Canon EOS R3vs EOS R8vs Z6 II
Canon
Canon EOS R3 (2021)
From £5999
Best for Sports & photojournalism professionals
View Canon EOS R3
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 Full-Frame Photography — Z6 II (2020): The Z6 II is the Nikon most photographers should buy. It's balanced across every discipline — stills, video, autofocus, weather sealing — without overpaying for megapixels you don't need. The Z-mount glass is superb.
Who should buy what
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
Z6 II (2020)
- Nikon DSLR users ready to move to mirrorless
- Photographers who need a reliable all-rounder without specialising
- Video creators wanting 4K/60p in a weather-sealed body
- Enthusiasts who shoot everything from portraits to travel
Quick take: The z6 ii has the highest resolution at 24mp; the eos r8 is the most affordable; only the canon eos r3, z6 ii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Canon EOS R3 (2021) | EOS R8 (2023) | Z6 II (2020) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £1,099 | £1,699 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.5MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 24.2MP | 24.5MP |
| Video | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 4K/60p oversampled 10-bit, FHD/180p | 4K/60p, 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 1053 zones, eye/face/subject tracking | Phase-detect, 273 points, Eye AF, subject tracking |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS | None (no IBIS) | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops (up to 6 stops with VR lenses) |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical | 6fps mechanical, 40fps electronic | 14fps mechanical, 14fps electronic (12-bit RAW) |
| Battery Life | 620 shots (CIPA) | ~220 shots (CIPA) | ~410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1015g body only | 461g body only | 705g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 132.5 × 86.1 × 70.0mm | 134.0 × 100.5 × 69.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.1M dots |
| Mount | Canon RF | Canon RF mount (full-frame) | Nikon Z-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Single SD UHS-II slot | Dual card: 1× CFexpress Type B / XQD + 1× SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Compare pairs from this group