Canon EOS 5DS vs Nikon D800E — Which Is Better?

The Canon EOS 5DS and the Nikon D800E are both full-frame DSLRs with optical pentaprism viewfinders. Canon launched the 5DS in 2015, three years after the 2012 D800E. Each uses a different native lens system, Canon EF versus Nikon F, so the lenses you already own weigh heavily in the choice.

The 5DS is the lighter body at 930 g against 1000 g for the D800E, a 70 g difference. Their dimensions sit close, 152 x 116 x 76 mm for the Canon and 146 x 123 x 82 mm for the Nikon.

The 5DS is the stronger choice for heavy cropping and large prints, with 50.6 megapixels against the D800E's 36.3. The Nikon carries 28.3 percent fewer pixels, so a hard-cropped bird or a big print starts from a smaller file. The Canon's 61 autofocus points against 51 give more placement options for off-centre subjects, and its 5 fps burst beats the Nikon's 4 fps.

Both keep the same core capture settings. Native ISO runs 100 to 6400 on each, the top shutter speed is 1/8000 second, and neither stabilises the sensor, so a handheld telephoto still needs a steady hold. The expanded ISO ceiling differs, with the D800E offering a setting up to 25600 ISO.

Video tops out at Full HD resolution on both cameras, with a maximum frame rate of 30 fps and MOV recording, so neither offers 4K or high-frame-rate slow motion. That ceiling handles family clips and web delivery.

Each camera includes a built-in timelapse function, so a sunset or a construction project can be captured frame by frame without an external intervalometer.

The D800E suits travel and casual shooting better, with built-in Wi-Fi for wireless transfer and a pop-up flash for fill light. The 5DS offers neither. Its rear screen is denser, 1,040,000 dots against 921,000, showing more detail when you check focus.

Both bodies have weather sealing, and both offer live view on a fixed 3.2-inch screen without touch control. Neither camera has GPS or Bluetooth, so neither tags your frames with location data.

The D800E holds the rated endurance advantage, 900 shots per charge against 700 for the 5DS, a gap of 200 shots. That rating favours long days away from power. Each camera runs on its own battery, the EN-EL15 and the LP-E6.

Both cameras offer dual card slots, pairing an SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-I slot with CompactFlash, so a long high-resolution shoot can span two cards. Neither charges over USB, so both depend on their dedicated chargers.