Canon EOS R3vs EOS R50vs Z5 II

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Canon Canon EOS R3 Canon Canon EOS R3 (2021) From £5999 Best for Sports & photojournalism professionals View Canon EOS R3
VS
Canon EOS R50 Canon EOS R50 (2023) From £599 Best for Beginners & family View EOS R50
VS
Nikon Z5 II Nikon Z5 II (2024) From £1299 Best for Full-frame value View Z5 II

Which should you buy?

Sports & Photojournalism Professionals — Canon EOS R3 (2021): The pinnacle of Canon's mirrorless lineup for speed — Eye Control AF and 30fps burst in the most rugged body Canon has ever produced.

Beginners & Family — EOS R50 (2023): Canon's most beginner-friendly RF body — Dual Pixel AF and beautiful colour science in an approachable package.

Full-Frame Value — Z5 II (2024): The most accessible full-frame mirrorless — dual card slots, weather sealing, and Nikon colour at a sensible price.

↓ Full specifications below

Canon EOS R3 (2021)

  • You shoot sport, motorsport, wildlife, or news at a professional level
  • You need Canon's most reliable and fastest autofocus available
  • You need extreme weather sealing for demanding shooting conditions

EOS R50 (2023)

  • You're completely new to mirrorless cameras and want something uncomplicated
  • You create vertical content for TikTok, Instagram Reels, or YouTube Shorts
  • You want great autofocus without needing to understand complex menus

Z5 II (2024)

  • You want full-frame image quality at the lowest possible entry price
  • You shoot stills primarily — portrait, landscape, or travel
  • You're upgrading from a DSLR and want a familiar but thoroughly modern Nikon experience

Quick take: The z5 ii has the highest resolution at 24mp; the eos r50 is the most affordable; only the canon eos r3, z5 ii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification Canon EOS R3 (2021)EOS R50 (2023)Z5 II (2024)
Price £5,999 £599 £1,299
Sensor 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS 24.2MP APS-C CMOS 24.5MP Full-frame BSI CMOS
Resolution 24.1MP 24.2MP 24.5MP
Video 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p 4K/30p (uncropped 4K/24p), FHD/60p 4K/30p oversampled, 1080p/120p, N-Log
Autofocus Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, face/eye/subject tracking Phase-detect, 273 points, subject detection (human/animal/vehicle)
Stabilisation 8-stop IBIS None (no IBIS) 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops
Burst Rate 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical 12fps mechanical, 15fps electronic 14fps mechanical, 30fps electronic
Battery Life 620 shots (CIPA) ~380 shots (CIPA) ~470 shots (CIPA)
Weight 1015g body only 375g body only 700g body only
Dimensions 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm 116.3 × 85.5 × 68.8mm 134.0 × 100.5 × 69.9mm
Weather Sealed Yes No Yes
Viewfinder 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps EVF, 2.36M dots EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification
Screen 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen 3.2" tilting touchscreen
Mount Canon RF Canon RF-S / RF Nikon Z-mount (full-frame)
Memory Cards Dual CFexpress Type B Single SD UHS-II slot Dual SD UHS-II slots
Connectivity USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi USB-C 3.2, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
⚡ Compare specs side by side Canon EOS R3 prices → EOS R50 prices → Z5 II prices →

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