Hi I'm Pablo with MPB
today we're pitching two legends of the DSLR and mirrorless worlds against each other:
the Canon EOS 5D Mk II and the Sony A7
we're going to be using a nifty 50 on each of these setups so we can keep the comparison fair
now these cameras were both ground-breaking when they came out in 2008 and 2013
and because they've been around a while now you can get these at a ridiculously low price
which leaves you with loads of money to invest in lots of different lenses and things
so these are great ways into each of these respective systems
now, of course, with a DSLR you have an optical viewfinder
and many people prefer shooting that way
and with a mirrorless camera you have an electronic viewfinder
and because it doesn't have a mirror, the camera is quieter and lighter to use
the real way to see how these cameras perform is to use them in the field
so we're going to head into Brighton, we're going to put these two head-to-head
and see exactly how they perform
So, why are these two cameras considered legendary?
well, take the Canon EOS 5D Mk II for example
when this came out in 2008,
not only did you have the amazing image quality from the Canon 5D Mk I
but with almost double the resolution
for the first time ever, you had full-HD 1080 video in a small package like this
this meant that for filmmakers on a budget
if they wanted to get that cinematic look that you get with a full-frame camera
you could do it with this camera and that was groundbreaking.
So, when the Sony A7 came out in 2013
this was also a revolutionary camera in its own way
with its 24-megapixel full-frame sensor
for the first time, you had a full-frame sensor in a small body like this
so you got the image quality that people came to expect from DSLR technology but in a small package
and this camera was the beginning of Sony's dominance of the mirrorless market
I'm the seagull stalker!
I don't think he liked me, but I don't blame him really
I'm just creeping around with these little black boxes!
I mean, one immediately-obvious design feature that's really good with the Sony is the flip-up screen
you don't have that on the Canon, you've just got a flatscreen on the back
so if you want to get down low, be a bit more creative with your angles, it's a lot easier with this
So, how about the menus and handling of these two cameras?
Well, the Sony came out when camera manufacturers were trying to get cameras smaller and smaller
and I find this a little bit difficult to hold, it's a little bit too small
so for a long period of time it can be a little bit uncomfortable to hold
whereas the Canon is obviously bigger but I like how it feels in the hand
and I also like the buttons and how they're laid out on the back of the camera on the Canon
I think it feels just a bit more intuitive than the Sony
Thank you very much, have a good day!
So, how's the focusing on this two cameras?
Well, I'm finding with the Canon the focusing is really quick
and I really like shooting through the optical viewfinder
you get a really good feel about whether you're in focus or not
it's a little bit more difficult with a Sony with the electronic viewfinder
it's a bit smaller, it's a bit darker,
but what you do have with the Sony - as it's a mirrorless camera - is focus peaking
so if you're happy to shoot manual focus then it's quite easy to do on this camera
so there are pros and cons to both systems
so where we're going to see a massive difference in these two cameras is in dynamic range
if I take a shot like this with the Canon and I'm metering for the shadows
and then I take the same shot with the Sony, once again metering for the shadows,
you can see that you're able to save a lot more information with the Sony in the highlights
so if you're shooting in any kind of high contrast environments
I'm afraid the Sony's going to wipe the floor with the Canon
So, what do I think of these two cameras?
Well, when you look at the dynamic range test that we did and also the low-light performance of this camera
it's clear that the Sony A7 is a much more powerful machine than the Canon
however, the Canon still produces beautiful images straight out of the box
it's got that beautiful contrasty Canon look with those beautiful colours
that people love across the whole industry
so, even by today's standards, both of these cameras hold their own
Now, personally, I enjoy the feel of shooting with the Canon
and just the whole experience in general, I like looking through the optical viewfinder
and for my kind of shooting this is my preferred camera
but I can definitely see the appeal of the Sony
now the best thing about these two cameras is that they've both been out for quite a while now
so you can now pick these up for a really really good deal
both of these cameras you can get on the link below
at MPB, where you can buy sell and trade all of your camera gear
thanks for watching, and I will see you next time