EOS R8vs EOS RPvs Olympus OM-D E-M5 III

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Canon EOS R8 Canon EOS R8 (2023) From £1099 Best for Full-frame entry View EOS R8
VS
Canon EOS RP Canon EOS RP (2019) From £799 Best for Entry full-frame stills photography View EOS RP
VS
OM System Olympus OM-D E-M5 III OM System Olympus OM-D E-M5 III (2019) From £699 Best for Travel & lightweight outdoor photography View Olympus OM-D E-M5 III

Which should you buy?

Full-Frame Entry — EOS R8 (2023): Canon's most affordable full-frame mirrorless — 4K/60p 10-bit and class-leading Dual Pixel AF at an accessible entry price.

Entry Full-Frame Stills Photography — EOS RP (2019): An affordable gateway into the RF system. The RP makes sense as a stepping stone camera — if you're committed to Canon RF glass, this is the cheapest full-frame body to buy those lenses for. Just manage expectations on video and battery life.

Travel & Lightweight Outdoor Photography — Olympus OM-D E-M5 III (2019): The lightest weather-sealed MFT camera — compact, travel-friendly, and capable with 7.5-stop IBIS in a body that fits in a jacket pocket.

↓ Full specifications below

EOS R8 (2023)

  • You want full-frame image quality on a tight budget
  • You shoot mainly in good light and can live without built-in stabilisation
  • You primarily shoot stills with occasional video

EOS RP (2019)

  • Canon users who want to start investing in RF glass affordably
  • Stills photographers who shoot primarily in good light
  • Anyone coming from a Canon DSLR wanting the RF system at low cost
  • Travel photographers who prioritise compactness over video specs

Olympus OM-D E-M5 III (2019)

  • You want a lightweight, sealed camera for travel and outdoor photography
  • You're new to Micro Four Thirds and want a capable mid-range body with excellent stabilisation
  • Note: consider the newer OM-5 for updated specs in a similar compact form factor

Quick take: The eos rp has the highest resolution at 26mp; the olympus om-d e-m5 iii is the most affordable; only the olympus om-d e-m5 iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification EOS R8 (2023)EOS RP (2019)Olympus OM-D E-M5 III (2019)
Price £1,099 £799 £699
Sensor 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS 26.2MP Full-Frame CMOS 20.4MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS
Resolution 24.2MP 26.2MP 20.4MP
Video 4K/60p oversampled 10-bit, FHD/180p 4K/24p (with 1.7× crop), 1080p/60p 4K/30p, 1080p/120p
Autofocus Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 1053 zones, eye/face/subject tracking Dual Pixel CMOS AF, 4779 manually selectable positions Hybrid phase/contrast AF with face/eye detection
Stabilisation None (no IBIS) None (no IBIS) 7.5-stop 5-axis IBIS
Burst Rate 6fps mechanical, 40fps electronic 5fps mechanical 30fps electronic / 10fps mechanical
Battery Life ~220 shots (CIPA) ~250 shots (CIPA) — very limited 390 shots (CIPA)
Weight 461g body only 485g (body, battery, card) 414g body only
Dimensions 132.5 × 86.1 × 70.0mm 132.5 × 85.0 × 70.0mm 125.3 × 85.2 × 49.7mm
Weather Sealed No No Yes
Viewfinder EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification 0.35" OLED EVF, 2.36M dots
Screen 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.04M dots 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen
Mount Canon RF mount (full-frame) Canon RF-mount Micro Four Thirds
Memory Cards Single SD UHS-II slot Single SD UHS-II Single SD UHS-I
Connectivity USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth Micro USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
⚡ Compare specs side by side EOS R8 prices → EOS RP prices → Olympus OM-D E-M5 III prices →

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