Canon EOS R3vs EOS R6 Mark IIvs Pentax K-3 Mark III

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Canon Canon EOS R3 Canon Canon EOS R3 (2021) From £5999 Best for Sports & photojournalism professionals View Canon EOS R3
VS
Canon EOS R6 Mark II Canon EOS R6 Mark II (2022) From £2099 Best for Portraits & action View EOS R6 Mark II
VS
Pentax Pentax K-3 Mark III Pentax Pentax K-3 Mark III (2021) From £1699 Best for DSLR enthusiasts & outdoor photographers View Pentax K-3 Mark III

Which should you buy?

Sports & Photojournalism Professionals — Canon EOS R3 (2021): The pinnacle of Canon's mirrorless lineup for speed — Eye Control AF and 30fps burst in the most rugged body Canon has ever produced.

Portraits & Action — EOS R6 Mark II (2022): 40fps burst, 8-stop IBIS, and Canon's best-in-class Dual Pixel AF — exceptional for action, sports, and portrait work.

Dslr Enthusiasts & Outdoor Photographers — Pentax K-3 Mark III (2021): The finest APS-C DSLR ever made — class-leading weather sealing, optical viewfinder, 5-axis IBIS, and extraordinary build for photographers committed to DSLR.

↓ Full specifications below

Canon EOS R3 (2021)

  • You shoot sport, motorsport, wildlife, or news at a professional level
  • You need Canon's most reliable and fastest autofocus available
  • You need extreme weather sealing for demanding shooting conditions

EOS R6 Mark II (2022)

  • You want a do-everything full-frame body for weddings and events
  • You need reliable subject tracking across stills and fast-moving video
  • You shoot both photos and video professionally and need a single body that handles both
  • You want Canon's colour science with a modern mirrorless system

Pentax K-3 Mark III (2021)

  • You're a committed DSLR photographer with significant investment in Pentax glass
  • You shoot in extreme weather conditions and place build quality and reliability above everything
  • You prefer optical viewfinder performance and want the best modern APS-C DSLR available

Quick take: The pentax k-3 mark iii has the highest resolution at 26mp; the pentax k-3 mark iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification Canon EOS R3 (2021)EOS R6 Mark II (2022)Pentax K-3 Mark III (2021)
Price £5,999 £2,099 £1,699
Sensor 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS 25.7MP APS-C BSI CMOS (AA-filterless)
Resolution 24.1MP 24.2MP 25.7MP
Video 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p 4K/60p 10-bit oversampled, 6K RAW out, FHD/180p 4K/30p, 1080p/60p
Autofocus Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 6072 zones, deep-learning subject tracking SAFOX 13 phase-detect, 101-point (25 cross-type)
Stabilisation 8-stop IBIS 5-axis IBIS, 8.0 stops (coordinated with IS lenses) 5.5-stop 5-axis IBIS (Shake Reduction III)
Burst Rate 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical 12fps mechanical, 40fps electronic 12fps
Battery Life 620 shots (CIPA) ~760 shots (CIPA) 800 shots (CIPA)
Weight 1015g body only 670g body only 820g body only
Dimensions 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm 138.4 × 98.4 × 88.4mm 134.5 × 103.5 × 73.5mm
Weather Sealed Yes Yes Yes
Viewfinder 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.76× magnification Optical pentaprism, 100% coverage, 1.05× magnification
Screen 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen 3.2" tilting touchscreen
Mount Canon RF Canon RF mount (full-frame) Pentax KF-mount
Memory Cards Dual CFexpress Type B Dual SD UHS-II slots Dual SD UHS-II
Connectivity USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN USB-C 3.1, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi USB-C, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth
⚡ Compare specs side by side Canon EOS R3 prices → EOS R6 Mark II prices → Pentax K-3 Mark III prices →

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