Canon EOS R6 vs Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 — Which Is Better?

The Canon EOS R6 and the Panasonic Lumix DC-S5 are both full-frame mirrorless cameras, but they commit you to different lens systems. The R6 uses the Canon RF mount, while the S5 uses the Leica L mount, so your existing lenses and future lens choices shape the decision as much as either body. The R6 arrived in August 2020, the S5 in February 2021.

The S5 is the slightly more compact body, measuring 133 x 97 x 82 mm against 138 x 98 x 88 mm for the R6. It is also the heavier of the two, at 714 g versus 680 g, a 34 g difference.

The R6 is the stronger choice for fast action, pairing a 20 fps maximum burst rate with 1053 autofocus points. The S5 offers 7 fps and 225 autofocus points, which suits slower subjects such as portraits and landscapes rather than racing or birds in flight.

Resolution is where the S5 has the edge, with 24.2 MP against 20.1 MP, giving more room to crop a distant subject or print larger. Beyond that, the two share a full-frame CMOS sensor, in-body stabilisation for sharper handheld shooting, and a 1/8000 second maximum shutter for freezing bright scenes in a shorter exposure. The R6 also offers a higher native ISO ceiling of 102400 against 51200.

The R6 is the better pick for slow-motion work, with a maximum video frame rate of 120 fps against 60 fps on the S5. That extra frame rate gives you more room to slow fast movement, such as a sprinter or a diving bird, before the action turns choppy.

A shared maximum resolution of 4K means neither camera limits your editing to HD delivery, and both offer built-in timelapse recording. The S5 records in MP4 or MOV, giving a straightforward match for NLE timelines that prefer MOV, while the R6 records in MP4.

The S5's rear screen is the sharper of the two for checking focus and detail, with 1,840,000 dots against 1,620,000 on the R6, a difference of 220,000 dots. Both screens are 3-inch touch panels that flip out for waist-level and selfie-angle framing.

Connectivity and protection match closely. Both cameras have weather sealing, Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for wireless transfer and remote control, and neither has GPS or a built-in flash, though both accept external flash units.

Both cameras take the same SD, SDHC and SDXC cards with UHS-II support in dual slots, so fast cards and the same media budget work for either body. Both also charge over USB.

The S5 holds the advantage in its rated battery life, at 440 shots under its test conditions against 360 for the R6. Each uses its own battery pack, the DMW-BLK22 and LP-E6NH respectively, so spares are not interchangeable between them.