EOS Mvs EOS M3vs EOS R6 Mark III
Canon
EOS M (2012)
Starting from £80 new
Best for Canon mirrorless history & EF-M collectors
View EOS M
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?
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.
Casual & Everyday — EOS M3 (2015): The EOS M3 was a meaningful upgrade over the original EOS M — bringing 24MP, a tilting touchscreen, and improved Hybrid CMOS AF III. Video tops out at 1080p/30p and burst shooting is modest, but for stills photographers wanting affordable APS-C quality, the M3 is a competent used-market option.
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 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
EOS M3 (2015)
- Photographers who want affordable 24MP APS-C quality on a budget
- Casual shooters who want a compact EF-M camera with a tilting screen
- Users looking for an affordable entry into the Canon EF-M ecosystem
- Used-market buyers wanting a capable but inexpensive mirrorless
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 m is the most affordable; only the eos r6 mark iii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | EOS M3 (2015) | EOS R6 Mark III (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £150 | £2,799 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 24.2MP APS-C CMOS | 32.5MP full-frame stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 24.2MP | 32.5MP |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 1080p/30p | 4K 60fps oversampled from 7K, 6K RAW internal |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | Hybrid CMOS AF III (phase-detect + contrast-detect) | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II — deep-learning subject detection for people, animals and vehicles, up to 40fps tracking |
| Stabilisation | — | — | In-body 5-axis IS, up to 8.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 4.2fps | 40fps (electronic shutter), 12fps (mechanical) |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | ~250 shots (CIPA) | ~580 shots (CIPA, LP-E6P) |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | 366g (body only) | 670g (body with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 110.9 × 68.0 × 44.4mm | 138.4 × 98.4 × 88.4mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | None (optional EVF-DC1 accessory) | EVF, 5.76M-dot, up to 120fps |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" tilting touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 2.1M-dot |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Canon EF-M mount | Canon RF |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | Single SD UHS-I slot | Dual SD / SDHC / SDXC (UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB, Wi-Fi, NFC | USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, 2.5GbE |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | EOS M3 | EOS R6 Mark III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | |||
| Travel | |||
| Street | |||
| Portrait | |||
| Vlogging & Video | |||
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Wildlife | — | — | |
| Landscape | — | — |
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