Canon EOS R3 could be $500 less than Sony A1 (report)

Canon EOS R3 will cost less than Sony A1 – $5,999? (report)
(Image credit: Canon)

The upcoming Canon EOS R3, Canon's professional-grade full-frame mirrorless sports camera, will cost less than its rival the Sony A1 – and could clock in with a price tag of $5,999 (approximately £4,240 / AU$7,710).

This would make the Canon EOS R3 about $500 cheaper than the Sony A1 ($6,498 / £6,499 / AU$9,999) as well as Canon's current flagship sports camera, the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III ($6,498 / £6,999 / AU$10,310).

• Read more: Best camera for sports photography

That's according to a new report from the sleuth at Canon Rumors, noting that multiple sources claim that Canon's recently announced camera will clock in cheaper than Sony's recently released one.

"Multiple folks have told me that Canon has been vague about pricing, but that the Canon EOS R3 would undercut both the Sony Alpha a1 ($6498) and Canon’s own EOS-1D X Mark III ($6499) at launch," wrote the outlet

"One source did say that they think the EOS R3 would launch at $5999 based on hints from a couple of people at Canon."

The price comparison with the Sony A1 is significant, since the two cameras appear to be pitched at the same market – even though Canon has still released precious little in the way of specs about the R3. 

What we do know, however, is that the R3 boasts the same headline 30 frames per second continuous burst shooting as the A1. It has also been rumored that the R3 will feature a 45MP sensor and 8K video, which again broadly matches the specs of the Sony (which clocks in with a slightly higher-res 51MP sensor).

If Canon can indeed produce a similarly specced camera, featuring the 'pro DSLR' form factor (with integrated vertical grip) and cutting-edge tech including eye-controlled autofocus for $500 less than the Sony A1, that would be quite the coup.

Read more: 

Sony A1 review
Canon EOS-1D X Mark III review
Best Sony cameras
Best Canon cameras

Thank you for reading 5 articles this month* Join now for unlimited access

Enjoy your first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

*Read 5 free articles per month without a subscription

Join now for unlimited access

Try first month for just £1 / $1 / €1

James Artaius
Editor

The editor of Digital Camera World, James has 21 years experience as a journalist and started working in the photographic industry in 2014 (as an assistant to Damian McGillicuddy, who succeeded David Bailey as Principal Photographer for Olympus). In this time he shot for clients like Aston Martin Racing, Elinchrom and L'Oréal, in addition to shooting campaigns and product testing for Olympus, and providing training for professionals. This has led him to being a go-to expert for camera and lens reviews, photo and lighting tutorials, as well as industry news, rumors and analysis for publications like Digital Camera MagazinePhotoPlus: The Canon MagazineN-Photo: The Nikon MagazineDigital Photographer and Professional Imagemaker, as well as hosting workshops and talks at The Photography Show. He also serves as a judge for the Red Bull Illume Photo Contest. An Olympus and Canon shooter, he has a wealth of knowledge on cameras of all makes – and a fondness for vintage lenses and instant cameras.