Canon EOS R3vs OM-D E-M5 Mark II
Canon
Canon EOS R3 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & photojournalism professionals
View Canon EOS R3
Olympus
OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015)
Starting from £350 new
Best for Travel & Landscape
View OM-D E-M5 Mark II
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.
Travel & Landscape — OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015): The E-M5 II was the benchmark weather-sealed travel camera of its generation. The 16MP sensor is modest by today's standards but excellent in practice, and the 5-axis IBIS is genuinely useful. Weather sealing, a flip screen, and a high-res composite mode make it a practical companion. A highly capable used-market buy for travel and outdoor photographers who don't need the latest resolution numbers.
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
OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015)
- Travel photographers wanting compact + weather sealing
- Outdoor and landscape shooters
- Micro Four Thirds system users
Quick take: The canon eos r3 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the om-d e-m5 mark ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Canon EOS R3 (2021) | OM-D E-M5 Mark II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £350 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 16MP Micro Four Thirds Live MOS |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 16.0MP |
| Video | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 1080p/60p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF | Contrast-detect AF, face detection |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS | 5-axis IBIS, 5.0 stops |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical | 10fps |
| Battery Life | 620 shots (CIPA) | ~310 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1015g body only | 417g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 123.7 × 85.0 × 44.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | Electronic, 2.36M dots, 0.74× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots |
| Mount | Canon RF | Micro Four Thirds |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Single SD UHS-I slot |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB 2.0, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Canon EOS R3 | OM-D E-M5 Mark II |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | ||
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Landscape | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Macro | — | |
| Astrophotography | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with Canon EOS R3
Camera family history