Sony a9 II vs Canon EOS R3

This is a full comparison between the cameras Sony a9 II and Canon EOS R3. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Sony a9 II is manufacturered by Sony but Canon EOS R3 is from Canon. Both Sony and Canon are well known brands though.

Sony a9 II were released 2019 and Canon EOS R3 was released 2021. That is a 2 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Sony a9 II 2019
Canon EOS R3 2021

Type of camera

Both these cameras are Mirrorless cameras. No difference there.

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 **
Sony a9 II 50 mm
Full-frame sensor
No crop factor/focal length multiplier
Canon EOS R3 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 (Sony)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Both these cameras have the exact same resolution. Sony a9 II has a 24 MP (Megapixels) resolution while Canon EOS R3 has 24 MP. If we break down this in more detail this is the data behind the numbers:

Camera Megapixels
Sony a9 II 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000
Canon EOS R3 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000

ISO range

Canon EOS R3 has a larger ISO-range than Sony a9 II. Canon EOS R3 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 102400 while Sony a9 II has 100 to 51200.

Camera ISO Range
Sony a9 II 100-51200
Canon EOS R3 100-102400

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 R3 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 Sony a9 II
Lens compatibility chart for Canon EOS R3

Pictures per second

Depending on what you are shooting the FPS, or frames/pictures per second, can definitely be of interest. Sony a9 II can shoot up to 20 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS R3 can shoot up to 30 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Sony a9 II 20
Canon EOS R3 30

Ability to record movies

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

In this case, both Sony a9 II and Canon EOS R3 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.

Canon EOS R3 weighs 1015 gr (equal to 2.24 lb) which is 50% heavier than Sony a9 II and its 678 gr (or 1.49 lb).

Camera Weight
Sony a9 II 678 gr
1.49 lb
Canon EOS R3 1015 gr
2.24 lb

Sony a9 II vs Canon EOS R3 Specs

Below you will find the complete and detailed technical specs for both Sony a9 II and Canon EOS R3, next to each other. Each category of data is a link to an article covering the subject, giving you a deeper understanding so you can better understand the strengths and weaknesses of the two camera models.

Product
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS R3
Name Sony a9 II Canon EOS R3
Manufacturer Sony Canon
Release Date and Price
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS R3
Release Year 2019 2021
Release Date 2019-10-03 2021-04-14
MSRP 4499 USD 5999 USD
Buy it today
Camera Type
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS R3
Camera Type Mirrorless Mirrorless
Sensor
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS R3
Sensor Size Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm) Full Frame (approx 36 x 24 mm)
Sensor Type Stacked CMOS Stacked CMOS
Resolution 6000 x 4000 pixels 6000 x 4000 pixels
Megapixels 24 MP 24 MP
Image Processor Bionz X DIGIC X
Image
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS R3
ISO Range 100 - 51200 100 - 102400
White Balance Presets 9 6
Custom White Balance Yes No
Image Stabilization Yes
(Sensor-Shift (5-axis))
Yes
(Sensor-Shift)
Image Stabilization CIPA Rating 5.5 stops 0 stops
Uncompressed format RAW RAW
Optics & Focus
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS R3
Autofocus Motor Yes Yes
Autofocus Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Contract Detect (sensor)
Phase Detect
Multi Area
Center
Selective Single Point
Tracking
Single
Continuous
Touch
Face Detection
LiveView
Focus Points 693 1053
Lens Mount Sony E

See Compatible Lenses
Canon RF

See Compatible Lenses
Focal Length Multiplier Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
Full frame
No multiplier
Example:
24 mm remains 24 mm
50 mm remains 50 mm
100 mm remains 100 mm
200 mm remains 200 mm
Screen & Viewfinder
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS R3
Articulated LCD Tilting Fully articulated
Screen size 3” 3.2”
Screen dots 1440000 4150000
Touch screen Yes Yes
Screen type TFT LCD TFT LCD
Live view Yes Yes
Viewfinder Type Electronic Electronic
Viewfinder Coverage 100% 100%
Viewfinder Magnification 0.78x 0.76×
Viewfinder Resolution 3686400 5760000
Photography features
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS R3
Frames per second 20 fps 30 fps
Minimum Shutter Speed 30 seconds 30 seconds
Maximum Shutter Speed 1/8000 seconds 1/8000 seconds
Built-in Flash No No
Built-in Flash Range N/A N/A
External Flash Yes Yes
Self-Timer Yes Yes
Time-lapse Yes Yes
Metering modes Multi
Center Weighted
Highlight Weighted
Spot
Average
Multi
Center Weighted
Spot
Partial
Exposure Compensation +/- 5 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) +/- 3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps)
Videography features
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS R3
Video recording Yes Yes
Video format MPEG4
H.264
AVCHD
MPEG4
H.264
H.265
Video resolution 1280 x 720
1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
1920 x 1080
3840 x 2160
4096 x 2160
Built-in Microphone Yes Yes
Built-in Speakers Yes Yes
Storage
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS R3
Memory Card SD/SDHC
Compact Flash Express
SD/SDHC
Connectivity
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS R3
HDMI Output Yes Yes
Microphone Port Yes Yes
Headphone Port Yes Yes
Wireless Yes
Built-in (802.11ac + NFC + Bluetooth)
Yes
Built-in (802.11ac + Bluetooth)
Remote Control Yes (Wired or wireless) Yes (via smartphone)
GPS No Yes
Built-in
Body & Dimensions
Sony a9 II
Canon EOS R3
Enviromentally sealed Yes Yes
Battery Battery Pack Built-in
Battery Details NP-FZ100
LP-E19 lithium-ion battery & charger
Battery Life (CIPA) 690 shots 760 shots
Width 129 mm 150 mm
Height 96 mm 143 mm
Depth 76 mm 87 mm
Weight 678 gram 1015 gram