Canon EOS R3vs D850
Canon
Canon EOS R3 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & photojournalism professionals
View Canon EOS R3
Nikon
D850 (2017)
Starting from £2199 new
Best for Landscape, wildlife & professional studio photography
View D850
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.
Landscape, Wildlife & Professional Studio Photography — D850 (2017): The finest DSLR ever made — 45MP, 9fps, and nearly 2000 shots per charge in a body that still outperforms most mirrorless cameras for 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
D850 (2017)
- Nikon F-mount lens owners who want the highest resolution DSLR before switching to mirrorless
- Landscape and wildlife photographers who value the optical viewfinder and outstanding battery life
- Professional photographers who need 45MP resolution without the price of a medium format system
- Photojournalists and event photographers with a large F-mount lens investment
Quick take: The d850 has the highest resolution at 46mp; the d850 is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Canon EOS R3 (2021) | D850 (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £2,199 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 45.7MP full-frame BSI-CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 45.7MP |
| Video | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 4K UHD/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF | 153-point AF system (99 cross-type) — Multi-CAM 20K |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS | None (relies on VR lenses) |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical | 9fps (7fps with tilt screen AF) |
| Battery Life | 620 shots (CIPA) | ~1840 shots (CIPA) — outstanding |
| Weight | 1015g body only | 915g body only |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 146 × 124 × 78.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | Optical pentaprism — 0.75× magnification, 100% coverage |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.2" tilting touchscreen, 2.36M dots |
| Mount | Canon RF | Nikon F mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Dual slots — XQD and SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB 3.0, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic & headphone jacks |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Canon EOS R3 | D850 |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Sports | — |
More comparisons with Canon EOS R3
Camera family history