Canon is no stranger to making some of the best mirrorless cameras out there, and the EOS R6 Mark III is one of the finest mid-range shooters you can buy today. Sitting comfortably between enthusiast and pro-grade cameras, it improves on its predecessor by introducing a 32.5MP sensor, 7K Open Gate video, and CFExpress Type-B support. It retains 40fps burst shooting for wildlife and sports photographers, but brings with it more advanced tracking which powers its excellent autofocus system.
On paper, the EOS R6 Mark III sounds like a standout choice for practically any genre of photography. In practice, it’s even more impressive. It’s responsive, dependable, and it delivers sharp, vibrant images. And even though the price has crept up and the camera’s overheating limitations may be frustrating for some, these shortcomings do little to overshadow what is otherwise a well-rounded camera in its class.
To find out whether you should buy it, and how I got on during the two weeks I spent with it, read my full Canon EOS R6 Mark III review.
Canon EOS R6 Mark III review: Specs
Price |
|
Sensor |
32.5MP CMOS full frame |
Processor |
DIGIC X |
Stabilization |
5-axis IBIS, up to 8.5 stops |
AF system |
Dual Pixel CMOS AF II |
Focus modes |
One Shot, Servo AF, AI Focus AF, Manual focus |
Viewfinder |
0.5-inch OLED EVF, approx. 3.69 million dots |
Display |
3-inch TFT LCD touchscreen, approx. 1.6 million dots |
ISO range |
100-102,400 |
Max video resolution |
7K/30fps Open Gate | 7K/60fps RAW | 4K/120fps | FHD/180fps |
Ports |
USB-C, HDMI Type-A, 3.5mm mic in, 3.5mm headphones out, 2.5mm remote control, 1x CFExpress Type-B, 1x SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-II |
Wireless/bluetooth |
Wi-Fi, Bluetooth |
Max shooting speed |
40fps (electronic) | 12fps (mechanical) |
Max shutter speed |
30s to 1/16,000s (stills, electronic) | 30s to 1/8,000s (stills, mechanical) |
Battery life (Stills, CIPA) |
620 shots (LCD) | 390 shots (EVF) |
Size |
5.44 x 3.87 x 3.48 inches |
Weight |
1.54lbs (with battery and cards) |
Canon EOS R6 Mark III review: Price & availability
The Canon EOS R6 Mark III, as its name suggests, is the third iteration of the EOS R6 and the third model in the lineup — and there’s a fourth, if you count the Canon EOS R6 V. The EOS R6 Mark III succeeds the three-year-old EOS R6 Mark II and is a little pricier than its predecessor ($300 precisely).
Its body is available for $2,799 at Adorama / £2,799 at London Camera Exchange. There are two kits available too: one with the RF 24-105mm f/4-7.1 IS STM lens for $3,149 / £3,149, and another with the RF 24-105mm F4L IS USM lens for $4,049 / £3,899.
Given this price and the camera’s features, the EOS R6 Mark III finds itself competing against the likes of the Sony A7 V ($2,899) and the Fujifilm X-H2S ($2,499), with both cameras boasting fast high-speed drives: 30fps and 40fps respectively.
Canon EOS R6 Mark III review: Design
If you put the Canon EOS R6 Mark III next to its predecessor, you’d hardly be able to differentiate between the two. The EOS R6 Mark III features an almost identical physical body design, sculpted grip, and control layout. But if something ain’t broke, don’t fix it, and the EOS R6 Mark III is wonderful to handle.
Its protruding grip is spacious enough to wrap your fingers around and even use the camera one-handed comfortably — if you’ve got medium-sized hands like I do, at least. Dimensions remain fairly identical too, with the EOS R6 Mark III measuring 5.44 x 3.87 x 3.48 inches and weighs 1.54lbs with battery and memory cards. It doesn’t feel bulky or too heavy to carry around my neck or in my backpack.
The camera’s overall handling will naturally be affected by the lens you’re using. I tested the Canon RF 28-70mm F2L USM and the Canon RF 14mm F1.4L VCM lenses with it, and the former on its own weighs nearly 3.2lbs. The kit, then, weighs approximately 4.7lbs which sounds like a lot, but thanks to great weight distribution and the EOS R6 Mark III’s sculpted grip, I didn’t find it too unwieldy to handle.
