EOS R8vs A9 II
Sony
A9 II (2019)
Starting from £3299 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & photojournalism
View A9 II
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
Full-Frame Entry — EOS R8 (2023): Canon's most affordable full-frame mirrorless — 4K/60p 10-bit and class-leading Dual Pixel AF at an accessible entry price.
Professional Sports, Wildlife & Photojournalism — A9 II (2019): The A9 II polished the A9's groundbreaking formula — 20fps blackout-free, improved subject tracking, and a LAN port made it the professional sports standard.
Who should buy what
EOS R8 (2023)
- Photographers wanting full-frame image quality at the lowest RF price
- EOS RP owners upgrading to better autofocus and modern video specs
- Beginners who want to start on full-frame without overspending
- Travel photographers who want a lightweight full-frame RF body
A9 II (2019)
- Sports photographers who need 20fps with reliable eye and body tracking
- Photojournalists who need LAN transfer and instant wireless file delivery
- Wildlife photographers who want the fastest Sony AF in a proven body
- A9 owners who need the improved ergonomics, weather sealing, and Ethernet
Quick take: The eos r8 is the most affordable; only the a9 ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R8 (2023) | A9 II (2019) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £1,099 | £3,299 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked BSI CMOS Exmor RS |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 4K/60p oversampled 10-bit, FHD/180p | 4K/30p, 1080p/120p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 1053 zones, eye/face/subject tracking | 693 phase-detect + 425 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking |
| Stabilisation | None (no IBIS) | IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 6fps mechanical, 40fps electronic | 20fps (blackout-free with full AF/AE) |
| Battery Life | ~220 shots (CIPA) | ~500 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 461g body only | 678g (with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 132.5 × 86.1 × 70.0mm | 128.9 × 96.4 × 77.5mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× | EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" tilting touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF mount (full-frame) | Sony FE (full-frame E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Single SD UHS-II slot | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi | USB-C, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet (LAN), HDMI |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS R8 | A9 II |
|---|---|---|
| Portrait | ||
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Street | — | |
| Wedding & Events | ||
| Landscape | ||
| Sports & Action | ||
| Wildlife | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
More comparisons with EOS R8
Camera family history