EOS M50 IIvs Z50 IIvs Pentax K-3 Mark III

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Canon EOS M50 II Canon EOS M50 II (2020) From £449 Best for Beginners & vlogging View EOS M50 II
VS
Nikon Z50 II Nikon Z50 II (2024) From £899 Best for All-round photography View Z50 II
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?

Beginners & Vlogging — EOS M50 II (2020): Canon's most approachable mirrorless — Dual Pixel AF and beautiful colour science in a beginner-friendly body.

All-Round Photography — Z50 II (2024): Nikon's updated APS-C body with 4K/60p, improved subject tracking, and a vari-angle screen — a solid all-rounder.

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

EOS M50 II (2020)

  • You want your first mirrorless camera at the lowest possible price
  • You're a vlogger or content creator just starting out
  • Note: EF-M mount is discontinued — consider the EOS R50 for a future-proof system

Z50 II (2024)

  • You want a capable APS-C camera for travel, street, or everyday shooting
  • You want improved autofocus over older Nikon APS-C bodies like the Z50 or Zfc
  • You want a compact Nikon mirrorless body that uses the full Z lens system

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 pentax k-3 mark iii has the highest resolution at 26mp; the eos m50 ii is the most affordable; only the pentax k-3 mark iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification EOS M50 II (2020)Z50 II (2024)Pentax K-3 Mark III (2021)
Price £449 £899 £1,699
Sensor 24.1MP APS-C CMOS 20.9MP APS-C CMOS 25.7MP APS-C BSI CMOS (AA-filterless)
Resolution 24.1MP 20.9MP 25.7MP
Video 4K/25p (cropped), 1080p/60p 4K/60p uncropped, 1080p/120p, N-Log 4K/30p, 1080p/60p
Autofocus Dual Pixel CMOS AF, 143 AF points, eye detection Phase-detect, 249 points, subject detection (human/animal/vehicle) SAFOX 13 phase-detect, 101-point (25 cross-type)
Stabilisation None (no IBIS) None (no IBIS) 5.5-stop 5-axis IBIS (Shake Reduction III)
Burst Rate 10fps 11fps mechanical, 30fps electronic 12fps
Battery Life ~305 shots (CIPA) ~330 shots (CIPA) 800 shots (CIPA)
Weight 387g body only 385g body only 820g body only
Dimensions 116.3 × 88.1 × 58.7mm 127.0 × 96.8 × 66.5mm 134.5 × 103.5 × 73.5mm
Weather Sealed No No Yes
Viewfinder EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.39× EVF, 2.36M dots Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 1.05× magnification
Screen 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen 3.2" tilting touchscreen
Mount Canon EF-M mount Nikon Z-mount Pentax KF-mount
Memory Cards Single SD UHS-I slot Single SD UHS-I slot Dual SD UHS-II
Connectivity USB Micro-B, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, micro HDMI USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
⚡ Compare specs side by side EOS M50 II prices → Z50 II prices → Pentax K-3 Mark III prices →

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