Viewfinder
The EOS R6 Mark III’s 0.5-inch OLED electronic viewfinder (EVF) is spacious and comfortable to look through, and it’s plenty bright too. It has a resolution of approximately 3.69 million dots so you get a sharp, detailed and life-like representation of the scene you’re capturing, and this, in turn, helps you accurately frame and capture your subject.
This is the same resolution as the Sony A7 V and the Panasonic Lumix G9II ($1,899), but it’s a little lower than the similarly priced OM System OM-1 Mark II’s 5.76 million dots ($2,399). If you want a higher-res EVF, you’ll have to splurge on the likes of the Sony A1 II ($6,499) or the Sony A7R VI ($4,499), both of which pack 9.44 million dots each in their EVFs.
One thing I love about the EOS R6 Mark III’s viewfinder is its 120Hz refresh rate — which is the same as the OM System OM-1 Mark II and the pricier Canon EOS R5 Mark II ($4,299). The fast refresh rate ensures subjects you’re tracking remain free of motion blur, and the camera delivers smooth and realistic motion — great for fast-paced wildlife or sports photography.
It’s important to note that the EOS R6 Mark III doesn’t feature blackout-free shooting. That means in the EVF you get short bits of black screens between shots. They’re hardly noticeable by the naked eye, especially when shooting at 40fps, although this will obviously be an issue for sports or wildlife photographers, but those people should be looking at a high speed blackout-free camera like the Sony A1 II or A7R VI instead. Or, if you can sacrifice sensor real estate, the OM System OM-1 Mark II.
Monitor
The EOS R6 Mark III’s rear panel houses the 3-inch TFT LCD touchscreen which has a resolution of approximately 1.6 million dots. This is the same resolution as that on the OM System OM-1 Mark II and the Fujifilm X-H2S. It’s a little lower than on the Sony A7 V (2.09M) and the Canon EOS R5 Mark II (2.1M), but it’s still bright enough that I haven’t had trouble reading the screen even in direct sunlight.
In my testing, I found the EOS R6 Mark III’s touchscreen highly responsive as all of my taps and swipes were registered instantly. The vari-angle mechanism also meant that I could shoot at awkward angles with ease, like when I wanted to take a low-angle photo of a duck loafing on the ground, or of birds flying right overhead.
Ports
Canon hasn’t spared any expense when it comes to the EOS R6 Mark III’s ports, and the camera features better connectivity when compared to its predecessor. You’ll find the battery compartment on the bottom plate, and this houses an upgraded LP-E6P battery pack. Located next to this is a standard tripod mount thread.
All other ports are located on the camera’s left-hand edge, and they’re protected by dust- and water-resistant covers. The biggest upgrade, in terms of connectivity, is the presence of a full-size HDMI Type-A port on the EOS R6 Mark III (versus Micro HDMI Type-D on the EOS R6 Mark II). Next to the HDMI port is a USB-C 3.2 Gen 2 for charging, data transfer, and 4K/60fps UVC live-streaming functionality (a first for an EOS body). And as this is a hybrid stills and video camera, there are two 3.5mm jacks for a mic as well as headphones, and a 2.5mm remote control terminal.
Two memory card slots are located on the EOS R6 Mark III’s right-hand edge. While the EOS R6 Mark II featured dual UHS-II SD card slots, its successor has one SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-II card slot and one CFExpress Type-B slot, supporting up to 8TB. The latter is there to match the camera’s higher resolution, accommodate 7K RAW files, and sustain the 40fps drive.
Weather-sealing
The EOS R6 Mark III features virtually identical weather-sealing to the EOS R6 Mark II — which means it’s resistant against sand, dust, moisture and rain. You should be able to use the camera in challenging conditions comfortably. I’ve tested it in light rain and haven’t had to worry about water getting inside or damaging the monitor.
Canon EOS R6 Mark III review: Controls
As I alluded to earlier, the Canon EOS R6 Mark III’s control layout is fairly similar to that of its predecessor’s. Though it’s cheaper, I’ve found the EOS R6 Mark III as easy to use (and get to grips with) as the pricier EOS R5 Mark II. All the buttons and dials are well-placed and within easy reach. There’s also a Lock switch located between the On and Off button which prevents accidental settings changes.
Many of the EOS R6 Mark III’s buttons are customizable via the settings menu. For those who photograph different genres, there are three Custom Shooting Modes — C1, C2 and C3 — located on the mode dial. You can tailor settings, such as autofocus modes, button layouts, and exposure parameters, and save entire custom setups to these.
