EOS-1D X Mark IIIvs EOS Mvs Canon EOS R3

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Canon EOS-1D X Mark III (2020) Starting from £3500 new Best for Professional Sports, Wildlife & Press Photography View EOS-1D X Mark III

Canon EOS M (2012) Starting from £80 new Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors View EOS M

Canon Canon EOS R3 (2021) Starting from £5999 new Best for Sports & photojournalism professionals View Canon EOS R3

GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?

Professional Sports, Wildlife & Press Photography — EOS-1D X Mark III (2020): Canon's DSLR masterpiece — 20fps live view, 5.5K RAW, 191 cross-type AF points, and dual CFexpress. Almost certainly the finest optical viewfinder camera ever made.

Canon Mirrorless History & Ef-M Collectors — EOS M (2012): Canon's first mirrorless — a historic body that broke new ground with touch-AF and EF-M, but its sluggish contrast-detect system quickly became its Achilles heel.

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.

↓ Full specifications below

Who should buy what

EOS-1D X Mark III (2020)

Sports and wildlife photographers with a Canon EF lens collection
Professionals who prefer the optical viewfinder experience
Press photographers who need 20fps, weather sealing, and Ethernet
Canon historians who want to mark the end of the EOS-1D DSLR era

EOS M (2012)

Canon shooters who want the camera that started Canon's mirrorless story
Budget first-time mirrorless buyers who already own EF/EF-S glass
Collectors of significant digital camera milestones

Canon EOS R3 (2021)

Professional sports and photojournalism photographers
Canon users who need the fastest burst and most reliable AF in the system
R5 users who want a pro-grade grip and faster shooting speed
Event photographers who need eye-controlled AF and dual card slots

Quick take: The canon eos r3 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the eos m is the most affordable; only the eos-1d x mark iii, canon eos r3 are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification	EOS-1D X Mark III (2020)	EOS M (2012)	Canon EOS R3 (2021)
Price	£3,500	£80	£5,999
Sensor	20.1MP full-frame CMOS	18MP APS-C CMOS	24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS
Resolution	20.1MP	18.0MP	24.1MP
Video	5.5K RAW, 4K 60fps (crop), 4K 60fps (full-frame via firmware)	1080p 30fps	6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p
Autofocus	191-point all cross-type OVF AF; 525-point Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Live View)	Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow	Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF
Stabilisation	—	—	8-stop IBIS
Burst Rate	16fps mechanical, 20fps live view	4fps	30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical
Battery Life	~2850 shots (CIPA)	~230 shots (CIPA)	620 shots (CIPA)
Weight	1250g (body only)	262g (body only)	1015g body only
Dimensions	158 × 167.6 × 82.6mm	108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm	150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm
Weather Sealed	Yes	No	Yes
Viewfinder	OVF 0.76× magnification, 100% coverage	None (optional EVF accessory)	0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps
Screen	3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 4.15M dots	3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots	3.2" fully articulating touchscreen
Mount	Canon EF	Canon EF-M mount	Canon RF
Memory Cards	Dual CFexpress Type B slots	1× SD/SDHC/SDXC	Dual CFexpress Type B
Connectivity	Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, Ethernet	USB 2.0	USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN

Suitability by genre

Genre	EOS-1D X Mark III	EOS M	Canon EOS R3
Sports & Action	10.0	—	9.0
Wildlife	9.0	—	9.0
Wedding & Events	9.0	—	7.0
Portrait	8.0	6.0	—
Vlogging & Video	7.0	5.0	7.0
Street	7.0	6.0	—
Landscape	7.0	—	—
Casual	—	7.0	—
Travel	—	6.0	4.0
Photojournalism	—	—	9.0

GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →

⚡ Compare specs side by side EOS-1D X Mark III prices → EOS M prices → Canon EOS R3 prices →

Compare pairs from this group

Camera family history