Canon EOS R5 C vs Pentax ist DS2

In this comparison, we will evaluate the Canon EOS R5 C and the Pentax ist DS2, 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 R5 C was introduced in January 2022 and Pentax ist DS2 was introduced in August 2005. 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 R5 C over Pentax ist DS2.

This section shows those features and specifications which are the reason to choose Pentax ist DS2 over Canon EOS R5 C.

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 R5 C has a 3.2" Fully Articulated screen with 2,100k dot resolution and Pentax ist DS2 has a 2.5" Fixed screen with 210k dot resolution. Fully articulated screen makes Canon EOS R5 C selfie and vlogger friendly and generally very useful for video shooting. Canon EOS R5 C also features touchscreen which has advantages such as easy menu navigation, intuitive controls, quick setting adjustment and most importantly a Touch-to-Focus functionality 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 R5 C has a built-in 0.5" Electronic (OLED) viewfinder with 5,760k dot resolution and Pentax ist DS2 has a built-in Optical (pentaprism) viewfinder. Canon EOS R5 C has 100% coverage with 0.76x magnification and Pentax ist DS2 has 95% coverage with 0.95x (0.63x 35mm equivalent) magnification.

Canon EOS R5 C features a 45.0 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 - 51,200 and expands to 50 - 102,400 in boosted mode. Pentax ist DS2 features a 6 megapixel APS-C CCD sensor with dimensions of 23.5 x 15.7 mm and a total area of 246.5 mm². Its native ISO range is 200 - 3,200.

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 R5 C is equipped with DIGIC X processor and can take pictures up to 8192 x 5464 resolution. Pentax ist DS2 can take pictures up to 3008 x 2008 resolution. It can also take pictures with lower resolution like 2400 x 1600, 1536 x 1024 with 3:2 aspect ratios.

Lens Mount

Canon EOS R5 C has Canon RF lens mount and Pentax ist DS2 has Pentax K_AF lens mount. Due to Full Frame sensor in Canon EOS R5 C 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 Pentax ist DS2 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 R5 C it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Pentax ist DS2 nothing can be done. On Pentax ist DS2 it means that you need lenses with optical image stabilization for vibration reduction. As for Canon EOS R5 C nothing can be done.

Built-in Wi-Fi on Canon EOS R5 C

Canon EOS R5 C has a built-in Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 5, 802.11ac/b/g/n, 2.4/5 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.

Bluetooth on Canon EOS R5 C

Canon EOS R5 C has a built-in Bluetooth which lets you to connect the camera to a smartphone or a dedicated remote control device. This allows you to remotely trigger the camera, adjust settings and controls remotely through a paired mobile app. While Wi-Fi is generally faster for transferring larger files, Bluetooth can be used for small, selective transfers, it can provide real-time information about your camera's battery status, memory card capacity, and other key settings directly on your paired smartphone or smartwatch.
  Check out the cameras in our database that have built-in Bluetooth.

USB Inputs and HDMI Outputs

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

Battery

Canon EOS R5 C comes with LP-E6NH battery pack with battery life of 320 shots and Pentax ist DS2 comes with 4 x AA battery pack.

External Storage Slots

Canon EOS R5 C has two card slots - one for CFexpress Type B and one for SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II). Pentax ist DS2 has a single SD/SDHC card slot.

Shutter

Canon EOS R5 C has Electronic shutter and Mechanical Focal Plane shutter. Shutter speed can go up to 1/8000 sec on Canon EOS R5 C, and up to 1/4000 sec on Pentax ist DS2. Canon EOS R5 C can shoot continuously up to 20.0 fps with electronic shutter and up to 12.0 fps with mechanical shutter. Pentax ist DS2 can shoot continuously up to 2.8 fps.

Focusing

Canon EOS R5 C has Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system with 5940 focusing points and Pentax ist DS2 has 11 focusing points. Canon EOS R5 C has detection range from -6 to +20 EV.

Exposure

Exposure meterings of Canon EOS R5 C ranges from -3 to +20 EV and you can set the exposure compensation within the ±3 EV range. You can also do exposure lock, exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Canon EOS R5 C and exposure bracketing and manual exposure adjustment on Pentax ist DS2.

Flash

Pentax ist DS2 has a built-in flash and also accepts external flash. Canon EOS R5 C has no built-in flash but an external flash may be connected via Hot Shoe. The fastest flash synchronization speed is 1/250 sec on Canon EOS R5 C.

Canon EOS R5 C body has dimensions of 142 x 101 x 111 mm (5.59 x 3.98 x 4.37") and Pentax ist DS2 body has dimensions of 125 x 93 x 66 mm (4.92 x 3.66 x 2.6"). Canon EOS R5 C weighs 770 g (1.70 lb / 27.16 oz) and Pentax ist DS2 weighs 605 g (1.33 lb / 21.34 oz).

Canon EOS R5 C

Pentax ist DS2

142 mm

101 mm

125 mm

93 mm

101 mm

93 mm