Nikon D850 vs Canon EOS R3

This is a full comparison between the cameras Nikon D850 and Canon EOS R3. We compare them by looking at the categories you see below.

Manufacturing

Nikon D850 is manufacturered by Nikon but Canon EOS R3 is from Canon. Both Nikon and Canon are well known brands though.

Nikon D850 were released 2017 and Canon EOS R3 was released 2021. That is a 4 years difference. In tech, this period can be of interest since technology is always improving, etc.

Camera Released
Nikon D850 2017
Canon EOS R3 2021

Type of camera

Nikon D850 is a DSLR camera while Canon EOS R3 is a Mirrorless 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 **
Nikon D850 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 (Nikon)
Camera selection can affect the focal length (Canon)

Resolution

Nikon D850 has a 46 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
Nikon D850 46 MP
45441024 pixels
8256 x 5504
Canon EOS R3 24 MP
24000000 pixels
6000 x 4000

Nikon D850 has a 89 % larger resolution than Canon EOS R3. 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 R3 has a larger ISO-range than Nikon D850. Canon EOS R3 has an ISO range that stretches from 100 to 102400 while Nikon D850 has 64 to 25600.

Camera ISO Range
Nikon D850 64-25600
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 Nikon D850
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. Nikon D850 can shoot up to 9 pictures per seconds and Canon EOS R3 can shoot up to 30 pictures per seconds.

Camera FPS (Frames per second)
Nikon D850 9
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 Nikon D850 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 1% heavier than Nikon D850 and its 1005 gr (or 2,22 lb).

Camera Weight
Nikon D850 1005 gr
2,22 lb
Canon EOS R3 1015 gr
2,24 lb