Sony vs Canon
My Honest Experience After 6 Weeks Shooting with a Different System
After years of shooting Sony, I borrowed a Canon EOS R6 for six weeks. Here's my honest take on handling, autofocus, and whether I'd switch.
Why I Ended Up with a Canon
Hello there, folks! How’s it going? Welcome back to another video – and welcome to the inside of this beautiful common room here at our campsite.
To jump straight into it, I want to make this as short and sweet as possible. I have been shooting Sony cameras forever – I bought the A7 III when it came out many moons ago (I think around 2016) and ever since then I've just stuck with Sony because it was the only system I invested in. But up until very recently – and if you've been following along on the channel, you'll have seen that I was actually using a Canon camera for the grand adventures of the past few months.
This isn't a review video. It’s not a comparison video. I don’t want to get into any “Canon is better than Sony” debates. I just want to talk about my personal experience shooting with a Canon after so many years of using Sony.
The Backstory – A Broken Sony
My trusty Sony A7 III is completely broken. The shutter gave up the ghost and it’s now unusable. So, when I was heading off to run workshops in southern Africa and Japan, a dear friend of mine, Brendan van Son, kindly loaned me his Canon EOS R6 Mark I – and I’m so grateful he did.
“If you're new here, my name is Neil and I'm a travel and landscape photographer from Ireland. Currently in Portugal, I travel and take photographs wherever I can.”
So, let's dive into what it was like to use a Canon after so many years of shooting Sony.
First Impressions – The Girth and Feel
The very first thing I noticed was the girth of the camera – and I'm well used to holding girth! The Canon felt really, really solid in the hand. The grip depth is generous and it just feels like you're holding something that wouldn't crumble into a million pieces if you dropped it (god forbid). Changing lenses is quick, and one beautiful feature I absolutely loved is that when the camera is off, the curtain comes down over the sensor – a total lifesaver when you're changing lenses in less‑than‑ideal conditions.
The Screen – A Total Game Changer
Oh wow, this screen! It spins – and I got such pleasure from flipping it out, especially when composing for portrait or getting low to the ground. The older Sony cameras only had a tilt‑out screen, which was fine, but it was a complete nightmare when you needed to get low. With the Canon, I could drop the camera right down and still compose perfectly. But the piece de resistance for me was the touch‑to‑focus and touch‑to‑shoot. Being able to tap the screen to set the focus point and take the picture made focus stacking an absolute breeze.
Autofocus Performance – Fast and Reliable
It was definitely faster to focus than my A7 III – no question. The focus modes were responsive, especially when shooting wildlife in Botswana. It kept up super well in low light too, which I was really impressed by.
The Files – Sharpness and Colours
I’d always been impressed when looking at Brendan’s images on the back of his camera – they always looked so vibrant and sharp. Using the Canon myself, I was really happy with the sharpness and colour of the files. I don’t know if he used a particular picture profile, but the results were gorgeous.
What Didn’t Change – The Fundamentals
Despite all these positives, the fundamentals of photography remained the same. My approach to a scene, how I compose, how I think about light – none of that changed. As long as I could quickly change shutter, aperture, and ISO, the camera did exactly what I needed. And the Canon delivered beautifully during my workshops, helping me produce images you’ve seen in recent videos from Africa and Japan.
The Upgrade – Meet Betsy
By the time this blog goes live, I’ll be shooting with a Sony A7R V – a complete beast. I’ve named her Betsy, and she’s been a long time coming. She has a flippy screen (finally!), a deeper grip, and I can’t wait to get out and pixel‑shift my way to colossal file sizes.
You can check out the Sony A7R V on Amazon – it's an incredible camera.
The Lenses I Used
Brendan loaned me his Canon RF glass – the 14-35mm f/4 L IS and the 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS. Both are gorgeous lenses and delivered incredible sharpness. I was really happy with the level of detail in the frames I captured.
If you're curious about the Canon R6 itself, here's the Canon EOS R5 – a similar beast – on Amazon.
Gear Used
- Camera: Canon EOS R6 Mark I (borrowed)
- Lenses: Canon RF 14-35mm f/4 L IS, Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 L IS
- My usual: Sony A7 III (now broken), upgrading to Sony A7R V
Final Thoughts – Tools, Not Tribes
I don’t have any real bias one way or another. They’re all just tools at the end of the day. Whatever works for you – that’s what matters. If you’re a Canon shooter and get a chance to try Sony, go for it. If you’re a Sony shooter and someone offers you a Nikon, take it. I’m still heavily invested in Sony glass, so I’m staying with Sony, but I’m so glad I got to shoot with a Canon – and if I ever did swap, I’d absolutely consider Canon.
“The best camera is the one you have with you at the time.”
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