Canon EOS R3vs A7R III
Canon
Canon EOS R3 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & photojournalism professionals
View Canon EOS R3
VS
Sony
A7R III (2017)
Starting from £1799 new
Best for Landscape, studio & commercial photography
View A7R III
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, Studio & Commercial Photography — A7R III (2017): The camera that converted professionals to mirrorless — 42MP, IBIS, and 10fps in a body that still competes today.
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 III (2017)
- Landscape and studio photographers who need 42MP resolution at a used-price discount vs A7R IV
- Canon/Nikon DSLR professionals considering a mirrorless switch at a lower investment
- Commercial and product photographers who want full-frame resolution with IBIS for handheld work
- Portrait photographers who want the sharpest possible full-frame files for large print work
Quick take: The a7r iii has the highest resolution at 42mp; the a7r iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Canon EOS R3 (2021) | A7R III (2017) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £1,799 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 42.4MP full-frame BSI Exmor R CMOS |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 42.4MP |
| Video | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 4K/30p (full-frame readout), 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF | 399 phase-detect + 425 contrast AF points — real-time Eye AF |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS | 5-axis IBIS — 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical | 10fps with AF/AE tracking |
| Battery Life | 620 shots (CIPA) | ~650 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1015g body only | 650g body only |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 126.9 × 95.6 × 73.7mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting |
| Mount | Canon RF | Sony FE mount (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Dual SD slots (one UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | Canon EOS R3 | A7R III |
|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wildlife | — | |
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | — | |
| Landscape | — | |
| Portrait | — | |
| Wedding | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Sports | — |
More comparisons with Canon EOS R3
Camera family history