Canon claims 55% of photographers used Canon cameras at Tokyo Olympics

(Image credit: DP Review)

Canon has recently claimed to have supplied the most cameras to press photographers at the Tokyo 2021 Olympics, according to a recent report.

The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III, Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R6 were popular choices, as to be expected. However, this year's event meant that some lucky photographers were even able to put the unreleased Canon EOS R3 through its paces.

Read more: Best Canon cameras

The most obvious choice of camera for many photographers would have to be Canon's flagship professional camera, the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III. This high-powered camera shoots at 20 fps in live view and uses deep learning AF for lighting fast focus speeds. Meanwhile, its Digic X image processor gives photographers the ability to shoot in burst mode with no buffer.

Other popular choices of cameras included Canon’s latest mirrorless offerings; the Canon EOS R5 and R6. Both cameras feature 1,053 autofocus areas covering 100% of the sensor. Plus, what the Canon EOS R6 lacks in megapixels, it certainly makes up for with its low light capabilities.

Canon Global recently reported that a few select photographers were lucky enough to be given pre-production units of the Canon EOS R3 - Canon’s mirrorless answer to the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III. It's set to be a reliable and high-performing camera that's designed to meet the needs of professional photographers.

One of the photographers fortunate enough to get his hands on the Canon EOS R3 at the Tokyo 2020 games was Patrick Smith. The Getty Images photographer said “I am honored to be given the opportunity to test the EOS R3 at the world's largest sporting event.

Thanks to the camera’s incredibly fast AF and lightweight, I had a much easier time holding and operating the camera for long periods of time. The 30 frames-per-second high-speed continuous shooting also proved excellent. I believe this camera will show us what next-generation performance is like.”

Canon has a long-standing history of supplying camera kits to press photographers at the Olympic games. It dominated the digital camera sphere in 2020 with a market share of 47.9% , showing it is still a very popular choice among professionals and hobbyists alike.

Hannah Rooke

Having studied Journalism and Public Relations at the University of the West of England Hannah developed a love for photography through a module on photojournalism. She specialises in Portrait, Fashion and lifestyle photography but has more recently branched out in the world of stylised product photography. For the last 3 years Hannah has worked at Wex Photo Video as a Senior Sales Assistant using her experience and knowledge of cameras to help people buy the equipment that is right for them. With 5 years experience working with studio lighting, Hannah has run many successful workshops teaching people how to use different lighting setups.

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