Canon EOS R3vs EOS R8vs Nikon D7500

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 R8 Canon EOS R8 (2023) From £1099 Best for Full-frame entry View EOS R8
VS
Nikon Nikon D7500 Nikon Nikon D7500 (2017) From £899 Best for Sports, travel & DSLR shooters View Nikon D7500

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.

Full-Frame Entry — EOS R8 (2023): Canon's most affordable full-frame mirrorless — 4K/60p 10-bit and class-leading Dual Pixel AF at an accessible entry price.

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.

↓ 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 R8 (2023)

  • You want full-frame image quality on a tight budget
  • You shoot mainly in good light and can live without built-in stabilisation
  • You primarily shoot stills with occasional video

Nikon D7500 (2017)

  • You're deeply invested in Nikon F-mount glass and aren't ready to switch systems
  • You shoot wildlife or sport and still prefer an optical viewfinder response
  • Note: consider the Z5 II or Z6 III if you're open to mirrorless for a future-proof investment

Quick take: The eos r8 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the nikon d7500 is the most affordable; only the canon eos r3, nikon d7500 are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification Canon EOS R3 (2021)EOS R8 (2023)Nikon D7500 (2017)
Price £5,999 £1,099 £899
Sensor 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS 20.9MP APS-C BSI CMOS (D500 sensor)
Resolution 24.1MP 24.2MP 20.9MP
Video 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p 4K/60p oversampled 10-bit, FHD/180p 4K/30p (slight crop), FHD/60p
Autofocus Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 1053 zones, eye/face/subject tracking Multi-CAM 3500FX II, 51 points (15 cross-type)
Stabilisation 8-stop IBIS None (no IBIS) None (no IBIS)
Burst Rate 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical 6fps mechanical, 40fps electronic 8fps mechanical
Battery Life 620 shots (CIPA) ~220 shots (CIPA) ~950 shots (CIPA with OVF)
Weight 1015g body only 461g body only 640g body only
Dimensions 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm 132.5 × 86.1 × 70.0mm 135.5 × 104.0 × 72.5mm
Weather Sealed Yes No Yes
Viewfinder 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 0.94× magnification
Screen 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen 3.2" tilting touchscreen
Mount Canon RF Canon RF mount (full-frame) Nikon F-mount (DX)
Memory Cards Dual CFexpress Type B Single SD UHS-II slot Single SD UHS-II slot
Connectivity USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi USB Micro-B, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
⚡ Compare specs side by side Canon EOS R3 prices → EOS R8 prices → Nikon D7500 prices →

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