Sony a1 vs Canon EOS 5D Mark II

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a1 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a1 is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS 5D Mark II is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a1 were released 2021 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II was released 2008. That is a 13 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a1 2021
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 2008

Type of camera

Sony a1 is a Mirrorless camera while Canon EOS 5D Mark II is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

Even though the camera sensors might be called differently they are both considered Full frame which means that the focal length of the lenses is not affected. There is no crop factor on any of these cameras and sensors.

Camera Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Sony a1 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Sony a1 has a 50 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS 5D Mark II has 21,1 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a1 50 MP
49766400 pixels
8640 x 5760
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 21,1 MP
21026304 pixels
5616 x 3744

Sony a1 has a 137 % larger resolution than Canon EOS 5D Mark II. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Sony a1 has a larger ISO-range than Canon EOS 5D Mark II. Sony a1 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 32000 while Canon EOS 5D Mark II has 50 to 25600.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a1 100-32000
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 50-25600

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Sony a1
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS 5D Mark II

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a1 can shoot up to 30 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS 5D Mark II can shoot up to 3,9 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a1 30
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 3,9

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

In this case, both Sony a1 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II can shoot movies.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Canon EOS 5D Mark II weighs 850 gr (equal to 1.87 lb) which is 15% heavier than Sony a1 and its 737 gr (or 1.62 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a1 737 gr
1.62 lb
Canon EOS 5D Mark II 850 gr
1.87 lb

Sony a1 vs Canon EOS 5D Mark II Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a1 and Canon EOS 5D Mark II, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product
Sony a1
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Name Sony a1 Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a1
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Release Year 2021 2008
Release Date 2021-01-26 2008-09-17
MSRP 6499 USD 2699 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a1
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Camera Type Mirrorless DSLR
Sensor
Sony a1
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm)
Sensor Type Stacked CMOS CMOS
Resolution 8640 x 5760 pixels 5616 x 3744 pixels
Megapixels 50 MP 21,1 MP
Image Processor Dual Bionz XR DIGIC 4
Image
Sony a1
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
ISO Range 100 - 32000 50 - 25600
White Balance Presets 7 6
Custom White Balance Yes Yes
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-shift)
Yes
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 0 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a1
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Selective Single Point
Single
Continuous
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 759 9
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Canon EF

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a1
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Articulated LCD Tilting Fixed
Screen size 3” 3”
Screen dots 1440000 920000
Touch screen Yes No
Screen type TFT LCD TFT liquid-crystal color LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Optical (pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 98%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.9× 0.71×
Viewfinder Resolution 9437184 N/A
Photography features
Sony a1
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Frames per second 30 fps 3,9 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash No No
Built-in Flash Range N/A N/A
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse No Yes
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Highlight Weighted
Spot
Average
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 2 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a1
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format H.264
H.265
XF-AVC
XAVC-S
XAVC-HS
H.264
Video resolution 1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
7680 x 4320
1920 x 1080
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers Yes Yes
Storage
Sony a1
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Memory Card Compact Flash Express
SD/SDHC
Compact Flash
Connectivity
Sony a1
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port Yes Yes
Headphone Port Yes No
Wireless Yes
Built-In 802.11ac (Dual Band)
Yes
Optional
Remote Control Yes (via Bluetooth or tethered PC) Yes (N3 connector)
GPS No No
Body & Dimensions
Sony a1
Canon EOS 5D Mark II
Enviromentally sealed Yes Yes
Battery Battery Pack Battery Pack
Battery Details NP-FZ100 lithium-ion battery & charger
Lithium-Ion LP-E6 rechargeable battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 530 shots 850 shots
Width 129 mm 152 mm
Height 97 mm 114 mm
Depth 81 mm 75 mm
Weight 737 gram 850 gram