CANON EOS R3

A peerless performer underpinned by innovative tech

- James Artaius

www.canon.co.uk £5,879/$5,999

After being rolled out to pros at this summer’s Olympics in Tokyo, the EOS R3 is now available to professionals at large – and Canon’s latest mirrorless camera is shaping up to become the most capable all-round tool there is for working photographers.

While the R3 isn’t technically a replacement for, or even an equivalent to, the EOS-1D X Mark III (as this is ‘only’ a 3-series camera rather than a flagship 1-series), it nonetheless leapfrogs the 1D X III in terms of technology in virtually every department – and stakes a bold claim to be the best professional camera, thanks to its 6K raw video, blistering (and blackout-free) 30fps shooting, and a peerless AF system that enables you to move focus points by moving your eyeball.

There’s no doubt that this is Canon’s fastest and most advanced camera ever, even outdoing the mighty EOS R5 when it comes to technology – to say nothing of the R5’s record times and overheating when it comes to video. But with the 50.1MP stills / 8K video Sony Alpha 1 already here (and the Nikon Z 9 on the way, with 8K video and a minimum 39MP resolution), does the EOS R3’s 24.1MP sensor provide sufficient pixel density for pro-level shooting in 2021? Has Canon dropped a clunker, or been incredibly clever by opting for a 24.1MP sensor and 6K instead of 8K? Let’s find out…

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