Who has switched from the Canon 5D series to Sony full frame?

What made you switch from the Canon 5D series to Sony?

How do you like your Sony camera so far? Please share your experience.

Been on both systems for a few years now. That is the Sony mirrorless A7 series. A7-A7III

Sony is overrated IMO and YouTuber Sony fanboys love hyping it up for you to be glued to those monetized videos eating up their hot fudge of creative words that elicit emotional FOMO.

Had all 4(5D’s) except for the 5DS and 5DSR.

Right now Sony is part of the Sony/Canon combo in “the bag”.

They serve their different uses.

Wouldn’t go all Sony and give up a 5D just to be on Sony. No way.

If you’re going the work route. I wouldn’t give up a solid workhorse like a 5D III/IV. Also depends on what kind of work you’re going to be doing.

With that said the AF on the A7III is great in fact IMO, it’s better than the A7RIII. Never had an A9 so couldn’t compare.

The 4K video. Used it for an event shoot and didn’t make a difference to me one bit whether I was shooting on the Canon or the Sony. Although the video editor said he loved it. I bet he did. He also likes his Red camera too. I’m sure that 4K video loads super fast on YouTube and Vimeo....(still will buffer whether you like it or not)

Megapixels, never been one of those pixelpeepers that cries about the 4-8 megapixels variations. It’s not the end of the world. Most not all but most photographers these days shoot to post their images online where they scale down to 1900px to a little over 2k on the wide side at best before being worried some chap is going to swipe their image and use it. Your viewing audience is either on FB, IG, forum site or your site. So your sizes will be adjusted for those places and unless you’re printing no one cares about those minuscule megapixel variations. Good for bragging rights though

Menu- the menu system on Sony is made for people who love to lose valuable time and fidget with things in life or those that love crossword puzzles. “Heyyaaaa Marcy what’s that other wordddd that means complex, made out of 4 letters. Starts with an S and with a T. This is a reallllll head scratcher, real tough one.” S_ _T menu system.
The Canon trumps it all day, everyday.

The zebra and focus peeking is nice on the Sony. I do use it quite often.
I love the ability to switch between crop and full frame on the Sony.
Love the arsenal of legacy glass and other non native glass that can be used with an adapter.
The battery life on the A7III is pure joy compared to my previous versions.
One battery can literally last an entire day. No joke.
Size is just on point for me. Had a huge medical injury few months ago. Had to have surgery, couldn’t lift anything beyond a coffee mug or a box of dozen donuts so having a light Sony body with light Leica glass on it gave me an ability to go out and shoot stuff that wasn’t work related and it was a joy to use this body. So yeah some benefits here and there.
The IQ overall out of this camera and all my previous sonys has been great. Color science could be a bit better like Canons but it’s not a deal breaker for me. Not going to pout and well aware using two different camera systems.
SLog is something that I think is also great on here but I’m not trying to be Spielberg or doing commercial for the Super Bowl here so the slog is not something to fancy or get all worked up about.
It’s fast. Definitely fast.
However the AF on Canon is better IMO.
But I’m not complaining. The AF in lowlight and I mean lowlight. I think Canon works best. Though the Sony has a cleaner image,the Canon wins with nailing the AF in low light and not so much with the focus hunting in the dark but I’m also using the STE2 so that is a bonus with the Canon. Sony needs to come up with that useful piece of tech, and that will be another reason to use the Sony more.

Did I mentioned how much that EVF sucks ?

It just looks fake, your eyes know it’s fake.
It doesn’t look amazing, it’s fake. Yes I know it’s not an optical VF like in an SLR or RF. It’s still fake !

They need to do something about it. When ? Who knows. Hasn’t got better in the last few gens. Same garbage viewfinder from the first A7. Maybe better specs but still garbage.

Here is another issue, if you are in that EVF and back up just a bit, it’s no longer picking up your eye, bloody thing switches to the LCD. Like hellooo lady ?? I’m still looking at the viewfinder !!! Sureeee you can turn on one or the other but how about keeping them both on and leaving it that way.
Nope, welcome to the world of Sony.
Is Canon any better ? Arse backwards.

One thing I cannot do with Canon that I can do with Sony and not destroy my vision is point to the sun an start taking pictures in broad day light. Another is point at lasers at a night venue or a concert and not go blind.
So yeah there are some benefits.