I also like how thoughtfully-placed the customizable buttons are. For instance, the Rate button located in the top-left corner of the rear panel can be fully customized, and I found it easy to press with my left thumb. There’s a Multi-Function (M-Fn) button near the shutter button on the top plate which I customized to swap between drive modes.
The EOS R6 Mark III’s menu system is, as per, a joy to use. I’ve always enjoyed how well-designed Canon’s color-coded menus are, with everything easily understandable even by those who may be picking up a Canon for the first time.
Canon EOS R6 Mark III review: Autofocus
Lenses used for testing
The EOS R6 Mark III utilizes Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF II autofocus system to detect and lock on to humans, animals/birds, and vehicles. The EOS R6 Mark III features no fewer than 6,097 selectable points, which is a hell of a lot more than the Sony A7 V’s 759 points and the Fujifilm X-H2S’s 425 points.
Regardless of the subject I was photographing, I found the EOS R6 Mark III quick to focus. Similar to the Sony A1 II and Canon EOS R5 Mark II, the EOS R6 Mark III features Auto subject-detection, so when that’s selected, the camera automatically switches between human, animal and vehicle detection.
I found this extremely useful when going from photographing birds at the park to my partner, and then randomly jumping to a bicycle. Not once did the EOS R6 Mark III fail to detect the subject. If you want the camera to do even more thinking for you, you can toggle AI Focus, which is an intelligent autofocus setting that automatically changes between One Shot (for still subjects) and Servo (for tracking motion). This is handy for when you’re photographing birds and they suddenly fly away, as an example.
The photos in the gallery above were taken with the EOS R6 Mark III’s autofocus set to human detection. I love that the camera automatically switches between Eye, Face, Head and Body detection, thanks to its deep learning AF system. It searches for the eyes first and if it can’t find one, it seamlessly switches to finding other body parts. I appreciated not having to swap between these detection settings every time.
Indoors, in a photo studio with bright lights, the camera was quick to lock onto my colleague’s eyes, as you can see in the first slide. Outdoors, I was impressed by the EOS R6 Mark III detecting and locking onto the person holding the umbrella, even though you can’t see their face and their body is obscured by the bridge’s railings. Similarly, it was quick to focus on my partner, too.
Animal/bird detection works just as well if not better. The EOS R6 Mark III quickly locked onto the swan in the first slide in the gallery above, and I could see on the monitor that it was focusing on the eyes — even though they aren’t that obvious. In the second shot, even though the moorhen chick was far away and small, the EOS R6 Mark III didn’t struggle to find it, and likewise, it was adept at focusing on the group of ducklings huddled together in the third shot.
I’ve enjoyed using the EOS R6 Mark III’s focus joystick too, as the omission of which I always miss when testing cameras like the Leica Q3 43 ($7,380). I’ve used it extensively to quickly reset focus points, and even used it to focus on a specific subject in a crowded area, like in the photo of the pigeon drinking water (above).
Canon EOS R6 Mark III review: Stabilization
Depending on the lens you use with it, the Canon EOS R6 Mark III is capable of delivering up to 8.5-stops of in-body image stabilization (IBIS). This means that you can shoot at slow shutter speeds handheld and in low-light conditions without worrying about blur from camera shake.
The RF 28-70mm F2L USM lens I tested doesn’t feature any stabilization (bizarre, I know) so for the two photos above, I relied entirely on the EOS R6 Mark III’s IBIS. The first image was shot at 1 second and the second at 2 seconds. As you can see, the first shot is clear and stable while the second has been impacted by camera shake — and I expected that, given the weight of the lens. But this is great as it shows the camera’s stabilization works excellently.
I then took a few photos at varying shutter speeds with the RF 14mm F1.4L VCM which, again, doesn’t feature an image stabilizer. But because the lens is much lighter than the RF 28-70mm F2L USM, my hands didn’t feel as unstable and I was able to shoot at even slower shutter speeds. The image above was captured at 4 seconds!
Canon EOS R6 Mark III review: Image quality
I’m yet to test a mirrorless camera from Canon that doesn’t produce stunning images. The EOS R6 Mark III is an imaging powerhouse, packing a 32.5MP full frame CMOS sensor. Boasting Canon’s vaunted color science, color reproduction is faithful and true to life, and different shades and hues look beautiful. You can see a few sample images in the gallery above. All the colors are well-balanced with none appearing oversaturated or light on contrast.
