Canon fully unveils the EOS R3 professional camera: 24MP stacked BSI sensor, 30fps, Eye Control AF, 6K RAW video & more!
posted Tuesday, September 14, 2021 at 5:00 AM EST
Click here to read our in-depth Canon EOS R3 Preview
After teasing a handful of product details a couple of times earlier this year, Canon has now fully announced its new, top-of-the-line EOS R-series camera, the Canon EOS R3. While we already mostly knew what the camera looked like as well as some key specs, such as the stacked design of its new image sensor, the maximum continuous shooting rates and that it has a new Eye Control AF function, we now know all the camera's features and capabilities, as well as its price. Canon is calling this their most technologically advanced full-frame mirrorless camera, and by the looks of it, that absolutely sounds accurate. They might not consider it a "flagship camera" -- a classification that Canon is still giving to its 1D X Mark III -- the EOS R3 is far and away Canon's most professionally-oriented, high-performance mirrorless camera to date.
Much like the 1D X Mark III, the new Canon EOS R3 is designed and built for professional sports, action, wildlife and press photographers who need a camera that's reliable and durable but also supremely capable and responsive. To that end, the EOS R3 features a rugged, all-magnesium alloy body with thorough 1D-class weather-sealing, lots of user customization both inside and out, super-fast 30fps burst shooting and sophisticated subject-tracking autofocus that can automatically detect and track people, animals and now motorsports and other vehicles. The camera also features completely silent shooting, a host of advanced networking and pro-oriented connectivity features, and fast dual card slots.
We previously knew that the R3 uses an all-new Canon-designed image sensor with a stacked structure and back-illuminated design, but were in the dark about the resolution. We now know that the Canon R3 features a 24.1-megapixel image sensor paired up to the same DIGIC X image processor sitting in the 1DX III and EOS R5. Much like the 1DX III, the R3 is a camera that's more about speed and performance than sheer image resolution and megapixel count. The new 24MP sensor should strike a great balance of image resolution quality and easily manageable file sizes, as well as good high ISO performance -- native ISO spans ISO 100-102400. In fact, Canon is going so far as to say the 24MP R3 out-resolves the 30MP 5D Mark IV, despite the lower megapixel count.
The new stacked CMOS sensor and fast DIGIC X image processor give the R3 some impressive specs, including 30fps burst shooting with electronic shutter yet with minimal rolling shutter, a RAW buffer capacity of nearly 150 shots at 30fps (or essentially unlimited buffer at 12fps with a CFexpress card), internal recording of 6K 60 RAW video and 4K 120p 10-bit uncropped video.
As expected, the autofocus system is extremely sophisticated with full AF point coverage across the entire sensor and updated intelligent subject-detection options and improved tracking capabilities. There's also a new Eye Control AF mode that lets you move the AF area simply by looking at where you want it to focus.
The new Canon EOS R3 is set to be available at retailers in November 2021 with an estimated retail price of $5999, putting it about $500 less expensive than the 1DX Mark III's retail price.
For all the details on the Canon EOS R3's features and capabilities, see our in-depth Canon R3 preview!