Canon EOS R3vs EOS R8vs A6400
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.
Content Creation & Vlogging — A6400 (2019): The best value APS-C Sony you can buy — especially used. Real-time Eye AF at this price point was transformative when it launched and still makes it one of the most reliable autofocus systems in the lineup.
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
A6400 (2019)
- Vloggers and content creators who need a flip screen and reliable AF
- Photographers upgrading from a compact or smartphone
- Beginners who want room to grow into a full E-mount lens ecosystem
- Anyone prioritising autofocus performance at an accessible price
Quick take: The eos r8 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the a6400 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) | A6400 (2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £1,099 | £899 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS BSI |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 24.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 4K/60p oversampled 10-bit, FHD/180p | 4K/30p (6K oversampled, no crop), 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, 425 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS | None (no IBIS) | None (no IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical | 6fps mechanical, 40fps electronic | 11fps mechanical, 8fps with AF tracking |
| Battery Life | 620 shots (CIPA) | ~220 shots (CIPA) | ~410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1015g body only | 461g body only | 403g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 132.5 × 86.1 × 70.0mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No | No |
| Viewfinder | 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 180° flip for selfie/vlog, 921k dots |
| Mount | Canon RF | Canon RF mount (full-frame) | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Single SD UHS-II slot | Single SD UHS-I |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | Micro-USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
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