Canon EOS R3vs EOS R6 Mark IIvs Sony A9 III
Canon
Canon EOS R3 (2021)
From £5999
Best for Sports & photojournalism professionals
View Canon EOS R3
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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
Who should buy what
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
Sony A9 III (2023)
- You shoot professional sport, motorsport, or action and need zero rolling shutter distortion
- You need reliable high-speed flash sync for studio or on-location action work
- You want the absolute pinnacle of Sony's action and sports camera technology
Quick take: The sony a9 iii has the highest resolution at 25mp; the eos r6 mark ii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | Canon EOS R3 (2021) | EOS R6 Mark II (2022) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £2,099 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 24.1MP | 24.2MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 4K/60p 10-bit oversampled, 6K RAW out, FHD/180p | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 6072 zones, deep-learning subject tracking | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | 8-stop IBIS | 5-axis IBIS, 8.0 stops (coordinated with IS lenses) | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical | 12fps mechanical, 40fps electronic | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | 620 shots (CIPA) | ~760 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1015g body only | 670g body only | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 138.4 × 98.4 × 88.4mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.76× magnification | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF | Canon RF mount (full-frame) | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Dual SD UHS-II slots | Dual CFexpress Type A / 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 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
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