Canon EOS R3vs EOS R5vs EOS RP
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.
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
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 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 r5 has the highest resolution at 45mp; the eos rp 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 RP (2019) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £2,499 | £799 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 45MP Full-Frame CMOS | 26.2MP Full-Frame CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 45.0MP | 26.2MP |
| Video | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 8K RAW/30p, 4K/120p, 1080p/120p | 4K/24p (with 1.7× crop), 1080p/60p |
| 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, 4779 manually selectable positions |
| 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 | 5fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | 620 shots (CIPA) | ~320 shots (CIPA) | ~250 shots (CIPA) — very limited |
| Weight | 1015g body only | 650g (with battery) | 485g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 138.5 × 97.5 × 88mm | 132.5 × 85.0 × 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, 0.70× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.15" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.04M dots |
| Mount | Canon RF | Canon RF mount | Canon RF-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | CFexpress Type B + SD UHS-II | Single SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, HDMI | USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Canon EOS R3 | EOS R5 | EOS RP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | — | |
| Wildlife | |||
| Photojournalism | — | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | — | |
| Travel | — | ||
| Portrait | — | ||
| Sports | — | — | |
| Landscape | — | — | |
| Wedding | — | — | |
| Street | — | — | |
| 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