The Canon EOS R8 has a simple pitch. Take the sensor, processor and autofocus from the R6 Mark II, put them in a much smaller and cheaper body, and leave out the expensive extras. It launched in early 2023 at $1,499 for the body, about $1,000 less than the R6 II, and weighs about 461 grams with battery and card.

That makes it one of the cheapest ways into modern full-frame, and one of the lightest.

Entry-level full-frame cameras used to mean old technology at a lower price. The Nikon Z5II doesn’t play that game. Announced in April 2025 at $1,699 for the body, it gets the Expeed 7 processor and subject-detection autofocus from the Z8 and Z9, a back-side illuminated 24.5MP sensor, and one of the brightest viewfinders in its class.

The original Z5 from 2020 was a sensible budget camera with slow autofocus and cropped 4K. The Mark II is a much bigger jump than the name suggests.