EOS Mvs EOS Rvs 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 R (2018)
Starting from £799 new
Best for Entry to full-frame mirrorless & RF lens exploration
View EOS R
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.
Entry To Full-Frame Mirrorless & Rf Lens Exploration — EOS R (2018): The RF mount's founding camera — 30MP, Dual Pixel CMOS AF, and the proof-of-concept that launched Canon's mirrorless era.
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 R (2018)
- Canon DSLR users wanting to enter the RF ecosystem at the lowest full-frame price
- EF lens collectors who want an affordable RF body to use with the EF-RF adapter
- Photographers stepping up from APS-C who want full-frame quality on a budget
- RF system fans who want a second body without full EOS R6 pricing
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 r, eos r6 mark iii are weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | EOS R (2018) | EOS R6 Mark III (2025) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £799 | £2,799 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 30.3MP full-frame CMOS | 32.5MP full-frame stacked CMOS |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 30.3MP | 32.5MP |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 4K/30p (1.7× crop), 1080p/60p | 4K 60fps oversampled from 7K, 6K RAW internal |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | Dual Pixel CMOS AF — 5655 AF areas, Eye AF | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II — deep-learning subject detection for people, animals and vehicles, up to 40fps tracking |
| Stabilisation | — | None | In-body 5-axis IS, up to 8.5 stops |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 8fps continuous (5fps with AF/AE) | 40fps (electronic shutter), 12fps (mechanical) |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | ~350 shots (CIPA) | ~580 shots (CIPA, LP-E6P) |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | 660g body only | 670g (body with battery and card) |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 135.8 × 98.3 × 84.4mm | 138.4 × 98.4 × 88.4mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.71× magnification | EVF, 5.76M-dot, up to 120fps |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" touchscreen, tilting | 3.2-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 2.1M-dot |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Canon RF mount (full-frame) | Canon RF |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | Single SD UHS-II slot | Dual SD / SDHC / SDXC (UHS-II) |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack | USB-C, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.0, 2.5GbE |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | EOS R | EOS R6 Mark III |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | ||
| Travel | |||
| Street | — | ||
| Portrait | |||
| Vlogging & Video | |||
| Landscape | — | ||
| Wedding | — | — | |
| Sports | — | — | |
| Sports & Action | — | — | |
| Wildlife | — | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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