While the EOS R6 Mark III doesn’t feature a sensor as high-res as, say, the Canon EOS R5 Mark II with its 45MP Stacked CMOS or the Sony A7R VI with its 66.8MP Stacked CMOS, you still get enough resolution to create crops.
The first image in the gallery above is an extreme crop of the second, and the third of the fourth. That’s as far as I could crop in without losing detail. In the portrait of the pigeon, you can still make out its individual neck feathers, and you can still see the different skin texture in the photo of my partner.
Like many other cameras from Fujifilm and Sony, the EOS R6 Mark III comes with built-in picture styles and filters, such as Vivid, Monochrome, Cool, Warm, and so on. In the gallery above, the first photo was taken with Vivid, the second with Cool, and the third and fourth in Monochrome.
I love how the greens pop and look bright in the first shot, and the green water in the second shot appears muted and cinematic. Meanwhile, the shadows look deep and highlights look bright (but not too bright) in the grayscale images, making the Monochrome filter great for portraits.
High-speed drive
The EOS R6 Mark III utilizes Canon’s DIGIC X processor for 40fps sequential shooting with the electronic shutter, and the camera captures 330 JPEGs and 150 RAW images in this mode. Having 40fps drive at your disposal means you can capture every single moment of action, which makes the EOS R6 Mark III a strong choice for wildlife and sports. If you want an even higher drive, the OM System OM-1 Mark II boasts 120fps blackout-free sequential shooting, but you’d be sacrificing resolution for that.
I found 40fps to be more than sufficient for capturing birds in action, as you can see in the gallery above. With the camera set to High-speed Continuous Shooting+ via the Drive quick menu, I was able to photograph the pigeon landing on the stump, and the crow frantically hopping about with a berry in its mouth. The electronic shutter also has a shutter speed of 30s to 1/16,000s, giving you plenty of speed to capture blur-free images.
Thanks to the 40fps burst and best-in-class autofocus, I was able to capture a series of photos featuring two pairs of moorhens fighting with each other, and you can see four shots of that in the gallery above. I was limited by the RF 28-70mm F2L USM’s longest focal length which prevented me from getting really close-up shots, so imagine what you could do with a telephoto lens, like the RF 200-800mm F6.3-9 IS USM ($2,249).
Similar to many other high-speed Canon cameras, the EOS R6 Mark III supports pre-burst capture up to 0.5 seconds, and unlike its predecessor, you don’t need to enable the RAW Burst mode to do so. The EOS R6 Mark III records 20 frames when you half-press the shutter button and these are saved to your memory card when the button is fully pressed — handy for never missing a split-second moment.
ISO performance
The EOS R6 Mark III boasts good high ISO performance. It has a base ISO of 100 and it tops out at 102,400, just like the Sony A1 II, the Sony A7R VI, and the Canon EOS R5 Mark II. To see how it fared, I put the EOS R6 Mark III through an extreme ISO test indoors.
Images come out as you’d expect at ISO6400 so I’ll shift focus to high ISO values instead. The images above were shot at 12,800: the first is a JPEG export of the CR3 RAW file, and the second is the straight-out-of-camera (SOOC) JPEG. As you can see, the EOS R6 Mark III’s in-camera noise reduction has done well to reduce the noise or grain in the SOOC JPEG. There’s no loss in sharpness either as the legends on the scale are still discernible.
I then upped the ISO to 25,600. There’s a lot of noise in the JPEG export of the CR3 file (first slide above) but once again, the camera has done well to smoothing it out in the SOOC JPEG (second slide above). The blue background does appear a bit grainy but it’s far from ruinous. Again, there’s no drop in sharpness. This was also the case with the EOS R5 Mark II and the A1 II.
Finally, ISO 51,200, which is the limit I’d recommend pushing the EOS R6 Mark II — as a last resort, that is. As you can see in the SOOC JPEG (second slide above), the plant in the background has lost the sharpness around its leaves and it doesn’t look as detailed anymore. It has a watercolor effect which we’ve seen on micro four-thirds cameras, like the OM System OM-1 Mark II.
Dynamic range
The EOS R6 Mark III offers up to 14+ stops of dynamic range at base ISO100, so in theory, you can make extensive adjustments in post without negatively impacting image quality. To test this, I took a couple of photos outdoors and lifted the shadows and reduced the highlights in Adobe Photoshop Lightroom.
