Canon EOS R3vs EOS R8vs Z50 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 R8 Canon EOS R8 (2023) From £1099 Best for Full-frame entry View EOS R8
VS
Nikon Z50 II Nikon Z50 II (2024) From £899 Best for All-round photography View Z50 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.

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.

All-Round Photography — Z50 II (2024): Nikon's updated APS-C body with 4K/60p, improved subject tracking, and a vari-angle screen — a solid all-rounder.

↓ 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

Z50 II (2024)

  • You want a capable APS-C camera for travel, street, or everyday shooting
  • You want improved autofocus over older Nikon APS-C bodies like the Z50 or Zfc
  • You want a compact Nikon mirrorless body that uses the full Z lens system

Quick take: The eos r8 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the z50 ii is the most affordable; only the canon eos r3 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification Canon EOS R3 (2021)EOS R8 (2023)Z50 II (2024)
Price £5,999 £1,099 £899
Sensor 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS 20.9MP APS-C CMOS
Resolution 24.1MP 24.2MP 20.9MP
Video 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p 4K/60p oversampled 10-bit, FHD/180p 4K/60p uncropped, 1080p/120p, N-Log
Autofocus Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 1053 zones, eye/face/subject tracking Phase-detect, 249 points, subject detection (human/animal/vehicle)
Stabilisation 8-stop IBIS None (no IBIS) None (no IBIS)
Burst Rate 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical 6fps mechanical, 40fps electronic 11fps mechanical, 30fps electronic
Battery Life 620 shots (CIPA) ~220 shots (CIPA) ~330 shots (CIPA)
Weight 1015g body only 461g body only 385g body only
Dimensions 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm 132.5 × 86.1 × 70.0mm 127.0 × 96.8 × 66.5mm
Weather Sealed Yes No No
Viewfinder 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× EVF, 2.36M dots
Screen 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen
Mount Canon RF Canon RF mount (full-frame) Nikon Z-mount
Memory Cards Dual CFexpress Type B Single SD UHS-II slot Single SD UHS-I slot
Connectivity USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
⚡ Compare specs side by side Canon EOS R3 prices → EOS R8 prices → Z50 II prices →

Compare pairs from this group