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Canon has announced a brand-new midrange mirrorless camera for the marketplace, the Canon EOS R6 Mark III. I got a chance to test out the new model and wanted to share a few thoughts.
I guess the camera market would fall into five categories. Well, six if we add cinema cameras to the mix. You’d have super high-end movie cameras costing in the range of $80,000 to $100,000 at that level. Then a premium level—let’s call that stuff in the $10,000 to $25,000 range for still or video bodies. Then there’s the high end. I’d call these cameras in the $3,500 to $6,500 range, the established professional workhorse bodies. Then there’s a midrange, which I’m going to say are cameras in the $2,000 to $2,500 range. Then entry level, which are usually in the $1,500-and-below range. You’ll notice I’ve left a gap between those ranges because some cameras tend to straddle one range or another depending on their use case.
The Canon EOS R6 Mark III is one of those cameras. I’d say it’s in the midrange, competing with cameras like the Nikon Z6 III or Sony a7 IV. It comes in at a $2,799 price tag. If the Canon EOS R1 and Canon EOS R5 Mark II are Canon’s high end, this body is just below those in terms of build and specs. Yet it shares a number of those products’ features, as well as a couple from the recently announced Canon EOS C50, which make it a solid choice for several different production scenarios.
Let’s start with a quick look at some of the things the camera is doing right.
32.5-Megapixel Sensor
The one tangible thing that sets the Canon EOS R6 Mark III apart from others in the price range is the leap from the customary 24/25 megapixels to 32.5. That’s just enough added megapixels to feel the difference in your final still image. I was using a preproduction model and am not yet able to process the Raw files, but the JPGs straight out of camera were sharp and well rendered. The higher-resolution sensor also provides benefits on the video side, which we will discuss in a moment.
For stills, the camera can shoot up to 40 fps with the option of 20 frames of continuous pre-shooting. It has both a traditional shutter and an electronic shutter option. It has up to 8.5 stops of in-body image stabilization (IBIS). It shares the Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus II system from some of its siblings. This includes Canon’s recent feature, which allows you to register specific faces you want the AF system to pay special attention to.
In my testing, I found the AF to be right on par with what I’ve come to expect in the past with Canon cameras I’ve owned like the Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R5 C: fast and accurate.
7K 30p Open Gate
What’s the point of having a sensor with added resolution if you’re not letting users have access to all of it? Canon seems to agree, as the new R6 Mark III offers open gate recording to maximize its full sensor. If you are unclear what open gate means, here is a very basic explanation. Most still camera sensors have a 3:2 aspect ratio. Most video is captured at either 16:9 or 17:9 DCI aspect ratios. So, in essence, when you are in video mode on most cameras, you are cropping off pixels top and bottom to record in a 16:9 format.
Open gate shoots video using the full 3:2 aspect ratio. If you are using a 16:9 timeline, you’ll still end up cropping out top and bottom. But with open gate recording, that information is still there. That gives you excess pixel information to either shift your video up or down in post (if using a 16:9 timeline). Perhaps more important for today’s market, it also gives you added picture information when framing vertically for a 9:16 deliverable. This option makes it easier for filmmakers who are required to deliver both horizontal and vertical content to capture both simultaneously.
Open gate is also very useful when it comes to shooting with anamorphic lenses. The added image information from the full frame gives you better desqueeze options when conforming your anamorphic footage. Speaking of anamorphic, I was not able to find an option in the menu to do anamorphic desqueeze in camera, so you’ll need to rely on external monitors for that. Thankfully, the R6 Mark III has a full-size HDMI port.
Image Formats
The EOS R6 Mark III offers a wide variety of capture formats for video. The previously mentioned open gate is available up to 30 fps at 7K. Sixteen-by-nine formats can record up to 60 fps in 12-bit 7K Canon RAW Light. You can shoot 4K up to 120 fps or 2K up to 180 fps. 4K Fine up to 60 fps is oversampled to give you more picture information.
