Two entry-level full-frame bodies with in-body stabilisation, close on resolution and far apart on priorities. The Canon has full-width 4K60 and 40 fps; the Nikon has two card slots, a fully mechanical shutter and the bigger, brighter viewfinder.
Updated: October 2026
Disclosure: As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Links to retailers on this page are affiliate links. We earn a commission on purchases made through them, at no extra cost to you. It doesn't change our verdicts.
Choose if: you want 4K60 without a crop, 40 fps with pre-capture, and the lighter body, and you can live with one card slot and no fully mechanical shutter mode.
Choose if: you shoot paid work that needs a backup card, want a fully mechanical shutter and a 3.69M-dot viewfinder, or record RAW video internally.
| Spec | Canon R8 II | Nikon Z5 II |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 24MP FF | 24.5MP BSI FF |
| Video | 4K60 | 4K30 full width / 4K60 (1.5x crop) |
| AF Points | 1053 zones | 273 points |
| Burst | 40 fps | 7.8 fps (14 fps expanded) |
| IBIS | 7.5 stops | 5 stops |
| Buy | Check price at Amazon | Check price at Amazon |
| Specification | Canon EOS R8 Mark II | Nikon Z5 II |
|---|---|---|
| Sensor | 24.2MP full-frame CMOS, 36.0 x 24.0 mm | 24.5MP full-frame BSI-CMOS, 35.9 x 23.9 mm |
| Processor | DIGIC X | EXPEED 7 |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 1,053 zones | Hybrid AF, 273 points, 3D-Tracking and subject detection |
| Shutter | Electronic first curtain or electronic; no mechanical first curtain | Mechanical shutter available |
| Burst | 40 fps electronic; 6 fps electronic first curtain | 7.8 fps mechanical; 14 fps in the expanded mode; Nikon lists 30 fps as its top full-resolution speed |
| 4K video | Up to 59.94p, full width, from 6K | 30/25/24p full width; 60p with a 1.5x crop |
| Full HD | Up to 179.82p | Up to 120p |
| Internal recording | Canon Log 3 and HDR PQ; no RAW video listed | 12-bit N-RAW and 10-bit HEVC |
| Viewfinder | 0.39-inch OLED, 2.36M dots, 0.70x | 0.5-inch OLED, 3.69M dots, up to 3,000 cd/m² |
| Screen | 3.0-inch, 1.62M dots | 3.2-inch vari-angle, 2.10M dots |
| Card slots | 1x SD UHS-II | 2x SD UHS-II |
| Battery | LP-E17: 340 shots screen / 220 viewfinder (CIPA, power-saving mode, 23 °C) | EN-EL15c: 380 shots (Nikon's rating) |
| Dimensions | 131.4 x 90.0 x 79.7 mm | 134 x 100 x 72 mm |
| Weight | 546 g with card and battery | 700 g with battery |
Spec figures from the makers: Canon EOS R8 Mark II (canon-europe.com, checked 16 Oct 2026) · Nikon Z5 II (nikonusa.com, checked 25 Sept 2026)
The R8 II reaches 40 fps, but only with the electronic shutter; Canon lists no mechanical first curtain, so there is no fully mechanical mode, and the electronic first curtain stops at 6 fps and 1/4000 s. At 40 fps the buffer holds 190 JPEG or 73 RAW frames, and pre-capture keeps the 20 frames before the full press.
The Z5 II has a mechanical shutter at 7.8 fps and 14 fps in its expanded mode; Nikon's product page gives 30 fps as the camera's top full-resolution speed. It also has pre-release capture.
Winner: R8 II for frame rate and pre-capture; Z5 II if you want a fully mechanical shutter.
The R8 II records 4K up to 59.94p across the full sensor width, oversampled from 6K, and Full HD up to 179.82p. The Z5 II records 4K30 at full width but crops 4K60 by 1.5x, so a 24mm lens frames like a 36mm lens at 60p; Full HD goes to 120p.
The Nikon answers with what it writes internally: 12-bit N-RAW and 10-bit HEVC. For the R8 II, Canon lists Canon Log 3 and HDR PQ, with 10-bit 4:2:2 over HDMI, and no RAW video mode.
Winner: R8 II for uncropped 4K60 and slow motion; Z5 II for internal RAW video.
The Z5 II's finder is a 0.5-inch OLED with 3.69 million dots and up to 3,000 cd/m²; the R8 II's is a 0.39-inch OLED with 2.36 million dots at 0.70x. The Nikon's rear screen is larger and finer too: 3.2 inches and 2.10 million dots against 3.0 inches and 1.62 million.
The Z5 II has two SD UHS-II slots. The R8 II has one, and Canon lists dual card recording as "No". For weddings or any job where a card failure means lost work, that settles it.
Winner: Z5 II.
Both bodies have sensor-shift stabilisation. Canon rates the R8 II at up to 7.5 stops in the centre, measured with the RF 24-105mm F2.8 L IS USM Z, a stabilised lens; Nikon rates the Z5 II at 7.5 stops in the centre and 6.0 at the periphery, to CIPA 2024 with the NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S at the telephoto end. Two figures measured with different lenses do not say which body steadies better, so neither wins here.
Canon lists the R8 II as dust- and water-resistant, and Nikon describes the Z5 II as sealed against dust and moisture. On battery, Canon rates the R8 II at 340 shots on the screen and 220 through the viewfinder in power-saving mode, and Nikon rates the Z5 II at 380. The R8 II is the lighter body: 546 g with card and battery, against 700 g with battery for the Z5 II.
Winner: R8 II on weight; the rest is not comparable on the makers' figures.
For uncropped 4K60 and Full HD slow motion up to 179.82p, the R8 II. For internal 12-bit N-RAW or 10-bit HEVC, the Z5 II, accepting the 1.5x crop at 4K60.
The published figures do not answer that. Canon's 7.5 stops for the R8 II are measured together with a stabilised lens, Nikon's 7.5 stops for the Z5 II with the NIKKOR Z 24-120mm f/4 S. Both bodies have sensor-shift IS.
No. The Z5 II has two SD UHS-II slots; the R8 II has one.
Canon Germany lists it as available from 20 October 2026.
For video and speed: the Canon EOS R8 Mark II, with full-width 4K60, 40 fps and the lighter body.
For dependable stills work: the Nikon Z5 II, with two card slots, a fully mechanical shutter and the better viewfinder.
This page contains affiliate links. If you buy through them, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you, which keeps the site independent.
