Mark IV DSLR. Hit play and find out what she had to say.

I’ve been using the 5D Mark IV since it came out in 2016 and absolutely love it, so I’m going to focus on the upgrades in the EOS R and highlight the differences to help you determine which camera to invest in.

Form Factor

The body of the EOS R is much slimmer, lighter and more compact than the 5D Mark IV. The bigger size of the 5D Mark IV isn’t necessarily a drawback though, as it feels more solid in my hands and is definitely more rugged. One of the reasons for its bigger size is that it has a dual memory card slot for an SD and a CF card.

Functionality

Looking at the back of both cameras, you can see a more streamlined look with fewer buttons on the EOS R. I’m not a fan of change but I knew I’d be able to form new camera-using habits, especially as you can completely tailor the camera to suit your personal shooting style. It took me less than an hour to become familiar and totally comfortable with the new layout.

Vari-angle LCD Screen

The EOS R has a vari-angle LCD screen, which is something I wish the 5D Mark IV had, especially as a wedding photographer where I shoot a lot of details from a bird’s eye view. The dynamic LCD screen and touch shutter release also help me achieve the shots I want while maintaining a posture that doesn’t hurt my back.

Electronic Viewfinder

Both the 5D Mark IV and the EOS R have a Live View functionality where the screen provides a visual representation of the exposure as you adjust it. Impressively, the EOS R also features this functionality within the electronic viewfinder itself.

I do want to note that the addition of the EOS R’s electronic viewfinder does mean that the camera’s battery life is shorter than on the 5D Mark IV. So if a longer battery life is important to you, the 5D Mark IV comes out on top.

Touch-and-Drag Auto Focus

The EOS R’s game-changing new Touch-and-Drag AF feature means you can look through the viewfinder and use your thumb to touch-and-drag the back of the LCD screen to select your focus point. This is a revolutionary way of locking focus and shooting.

Lens Control Ring

Canon have gotten even more innovative by adding a groundbreaking control ring on all of the new RF lenses. This ring can be customised to control aperture, shutter speed, ISO or even exposure compensation.

Compatibility

Canon have also created a lens mount adaptor that allows you to use all Canon EF lenses with the EOS R. What’s more, if you fall in love with the new control ring feature, Canon have added this feature to the adaptor. So even if you want to use your EF collection of lenses with the EOS R, you can still adjust your ISO, exposure, aperture or shutter speed with a simple twist of this ring.

Conclusion

There’s no denying that the 5D Mark IV is a workhorse—it’s the best of the DSLRs. It’s tried and tested and relied on by countless professionals. But the EOS R is without doubt the future of the mirrorless movement.

Find out more about the EOS R and 5D Mark IV. See more of Gemma Peanut’s photographs on Instagram.