Canon launched the Canon EOS R5 and EOS R6 some time ago. Those two cameras came highly acclaimed by Canon to be the future in photography. It also marks Canon’s shift in their product direction. The EOS R5 was the first full-frame photography camera from Canon that shot videos at 8K resolutions. They were not Canon’s first ever mirrorless cameras though. For that honour, you have to look back at Canon’s EOS R launched a year before the Canon EOS R5 and R6 launched.
With the introduction of Canon’s EOS R series cameras, they also introduced their new lenses made for mirrorless cameras. Canon claims that because the flange is bigger, and that it can be placed closer to the sensor, the lenses can be made with higher quality materials with even bigger elements and bigger lens opening. It basically opens whole new possibilities for photographers and even film makers around the world.
Professionals could opt for the Canon EOS R5. It packs 45-Megapixel within its full frame sensor. It could shoot videos at 8K. It could even take burst photos at up to 20 frames a second. That is 20 45-Megapixel photos every second. It is as high end as a camera as it can be.
The thing is, there are photographers that shoots on the Canon EOS 1DX platform. The 1DX is technically Canon’s flagship full frame camera meant for professionals. It is the camera that shoots most of the photos in a football pitch. It is the camera of choice for plenty of photographers who are hired to take photos of the president of the United States in the White House. It is also the platform of choice for plenty of Formula 1 photographers, which says a lot on the Canon EOS 1DX’s pedigree.
The Canon EOS 1DX platform is an aging platform though, despite its prowess. Fans are now asking for a mirrorless platform too. A full frame mirrorless platform like the Canon EOS R5 has proven to be more versatile piece of kit without the heft and weight of a regular DSLR.
The Canon EOS R3 – The Replacement
Canon has answered though with the Canon EOS R3 that was just launched in Malaysia today. The Canon EOS R3 is the sum of Canon’s know how in the EOS R mirrorless technology. It is about combining the full power of high-resolution photography with speeds known only to the 1DX platform. It is built for the next-generation sports photography.
The Canon EOS R3 packs 24.1-Megapixel, half of the EOS R5. That allows the Canon EOS 1DX to be a better low-light shooter though. It still packs 20% more pixels than the EOS 1DX Mark III it replaces though. It shoots at a native ISO range of 100 to 102,400 and is expandable to up to 204,800. For videos, the ISO range is lower at 100 to 25,600. You still can extend that range to 102,400 though.
Speed is Everything
Speed is everything in sports photography. With the new DIGIC X engine, the Canon EOS R3 is an even faster shooter than the Canon EOS R5 too. It can shoot at up to 30fps with its silent electronic shutter. Even using the mechanical shutter, it shoots at up to 12 frames a second. Shutter speed can be as fast as 1/64,000 with electronic shutter for that ultra-sharp and highly detailed sports photo. You write all your photos into a super-high-speed CF-Express Type-B card too. For redundancy, there is an SD card slot capable of UHS-II speeds.
The Canon EOS R3 is an even cleverer shooter than its predecessors. It comes with the highly acclaimed Eye Control autofocus that tracks and focuses to the eye of your subjects. The function helps photographers shift focus even faster and even more seamlessly when the need arises. It is even more powerful than before with deep-learning technology allowing the camera to focus on the subject’s eye even if the face is partially covered or masked.
While they have also improved head tracking to ensure that athletes are tracked properly while wearing helmets, masks, or goggles, the most welcome autofocus feature that photographers might appreciate is Vehicle Priority AF mode. Automobiles and motorcycles are hard to photograph due to their high-speed nature. A quick and clever autofocus system would be required to take close-up shots of a speeding vehicle on the track. The new autofocus system is fast enough that it can even track the driver or rider’s head with Spot Detection enabled.
A Reliable Platform
The In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS) on the Canon EOS R series has been touted as some of the best the camera world has ever seen. That same IBIS implementation is back in the Canon EOS R3. That also means that you can shoot impressive long-exposure photos even without the help of a tripod.
The IBIS also benefits in terms of free-handed video shots. On that front, the EOS R3 is capable of shooting videos at up to 6K resolution (60p). It does not have quite as much resolution as the 45-Megapixel R5. It is also still capable of shooting 4K videos at 120p and 10-bit colours though. If you must shoot at the very best quality, the EOS R3 is capable of oversampling 6K videos into 4K 60p videos. You want to use Canon Log 3 and HDR PQ with those settings for the best possible results on your videos.
Photographers will also appreciate that the Canon EOS R3 comes with a slew of networking options for seamless file transfers and even synchronisation options. It packs the usual Bluetooth and WiFi connectivity. There is also a standard GPS mode for even more convenience. It packs a full-sized LAN port though for an even faster data transfer speed without requiring additional accessories. For a quick mobile transfer, you can use a USB Type-C cable to connect your smartphones to the EOS R3. The USB Type-C port can also act as a charging port (via USB Power Adapter PD-E1) for the EOS R3 in case you need extra juice.
Availability
The Canon EOS R3 will be available in Malaysia November 2021 onward. Alongside the new Canon EOS R3 flagship camera, Canon also launches two new RF100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM lens and RF16mm f/2.8 STM pancake lens for the EOS R platform. Their prices are yet to be mentioned and should be announced closer to its availability dates. More information on the Canon EOS R3 and the new RF lenses can be found on their website.