Trying to think of something else ?

The dual SD cards slots thing on the Sony is great but who was the genius that decided to have one slot writing at fast speeds and the other go through the dampener at slower speeds? That guy chap qualifies for an employee of the decade prize. Also, that buffering yikes. Reminds me of using cheap SD and CF cards from crap companies like Kingston and getting that little spinning logo on the Canons. Break out the s’mores cause it will be a while.

Canon wins on the dual writing, end of story.
Weatherproofing ?
Sorry I don’t go out in the snow much or stand in the rain with my gear so can’t give valuable or useful insight on that. I’ve had some splashes in the past on the glass from Champagne spritzing at weddings and some at concerts few years back where I know the Canon handles it without issues. Don’t know about the Sony. I try not to place myself in those type of circumstances. So it could happen randomly in the future. But I believe anything that you purposely expose to rough conditions could be effected and I’m not looking to do that to my gear.

I’ve never not once in nearly 20 years of different bodies have ever dropped any of my cameras. However, I reckon if I dropped the Canon from eye height it could absorb way more on impact than the Sony.

The Sony just seems a little less tolerant but I’m not experimenting with dropping anything. I will leave that to those super smart fellas who clickbait on the tube for the views.

The Sony although quite capable is not a run and gun camera. It reminds me a lot of my Leica. I don’t know maybe it’s the size. I’m always composing more with the Sony than the Canon. I’ve never been a spray and pray type of bloke. Yet, I would confidently say the Canon 5D’s win on the click, click, click, click, click, click. The 1D just nails 1000% it if we are talking about rapid capture. Sony would probably still be buffering after the first 10 images.

Went out with the family for some fun activity and was taking pics with the Sony. All the movement the little ones were doing with the running around and being kids the A7III is picking up and capturing with ease. I couldn’t say the same for previous Sony A7 models even on those overpriced native G lens. So major strides by the current Sony A7 lineup. Now, if there was a birthday party or event outdoors that needed to be captured and it was a paid gig. Sorry Sony you’re staying in the bag. Canon is climbing right out for this one. Slap on the 16-35 or the 24-70 and not worry about a thing.
It’s hard to explain everything. The Sony has different uses. I love the Sony for landscape, the Canon is not needed for that. Sony and Canon both do a great job in the studio when tethered but I’ll roll with the Canon when shooting tethered over the Sony. Can’t quite explain why.
Some people will read the response I mustered up, half-a-sleep and will shake their head because for many this could be completely absurd, sure I get that. Preference wise I’m not going to say I’m going with only Sony or Canon. I will stick with both. If you put me in the corner and said you’re capturing a wedding with only one of the two. I would pick up the Canon and not think about it twice. It overrides on being a tool that delivers. Some Sony fanboys that are working with the Sony as wedding photographers and doing an amazing job with those cameras would beg to differ and I totally respect their stance. They’re still fanboys though

If you have any questions or comments feel free to respond. If any hate in regards to what I said. Just save the hate for a PM.

There was a few errors in there. I’m writing on the phone and don’t feel like proof reading, so we will leave it just the way it is. If you see any spelling errors let me know

It depends on why you are thinking of switching. From the viewpoint of an enthusiastic amateur, I switched from a 5D3 to the A7rii and I have enjoyed the experience. For me it has allowed me to reduce my camera bag bulk, I can carry a lot more in the same size bag, my entire kit fits in a small FStop ICU and a holster. I’m completely converted to the EVF as it allows you to almost “see” the final image.

Yes there are negatives, the AF tracking isn’t as good as my 5Diii, however I don’t do as much fast moving stuff now. That said the later 7iii series is supposed to be almost on a par with the newer 5D series. The other is the weatherproofing, although some of this might be in my head. The 5D3 felt so solidly built I happily shot in rain and didn’t worry about the elements. The Sony feels less solid and therefore doesn’t give that same level of confidence (although it did get soaked by a rogue wave and is working fine 12 months on)

For me I’m glad I made the switch and wouldn’t go back to DSlr now. If I didn’t have so much invested in Sony I may consider the new canon offerings

I recently bought the A7 III with the MC-11 and the Tamron 28-75. This is my take coming from shooting Canon since 2006.

