Canon R5 Mark II vs Leica Q2

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II and the Leica Q2 are two enthusiast cameras that were revealed to the public, respectively, in July 2024 and March 2019. The R5 Mark II is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera, while the Q2 is a fixed lens compact. Both cameras are equipped with a full frame sensor. The Canon has a resolution of 44.8 megapixels, whereas the Leica provides 46.7 MP.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon R5 Mark II		Leica Q2
Mirrorless system camera		Fixed lens compact camera
Canon RF mount lenses		28mm f/1.7
44.8 MP – Full Frame sensor		46.7 MP – Full Frame sensor
8k/60p Video		4K/30p Video
ISO 100-51,200 (50 - 102,400)		ISO 50-50,000
Electronic viewfinder (5760k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (3680k dots)
3.2" LCD – 2100k dots		3.0" LCD – 1040k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Fixed touchscreen
12 shutter flaps per second		10 shutter flaps per second
In-body stabilization		Lens-based stabilization
Weathersealed body		Weathersealed body
340 shots per battery charge		370 shots per battery charge
138 x 98 x 88 mm, 746 g		130 x 80 x 92 mm, 718 g

Check R5 Mark II price at
amazon.com
Check Q2 price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS R5 Mark II and the Leica Q2? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Canon R5 Mark II and the Leica Q2 are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Leica Q2 is notably smaller (23 percent) than the Canon R5 Mark II. In this context, it is worth noting that both cameras are splash and dust-proof and can, hence, be used in inclement weather conditions or harsh environments.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the Q2 has a lens built in, whereas the R5 Mark II is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup.

The power pack in the R5 Mark II can be charged via the USB port, so that it is not always necessary to take the battery charger along when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon R5 Mark II	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	746 g	340	Y	Jul 2024	EUR 4 799	amazon.com
2.		Leica Q2	130 mm	80 mm	92 mm	718 g	370	Y	Mar 2019	EUR 4 799	amazon.com
3.		Canon R1	158 mm	150 mm	87 mm	1115 g	1330	Y	Jul 2024	EUR 7 499	amazon.com
4.		Canon R5	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	738 g	320	Y	Jul 2020	EUR 4 499	amazon.com
5.		Canon R5 C	142 mm	101 mm	111 mm	770 g	320	Y	Jan 2022	EUR 4 999	amazon.com
6.		Canon R6	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	680 g	360	Y	Jul 2020	EUR 2 699	amazon.com
7.		Canon R6 Mark II	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	670 g	450	Y	Nov 2022	EUR 2 899	amazon.com
8.		Fujifilm GFX 50R	161 mm	97 mm	66 mm	775 g	400	Y	Sep 2018	EUR 4 499	ebay.com
9.		Fujifilm GFX 50S II	150 mm	104 mm	87 mm	900 g	440	Y	Sep 2021	EUR 3 999	amazon.com
10.		Fujifilm GFX 100S II	150 mm	104 mm	87 mm	883 g	530	Y	May 2024	EUR 5 499	amazon.com
11.		Hasselblad X1D II	148 mm	97 mm	70 mm	766 g	..	Y	Jun 2019	EUR 5 999	ebay.com
12.		Leica M10-R	139 mm	80 mm	39 mm	660 g	210	Y	Jul 2020	EUR 7 999	ebay.com
13.		Leica Q Typ 116	130 mm	80 mm	93 mm	640 g	300	n	Jun 2015	EUR 3 999	ebay.com
14.		Leica Q3	130 mm	80 mm	93 mm	743 g	350	Y	May 2023	EUR 5 999	amazon.com
15.		Nikon Z8	144 mm	119 mm	83 mm	910 g	340	Y	May 2023	EUR 4 599	amazon.com
16.		Panasonic S1R II	134 mm	102 mm	92 mm	795 g	350	Y	May 2025	EUR 3 599	amazon.com
17.		Sony A1 II	136 mm	97 mm	83 mm	743 g	520	Y	Nov 2024	EUR 7 499	amazon.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Both cameras under consideration feature a full frame sensor and have a format factor (sometimes also referred to as "crop factor") of 1.0. Within the spectrum of camera sensors, this places the review cameras among the large-sensor cameras that aim for top notch image quality. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

While the two cameras under review share the same sensor size, the Q2 offers a slightly higher resolution of 46.7 megapixels, compared with 44.8 MP of the R5 Mark II. This megapixels advantage translates into a 2 percent gain in linear resolution. On the other hand, these sensor specs imply that the Q2 has a higher pixel density and a smaller size of the individual pixel (with a pixel pitch of 4.30μm versus 4.39μm for the R5 Mark II). Moreover, it should be noted, that the R5 Mark II is much more recent (by 5 years and 4 months) than the Q2, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time that further enhance the light gathering capacity of individual pixels. Coming back to sensor resolution, it should be mentioned that the Q2 has no anti-alias filter installed, so that it can capture all the detail its sensor resolves.

