Canon EOS R3vs Z5 IIvs ZV-1 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
Nikon Z5 II Nikon Z5 II (2024) From £1299 Best for Full-frame value View Z5 II
VS
Sony ZV-1 II Sony ZV-1 II (2023) From £649 Best for Pocket vlogging View ZV-1 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 Value — Z5 II (2024): The most accessible full-frame mirrorless — dual card slots, weather sealing, and Nikon colour at a sensible price.

Pocket Vlogging — ZV-1 II (2023): The best pocket vlogging camera — 1-inch sensor, ultrawide zoom, flip screen, and real-time Eye AF in a shirt pocket.

↓ 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

Z5 II (2024)

  • You want full-frame image quality at the lowest possible entry price
  • You shoot stills primarily — portrait, landscape, or travel
  • You're upgrading from a DSLR and want a familiar but thoroughly modern Nikon experience

ZV-1 II (2023)

  • You create vlog content solo and want reliable face tracking in a genuinely portable camera
  • You want a wide zoom range for shooting variety without ever changing lenses
  • You want clearly better image quality and stabilisation than a smartphone, simply packaged

Quick take: The z5 ii has the highest resolution at 24mp; the zv-1 ii is the most affordable; only the canon eos r3, z5 ii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification Canon EOS R3 (2021)Z5 II (2024)ZV-1 II (2023)
Price £5,999 £1,299 £649
Sensor 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS 24.5MP Full-frame BSI CMOS 20.1MP 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS
Resolution 24.1MP 24.5MP 20.1MP
Video 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p 4K/30p oversampled, 1080p/120p, N-Log 4K/30p, 1080p/120p
Autofocus Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF Phase-detect, 273 points, subject detection (human/animal/vehicle) Phase-detect + contrast, 315 points, Real-time Eye AF
Stabilisation 8-stop IBIS 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops Optical SteadyShot (OIS)
Burst Rate 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical 14fps mechanical, 30fps electronic 15fps
Battery Life 620 shots (CIPA) ~470 shots (CIPA) ~260 shots (CIPA)
Weight 1015g body only 700g body only 292g
Dimensions 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm 134.0 × 100.5 × 69.9mm 105.5 × 60.0 × 43.5mm
Weather Sealed Yes Yes No
Viewfinder 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification None
Screen 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen 3.2" tilting touchscreen 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen
Mount Canon RF Nikon Z-mount (full-frame) Fixed zoom — 18–50mm f/1.8–4.0 equiv
Memory Cards Dual CFexpress Type B Dual SD UHS-II slots Single SD UHS-I slot
Connectivity USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN USB-C 3.2, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic input
⚡ Compare specs side by side Canon EOS R3 prices → Z5 II prices → ZV-1 II prices →

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