I like being able to use the whole screen for focus points on the A7 III. The 5D III limited me when shooting sports.

10fps vs 6fps

The EVF took a day to get use to but no issue now. I just wish it were a clearer image.

The rear LCD screen isn't as nice/clear as the Canon.

People complain about the menu but why??? I took my time the first day, setup my custom buttons and my favorites menu and been set since.

I don't care for the lens release button on the A7 as it's a tight fit between the lens and the grip.

I wish the A7 had a display screen on top showing your settings like the Canon but I'm getting use to looking at it on the LCD.

The Canon's battery last a lot longer. I recharge the Sony every night where the Canon I could go several shoots.

The AF seems quicker tracking subjects with the Sony but when a fast subject is coming head on it has lost track at times. I'm told that's due to using the Canon glass with MC-11 over the Sony.

Sony glass is too expensive. I had the Sigma 35mm on my 5D III and considering it for the A7 but it's a heavy lens on a light body.

I switched when the A7 gen1 came out and haven't looked back If I was to go back to anything, it would probably be Nikon.

I switched almost three years ago from a 5D3 to an A7RII and now an A7RIII. I love Canon glass and the bodies are work horses but I really liked the EVF and focus features. For me, Canon's sensor technology has just been too stagnant. I care about dynamic range. That isn't to say I can't get it right in camera but it is nice to actually recover highlights and be able to shoot a stop or two under and bring back shadows without introducing an unacceptable amount of noise.

I'm a hybrid shooter so I do a fair amount of video as well and the MJPEG format was atrocious for normal usage for me. I didn't have budget for a 1DXII and wanted FF 4K as well. Easy decision there then when I also wanted the large files size for photos. Storage is cheap so I don't mind the 42MP.

For me, Canon wins in skin tones, ergonomics, menu ease of use (although I like my Sony's custom setups) durability, weather sealing, glass and support. The last two are extremely important but the rest I can and do deal with without a problem. Sony wins everywhere else in my case. I've switched over nearly completely and am not looking back. I like the system and more important, the results I get.

At the end of the day, I could shoot with anything. They are all just tools. Don't get caught up in the hype. Look at what is important to you.

I kind of did. I had a 5D3 and 6D2. Dumped the 5D3 and got a A73. There's stuff I like and don't like about both systems. The AF on my A73 is killer since the last firmware update. I also take it when I plan to shoot a little video. Its definitely my choice when traveling light. I kept the 6D2 because I was hedging my bet a little. After a while though I realized I just like shooting with it better. It feels better in my hands and seems easier to use. Maybe because I've shot Canon so long but whatever the reason it is what it is. Also I don't feel I have to fiddle with the Canon Raw files as much. I spend a lot of time twerking my Sony files to get them how the Canon files look almost right out of the camera.

After shooting for years with Canon (5D/5DII/5DIII/6D), and a brief fling with Nikon (D800), I decided to go the mirrorless route. In my research, I was looking at either Fuji or Sony. Since I still had EF lenses from my Canon days, I decided to go with Sony. I'll eventually purchase the native 24-105 GM, but for now, my EF 24-105 works great adapted to my A7II.

I do like the smaller footprint that the Sony takes up in my bag compared to the DSLR's I owed in the past. I'm a enthusiast/hobbyist, so I didn't need the best body that Sony makes by any stretch of the matter. The EVF took me about a day or so to get used to, and the menu system isn't ideal, but I have gotten by and gotten used to it.

Like I mentioned, I'm not making money with my images - I just enjoy taking pictures. As I mentioned previously, I do appreciate the smaller Sony body, especially when I'm traveling. Plus, the IQ of the images from Sony are fantastic - much more than what I was used to getting with Nikon than Canon.

Overall, I'm certainly very happy with my decision to go with the A7II. Sony isn't for everyone though, and it can be quite tough to move from Canon/Nikon to Sony - especially if you have a good amount invested in lenses. But the MC-11 adapter that I have has been great, albeit I do only MF my lenses.

I been shooting Canon since October 1994. I truly love Canon. Bought the Canon 5DS. When it focuses images are stunning! Only issue is I had lots of great images out of focus! I got fed up and sold it. Got the A7RIII, boy does that thing focus. For me it was the focusing issue! I have not looked back. I love my Sony.