The R5 Mark II has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 51200, which can be extended to ISO 50-102400. The corresponding ISO settings for the Leica Q2 are ISO 50 to ISO 50000 (no boost).

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). The table below summarizes the physical sensor characteristics and sensor quality findings and compares them across a set of similar cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon R5 Mark II	Full Frame	44.8	8192	5464	8k/60p	25.4	14.8	3332	97
2.		Leica Q2	Full Frame	46.7	8368	5584	4K/30p	26.4	13.5	2491	96
3.		Canon R1	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/60p	25.4	14.8	3332	97
4.		Canon R5	Full Frame	44.8	8192	5464	8K/30p	25.3	14.6	3042	95
5.		Canon R5 C	Full Frame	44.8	8192	5464	8k/60p	25.4	14.5	3082	96
6.		Canon R6	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	4k/60p	24.2	14.3	3394	90
7.		Canon R6 Mark II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4k/60p	25.4	14.6	3154	96
8.		Fujifilm GFX 50R	Medium Format	51.1	8256	6192	1080/30p	25.7	14.4	3169	98
9.		Fujifilm GFX 50S II	Medium Format	51.1	8256	6192	1080/30p	25.9	14.8	3456	100
10.		Fujifilm GFX 100S II	Medium Format	101.8	11648	8736	4K/30p	25.9	15.1	3720	101
11.		Hasselblad X1D II	Medium Format	51.3	8272	6200	1080/25p	25.7	14.5	3234	99
12.		Leica M10-R	Full Frame	40.9	7864	5200	none	25.3	14.3	2924	95
13.		Leica Q Typ 116	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	24.3	12.7	2221	85
14.		Leica Q3	Full Frame	60.3	9528	6328	8K/30p	25.4	14.7	3216	96
15.		Nikon Z8	Full Frame	45.4	8256	5504	8K/30p	26.3	14.2	2548	98
16.		Panasonic S1R II	Full Frame	44.2	8144	5424	8K/30p	25.4	14.8	3406	97
17.		Sony A1 II	Full Frame	49.8	8640	5760	8k/30p	25.4	14.8	3363	97
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but also of capturing video footage. Both cameras under consideration are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the R5 Mark II provides a higher video resolution than the Q2. It can shoot video footage at 8k/60p, while the Leica is limited to 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under consideration are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the R5 Mark II offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the Q2 (5760k vs 3680k dots). The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon R5 Mark II, the Leica Q2, and comparable cameras.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon R5 Mark II	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
2.		Leica Q2	3680	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	n	Y
3.		Canon R1	9440	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
4.		Canon R5	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
5.		Canon R5 C	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	n
6.		Canon R6	3690	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
7.		Canon R6 Mark II	3690	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
8.		Fujifilm GFX 50R	3690	n	3.2 / 2360	tilting	Y	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	n
9.		Fujifilm GFX 50S II	3690	Y	3.2 / 2360	full-flex	Y	1/4000s	3.0/s	n	Y
10.		Fujifilm GFX 100S II	5760	Y	3.2 / 2360	full-flex	Y	1/4000s	7.0/s	n	Y
11.		Hasselblad X1D II	3690	n	3.6 / 2360	fixed	Y	1/2000s	2.7/s	n	n
12.		Leica M10-R	optical	n	3.0 / 1037	fixed	Y	1/4000s	4.5/s	n	n
13.		Leica Q Typ 116	3680	n	3.0 / 1040	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	n	Y
14.		Leica Q3	5760	n	3.0 / 1840	tilting	Y	1/2000s	15.0/s	n	Y
15.		Nikon Z8	3690	Y	3.2 / 2089	full-flex	Y	1/32000s	30.0/s	n	Y
16.		Panasonic S1R II	5760	n	3.2 / 1840	full-flex	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
17.		Sony A1 II	9437	n	3.2 / 2100	full-flex	Y	1/8000s	30.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One feature that is present on the R5 Mark II, but is missing on the Q2 is a top-level LCD. While being, of course, smaller than the rear screen, the control panel conveys some of the essential shooting information and can be convenient for quick and easy settings verification.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, both cameras under consideration feature an electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Canon R5 Mark II and the Leica Q2 both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

The R5 Mark II writes its imaging data to CFexpress (type B) or SDXC cards, while the Q2 uses SDXC cards. The R5 Mark II features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the Q2 only has one slot. Both cameras support UHS-II cards, which provide for Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s.

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS R5 Mark II and Leica Q2 and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon R5 Mark II	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
2.		Leica Q2	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	-	-	Y	-	Y
3.		Canon R1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
4.		Canon R5	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
5.		Canon R5 C	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
6.		Canon R6	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
7.		Canon R6 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
8.		Fujifilm GFX 50R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Fujifilm GFX 50S II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	-
10.		Fujifilm GFX 100S II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
11.		Hasselblad X1D II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	-	3.0	Y	-	-
12.		Leica M10-R	Y	- / -	-	-	-	-	Y	-	-
13.		Leica Q Typ 116	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
14.		Leica Q3	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
15.		Nikon Z8	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
16.		Panasonic S1R II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y
17.		Sony A1 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.2	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the R5 Mark II has a microphone port, which is missing on the Q2. Such an external microphone input can help to substantially improve the quality of audio recordings when a good external microphone is used.

