EOS M3vs Nikon Z9
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 & Wildlife — Nikon Z9 (2021): The Z9 redefined what professional mirrorless could be — no mechanical shutter, 45MP stacked BSI, and 8K RAW in the most rugged Z body.
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
Nikon Z9 (2021)
- Professional sports, wildlife and photojournalism photographers
- Nikon D6 or D850 users making the final switch to mirrorless
- Those who need the fastest, most reliable AF Nikon has ever made
- Professionals who need a flagship body with no mechanical shutter
Quick take: The nikon z9 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the eos m3 is the most affordable; only the nikon z9 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M3 (2015) | Nikon Z9 (2021) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £150 | £5,499 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 45.7MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 45.7MP |
| Video | 1080p/30p | 8K/30p RAW, 4K/120p, ProRes RAW |
| Autofocus | Hybrid CMOS AF III (phase-detect + contrast-detect) | Subject detection AF, 493-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | — | 6-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 4.2fps | 20fps RAW / 120fps JPEG |
| Battery Life | ~250 shots (CIPA) | 740 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 366g (body only) | 1340g body only |
| Dimensions | 110.9 × 68.0 × 44.4mm | 149.0 × 149.5 × 90.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF-DC1 accessory) | 0.5" Quad-VGA OLED EVF, 3.69M dots, 120fps |
| Screen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.2" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Nikon Z-mount |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual CFexpress Type B / XQD |
| Connectivity | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M3 | Nikon Z9 |
|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Photojournalism | — | |
| 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