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 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.
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)
A7 III (2018)
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 a7 iii, sony a9 iii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R100 (2023) | A7 III (2018) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £529 | £1,699 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 24.2MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 4K/30p (slight crop), 1080p/60p | 4K/30p (6K oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF, face detection, subject tracking | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | None (no IBIS) | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 6.5fps mechanical | 10fps with AF/AE tracking | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~270 shots (CIPA) | ~710 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 356g (body, battery, card) | 565g (body, battery, card) | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 116.3 × 85.5 × 68.8mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× magnification | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 921k dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF-mount | Sony E-mount | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II | Dual SD (UHS-II slot 1, UHS-I slot 2) | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C (USB 3.2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
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