Canon EOS R3vs EOS R8vs Sony A9 III
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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
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
Sony A9 III (2023)
- You shoot professional sport, motorsport, or action and need zero rolling shutter distortion
- You need reliable high-speed flash sync for studio or on-location action work
- You want the absolute pinnacle of Sony's action and sports camera technology
Quick take: The sony a9 iii has the highest resolution at 25mp; the eos r8 is the most affordable; only the canon eos r3, sony a9 iii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Canon EOS R3 (2021) | EOS R8 (2023) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £1,099 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 24.2MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 4K/60p oversampled 10-bit, FHD/180p | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 1053 zones, eye/face/subject tracking | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS | None (no IBIS) | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical | 6fps mechanical, 40fps electronic | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | 620 shots (CIPA) | ~220 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1015g body only | 461g body only | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 132.5 × 86.1 × 70.0mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF | Canon RF mount (full-frame) | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Single SD UHS-II slot | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
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