EOS M3vs D5
Nikon
D5 (2016)
Starting from £1800 new
Best for Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife
View D5
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Casual & Everyday — EOS M3 (2015): The EOS M3 was a meaningful upgrade over the original EOS M — bringing 24MP, a tilting touchscreen, and improved Hybrid CMOS AF III. Video tops out at 1080p/30p and burst shooting is modest, but for stills photographers wanting affordable APS-C quality, the M3 is a competent used-market option.
Professional Sports, Photojournalism & Wildlife — D5 (2016): Nikon's ultimate pro DSLR and a certified space traveller — the D5's 153-point AF, 12fps, and ISO 3,280,000 made it the weapon of choice for Olympic and space photography.
Who should buy what
EOS M3 (2015)
- Photographers who want affordable 24MP APS-C quality on a budget
- Casual shooters who want a compact EF-M camera with a tilting screen
- Users looking for an affordable entry into the Canon EF-M ecosystem
- Used-market buyers wanting a capable but inexpensive mirrorless
D5 (2016)
- Sports and wildlife photographers with an F-mount telephoto investment
- Photojournalists who need the fastest, most reliable DSLR AF available
- Nikon system professionals looking for a flagship body at used prices
- Collectors of cameras with a documented space pedigree
Quick take: The eos m3 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the eos m3 is the most affordable; only the d5 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M3 (2015) | D5 (2016) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £150 | £1,800 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 20.8MP full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 20.8MP |
| Video | 1080p/30p | 4K UHD 30fps (heavy sensor crop) |
| Autofocus | Hybrid CMOS AF III (phase-detect + contrast-detect) | Multi-CAM 20K 153-point AF system, 99 cross-type |
| Burst Rate | 4.2fps | 12fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~250 shots (CIPA) | ~3780 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 366g (body only) | 1405g (body only) |
| Dimensions | 110.9 × 68.0 × 44.4mm | 160 × 158.5 × 92mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF-DC1 accessory) | OVF 0.72× magnification, 100% coverage |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Nikon F mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual XQD slots (XQD variant) |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Ethernet (RJ-45), USB 3.0 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M3 | D5 |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Street | ||
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Landscape | — |
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