Canon EOS R3vs A7Cvs ZV-1 II
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.
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.
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.
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
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
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 a7c has the highest resolution at 24mp; the zv-1 ii is the most affordable; only the canon eos r3 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Canon EOS R3 (2021) | A7C (2020) | ZV-1 II (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £1,299 | £649 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Exmor R BSI CMOS | 20.1MP 1-inch Exmor RS CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 24.2MP | 20.1MP |
| Video | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 4K/30p (oversampled), 1080p/120p slow-motion, S-Log2/S-Log3 | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF | Phase-detect, 693 points, real-time Eye AF & animal AF | Phase-detect + contrast, 315 points, Real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS | 5-axis IBIS, 5 stops | Optical SteadyShot (OIS) |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical | 10fps with AF/AE tracking | 15fps |
| Battery Life | 620 shots (CIPA) | ~740 shots (CIPA) — outstanding for a Sony mirrorless | ~260 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1015g body only | 509g (body, battery, card) | 292g |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 124.0 × 71.1 × 59.7mm | 105.5 × 60.0 × 43.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No | No |
| Viewfinder | 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | None built-in — use rear screen or accessory EVF | None |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 921k dots | 3.0" fully tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF | Sony E-mount | Fixed zoom — 18–50mm f/1.8–4.0 equiv |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Single SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, NFC | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic input |
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