Canon EOS R3vs Leica SL3vs A7C

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
Leica Leica SL3 Leica Leica SL3 (2024) From £6499 Best for Professional & luxury hybrid shooters View Leica SL3
VS
Sony A7C Sony A7C (2020) From £1299 Best for Compact travel & content creation View A7C

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.

Professional & Luxury Hybrid Shooters — Leica SL3 (2024): Leica's most capable mirrorless — 60MP, 30fps burst, 8K ProRes, and 7.5-stop IBIS with L-mount's growing lens ecosystem.

Compact Travel & Content Creation — A7C (2020): The A7C proves full-frame doesn't have to be bulky. Excellent battery life, reliable Eye AF and a vari-angle screen in a pocketable body is a compelling combination for travel and content creators. The A7C II improved on it, but the original remains a strong value 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

Leica SL3 (2024)

  • You want Leica image quality with the convenience of autofocus and interchangeable lenses
  • You shoot portraits, commercial, or editorial and want the best Leica system camera
  • You plan to use Leica M lenses via adapter alongside native SL glass

A7C (2020)

  • Travel photographers who want full-frame in the smallest possible body
  • Content creators who need a flip screen and reliable Eye AF
  • Photographers upgrading from APS-C who want to keep a compact kit
  • Vloggers who need 4K and great battery life on the road

Quick take: The leica sl3 has the highest resolution at 60mp; the a7c is the most affordable; only the canon eos r3, leica sl3 are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification Canon EOS R3 (2021)Leica SL3 (2024)A7C (2020)
Price £5,999 £6,499 £1,299
Sensor 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS 60MP full-frame BSI CMOS 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS
Resolution 24.1MP 60.0MP 24.2MP
Video 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p 8K/30p, 4K/60p, Apple ProRes 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion, S-Log2/S-Log3
Autofocus Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF Phase-detect AF with subject/face/eye detection Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF
Stabilisation 8-stop IBIS 7.5-stop IBIS 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops
Burst Rate 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical 30fps electronic 10fps with AF/AE tracking
Battery Life 620 shots (CIPA) 410 shots (CIPA) ~740 shots (CIPA) — outstanding for a Sony mirrorless
Weight 1015g body only 875g body only 509g (body, battery, card)
Dimensions 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm 146.0 × 104.0 × 42.0mm 124.0 × 71.1 × 59.7mm
Weather Sealed Yes Yes No
Viewfinder 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps 0.78" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots None built-in — use rear screen or accessory EVF
Screen 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen 3.2" fixed touchscreen 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 921k dots
Mount Canon RF Leica L-mount Sony E-mount
Memory Cards Dual CFexpress Type B Dual SD UHS-II Single SD UHS-II
Connectivity USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN USB-C 3.1, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC
⚡ Compare specs side by side Canon EOS R3 prices → Leica SL3 prices → A7C prices →

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