Studio photographers will appreciate that the Canon R5 Mark II (unlike the Q2) features a PC Sync socket, so that professional strobe lights can be controlled by the camera.

Both the R5 Mark II and the Q2 are recent models that are part of the current product line-up. The Q2 replaced the earlier Leica Q Typ 116, while the R5 Mark II followed on from the Canon R5. Further information on the two cameras (e.g. user guides, manuals), as well as related accessories, can be found on the official Canon and Leica websites.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Which of the two cameras – the Canon R5 Mark II or the Leica Q2 – has the upper hand? Is one clearly better than the other? A synthesis of the relative strong points of each of the models is listed below.

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS R5 Mark II:

• Better moiré control: Has an anti-alias filter to avoid artificial patterns to appear in images.
• Better video: Provides higher definition movie capture (8k/60p vs 4K/30p).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (5760k vs 3680k dots).
• Easier setting verification: Features an LCD display on top to control shooting parameters.
• Larger screen: Has a bigger rear LCD (3.2" vs 3.0") for image review and settings control.
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (2100k vs 1040k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• More selfie-friendly: Has an articulated screen that can be turned to be front-facing.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/2000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (12 vs 10 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• More flexible: Accepts interchangeable lenses, so that lens characteristics can be altered.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• More solid recording: Has a full-sized HDMI port for a sturdy connection to an external recorder.
• Better studio light control: Has a PC Sync socket to connect to professional strobe lights.
• Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
• More modern: Reflects 5 years and 4 months of technical progress since the Q2 launch.

Reasons to prefer the Leica Q2:

• Maximized detail: Lacks an anti-alias filter to exploit the sensor's full resolution potential.
• Ready to shoot: Has an integrated lens, whereas the R5 Mark II necessitates an extra lens.
• More compact: Is smaller (130x80mm vs 138x98mm) and will fit more readily into a bag.
• Less heavy: Has a lower weight even though it has a lens built in (unlike the R5 Mark II).
• More prestigious: Has the Leica luxury appeal, which ensures a high resale value.
• More heavily discounted: Has been around for much longer (launched in March 2019).

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the R5 Mark II is the clear winner of the match-up (19 : 6 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon R5 Mark II and the Leica Q2 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera and Best Prime Lens Compact Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the specs-based evaluation of cameras can be instructive in revealing their potential as photographic tools, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the R5 Mark II or the Q2. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon R5 Mark II	..	..	..	93/100	..	..	Jul 2024	EUR 4 799	amazon.com
2.		Leica Q2	..	..	4.5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4/5	Mar 2019	EUR 4 799	amazon.com
3.		Canon R1	..	..	..	..	..	..	Jul 2024	EUR 7 499	amazon.com
4.		Canon R5	4.5/5	+	4/5	91/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jul 2020	EUR 4 499	amazon.com
5.		Canon R5 C	..	+ +	..	..	..	..	Jan 2022	EUR 4 999	amazon.com
6.		Canon R6	5/5	+ +	4/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2020	EUR 2 699	amazon.com
7.		Canon R6 Mark II	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2022	EUR 2 899	amazon.com
8.		Fujifilm GFX 50R	5/5	..	5/5	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2018	EUR 4 499	ebay.com
9.		Fujifilm GFX 50S II	5/5	..	5/5	87/100	..	5/5	Sep 2021	EUR 3 999	amazon.com
10.		Fujifilm GFX 100S II	..	..	..	..	..	..	May 2024	EUR 5 499	amazon.com
11.		Hasselblad X1D II	..	..	4/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jun 2019	EUR 5 999	ebay.com
12.		Leica M10-R	4.5/5	..	4/5	..	..	4/5	Jul 2020	EUR 7 999	ebay.com
13.		Leica Q Typ 116	5/5	..	..	80/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2015	EUR 3 999	ebay.com
14.		Leica Q3	5/5	..	4.5/5	..	..	4.5/5	May 2023	EUR 5 999	amazon.com
15.		Nikon Z8	5/5	..	5/5	94/100	5/5	4.5/5	May 2023	EUR 4 599	amazon.com
16.		Panasonic S1R II	..	..	..	..	..	..	May 2025	EUR 3 599	amazon.com
17.		Sony A1 II	..	..	..	..	..	..	Nov 2024	EUR 7 499	amazon.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

Care should be taken when interpreting the review scores above, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, and rating-comparisons among cameras that span long time periods or concern very differently equipped models make little sense. Also, please note that some of the review sites have changed their methodology and reporting over time.

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Check Q2 price at
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Other camera comparisons

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