I had been shooting Canon gear since the mid 1960's. I ended up with a 5DII and a 6DII. I purchased the Sony A6500 because I wanted a light weight but capable camera. Loved it so much that I bought an A6400 to use in tandem with the A6500. Then I bought a used NEX-7 and had it converted to full time infrared. Then when I purchased the A7iii, I sold all my Canon gear.

I love the Sony - especially for Eye-AF and Animal Eye-AF...

I like everything better on the Sony cameras except, I love the focus and shoot capability in Live-View of the Canon 6D2... Wonderful for focus stacking series...

Went from 2 x 5d3 to 2 x a7iii. I did look into 5d4, but prefer the features offer in the a7iii that made my life easier, such as the tilt screen, lighter weight, eye and better focusing speed/accuracy, more customizable buttons etc.. esp the custom buttons make it easier to switch to different settings based on the lighting situation. There are some smaller things that I like, such as the extra button on sony native lense, the quiet e shutter etc.. I have been using this setup for a year and its been good so far.

Has anyone switched from 5d4 to a7r 3 or 4? I’m thinking about jumping to the a7r4, but I have a slew of canon lenses and accessories and am afraid to lose access to all the L glass. One thing specifically is have you guys tried out the MC11 adapter with the L lenses? I have the zoom and prime trinitys and love them with the mk4. That said the symmetry AF and all the additional DR is exciting.
One more thing I love and don’t want to lose is the WiFi shooting capabilities of the mk4. When I do remote shooting /self/family portraits I like to use my phone with the canon app for triggering. I hope the a7r4 has the same functionality! Thanks.

Ps I would love to wait for the canon R2 but if the current crop of sensors from canon is any indication I’m not too confident that it will be “class leading”

Just saw that the r4 doesn’t have built in gps. Wtf! I love the gps on my mk4. I hear really bad things regarding the smartphone sync. I hope someone can prove me wrong about this or they fix this in firmware. Yes I carry my phone with me wherever the camera goes but if I have to worry about battery life the whole time that’s no bueno.

The original post is several months old but perhaps this may be helpful:

I just went to the A7RIV. I've owned the 5D Mark II and the 5D Mark III and most recently I've been on the Fuji X-T2. Comparing the A7RIV to any of these is apples to oranges as the A7RIV is so new and it's one of Sony's most advanced cameras if not its top dog at the moment. The other camera bodies I've mentioned are obviously dated.

With that said, there are some real negatives to the Sony and I'm frankly unsure if I'll be keeping it. The EVF is not good in my opinion. Looks so fake, not pleasant at all to use. Apparently they've improved it since the A7RIII... which to me just makes me feel sorry for A7RIII owners that they have something even worse than what's on the A7RIV. Dialing in exposure settings with unmarked dials at different spots (ISO on the bottom dial, aperture on the dial in the front, and shutter speed on the top back dial) is a huge downgrade compared to using Fuji's dials but to be fair this is something that other manufacturers besides Sony face as well.

I've done research and I've been messing with my camera and it doesn't look like I can have the exposure meter visible on the back LCD when using the screen to take a shot. All you get is "M.M." followed by a number which is your exposure meter. You can press some buttons to see the exposure meter but you have to menu dive every time you take a pic and it doesn't show you the meter with your pic/composition. It shows it against a black screen. Still trying to find out if this is really it... seems outrageous to me that something so basic is not even an option? Did it really not occur to Sony that people would want the traditional exposure meter visible when people use the screen instead of the EVF?

Now the good: The ergonomics is good. Feels very comfortable in the hand. Continuous AF tracking is impressive. Sony leads in AF tech at the moment. Haven't tampered with raw files but expect it to be a strength.

Basically it comes down to this in my opinion: Sony is a bit like the opposite of Fuji. Fuji may not be as techy but they are a delight to use. Sony cameras on the other hand are like calculators. And I'd like to mention that Sony's design and UI team are completely asleep on the job.

I made the switch recently. I do miss the 5d4 ergo and dpaf responsiveness. That said the a7r4 iq is light years ahead of the 5d4. So much more detail and DR. Canon really needs to step it up with the next R. 200 MP pixel shift is insane. Here’s one I took tonight.

https://flic.kr/p/2i1p​ZCM