In the backlit photo of my partner above (the original of which you saw earlier), the camera’s done a great job of maintaining highlight detail while also exposing for the comparatively dim unlit face.
The EOS R6 Mark III keeps shadows relatively noise-free too. In the gallery above, I reduced the highlights and lifted the shadows and doing so revealed many leaves that I couldn’t see in the first unedited shot.
Canon EOS R6 Mark III review: Video
The Canon EOS R6 Mark III doesn’t skimp on video either. It’s a powerful hybrid camera capable of recording 7K/30fps Open Gate video where it utilizes its entire uncropped sensor and resolution, as well as 7K/60fps RAW video. The presence of a full-size port means you can shoot 7K RAW ProRes via HDMI too. Naturally, you can record 4K video at 120fps too. You can see a sample video, shot in 4K at 60fps, above. The video looks smooth and plenty of detail has been captured. The colors look lovely, too.
Alongside these resolutions and framerates, the EOS R6 Mark III is capable of recording in Canon Log 2 and Canon Log 3, where the latter captures a wide dynamic range of up to 13.3+ stops. C-Log is usually reserved for Canon’s Cinema lineup, so it’s good to see it on the EOS R6 Mark III as well as the EOS R5 Mark II mirrorless cameras too.
While the EOS R6 Mark III boasts solid video specs, it doesn’t feature a built-in cooling fan or system, so it can get very hot, and in turn, it doesn’t last very long. Canon says that the camera can record 7K/60fps RAW for only 23 minutes at 73°F / 23°C. This isn’t great news for hybrid shooters, but this is why the Canon EOS R6 V exists. The EOS R6 Mark III’s video-first sibling features an active cooling fan and airflow vents to prevent shutdowns caused by overheating (and it even packs the same 32.5MP sensor).
Canon EOS R6 Mark III review: Battery life
Like I said before, the Canon EOS R6 Mark III introduces and utilizes a new and upgraded LP-E6P battery pack. It’s also compatible with LP-E6NH and LP-E6N packs but not with the original LP-E6. The EOS R6 Mark III is CIPA-rated for 620 shots when using the LCD monitor or 390 shots when using the EVF.
Of course, CIPA-ratings are generally conservative as they’re determined using strict and usually single-shot testing parameters, so more often than not, your camera will last you longer in the field. In my testing, I took nearly 2,500 photos before charging the camera. Your mileage will heavily depend on your shooting settings and modes.
For the purposes of comparison, we’ll use the 620-shot LCD CIPA-rating. This is slightly lower than the Sony A7R VI’s 670-shot, the Sony A7 V’s 750-shot, and the Fujifilm X-H2S’ 720-shot battery life. The EOS R6 Mark III upstages the OM System OM-1 Mark II, though, which is rated for 520 shots. But like I said, the EOS R6 Mark III has lasted me comfortably for a full day’s worth of shooting, so you should get by just fine.
As for video, while the EOS R6 Mark III is capable of shooting 7K/30fps RAW and Open Gate, it’s worth noting that it doesn’t feature an active built-in fan or cooling system, so it has a tendency to overheat, as it did in my testing after about 20 minutes. It’s disappointing that the EOS R6 Mark III doesn’t cope well once it gets too hot (sounds like me during a heatwave), but like I said, that’s one of the reasons why the EOS R6 V, the lineup’s video-first camera, exists.
Canon EOS R6 Mark III review: Verdict
Canon’s EOS R6 lineup hasn’t failed to impress us so far. The EOS R6 Mark III delivers a genuinely well-rounded shooting experience. It feels at home capturing wildlife, sports, landscapes, studio portraits, travel, what-have-you. The combination of a sharp 32.5MP CMOS sensor, class-leading autofocus and stabilization, and 40fps burst shooting make the EOS R6 Mark III a remarkable creative tool. Throw Canon’s beautiful color science, intuitive controls and ergonomics into the mix and you’ve got a camera that’s easy to enjoy.
There are a few caveats, though. While the camera boasts 7K video capabilities, videographers will likely run into the camera’s thermal limits sooner than they’d like. Some rivals offer longer battery lives too.
But these compromises feel relatively minor when weighed against everything the EOS R6 Mark III offers. For photographers seeking a fast, versatile and dependable camera, this is one of the strongest options available today — and a worthy successor to the EOS R6 Mark II.
