EOS R1vs A7S III
Canon
EOS R1 (2024)
Starting from £5999 new
Best for Professional sports, wildlife & photojournalism
View EOS R1
Sony
A7S III (2020)
Starting from £2999 new
Best for Professional video & low-light filmmaking
View A7S III
GearScore™ Verdict — Which should you buy?
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.
Professional Video & Low-Light Filmmaking — A7S III (2020): If video is your primary discipline, the A7S III is the camera. 4K/120p at 10-bit in a weather-sealed body with a 9.44M dot EVF is an extraordinary package. The 12MP sensor isn't limiting for video — and it's usable at ISO 409,600 in a pinch.
Who should buy what
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
A7S III (2020)
- Filmmakers and videographers who need 4K/120p at 10-bit
- Event videographers who shoot in dark venues regularly
- Documentary filmmakers who need reliable AF and weather sealing
- Hybrid shooters where video is primary and stills are secondary
Quick take: The eos r1 has the highest resolution at 24mp; the a7s iii is the most affordable. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R1 (2024) | A7S III (2020) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £2,999 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked CMOS | 12.1MP Full-Frame BSI CMOS (12-bit, back-illuminated) |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 12.1MP |
| Video | 6K RAW/60p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 4K/120p 10-bit, 4K/60p 10-bit S-Cinetone/S-Log3, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF III — 100% coverage, deep learning subject detection | Phase-detect, 759 points, real-time Eye AF (human & animal), subject recognition |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 8 stops combined | 5.5-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 40fps electronic, 12fps mechanical | 10fps mechanical |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA) | ~600 shots (CIPA) / ~70min continuous 4K recording |
| Weight | 1470g (with battery) | 699g (body, battery, card) |
| Dimensions | 159.5 × 143.9 × 87.3mm | 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification | OLED EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification — best EVF Sony has made |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.0" vari-angle touchscreen, 1.44M dots |
| Mount | Canon RF mount | Sony E-mount |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II (both slots) |
| Connectivity | USB-C (10Gbps), Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2), full-size HDMI, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS R1 | A7S III |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | — | |
| Wedding | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Video | — | |
| Street | — | |
| Travel | — |
More comparisons with EOS R1
Camera family history