Sony A1 versus the Canon R5 - Autofocus

There is no doubt that the Sony A1 is a specification monster featuring 30 fps at 50MP, a great fast sensor, and purported the best AF that Sony can do.

I've watched a few reviews out of curiosity, and end up having felt a mixed bag, while some reviews focus almost entirely on the video features which are excellent, especially when you turn off any sort of thermal throttling (which is suitable for some use cases, but not all - it's not suitable for instance if you are handholding the camera taking videos for long periods of time). Hardly any reviews directly compare the A1 against the R5 and seeing what Canon and Sony can do when compared against each other in their primary environments - photography.

This is an interesting review by Tony and Chelsea giving the AF systems in both cameras a good workout against each other.

As with most things, specifications mean one thing and real life another - and in this case, I think it's pretty clear that the Canon R5 is simply more competent when it comes to auto focus.  Surprisingly, the R5 in certain conditions actually slows down less than the A1 and achieves a higher frame rate.

When you consider that the Canon R5 is 2.5 years after the release of the EOS R system, and Sony A1 is the cumulation of 7 years of full-frame mirrorless cameras; it's even more impressive.

Now that's not to say that the R5 simply wins overall against the A1.  There are other features that may be compelling, such as the ultra-fast scan rate of the sensor allowing for almost unlimited use of the electronic shutter, and nearly complete minimization of rolling shutter artifacts while shooting video.

Enjoy the video!