Canon EOS R3vs Z6 IIvs 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.
All-Round Full-Frame Photography — Z6 II (2020): The Z6 II is the Nikon most photographers should buy. It's balanced across every discipline — stills, video, autofocus, weather sealing — without overpaying for megapixels you don't need. The Z-mount glass is superb.
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
Z6 II (2020)
- Nikon DSLR users ready to move to mirrorless
- Photographers who need a reliable all-rounder without specialising
- Video creators wanting 4K/60p in a weather-sealed body
- Enthusiasts who shoot everything from portraits to travel
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 z6 ii has the highest resolution at 24mp; the a6400 is the most affordable; only the canon eos r3, z6 ii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Canon EOS R3 (2021) | Z6 II (2020) | A6400 (2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £1,699 | £899 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 24.5MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C Exmor CMOS BSI |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 24.5MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 4K/60p, 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion | 4K/30p (6K oversampled, no crop), 1080p/120p slow-motion |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF | Phase-detect, 273 points, Eye AF, subject tracking | Phase-detect, 425 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops (up to 6 stops with VR lenses) | None (no IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical | 14fps mechanical, 14fps electronic (12-bit RAW) | 11fps mechanical, 8fps with AF tracking |
| Battery Life | 620 shots (CIPA) | ~410 shots (CIPA) | ~410 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1015g body only | 705g (body, battery, card) | 403g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 134.0 × 100.5 × 69.5mm | 120.0 × 66.9 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.1M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 180° flip for selfie/vlog, 921k dots |
| Mount | Canon RF | Nikon Z-mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Dual card: 1× CFexpress Type B / XQD + 1× SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | Micro-USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
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