Home / Compare / Canon EOS R5 vs R6
Canon EOS R5 vs R6
Canon announced both on July 9, 2020, with DIGIC X, Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 5-axis in-body stabilization rated up to 8 stops with coordinated RF lenses, 12 fps mechanical and 20 fps electronic bursts, a vari-angle touchscreen and the LP-E6NH battery. The EOS R5 is the resolution body: about 45MP, 8K video up to 29.97p, 4K/120p, a 5.76M-dot finder and CFexpress plus SD. The EOS R6 is the 20.1MP low-light body: stills ISO to 102400, two SD slots and about 680 g with battery and card.
Side-by-side specs
| Canon EOS R5 | Canon EOS R6 | |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor / processor | About 45MP full frame (36 × 24 mm); DIGIC X | 20.1MP full frame (35.9 × 23.9 mm); DIGIC X |
| ISO (stills) | 100–51200; expandable to 50–102400 | 100–102400; expandable to 50–204800 |
| ISO (movies, manual) | 100–25600; H 51200 | 100–25600; H 204800 |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II; 1,053 automatic AF areas; EV −6 to 20 | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II; 1,053 automatic AF areas; EV −6.5 to 20 |
| Stabilization | 5-axis in-body; up to 8 stops (CIPA, with coordinated RF lenses) | 5-axis in-body; up to 8 stops (CIPA, with coordinated RF lenses) |
| Bursts | Up to 12 fps mechanical; 20 fps electronic | Up to 12 fps mechanical; 20 fps electronic |
| Viewfinder | 0.5-inch OLED, 5.76M dots, about 0.76x | 0.5-inch OLED, 3.69M dots, about 0.76x |
| Screen | 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen, about 2.1M dots | 3.0-inch vari-angle touchscreen, about 1.62M dots |
| Video | 8K up to 29.97p (including 12-bit RAW); 4K up to 119.88p | 4K up to 59.94p; Full HD up to 119.88p |
| Card slots | One CFexpress Type B, one SD (UHS-II) | Two SD (UHS-II) |
| Wireless | Wi-Fi 5 GHz / 2.4 GHz; Bluetooth | Wi-Fi 2.4 GHz; Bluetooth |
| Battery (CIPA, 23°C) | LP-E6NH; about 490 (LCD) / 320 (viewfinder) | LP-E6NH; about 510 (LCD) / 380 (viewfinder) |
| Weight (with battery and card) | About 738 g (650 g body only) | About 680 g (598 g body only) |
| Size | 138.5 × 97.5 × 88 mm | 138.4 × 97.5 × 88.4 mm |
| Launch price | Jul 9, 2020; $3,899 body-only (US) | Jul 9, 2020; $2,499 body-only (US) |
EOS R5 specs from Canon Europe's EOS R5 specifications; EOS R6 specs from Canon Europe's EOS R6 specifications; both as cited in our reviews, with Canon U.S.A.'s July 9, 2020 announcement for US prices. ✓ = advantage; blank = tie or not directly comparable.
Sample photos
Four photos taken with the Canon EOS R5 and four with the Canon EOS R6, shared on Wikimedia Commons under open licenses.
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Who should buy which
Buy the EOS R5 if…
- You need resolution for landscapes, studio or cropping: about 45MP.
- You shoot video at the top end: 8K up to 29.97p, including internal RAW, and 4K/120p.
- You want the sharper 5.76M-dot finder and a CFexpress slot for fast bursts.
Buy the EOS R6 if…
- You shoot events and low light at 20.1MP: stills ISO to 102400, expandable to 204800.
- You prefer two SD (UHS-II) slots over CFexpress plus SD.
- You want the lighter body and more shots per charge: about 680 g and 510 (LCD) / 380 (viewfinder) in Canon Europe's figures.
Same processor, autofocus system, stabilization rating, burst speeds and battery, so the choice is 45MP and 8K against 20.1MP, a higher ISO ceiling and less weight. Battery figures are Canon Europe's CIPA numbers at 23°C; Canon Europe marks the viewfinder figures for both cameras as power-saving mode. See our full EOS R5 and EOS R6 reviews, or all comparisons.
Where to buy
Canon EOS R5
Canon EOS R5: Launched at $3,899 in 2020 (Canon U.S.A., July 9, 2020).
Check priceRead the full Canon EOS R5 review
Canon EOS R6
Canon EOS R6: Launched at $2,499 in 2020 (Canon U.S.A. price, July 9, 2020).
Check priceRead the full Canon EOS R6 review
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