Review: Canon EOS R6 Mark III Camera

Canon’s EOS R6-series mirrorless cameras used to be the entry-level model in the company’s full-frame lineup. The new EOS R6 Mark III, which arrived late last year, changes that by offering more pro-level features than its predecessor, the R6 Mark II, while still keeping the price in the entry-level range.

Though the outside of the new R6 Mark III looks near-identical to the Mark II, under the hood, there are some huge changes that add up to a completely different shooting experience. Adding support for ultrahigh-speed CFexpress memory cards means faster shooting; enhanced pre-capture; sticker autofocus; and boosted video capabilities, including 7K 60p.

I’ve spent several weeks getting hands-on with a review sample of the Mark III and comparing it to my own R6 Mark II—here’s why I think Canon's upgraded model could possibly be the best hybrid camera for stills and video currently on the market.

Beyond Entry-Level

I’ve owned an EOS R6 Mark II body since 2024, and I’ve shot tens of thousands of photos in that time, covering everything from portraits to landscapes, commercial shoots, and weddings.

EOS R6 Mark III

Photograph: Dan Mold

One of the biggest limitations of the Mark II is its 24.2-megapixel sensor—it’s a little low in resolution, making it difficult to render ultrafine details or crop in afterward. My prayers were answered with the Mark III, which offers a 34 percent bump in resolution thanks to its 32.5 MP full-frame stabilized chip. Performance in low light and at higher ISOs generally suffers when packing more pixels onto a chip, but I think most will find 32.5 MP to be the sweet spot between resolution and lowlight performance. I certainly couldn’t see a vast difference in noise to my eye, and with advancements such as Denoise in Photoshop, additional grain isn’t as much of an issue as it was in years prior.

The sensor isn't new. It comes from the videocentric EOS C50—a capable video camera that I’ve also had the pleasure of getting hands-on with. Like the C50, it offers impressive video options, including up to 7K 60p, oversampled 4K at 60p, or 4K UHS at 120p for incredible slow-motion footage. There’s also up to 10-bit recording and support for C-Log 2 and 3, and Open Gate recording is available at up to 30p. While the Mark II used two SD card slots, the R6 Mark III now has one CF Express Type B slot and another for SD (up to SDXC UHS-II).

While the Mark III still uses the same identical Digic X processor as the Mark II, its faster CFexpress card slot makes it feel like a completely different beast. It’s much faster and more responsive, and it pushes video capabilities even further with 7K 60p compared with the previous version's 4K 50p. Other video-related changes include a full-sized HDMI Type A port, a feature video shooters had been pining for. There's also a USB-C port, as well as 3.5 mm headphone and mic jacks.

The design of the R6 Mark III is largely unchanged from its predecessor, with just a few subtle tweaks. The Mark II has always handled well ergonomically, so minimal changes here are a good thing. Hybrid Auto and Creative Filters have been cut from the mode dial and replaced by S&F (Slow and Fast), for quickly playing back slow-motion footage at your desired playback speed. I find these to be good changes, and now the mode dial isn’t so cluttered with those modes that pros and enthusiasts wouldn’t use.

Photograph: Dan Mold

Canon has, however, missed the opportunity to add a mode dial lock while redesigning. Inadvertently knocking the mode into the wrong settings is one of my biggest pet peeves with my Mark II, and the same is true with the Mark III. It’s probably not a big issue for general shooters, but when the Mark II (or III) is in a dual-camera harness, it has a tendency to knock against my waist and slip into the wrong mode. Now imagine quickly reaching for your camera to grab that split-second moment at a wedding, whether it’s a first kiss, confetti throw, or family member’s reaction, and you can see why having a feature that allows the camera to slip into the wrong mode is a huge drawback.

The EVF and LCD displays carry over from the previous model, which is disappointing—we’ve yet to see a four-axis LCD from Canon that can go head-to-head with the brilliant ones seen in Sony’s latest cameras. The 3-inch, 1.62m dot LCD can tilt and flip out to get most of the angles you'd want to shoot from. Sadly, there’s also still no top LCD screen to quickly see your settings; these seem to be reserved for the top-of-the-line EOS R1, R3, and R5 series cameras.

