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.
All-Round Full-Frame Photography — Z6 II (2020): The Z6 II is the Nikon most photographers should buy. It's balanced across every discipline — stills, video, autofocus, weather sealing — without overpaying for megapixels you don't need. The Z-mount glass is superb.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
Who should buy what
EOS R100 (2023)
Z6 II (2020)
Sony A9 III (2023)
Quick take: The sony a9 iii has the highest resolution at 25mp; the eos r100 is the most affordable; only the z6 ii, sony a9 iii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R100 (2023) | Z6 II (2020) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £529 | £1,699 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP APS-C CMOS | 24.5MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 24.5MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (slight crop), 1080p/60p | 4K/60p, 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF, face detection, subject tracking | Phase-detect, 273 points, Eye AF, subject tracking | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | None (no IBIS) | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops (up to 6 stops with VR lenses) | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 6.5fps mechanical | 14fps mechanical, 14fps electronic (12-bit RAW) | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~270 shots (CIPA) | ~410 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 356g (body, battery, card) | 705g (body, battery, card) | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 116.3 × 85.5 × 68.8mm | 134.0 × 100.5 × 69.5mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× magnification | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.1M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF-mount | Nikon Z-mount | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II | Dual card: 1× CFexpress Type B / XQD + 1× SD UHS-II | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
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