EOS-1D X Mark IIIvs Canon EOS R3vs EOS R6 Mark III
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
Canon EOS R3 (2021)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Sports & photojournalism professionals
View Canon EOS R3
Canon
EOS R6 Mark III (2025)
Starting from £2799 new
Best for Hybrid photo & video professionals, sports and wildlife shooters
View EOS R6 Mark III
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.
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.
Hybrid Photo & Video Professionals, Sports And Wildlife Shooters — EOS R6 Mark III (2025): The EOS R6 Mark III takes everything that made the Mark II a hybrid favourite and pushes it further — a faster stacked sensor, smarter autofocus, and genuinely professional video specs. It's the most complete all-rounder in Canon's RF full-frame lineup, sitting just below the R5 II in resolution while matching it for speed.
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
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
EOS R6 Mark III (2025)
- Working photographers who need a single body for both stills and serious video work
- Sports and wildlife shooters who need 40fps burst shooting with reliable subject tracking
- Hybrid content creators producing 4K and 6K footage alongside high-resolution stills
- Enthusiasts upgrading from the EOS R6 Mark II who want faster AF and more resolution
Quick take: The eos r6 mark iii has the highest resolution at 32mp; the eos r6 mark iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS-1D X Mark III (2020) | Canon EOS R3 (2021) | EOS R6 Mark III (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £3,500 | £5,999 | £2,799 |
| Sensor | 20.1MP full-frame CMOS | 24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS | 32.5MP full-frame stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 20.1MP | 24.1MP | 32.5MP |
| Video | 5.5K RAW, 4K 60fps (crop), 4K 60fps (full-frame via firmware) | 6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p | 4K 60fps oversampled from 7K, 6K RAW internal |
| Autofocus | 191-point all cross-type OVF AF; 525-point Dual Pixel CMOS AF (Live View) | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II — deep-learning subject detection for people, animals and vehicles, up to 40fps tracking |
| Stabilisation | — | 8-stop IBIS | In-body 5-axis IS, up to 8.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 16fps mechanical, 20fps live view | 30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical | 40fps (electronic shutter), 12fps (mechanical) |
| Battery Life | ~2850 shots (CIPA) | 620 shots (CIPA) | ~580 shots (CIPA, LP-E6P) |
| Weight | 1250g (body only) | 1015g body only | 670g (body with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 158 × 167.6 × 82.6mm | 150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm | 138.4 × 98.4 × 88.4mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | OVF 0.76× magnification, 100% coverage | 0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps | EVF, 5.76M-dot, up to 120fps |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen, 4.15M dots | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 2.1M-dot |
| Mount | Canon EF | Canon RF | Canon RF |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B slots | Dual CFexpress Type B | Dual SD / SDHC / SDXC (UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | Wi-Fi 5GHz, Bluetooth 4.2, USB-C 3.1 Gen 2, Ethernet | USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN | USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, 2.5GbE |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS-1D X Mark III | Canon EOS R3 | EOS R6 Mark III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sports & Action | |||
| Wildlife | |||
| Wedding & Events | — | ||
| Portrait | — | ||
| Vlogging & Video | |||
| Street | — | ||
| Landscape | — | ||
| Photojournalism | — | — | |
| Travel | — | ||
| Casual | — | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history