Canon EOS R3vs A7R II
Canon
Canon EOS R3 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & photojournalism professionals
View Canon EOS R3
Sony
A7R II (2015)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Portrait, landscape & studio photography
View A7R 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.
Portrait, Landscape & Studio Photography — A7R II (2015): The A7R II transformed the A7R series — adding IBIS, 4K video, BSI sensor tech, and phase-detect AF in one generation. A landmark Sony camera.
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
A7R II (2015)
- Landscape and architecture photographers who want 42MP with IBIS for handheld shooting
- Portrait and studio photographers who need high resolution with improved AF reliability
- Sony FE system users who want a capable high-resolution body at a used price
- A7R I owners who need the stabilisation, 4K, and improved AF the original lacked
Quick take: The a7r ii has the highest resolution at 42mp; the a7r ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Canon EOS R3 (2021) | A7R II (2015) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £799 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 42.4MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS Exmor R |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 4K/30p (S35 or full-frame), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF | 399 phase-detect + 25 contrast-detect AF points, face detection |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 4.5 stops (first A7R with IBIS) |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical | 5fps |
| Battery Life | 620 shots (CIPA) | ~290 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1015g body only | 625g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 126.9 × 95.7 × 60.3mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | EVF, OLED 2.36M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" tilting LCD, 1.23M dots (no touch) |
| Mount | Canon RF | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| 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, Wi-Fi, NFC |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Canon EOS R3 | A7R II |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — | |
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | ||
| Portrait | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Architecture | — |
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