Canon EOS R3vs EOS R8vs Z7 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 Z7 II Nikon Z7 II (2020) From £2699 Best for Landscape & studio / high-resolution View Z7 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.

Landscape & Studio / High-Resolution — Z7 II (2020): The Z7 II is a landscape and studio camera first, everything else second. 45.7MP with weather sealing and dual card slots is a compelling package. If you need resolution, it delivers. If you don't, the Z6 II is the smarter buy.

↓ 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

Z7 II (2020)

  • Landscape photographers who print large or need to crop significantly
  • Studio and commercial photographers requiring maximum resolution
  • Architecture photographers where detail is non-negotiable
  • Fine-art photographers who shoot primarily from a tripod

Quick take: The z7 ii has the highest resolution at 46mp; the eos r8 is the most affordable; only the canon eos r3, z7 ii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification Canon EOS R3 (2021)EOS R8 (2023)Z7 II (2020)
Price £5,999 £1,099 £2,699
Sensor 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS 45.7MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS
Resolution 24.1MP 24.2MP 45.7MP
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, 493 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 10fps mechanical, 10fps electronic
Battery Life 620 shots (CIPA) ~220 shots (CIPA) ~420 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 specs side by side Canon EOS R3 prices → EOS R8 prices → Z7 II prices →

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