EOS Rvs EOS R1vs Canon EOS R3

GearFrame · Updated March 2026

Canon EOS R (2018) Starting from £799 new Best for Entry to full-frame mirrorless & RF lens exploration View EOS R

Canon EOS R1 (2024) Starting from £5999 new Best for Professional sports, wildlife & photojournalism View EOS R1

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

GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?

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.

Professional Sports, Wildlife & Photojournalism — EOS R1 (2024): Canon's ultimate professional camera — 40fps, a class-leading EVF, and AI AF that simply doesn't miss.

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 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 R1 (2024)

Professional sports and news photographers who cannot miss a shot
Wildlife photographers needing the fastest AF and burst available
Photojournalists requiring reliable pro-grade build and connectivity
Canon R3 owners or 1D X Mark III users upgrading to mirrorless flagship

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 eos r has the highest resolution at 30mp; the eos r is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.

Full specifications

Specification	EOS R (2018)	EOS R1 (2024)	Canon EOS R3 (2021)
Price	£799	£5,999	£5,999
Sensor	30.3MP full-frame CMOS	24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked CMOS	24.1MP full-frame BSI stacked CMOS
Resolution	30.3MP	24.2MP	24.1MP
Video	4K/30p (1.7× crop), 1080p/60p	6K RAW/60p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p	6K RAW, 4K/120p, 1080p/180p
Autofocus	Dual Pixel CMOS AF — 5655 AF areas, Eye AF	Dual Pixel CMOS AF III — 100% coverage, deep learning subject detection	Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with Eye Control AF
Stabilisation	None	IBIS — up to 8 stops combined	8-stop IBIS
Burst Rate	8fps continuous (5fps with AF/AE)	40fps electronic, 12fps mechanical	30fps electronic / 12fps mechanical
Battery Life	~350 shots (CIPA)	~530 shots (CIPA)	620 shots (CIPA)
Weight	660g body only	1470g (with battery)	1015g body only
Dimensions	135.8 × 98.3 × 84.4mm	159.5 × 143.9 × 87.3mm	150.0 × 142.6 × 87.2mm
Weather Sealed	Yes	Yes	Yes
Viewfinder	EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.71× magnification	EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification	0.76" OLED EVF, 5.76M dots, 120fps
Screen	3.0" touchscreen, tilting	3.2" fully articulating touchscreen	3.2" fully articulating touchscreen
Mount	Canon RF mount (full-frame)	Canon RF mount	Canon RF
Memory Cards	Single SD UHS-II slot	Dual CFexpress Type B	Dual CFexpress Type B
Connectivity	USB-C, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, 3.5mm mic jack	USB-C (10Gbps), Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI	USB-C 3.2, HDMI full-size, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth, LAN

Suitability by genre

Genre	EOS R	EOS R1	Canon EOS R3
Portrait	9.0	7.0	—
Landscape	9.0	—	—
Travel	7.0	—	4.0
Wedding	7.0	9.0	—
Vlogging & Video	4.0	9.0	7.0
Sports	4.0	9.0	—
Wildlife	—	9.0	9.0
Photojournalism	—	9.0	9.0
Sports & Action	—	—	9.0
Wedding & Events	—	—	7.0

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

⚡ Compare specs side by side EOS R prices → EOS R1 prices → Canon EOS R3 prices →

Compare pairs from this group

Camera family history