Canon EOS R3 review

The Canon EOS R3 doesn't just enable you to move focus points with your eye – the whole camera is eye-poppingly good

Canon EOS R3
(Image: © Lena Selkin)

Digital Camera World Verdict

The Canon EOS R3 is a top-tier tool of choice for working professionals. Whether you shoot sports, weddings, portraiture, pets or news, the blackout-free 30fps stills and 6K RAW video mean that you never miss a moment of action or detail – and the improved AF performance, coupled with ghostly good Eye Control AF, ensure that every shot is focused exactly where you want it. It sets a new dynamic range benchmark for pro-level cameras, and its lower pixel count enables it to generate significantly less noise than the higher resolution rivals from Sony and Nikon. This is the professional camera of the future – and it's here now.

Pros

  • +

    30fps stills

  • +

    6K RAW video

  • +

    Eye Control AF works!

  • +

    Blackout-free shooting

  • +

    Weather sealed

Cons

  • -

    "Only" 24.1MP

  • -

    No 8K video

  • -

    Split SD / CFexpress

Why you can trust Digital Camera World Our expert reviewers spend hours testing and comparing products and services so you can choose the best for you. Find out how we test.

After being rolled out to pros at the Tokyo 2020 (2021) Olympics, the Canon EOS R3 is now available to professionals at large – and Canon's latest mirrorless camera threatens to be the most capable all-round tool for working pros. 

While it's not technically a replacement for, or even an equivalent to, the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III (as this is 'only' a 3-series camera rather than a flagship 1-series), it nonetheless technologically leapfrogs the 1D X III in virtually every department – and stakes a bold claim as the best professional camera thanks to its 6K RAW video, blistering (and blackout-free) 30fps shooting, and its peerless AF system that now enables you to move focus points by moving your eyeball. 

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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.