First Camera / Beginner Photography — EOS R100 (2023): The R100 does the basics well at the lowest possible price point. Its main value is as a gateway into the Canon RF ecosystem — the lenses you buy now will work on any Canon body you upgrade to later. Modest ambitions, reliably met.
Entry Full-Frame Stills Photography — EOS RP (2019): An affordable gateway into the RF system. The RP makes sense as a stepping stone camera — if you're committed to Canon RF glass, this is the cheapest full-frame body to buy those lenses for. Just manage expectations on video and battery life.
All-Round Photography & Video — A7 III (2018): Still one of the best all-round cameras money can buy — particularly strong used. The A7 III proved that full-frame doesn't have to mean compromises, and nothing at this price point has meaningfully beaten it.
Who should buy what
EOS R100 (2023)
EOS RP (2019)
A7 III (2018)
Quick take: The eos rp has the highest resolution at 26mp; the eos r100 is the most affordable; only the a7 iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R100 (2023) | EOS RP (2019) | A7 III (2018) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £529 | £799 | £1,699 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP APS-C CMOS | 26.2MP Full-Frame CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 26.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (slight crop), 1080p/60p | 4K/24p (with 1.7× crop), 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF, face detection, subject tracking | Dual Pixel CMOS AF, 4779 manually selectable positions | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | None (no IBIS) | None (no IBIS) | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 6.5fps mechanical | 5fps mechanical | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~270 shots (CIPA) | ~250 shots (CIPA) — very limited | ~710 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 356g (body, battery, card) | 485g (body, battery, card) | 565g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 116.3 × 85.5 × 68.8mm | 132.5 × 85.0 × 70.0mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× magnification | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Canon RF-mount | Canon RF-mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-II | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
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