Speed Demon

Canon’s EOS R6 Mark II was no slouch in the speed department, but the new Mark III takes it to a whole new level. Though the 12 frames-per-second (fps) mechanical and 40 fps electronic burst rates of the two models are identical on paper, remember that the Mark III's 32.5 MP full-frame chip has a third more pixels to process, plus it’s able to record 20 full-res RAW frames half a second before the shutter is pressed when using Pre-Continuous Capture. This made photographing birds at the precise moment of takeoff from a perch so much easier, and I think bird, sports, and action photographers will really love using it. While the Mark II had this feature, it can now be assigned to the M-Fn button to make it easier to turn on and off when needed. Speaking of this button, it’s more spongy than the prior model, which was more “clicky.” I found it a bit more vague as to whether I’d pressed the button or not, but it is now virtually silent, so wildlife photographers will no doubt appreciate this subtle change.

One thing missing is Canon’s Digic Accelerator, which means the R6 III doesn't get Action Priority Auto Focus (AF), so it won’t be quite as good for contact sports such as soccer, basketball, or volleyball. There is, however, support for the Nominate Register People Priority, pulled from the higher-end R1 and R5 cameras. As the name suggests, this allows you to register faces so the camera knows who to prioritize when there are multiple people in shot. This is great not only for sports photography, where you want the star players to be in sharp focus, but also for events like weddings, where you’re looking to prioritize the bride, groom, and close family members. I’ve spent many hours with Canon’s EOS R1, R5 Mark II, and R6 III, and I don’t think many will be disappointed with the R6 III’s performance when it comes to sports. The AF is super sticky and responsive, and if you want to take pictures of your child playing in a Sunday league, the Register People Priority will be enough to ensure you’re tracking your key players and bagging sharp shots. Obviously, if you’re shooting sports professionally, the R5 II or R1 will be a better option for you.

Dual Pixel AF II is featured once again, though it’s better than ever with an improved algorithm for enhanced autofocusing and tracking this time around. Subject detection includes people, cats, dogs, horses, birds, cars, motorbikes, trains, and aircraft, and the camera can track confidently in lowlight down to -6.5EV. I was, for the most part, blown away by the autofocusing capabilities of the R6 III. In both bright sunlight and dark, dimly lit indoor scenarios, I never failed to find focus. Though a word of caution when using slower apertures such as the ones found in the Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM, or when shooting at f/7.1 on the Canon RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1L IS USM, I did notice autofocus slowing down a little. Though this is more of an issue with the lens rather than the camera, if you’re using fairly wide apertures and you have decent levels of light, it’s not a problem.

The Competition

The good news is that this space, call it the advanced full-frame entry level, has a wealth of options. Canon’s EOS R6 Mark III goes toe-to-toe with the Sony A7 V, the Panasonic S1 II, and the Nikon Z6 III. The Sony A7V has a similar 33 MP sensor, though it’s partially stacked for reduced rolling shutter and also has that nifty four-axis multi-angle touchscreen I’ve been pining for. The lens mount for Sony is also more expansive than Canon’s RF, as it has third-party options with AF from Tamron, Sigma, and others. The lack of third-party AF options for Canon RF mount has always been a sore point since the mount’s inception in 2018, and still remains to this day.

The Nikon Z6 III has the lower-resolution 24.5 MP chip, though it's very capable on the video side, with 6K Pro Res RAW support. Panasonic’s S1 II is no slouch for stills but is geared more toward video with its built-in fan for active cooling, 5.7K RAW video, and custom Look-Up Table (LUT) support.

The EOS R6 Mark III shares much in common with Canon’s more expensive EOS C50, so if you’re more of a video shooter, the C50 will be the one to go for with its built-in fan for better cooling. Though if you shoot even a hair more stills than video, the EOS R6 Mark III will be the better option. Those on tighter budgets may want to consider the EOS R8 or EOS RP, and let’s not forget the EOS R6 Mark II is very capable if you don’t need the latest features and you’re able to pick one up before it’s finally discontinued.

If you're in the market for a do-it-all hybrid, there’s not much the Canon EOS R6 Mark III can’t do.