EOS-1D X Mark IIIvs EOS R8vs EOS RP
Canon
EOS-1D X Mark III (2020)
Starting from £3500 new
Best for Professional Sports, Wildlife & Press Photography
View EOS-1D X Mark III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Professional Sports, Wildlife & Press Photography — EOS-1D X Mark III (2020): Canon's DSLR masterpiece — 20fps live view, 5.5K RAW, 191 cross-type AF points, and dual CFexpress. Almost certainly the finest optical viewfinder camera ever made.
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.
Who should buy what
EOS-1D X Mark III (2020)
- Sports and wildlife photographers with a Canon EF lens collection
- Professionals who prefer the optical viewfinder experience
- Press photographers who need 20fps, weather sealing, and Ethernet
- Canon historians who want to mark the end of the EOS-1D DSLR era
EOS R8 (2023)
- Photographers wanting full-frame image quality at the lowest RF price
- EOS RP owners upgrading to better autofocus and modern video specs
- Beginners who want to start on full-frame without overspending
- Travel photographers who want a lightweight full-frame RF body
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
Quick take: The eos rp has the highest resolution at 26mp; the eos rp is the most affordable; only the eos-1d x mark iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS-1D X Mark III (2020) | EOS R8 (2023) | EOS RP (2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,500 | £1,099 | £799 |
| Sensor | 20.1MP full-frame CMOS | 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS | 26.2MP Full-Frame CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.1MP | 24.2MP | 26.2MP |
| Video | 5.5K RAW, 4K 60fps (crop), 4K 60fps (full-frame via firmware) | 4K/60p oversampled 10-bit, FHD/180p | 4K/24p (with 1.7× crop), 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | 191-point all cross-type OVF AF; 525-point Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Live View) | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 1053 zones, eye/face/subject tracking | Dual Pixel CMOS AF, 4779 manually selectable positions |
| Stabilisation | — | None (no IBIS) | None (no IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 16fps mechanical, 20fps live view | 6fps mechanical, 40fps electronic | 5fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~2850 shots (CIPA) | ~220 shots (CIPA) | ~250 shots (CIPA) — very limited |
| Weight | 1250g (body only) | 461g body only | 485g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 158 × 167.6 × 82.6mm | 132.5 × 86.1 × 70.0mm | 132.5 × 85.0 × 70.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | No | No |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.76× magnification, 100% coverage | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 4.15M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.04M dots |
| Mount | Canon EF | Canon RF mount (full-frame) | Canon RF-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B slots | Single SD UHS-II slot | Single SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, Ethernet | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS-1D X Mark III | EOS R8 | EOS RP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Wildlife | — | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | ||
| Portrait | |||
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Street | |||
| Landscape | — | ||
| Travel | — | — | |
| Video | — | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history