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.
Wildlife & Action — OM-1 II (2024): 120fps burst, 8-stop IBIS, and IP53 sealing — the most capable wildlife and action camera in the Micro Four Thirds world.
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)
OM-1 II (2024)
A7 III (2018)
Quick take: The a7 iii has the highest resolution at 24mp; the eos r100 is the most affordable; only the om-1 ii, a7 iii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R100 (2023) | OM-1 II (2024) | A7 III (2018) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £529 | £1,499 | £1,699 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP APS-C CMOS | 20.4MP Micro Four Thirds Stacked BSI CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 20.4MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (slight crop), 1080p/60p | 4K/120p Cinema4K, Apple ProRes RAW (with recorder) | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF, face detection, subject tracking | Quad-Pixel phase-detect, 1053 points, AI subject recognition (birds/animals) | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | None (no IBIS) | 5-axis IBIS, 8.0 stops (Dual IS) | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 6.5fps mechanical | 120fps electronic (blackout-free), 15fps mechanical | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | ~270 shots (CIPA) | ~520 shots (CIPA) | ~710 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 356g (body, battery, card) | 561g body only | 565g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 116.3 × 85.5 × 68.8mm | 134.8 × 91.6 × 72.7mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× magnification | EVF, 5.76M dots, 0.83× magnification | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Canon RF-mount | Micro Four Thirds | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II | Dual SD UHS-II slots | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
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