Is Canon's new 32MP / 7K sensor coming to the R6 Mark III? I think so

Could the Canon EOS R6 Mark III possess the same 32MP, 7K, open gate, 40fps image sensor as the newly announced Canon EOS C50?

I think it would make perfect sense, and would make the Canon EOS R6 Mark II – one of the manufacturer's most important products, which has regularly been the best-selling camera in its lineup – an absolute juggernaut.

If you've been following the camera rumors, you'll know that there's been no shortage of speculation over when the R6 Mark III might materialize – but thus far there's been little in the way of spec-ulation when it comes to the camera's capabilities.

It was previously thought that the camera would inherit the 24MP stacked sensor from the former flagship Canon EOS R3, along with the 5.69 million-dot electronic viewfinder from the EOS R5. However, those rumors were from almost a year ago now – back when the Mark III was said to be launching in late 2024.

Given the importance of the R6 in Canon's range, and the current appetite for hybrid cameras with creator-friendly specs, it would be far more logical for the Mark III to share technology with a brand new video-oriented camera rather than a three-year-old sports camera.

So is it really feasible that we'll see the C50 sensor in the new R6? I think so. Take a look at the broader landscape; the R6 Mark III is now going up against cameras like the Panasonic Lumix S1II, a 24.1MP camera with 6K 30p open gate.

To return fire with a 32MP camera capable of 7K 60p open gate would be a huge advantage – and it makes perfect sense for Canon's best hybrid camera to be its first non-cinema body to shoot open gate.

When I reviewed the Canon EOS C50, it struck me as strange that a cinema camera would have 40fps burst shooting – even with Canon's insistence that it's a cinema hybrid. But in the context of the same sensor being used in the R6 Mark III, it makes perfect sense.

Of course, just because something makes perfect sense doesn't mean Canon will actually do it. It could very well still possess the 24MP R3 sensor that was rumored all along – or it could be something else different entirely. Canon does, after all, have plenty of other clever technology – such as its triple-stacked sensor – and I think putting older tech in its most popular body is a mistake.

So, especially with Canon's history of sensor-sharing (such as between the R6 Mark II and the EOS R8, and obviously the EOS R50 and R50 V), I can definitely see this happening – and causing a lot of market disruption in the process.

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