Canon EOS 5D vs Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS 5D and the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, highlighting the advantages of each over the other, discussing their pros and cons, shared strengths and weaknesses, and providing a rating based on their available features and specifications to assist you in choosing the one that best suits your needs.

Canon EOS 5D was introduced in November 2005 and Canon EOS 5D Mark IV was introduced in August 2016. Let us first list highlights of the models.

Now that we've looked at the most essential specifications and gained a basic understanding of these cameras, we can delve into more details and see the differences between them.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Canon EOS 5D Mark IV over Canon EOS 5D.

We already listed pros and cons of each model. However, you may also find useful to look at their common strengths and weaknesses shown side-by-side.

Screen

Canon EOS 5D has a 2.5" screen with 230k dot resolution and Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has a 3.2" screen with 1,620k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality (available only on Canon EOS 5D Mark IV) allowing users to select a specific point on the screen where they want the camera to focus. This feature can be helpful for achieving precise focus in both photo and video recording.

Viewfinder

Cameras have built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinders. Canon EOS 5D has 96% coverage with 0.71x magnification and Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has 100% coverage with 0.71x magnification.

Canon EOS 5D features a 13.3 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 36 x 24 mm and a total area of 864 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 3,200. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV features a 30.4 megapixel Full Frame CMOS sensor with dimensions of 36 x 24 mm and a total area of 576 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 32,000 and expands to 50 - 102,400 in boosted mode.

Here is a sensor size comparison chart where you can see how different sensors compare with each other:

Sensor size chart

	Sensor	Dimensions	Area	Aspect Ratio	Crop Factor
	Medium Format	44 x 33 mm	1452 mm2	4:3	0.79x
	Full Frame	36 x 24 mm	864 mm2	3:2	1x
	APS-H	27 x 18 mm	486 mm2	3:2	1.3x
	APS-C	23.6 x 15.6 mm	368.2 mm2	3:2	1.5x
	APS-C (Canon)	22.3 x 14.9 mm	332.3 mm2	3:2	1.6x
	Micro Four Thirds	17.4 x 13 mm	226.2 mm2	4:3	2x
	1-inch	13.2 x 8.8 mm	116.2 mm2	3:2	2.7x
	1/1.7-inch	7.44 x 5.58 mm	41.5 mm2	4:3	4.7x
	1/2.3-inch	6.17 x 4.55 mm	28.1 mm2	4:3	5.6x

Canon EOS 5D is equipped with DIGIC II processor and can take pictures up to 4368 x 2912 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 3168 x 2112, 2496 x 1664 with 3:2 aspect ratios. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is equipped with DIGIC 6+ processor and can take pictures up to 6720 x 4480 resolution.

Lens Mount

Cameras have Canon EF lens mount. Due to their Full Frame sensor their crop factor (also called lens multiplier) is equal to 1x. This means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length.

No Image Stabilization

The cameras do not have image stabilization. On Canon EOS 5D it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS 5D Mark IV nothing can be done. On Canon EOS 5D Mark IV it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS 5D nothing can be done.

Built-in GPS on Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has a built-in GPS (Global Positioning System) technology which allows you to automatically tag the location where you took your photos. You can later categorize, organize, and search for photos based on location. This is very useful for travel and outdoor photographers for documenting the locations where images were captured.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in GPS.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has a built-in Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n, 2.4 GHz) which allows to easily transfer photos and videos from the camera to other Wi-Fi-enabled devices, such as smartphones, tablets, printers, or computers. This eliminates the need for cables and allows for quick and convenient media sharing and social media integration. It gives you the ability to control your camera remotely using a smartphone or tablet. This is particularly useful for taking self-portraits, group shots, or capturing images in challenging conditions without having to touch the camera. Firmware updates can also be downloaded and installed wirelessly.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in WiFi.

NFC on Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has Near Field Communication (NFC) technology which simplifies the process of pairing it with other NFC-enabled devices like smartphones or tablets. It allows to quickly transfer photos and videos or remotely control the camera from compatible device. NFC can also be used for authentication and security purposes. It can verify your identity before accessing certain features or transferring sensitive data. It can be used with NFC-enabled accessories as well, such as lenses, flashes and GPS devices.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB inputs for data transfer. connector for video signal output.

Battery

Canon EOS 5D comes with BP-511A battery pack with battery life of 800 shots and Canon EOS 5D Mark IV comes with LP-E6 battery pack with battery life of 900 shots.

External Storage Slots

Canon EOS 5D has a single CompactFlash (Type I/II) card slot. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has two card slots - one for SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) and one for CompactFlash (UDMA 7).

Shutter

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has Electronic shutter and Mechanical Focal Plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS 5D, and up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. Canon EOS 5D can shoot continuously up to 3.0 fps. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV can shoot continuously up to 7.0 fps.

Focusing

Canon EOS 5D has 9 focusing points and Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 61 (41 cross-type) focusing points. Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has detection range from -3 to +18 EV.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Canon EOS 5D Mark IV ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±2 EV range on Canon EOS 5D and ±5 EV range on Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 5D and exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 5D Mark IV.

Flash

Cameras have no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected to both of them via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal to Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on both cameras.

Canon EOS 5D body has dimensions of 152 x 113 x 75 mm (5.98 x 4.45 x 2.95") and Canon EOS 5D Mark IV body has dimensions of 151 x 116 x 76 mm (5.94 x 4.57 x 2.99"). Canon EOS 5D weighs 895 g (1.97 lb / 31.57 oz) and Canon EOS 5D Mark IV weighs 890 g (1.96 lb / 31.39 oz).

Canon EOS 5D

Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

152 mm

113 mm

151 mm

116 mm

113 mm

116 mm

75 mm

76 mm