All formats, both Raw and MP4 variants like the traditional XF-AVC S/XF-HEVC S files, can utilize the Canon Log 2 gamma curve. Canon is claiming 15+ stops of dynamic range with C-Log 2 and this camera. Doing dynamic range lab tests is not my skill set, but I did try out the camera in several high-contrast scenarios and was happy with the performance.
One thing that continues is that you have the option of recording to four audio tracks. I’ve always found this to be a benefit in the Canon ecosystem, as the multiple tracks can be a lifesaver by making it easier to record redundant audio at different levels for protection.
Ergonomics and I/O
As mentioned earlier, the EOS R6 Mark III has a full-size HDMI. The camera is capable of USB/HDMI live streaming, FTP transfer, and other high-speed connectivity options. There’s a 3-inch, 3.69-million-dot, fully articulating LCD screen. Exposure tools include waveforms, zebras, and false color. This gives you plenty of options for nailing your exposure on the spot. There’s a helpful tally lamp to let you know when you are recording. The camera records to one CFexpress Type B slot and one UHS-II SD card slot. The hot shoe is a smart hot shoe. This means there will be more accessories coming, like shotgun microphones that can be connected without additional cables, which, as a determined enemy of cords, I find particularly helpful.
The camera has a smart hot shoe, meaning it should be compatible with a wide range of accessories that can connect directly to the camera without additional wires, such as shotgun mics.
One interesting touch with the R6 Mark III is that you can password protect your camera. This could be a vital upgrade depending on the type of material you shoot. If nothing else, it could provide a bit of peace of mind to protect your privacy when the camera is out of sight.
How Does It Feel In The Hand?
I really enjoyed shooting with the R6 Mark III. The body is relatively small, but not too small. It’s lighter than it looks at 609 grams. The balance is aided by a pretty deep grip that made handholding the camera for long periods quite comfortable.
There’s an easy still/movie switch on the top left of the body. Small thing, but I like that the on/off switch is now on the right. Having it on the left on my R5 was something that always threw me off a bit, so I was happy to see it reversed on the R6 Mark III. The three-dial setup will be familiar to Canon shooters. There are just enough custom function buttons for the majority of shooters.
45mm f/1.2 STM
Speaking of ergonomics, this is the point where I should mention that I was testing the R6 Mark III with the brand-new Canon RF 45mm f/1.2 STM lens. Honestly, working with the 45mm may have been my favorite part of this review. I am a huge fan of the 40mm focal length. 50mm is my second favorite focal length. So with this sitting right in between, I was already primed to enjoy the product.
What I love most about the lens is the relatively small form factor. Most f/1.2 lenses are necessarily large. They are also incredibly expensive. But the 45mm f/1.2 comes in at only $469 and 346 grams. Paired with the R6 Mark III, this makes for an incredibly light and balanced package.
Because I couldn’t yet process the Raw files, I didn’t dig too deep into pixel peeping. Just based on the lower price, I’m guessing this lens might not be as sharp as the larger, more expensive f/1.2 primes, but in my initial test, it was plenty sharp enough, especially given that the size, weight, and cost savings more than make up for any deficiencies.
The 45mm does have a bit of focus breathing, though, so that’s something you’ll need to consider if video is your top priority.
So what did I think of the Canon EOS R6 Mark III?
Pros
- 32.5 MP sensor
- Open gate recording
- Full-size HDMI
- False color and other monitoring tools
- 7K 60 fps recording options
- Canon Log 2
- Autofocus performance
- Four audio tracks
- Smart hot shoe
- Size and weight
- Deep grip
- Value
Cons
- Potential overheating
- No anamorphic desqueeze in camera
- No physical timecode port
Conclusion
I think the Canon EOS R6 Mark III provides really strong value to Canon shooters. It does sacrifice some features from its larger siblings, as you’d expect at this price range, but it can do a lot in the right hands. 32.5 MP is plenty for most still photographers. And while something like the Canon EOS C50 is better suited for larger-scale production, the R6 Mark III has plenty of the same tools for someone on a budget who doesn’t need as many of the more pro features on that larger body. I think the R6 Mark III is a solid value proposition and worth consideration for those Canon shooters looking for a smaller body with a lot of punch.