Canon EOS R3vs EOS R5vs EOS R8
Canon
Canon EOS R3 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & photojournalism professionals
View Canon EOS R3
Canon
EOS R5 (2020)
Starting from £2499 new
Best for Professional hybrid shooters, portrait & wildlife
View EOS R5
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Sports & Photojournalism Professionals — Canon EOS R3 (2021): The pinnacle of Canon's mirrorless lineup for speed — Eye Control AF and 30fps burst in the most rugged body Canon has ever produced.
Professional Hybrid Shooters, Portrait & Wildlife — EOS R5 (2020): A landmark camera — 8K video and 45MP in one body set the standard for what mirrorless could be.
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.
Who should buy what
Canon EOS R3 (2021)
- Professional sports and photojournalism photographers
- Canon users who need the fastest burst and most reliable AF in the system
- R5 users who want a pro-grade grip and faster shooting speed
- Event photographers who need eye-controlled AF and dual card slots
EOS R5 (2020)
- Professional photographers who need both resolution and video in one body
- Wildlife and sports photographers who want top AF with 20fps burst
- Hybrid shooters who need 8K or 4K/120p alongside high-resolution stills
- R5 Mark II buyers on a budget — the R5 still delivers exceptional results
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
Quick take: The eos r5 has the highest resolution at 45mp; the eos r8 is the most affordable; only the canon eos r3, eos r5 are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Canon EOS R3 (2021) | EOS R5 (2020) | EOS R8 (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £2,499 | £1,099 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 45MP Full-Frame CMOS | 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 45.0MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 8K RAW/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/120p | 4K/60p oversampled 10-bit, FHD/180p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II — 1053 AF zones, subject/animal detection | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 1053 zones, eye/face/subject tracking |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS | IBIS — up to 8 stops combined with IS lenses | None (no IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical | 12fps mechanical, 20fps electronic | 6fps mechanical, 40fps electronic |
| Battery Life | 620 shots (CIPA) | ~320 shots (CIPA) | ~220 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1015g body only | 650g (with battery) | 461g body only |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 138.5 × 97.5 × 88mm | 132.5 × 86.1 × 70.0mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | No |
| Viewfinder | 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | EVF, 5.76M dots, 0.76× magnification | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.15" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF | Canon RF mount | Canon RF mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | CFexpress Type B + SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-II slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Canon EOS R3 | EOS R5 | EOS R8 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Wildlife | — | ||
| Photojournalism | — | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | |||
| Wedding & Events | — | ||
| Travel | — | — | |
| Portrait | — | ||
| Sports | — | — | |
| Landscape | — | ||
| Wedding | — | — | |
| Street | — | — |
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