EOS R8vs Pentax K-3 Mark IIIvs A7C II

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Canon EOS R8 Canon EOS R8 (2023) From £1099 Best for Full-frame entry View EOS R8
VS
Pentax Pentax K-3 Mark III Pentax Pentax K-3 Mark III (2021) From £1699 Best for DSLR enthusiasts & outdoor photographers View Pentax K-3 Mark III
VS
Sony A7C II Sony A7C II (2023) From £1499 Best for Full-frame hybrid View A7C II

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.

Dslr Enthusiasts & Outdoor Photographers — Pentax K-3 Mark III (2021): The finest APS-C DSLR ever made — class-leading weather sealing, optical viewfinder, 5-axis IBIS, and extraordinary build for photographers committed to DSLR.

Full-Frame Hybrid — A7C II (2023): Full-frame AI autofocus in the most compact body available — the best camera under £1,500 for hybrid shooters.

↓ 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

Pentax K-3 Mark III (2021)

  • You're a committed DSLR photographer with significant investment in Pentax glass
  • You shoot in extreme weather conditions and place build quality and reliability above everything
  • You prefer optical viewfinder performance and want the best modern APS-C DSLR available

A7C II (2023)

  • You want full-frame image quality in the most compact body possible
  • You travel constantly and need a serious camera that doesn't weigh down your bag
  • You're a portrait or lifestyle photographer who shoots on the move
  • You create content for social media or YouTube and want full-frame quality in a vlog-friendly form

Quick take: The a7c ii has the highest resolution at 33mp; the eos r8 is the most affordable; only the pentax k-3 mark iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification EOS R8 (2023)Pentax K-3 Mark III (2021)A7C II (2023)
Price £1,099 £1,699 £1,499
Sensor 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS 25.7MP APS-C BSI CMOS (AA-filterless) 33MP Full-frame Exmor R BSI CMOS
Resolution 24.2MP 25.7MP 33.0MP
Video 4K/60p oversampled 10-bit, FHD/180p 4K/30p, 1080p/60p 4K/60p oversampled, S-Log3, 10-bit internal
Autofocus Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 1053 zones, eye/face/subject tracking SAFOX 13 phase-detect, 101-point (25 cross-type) 759-point phase-detect, AI subject recognition
Stabilisation None (no IBIS) 5.5-stop 5-axis IBIS (Shake Reduction III) 5-axis IBIS, 7.0 stops
Burst Rate 6fps mechanical, 40fps electronic 12fps 10fps mechanical, 30fps electronic
Battery Life ~220 shots (CIPA) 800 shots (CIPA) ~530 shots (CIPA)
Weight 461g body only 820g body only 514g body only
Dimensions 132.5 × 86.1 × 70.0mm 134.5 × 103.5 × 73.5mm 124.0 × 71.1 × 63.4mm
Weather Sealed No Yes No
Viewfinder EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 1.05× magnification EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification
Screen 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen 3.2" tilting touchscreen 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen
Mount Canon RF mount (full-frame) Pentax KF-mount Sony FE (full-frame E-mount)
Memory Cards Single SD UHS-II slot Dual SD UHS-II Dual slots: SD UHS-II + CFexpress Type A
Connectivity USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth USB-C (3.2), Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
⚡ Compare specs side by side EOS R8 prices → Pentax K-3 Mark III prices → A7C II prices →

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