Canon has just entered the mid-range full-frame hybrid camera arena with a new entry. D 32.5MP EOS R6 III It’s a dramatic improvement over the EOS R6 II thanks to higher resolution, faster shooting speed and better video specs. However, it comes at a relatively high price and does not have a stacked or partially stacked sensor unlike other cameras in this category.
The new 32.5MP sensor provides a big boost in resolution compared to the R6 II’s 24MP chip. At the same time, the R6 III offers a higher shooting speed of 40 fps in burst mode with the electronic shutter or 12 fps with the mechanical or first-curtain shutter. It supports 20 frames (half a second) pre-shooting so you don’t miss important moments of wildlife or sports shooting.
The R6 III uses Canon’s fast and reliable Dual Pixel AF system and comes with the company’s latest AI tracking algorithm. It can operate in fairly dim conditions down to -6 EV and should be more responsive with Canon’s latest Digit X processor pending our review. It offers subject tracking for people, animals and vehicles with an auto mode that will automatically select one of them. It also borrows the “Register People Priority” feature from the R5 II, which lets you lock focus on specific subjects you’ve previously memorized.
Canon’s EOS R6 III arrives
The biggest update for the R6 III, though, is video. Thanks to the higher-resolution sensor, it can now capture up to 7K 60 fps RAW light video, 7K 30 fps “open gate” video and 4K 120 fps, all by tapping into Canon’s C-Log2 and C-Log3. A dazzling array of other video formats are available, including HEVC S, AVC-S, RAW, RAW Light and others at resolutions up to 7K (12 pages worth of specs). All AF subject detection features are available (vehicle, animal and people), and Canon is generally one of the best for video AF in terms of speed and accuracy.
No one expects any fundamental design changes in Canon cameras (the company tried it with the EOS R and the really didn’t work), so the R6 III retains the tried and true form factor of the last model. These include two adjustment dials on the top and one on the back, along with a joystick, photo/video selector, mode dial and a good assortment of programmable buttons.
The rear display flips up, as you’d expect for vlogging, but it doesn’t tilt like Panasonic’s S1 II – so it can block the mic or headphone jacks, and isn’t as useful for shooting low-angle photos. The viewfinder has the same 3.69 million dot resolution as before, the same as Sony’s A7 IV but less than Panasonic’s slightly more expensive Lumix S1 II. A big change is the addition of a CFexpress card slot that allows for faster burst speeds with RAW video capture and an SD UHS II slot. The battery is the same as the EOS R5 II and allows up to 390 shots (CIPA rating) with the viewfinder enabled.
Other features include waveform monitoring that will be much appreciated by professionals, plus a new focus speed algorithm borrowed from Canon’s cinema cameras that offers “natural, professional” behavior, the company wrote. Inputs include 3.5mm mic and headphone jacks, high-speed USB-C and a full-size HDMI port. In-body stabilization has been increased slightly from 8 to 8.5 stops, matching recent Panasonic models.
With the EOS R6 III, Canon introduced some interesting new glass. D RF45mm F1.2 STM lens Very high speed and shallow depth of field result in a much smaller and lighter .76 lb (346 g) form factor — less than half the weight of Canon’s RF 50mm f/1.2L USM lens. It’s disgustingly cheap for one f/1.2 lens at $470.
The Canon EOS R6 III arrives later this month For $2,799 (body only) or $4,049 with RF24-105 F4 L IS USM lens. That’s slightly more than Nikon’s $2,500 Z6 III, which has a partially stacked but lower-resolution 24MP sensor. Panasonic’s S1 II also has a partially stacked 24MP but can shoot up to 70 fps and costs $3,200. Finally, Sony’s A7 IV has a similar 33MP sensor but lacks the RAW video feature of the R6 III.
