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.
Sports, Travel & Dslr Shooters — Nikon D7500 (2017): The D500's BSI sensor in a compact, weather-sealed body — excellent high-ISO performance and DSLR reliability at a great price.
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)
Nikon D7500 (2017)
A7 III (2018)
Quick take: The a7 iii has the highest resolution at 24mp; the eos r100 is the most affordable; only the nikon d7500, a7 iii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R100 (2023) | Nikon D7500 (2017) | A7 III (2018) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £529 | £899 | £1,699 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP APS-C CMOS | 20.9MP APS-C BSI CMOS (D500 sensor) | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 20.9MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (slight crop), 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (slight crop), FHD/60p | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF, face detection, subject tracking | Multi-CAM 3500FX II, 51 points (15 cross-type) | 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 | 8fps mechanical | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~270 shots (CIPA) | ~950 shots (CIPA with OVF) | ~710 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 356g (body, battery, card) | 640g body only | 565g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 116.3 × 85.5 × 68.8mm | 135.5 × 104.0 × 72.5mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× magnification | Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 0.94× magnification | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Canon RF-mount | Nikon F-mount (DX) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-II slot | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB Micro-B, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
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