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EOS R8vs A9

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Canon EOS R8 Canon EOS R8 (2023) Starting from £1099 new Best for Full-frame entry View EOS R8
VS
Sony A9 Sony A9 (2017) Starting from £1999 new Best for Professional sports, wildlife & action photography View A9

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 & Action Photography — A9 (2017): The camera that changed professional photography — the A9's 20fps blackout-free burst and silent shutter proved mirrorless had definitively surpassed the DSLR.

↓ Full specifications below

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 (2017)

  • Sports photographers who want the original 20fps mirrorless at a lower used price than the A9 II
  • Wildlife photographers who need blackout-free burst with fast, reliable tracking
  • Sony FE system users who want a professional sports body
  • Photographers interested in the camera that changed the industry

Quick take: The eos r8 is the most affordable; only the a9 is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification EOS R8 (2023)A9 (2017)
Price £1,099 £1,999
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 + 25 contrast-detect, real-time eye/body tracking
Stabilisation None (no IBIS) IBIS — 5-axis, up to 5 stops
Burst Rate 6fps mechanical, 40fps electronic 20fps (blackout-free, silent electronic shutter with full AF/AE)
Battery Life ~220 shots (CIPA) ~650 shots (CIPA)
Weight 461g body only 673g (with battery and card)
Dimensions 132.5 × 86.1 × 70.0mm 126.9 × 95.6 × 63.0mm
Weather Sealed No Yes
Viewfinder EVF, 2.36M dots, 0.59× EVF, OLED 3.69M dots, 0.78× magnification, 60fps refresh (blackout-free)
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, Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth, HDMI
Genre EOS R8A9
Portrait
9.0
9.0
Vlogging & Video
9.0
4.0
Street
9.0
Wedding & Events
7.0
9.0
Landscape
7.0
Sports & Action
4.0
9.0
Wildlife
9.0
Travel
7.0

GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →

⚡ Compare specs side by side EOS R8 prices → A9 prices →

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