Canon EOS R3vs Nikon Z9vs A7C
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.
Professional Sports & Wildlife — Nikon Z9 (2021): The Z9 redefined what professional mirrorless could be — no mechanical shutter, 45MP stacked BSI, and 8K RAW in the most rugged Z body.
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.
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
Nikon Z9 (2021)
- You shoot professionally and need a camera body that handles everything without compromise
- You're a sports, wildlife, or commercial photographer who demands the absolute best
- You want a camera body that will remain state-of-the-art for the next decade
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 nikon z9 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the a7c is the most affordable; only the canon eos r3, nikon z9 are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Canon EOS R3 (2021) | Nikon Z9 (2021) | A7C (2020) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £5,499 | £1,299 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 45.7MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW | 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion, S-Log2/S-Log3 |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS | 6-stop IBIS | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | 620 shots (CIPA) | 740 shots (CIPA) | ~740 shots (CIPA) — outstanding for a Sony mirrorless |
| Weight | 1015g body only | 1340g body only | 509g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm | 124.0 × 71.1 × 59.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps | None built-in — use rear screen or accessory EVF |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 921k dots |
| Mount | Canon RF | Nikon Z-mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD | Single SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC |
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