Canon EOS 5DS vs Leica TL

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS 5DS and the Leica TL, 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 5DS was introduced in February 2015 and Leica TL was introduced in November 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 5DS over Leica TL.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Leica TL over Canon EOS 5DS.

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 5DS has a 3.2" screen with 1,040k dot resolution and Leica TL has a 3.7" screen with 1,230k dot resolution. Both have Fixed screens. Leica TL 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 Leica TL) 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

Canon EOS 5DS has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. It has a 100% coverage and 0.71x magnification.Leica TL does not have a built-in viewfinder but an optional electronic viewfinder can be attached.

Canon EOS 5DS features a 50.6 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 - 6,400 and expands to 100 - 12,800 in boosted mode. Leica TL features a 16.3 megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor with dimensions of 23.6 x 15.7 mm and a total area of 246.5 mm². Its native ISO range is 100 - 12,500.

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 5DS is equipped with Dual DIGIC 6 processor and can take pictures up to 8688 x 5792 resolution. Leica TL is equipped with Maestro processor and can take pictures up to 4928 x 3264 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 4272 x 2856, 3264 x 2160, 2144 x 1424, 1632 x 1080 with 3:2 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Canon EOS 5DS has Canon EF lens mount and Leica TL has Leica TL lens mount. Due to Full Frame sensor in Canon EOS 5DS its crop factor is equal to 1x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length. Due to APS-C sensor in Leica TL its crop factor is equal to 1.5x, this means that a 35mm equivalent focal length of the mounted lens will be equal to its actual focal length times 1.5.

No Image Stabilization

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

Built-in Wi-Fi on Leica TL

Leica TL 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.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

Both models have USB inputs for data transfer. Canon EOS 5DS has a Mini HDMI and Leica TL has a Micro HDMI connector for video signal output.

Battery

Canon EOS 5DS comes with LP-E6 battery pack with battery life of 700 shots and Leica TL comes with BP-DC13 battery pack with battery life of 400 shots.

External Storage Slots

Canon EOS 5DS has two card slots - one for SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-I) and one for CompactFlash (UDMA 7). Leica TL has a single SD/SDHC/SDXC card slot.

Shutter

Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS 5DS, and up to 1/4000 sec on Leica TL. Cameras can shoot continuously up to 5.0 fps.

Focusing

Canon EOS 5DS has Dual Pixel CMOS AF system with 61 (41 cross-type) focusing points and Leica TL has . Canon EOS 5DS has detection range from -2 to +18 EV.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Canon EOS 5DS ranges from 0 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±5 EV range on Canon EOS 5DS and ±3 EV range on Leica TL. You can also do exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS 5DS and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Leica TL.

Flash

Leica TL has a built-in flash with maximum range of 4.50 m at ISO 100 and also accepts external flash which can be connected via Hot Shoe. Canon EOS 5DS has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe or PC Terminal. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/200 sec on Canon EOS 5DS.

Canon EOS 5DS body has dimensions of 152 x 116 x 76 mm (5.98 x 4.57 x 2.99") and Leica TL body has dimensions of 134 x 69 x 33 mm (5.28 x 2.72 x 1.3"). Canon EOS 5DS weighs 930 g (2.05 lb / 32.80 oz) and Leica TL weighs 384 g (0.85 lb / 13.55 oz).

Canon EOS 5DS

Leica TL

152 mm

116 mm

134 mm

69 mm

116 mm

69 mm

76 mm

33 mm