Canon EOS R3vs Z5 IIvs Z50 II

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Canon Canon EOS R3 Canon Canon EOS R3 (2021) From £5999 Best for Sports & photojournalism professionals View Canon EOS R3
VS
Nikon Z5 II Nikon Z5 II (2024) From £1299 Best for Full-frame value View Z5 II
VS
Nikon Z50 II Nikon Z50 II (2024) From £899 Best for All-round photography View Z50 II

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.

Full-Frame Value — Z5 II (2024): The most accessible full-frame mirrorless — dual card slots, weather sealing, and Nikon colour at a sensible price.

All-Round Photography — Z50 II (2024): Nikon's updated APS-C body with 4K/60p, improved subject tracking, and a vari-angle screen — a solid all-rounder.

↓ Full specifications below

Canon EOS R3 (2021)

  • You shoot sport, motorsport, wildlife, or news at a professional level
  • You need Canon's most reliable and fastest autofocus available
  • You need extreme weather sealing for demanding shooting conditions

Z5 II (2024)

  • You want full-frame image quality at the lowest possible entry price
  • You shoot stills primarily — portrait, landscape, or travel
  • You're upgrading from a DSLR and want a familiar but thoroughly modern Nikon experience

Z50 II (2024)

  • You want a capable APS-C camera for travel, street, or everyday shooting
  • You want improved autofocus over older Nikon APS-C bodies like the Z50 or Zfc
  • You want a compact Nikon mirrorless body that uses the full Z lens system

Quick take: The z5 ii has the highest resolution at 24mp; the z50 ii is the most affordable; only the canon eos r3, z5 ii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification Canon EOS R3 (2021)Z5 II (2024)Z50 II (2024)
Price £5,999 £1,299 £899
Sensor 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS 24.5MP Full-frame BSI CMOS 20.9MP APS-C CMOS
Resolution 24.1MP 24.5MP 20.9MP
Video 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p 4K/30p oversampled, 1080p/120p, N-Log 4K/60p uncropped, 1080p/120p, N-Log
Autofocus Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF Phase-detect, 273 points, subject detection (human/animal/vehicle) Phase-detect, 249 points, subject detection (human/animal/vehicle)
Stabilisation 8-stop IBIS 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops None (no IBIS)
Burst Rate 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical 14fps mechanical, 30fps electronic 11fps mechanical, 30fps electronic
Battery Life 620 shots (CIPA) ~470 shots (CIPA) ~330 shots (CIPA)
Weight 1015g body only 700g body only 385g body only
Dimensions 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm 134.0 × 100.5 × 69.9mm 127.0 × 96.8 × 66.5mm
Weather Sealed Yes Yes No
Viewfinder 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.80× magnification EVF, 2.36M dots
Screen 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen 3.2" tilting touchscreen 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen
Mount Canon RF Nikon Z-mount (full-frame) Nikon Z-mount
Memory Cards Dual CFexpress Type B Dual SD UHS-II slots Single SD UHS-I slot
Connectivity USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN USB-C 3.2, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi
⚡ Compare specs side by side Canon EOS R3 prices → Z5 II prices → Z50 II prices →

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