EOS R1vs Sony A9 III
VS
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.
Sports & Action Professionals — Sony A9 III (2023): A paradigm-shifting camera — the global shutter eliminates every rolling shutter limitation that has constrained action photography for years.
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
Sony A9 III (2023)
- Professional sports photographers who need zero blackout and 120fps burst
- Wildlife photographers who demand the most advanced Sony AF available
- Photojournalists who need flash sync at any shutter speed
- A9 II owners upgrading to the world's first full-frame global shutter
Quick take: The sony a9 iii has the highest resolution at 25mp. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS R1 (2024) | Sony A9 III (2023) |
|---|---|---|
| Price | £5,999 | £5,999 |
| Sensor | 24.2MP Full-Frame Stacked CMOS | 24.6MP full-frame Exmor RS CMOS (global shutter) |
| Resolution | 24.2MP | 24.6MP |
| Video | 6K RAW/60p, 4K/120p, 1080p/240p | 4K/120p, 4K/60p, 1080p/240p |
| Autofocus | Dual Pixel CMOS AF III — 100% coverage, deep learning subject detection | AI subject recognition AF, 759-point phase-detect |
| Stabilisation | IBIS — up to 8 stops combined | 8-stop IBIS |
| Burst Rate | 40fps electronic, 12fps mechanical | 120fps blackout-free electronic |
| Battery Life | ~530 shots (CIPA) | 530 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 1470g (with battery) | 703g body only |
| Dimensions | 159.5 × 143.9 × 87.3mm | 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9mm |
| Weather Sealed | Yes | Yes |
| Viewfinder | EVF, 9.44M dots, 0.90× magnification | 0.64" Quad-XGA OLED EVF, 9.44M dots |
| Screen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen | 3.2" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon RF mount | Sony FE (E-mount) |
| Memory Cards | Dual CFexpress Type B | Dual CFexpress Type A / SD UHS-II |
| Connectivity | USB-C (10Gbps), Wi-Fi 6GHz, Bluetooth, Ethernet, HDMI | USB-C 3.2, HDMI A, Wi-Fi 6, Bluetooth 5.3 |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS R1 | Sony A9 III |
|---|---|---|
| Sports | — | |
| Wildlife | ||
| Photojournalism | — | |
| Vlogging & Video | ||
| Wedding | — | |
| Portrait | ||
| Sports & Action | — | |
| Wedding & Events | — | |
| Travel | — |
More comparisons with EOS R1
Camera family history