Canon EOS 5D Mark IV

£3,249/$3,499 (body only) A great SLR for almost everything

When it comes to all-round performance, the 5D Mark IV is Canon’s best SLR. It loses out to the 5DS and the 5DS R for megapixel count, and its maximum burst rate is nowhere near that of the 1D X Mk II. However, the 30.4MP image sensor enables super-clean image quality, even at very high ISO settings, and the 7fps drive rate is respectable.

Like the Nikon D850, the 5D Mk IV is a typically bulky pro-grade SLR, although it’s significantly smaller and lighter than range-topping models with built-in vertical grips. Weighing in at 800g, it’s 115g lighter than the D850. The size of the camera enables the inclusion of plentiful buttons and dials, for instant access to important shooting settings. That’s something that’s lacking in the EOS R. The 61-point phase-detection autofocus system looks a bit low-rent in present company, but 41 of those points are cross-type and five are dual cross-type. Crucially, more like the mirrorless cameras on test and unlike the D850, Dual Pixel CMOS AF enables phase-detection autofocus in Live View and movie capture modes. It’s pretty much as fast as in the mirrorless cameras.

The pentaprism viewfinder is large and bright, and gives full 100-per-cent coverage of the frame, although the 3.2-inch touchscreen around the back has a much lower pixel count than the D850’s screen, and lacks any tilt or pivot facility. Battery life is less than half that of the D850, but you can still expect to get around 2.5 times more shots than from either of the mirrorless cameras. Dual SDXC and CF card slots are a bonus.