Canon EOS 90Dvs Nikon Z9vs Pentax K-3 Mark III

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Canon Canon EOS 90D Canon Canon EOS 90D (2019) From £849 Best for Sports, wildlife & DSLR enthusiasts View Canon EOS 90D
VS
Nikon Nikon Z9 Nikon Nikon Z9 (2021) From £5499 Best for Professional sports & wildlife View Nikon Z9
VS
Pentax Pentax K-3 Mark III Pentax Pentax K-3 Mark III (2021) From £1699 Best for DSLR enthusiasts & outdoor photographers View Pentax K-3 Mark III

Which should you buy?

Sports, Wildlife & Dslr Enthusiasts — Canon EOS 90D (2019): The best APS-C DSLR Canon ever made — 32MP, 10fps, weather sealing, and an optical viewfinder experience no mirrorless can replicate.

Professional Sports & Wildlife — Nikon Z9 (2021): The Z9 redefined what professional mirrorless could be — no mechanical shutter, 45MP stacked BSI, and 8K RAW in the most rugged Z body.

Dslr Enthusiasts & Outdoor Photographers — Pentax K-3 Mark III (2021): The finest APS-C DSLR ever made — class-leading weather sealing, optical viewfinder, 5-axis IBIS, and extraordinary build for photographers committed to DSLR.

↓ Full specifications below

Canon EOS 90D (2019)

  • You're invested in Canon EF DSLR lenses and don't want to switch systems
  • You shoot wildlife or sports and prefer an optical viewfinder
  • You want a mid-range DSLR upgrade without going mirrorless

Nikon Z9 (2021)

  • You shoot professionally and need a camera body that handles everything without compromise
  • You're a sports, wildlife, or commercial photographer who demands the absolute best
  • You want a camera body that will remain state-of-the-art for the next decade

Pentax K-3 Mark III (2021)

  • You're a committed DSLR photographer with significant investment in Pentax glass
  • You shoot in extreme weather conditions and place build quality and reliability above everything
  • You prefer optical viewfinder performance and want the best modern APS-C DSLR available

Quick take: The nikon z9 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the canon eos 90d is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification Canon EOS 90D (2019)Nikon Z9 (2021)Pentax K-3 Mark III (2021)
Price £849 £5,499 £1,699
Sensor 32.5MP APS-C CMOS (Dual Pixel AF) 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS 25.7MP APS-C BSI CMOS (AA-filterless)
Resolution 32.5MP 45.7MP 25.7MP
Video 4K/30p (1.6× crop), FHD/120p 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW 4K/30p, 1080p/60p
Autofocus Dual Pixel CMOS AF (live view), 45-point phase-detect (OVF) Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect SAFOX 13 phase-detect, 101-point (25 cross-type)
Stabilisation None (no IBIS) 6-stop IBIS 5.5-stop 5-axis IBIS (Shake Reduction III)
Burst Rate 10fps mechanical 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG 12fps
Battery Life ~1300 shots (CIPA with OVF) 740 shots (CIPA) 800 shots (CIPA)
Weight 701g body only 1340g body only 820g body only
Dimensions 140.7 × 104.8 × 76.8mm 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm 134.5 × 103.5 × 73.5mm
Weather Sealed Yes Yes Yes
Viewfinder Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 0.95× magnification 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 1.05× magnification
Screen 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen 3.2" tilting touchscreen 3.2" tilting touchscreen
Mount Canon EF / EF-S Nikon Z-mount Pentax KF-mount
Memory Cards Dual SD UHS-II slots Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD Dual SD UHS-II
Connectivity USB 2.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
⚡ Compare specs side by side Canon EOS 90D prices → Nikon Z9 prices → Pentax K-3 Mark III prices →

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