Nikon Z6 vs Panasonic S1 vs Canon EOS R vs Sony a7 III Comparison by DPReview

 

Nikon Z6, Panasonic S1, Canon EOS R and Sony a7 III, which one do you prefer? DPReview has compared these four full frame mirrorless cameras, and it seems that there is no clear overall winner, but “the Sony a7 III remains our generic recommendation, simply because it’s good at just about everything.

Nikon Z6 vs Panasonic S1 vs Canon EOS R vs Sony a7 III Comparison

Canon EOS R Nikon Z6 Panasonic S1 Sony a7 III
MSRP (body) $2299 $1999 $2499 $1999
Pixel count 30MP 24MP 24MP 24MP
Sensor tech CMOS BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS BSI-CMOS
AF system Dual Pixel
(On-sensor PDAF)
On-sensor PDAF Depth from Defocus
(Contrast Detection-based)
On-sensor PDAF
Image stabilization Lens only 5-axis 5-axis + sync with lens IS 5-axis
Maximum frame rate 8 fps (AF-S)
5 fps (AF-C)
12 fps
(12-bit Raw)
9 fps (AF-S)
6 fps (AF-C and live view)
10 fps
Flash Sync speed 1/200 sec 1/200 sec 1/320 sec 1/250 sec
High Res mode No No Yes No
Viewfinder
res / mag
3.68M dots
/ 0.76x
3.68M dots
/ 0.80x
5.76M dots
/ 0.78x
2.36M dots / 0.78x
Rear screen 2.1M-dot fully articulated touchscreen 2.1M-dot tilting touchscreen 2.1M-dot two-way tilting touchscreen 921k-dot tilting touchscreen
AF joystick No Yes Yes Yes
Top-plate settings display Yes Yes Yes No
Backlit buttons No No Yes No
Video capture UHD 4K 30p
(1.83x crop)
UHD 4K 30p
(full sensor)
UHD 4K 30p
(full sensor)
UHD 4K 60p (1.5x crop)
UHD 4K 24p
(full sensor)
UHD 4K 30p
(1.2x Crop)
Log modes C-Log
8-bit (internal)
10-bit (HDMI)
N-Log
10-bit (HDMI)
HLG
10-bit
S-Log2 / 3 / HLG
8-bit
Paid video upgrade — Raw HDMI to Atomos Ninja V V-Log + tools
10-bit 4:2:2 30p (internal)
10-bit 4:2:2 60p (HDMI)
—
Memory cards Single SD Single XQD 1 XQD + 1 SD Dual SD
Battery life (CIPA) LCD/EVF 370 (LCD) 380 / 310 400 / 380* 710 / 610
USB-charging Yes Yes Yes Yes
Shutter life rating 200k cycles 200k cycles 400k cycles 200k cycles
Dimensions 136 x 98 x 84 mm 134 x 101 x 68 mm 149 x 110 x 97 mm 127 x 96 x 74 mm
Weight (CIPA) 660 g 675 g 1017 g** 650 g

Conclusion from DPReview:

Having considered all these factors, and looked at how they apply to different types of photography, there is no clear, overall ‘winner.’ It’s certainly not as simple as adding up how many times we’ve recommended each model, since it’s unlikely any one person is going use their camera for every one of these types of shooting.

With that critical caveat, the Sony a7 III remains our generic recommendation, simply because it’s good at just about everything. But it’s a much narrower margin over the Nikon Z6 than when we last pondered this question, and they’re close enough that one of the others may be better for you.

Sony a7 III body: $1,998 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

Canon EOS R body: $1,799 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama

$200 off on Nikon Z6 body: $1,796.95 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

$500 off on Panasonic S1 body: $1,997.99 at Amazon, B&H, Adorama.

Read the full review at DPReview.