Canon EOS R vs Nikon D800

This is a full comparison between the cameras Canon EOS R and Nikon D800. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Canon EOS R

Nikon D800

Manufacturing

Canon EOS R is manufacturered by Canon but Nikon D800 is from Nikon. Both Canon and Nikon are well known brands though.

Canon EOS R were released 2018 and Nikon D800 was released 2012. That is a 6 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera	Released
Canon EOS R	2018
Nikon D800	2012

Type of camera

Canon EOS R is a Mirrorless camera while Nikon D800 is a DSLR camera. More information about their differences will come soon.

Sensors / crop factor

Even though the camera sensors might be called differently they are both considered Full frame which means that the focal length of the lenses is not affected. There is no crop factor on any of these cameras and sensors.

Camera	Focal length, 50mm f/1.8 **
Canon EOS R	50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Nikon D800	50 mm Full-frame sensor No crop factor/focal length multiplier

** Experienced focal length when using a lens such as a common "50mm f/1.8"

Learn more about crop factor and focal length multiplier here:
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Nikon)

Resolution

Canon EOS R has a 30 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Nikon D800 has 36,3 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera	Megapixels
Canon EOS R	30 MP 30105600 pixels 6720 x 4480
Nikon D800	36,3 MP 36152320 pixels 7360 x 4912

Nikon D800 has a 20 % larger resolution than Canon EOS R. This could give you more details in the picture but also a possibility to crop more in the pictures, afterward while editing the pictures, if needed that is.

ISO range

Canon EOS R has a larger ISO-range than Nikon D800. Canon EOS R has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 40000 while Nikon D800 has 100 to 25600.

Camera	ISO Range
Canon EOS R	100-40000
Nikon D800	100-25600

Autofocus and lens compatibility

Both of these cameras have a built-in autofocus motor. Some lenses, that support autofocus, do not have an autofocus motor of their own but this won't cause any problems with these two cameras.

Worth mentioning is that Canon EOS R belongs to the Canon EOS R-system and needs an adapter to work with Canons EF, EF-S, MP-E, and TS-E lenses. You can read more about this adapter here:
Canon Lens Mount Adapter EF-EOS R

Here is a complete overview of which lenses work with each camera:
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS R
Lens compatibility chart for Nikon D800

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Canon EOS R can shoot up to 8 pictures per seconds and Nikon D800 can shoot up to 6 pictures per seconds.

Camera	FPS (Frames per second)
Canon EOS R	8
Nikon D800	6

Ability to record movies

It is becoming more and more popular to record movies with digital cameras.

In this case, both Canon EOS R and Nikon D800 can shoot movies.

Weight

The weight of the camera can be an extremely important factor, especially if the camera is about to be used, or carried around, for several hours at a time.

Nikon D800 weighs 900 gr (equal to 1.98 lb) which is 36% heavier than Canon EOS R and its 660 gr (or 1.46 lb).

Camera	Weight
Canon EOS R	660 gr 1.46 lb
Nikon D800	900 gr 1.98 lb