The EOS R3

Canon’s pro level mirrorless (but not 1 series)

The R3 finally brings back the ‘3’ designation for a Canon camera.

This page collects information, news and reviews of the Canon R3.

It looks to be positioned between the R5 and a future R1, which at R3 launch is still some time off.

The original EOS 3D rumour page dated from 2004 and was one of our oldest and is now effectively archived as of a few days ago.

Some of what were 3D rumours did actually appear in the guise of the 5D. Many suggestions seem to be inspired by the EOS 3 film camera, with its ‘eye control’ AF system. If you’re curious, I collected some EOS3 specs at the end of this page (launched Oct 98)

Pre-order B&H | Adorama

Canon R3 Latest News

2022 August

4th Version 1.2.1 appears to fix V1.2.0 issues ;-)

1. Adds the ability to set “Custom high speed continuous” to the Drive mode. It is possible to shoot from 2 to 50 images continuously at a speed of approximately 30 to 195 fps.
2. Adds the ability to select “FHD 239.76 fps/200.00 fps” in “High frame rate.”
3. Adds the ability for in camera “Depth compositing” during “Focus bracketing.”
4. Adds Focus bracketing and depth compositing with a flash (Speedlite EL-1).
5. Adds the ability of time-lapse movie recording. Note that the time-lapse movie setting is retained even if the camera enters the Auto Power Off state before starting time-lapse movie recording.
6. Adds the ability of Cloud RAW processing functionality. RAW processing with the latest image processing technology is possible. This is a paid service that requires the purchase of a Canon Imaging App Service Plan, which will be available starting July 25, 2022.
7. Adds the ability to convert multiple HEIF images into multiple JPEG images.
8. Adds the ability to set [Still Image Crop/Aspect] to [Custom Controls]. The assigned button can be used to switch between crop and aspect ratio.
9. Adds the ability to crop and resize images during transfer to an FTP server.
10. 802.1X authentication/WPA2-Enterprise now supports the PKCS#12 certificate format.
11. Adds an electronic shutter sound to be played when the mechanical shutter or electronic 1st-curtain is set.
12. Enhances the performance of “Movie Digital IS”. It stabilizes the image when taking selfies or walking shots using a wide-angle lens.
13. Adds [Auto Power Off Temp.: Standard/High] to the menu for still shooting.
14. Fixes an issue, which displays Error Code 70 on the camera, that may occur, in rare instances, when the [Disp. performance] setting is set to [Smooth].
    Fixes minor issues.
15. Fixes an issue, in which, after having updated the camera to firmware Version 1.2.0, when performing the [Factory reset] operation, some shooting settings are not retained.

Firmware v1.2.1 for the Canon EOS R3

July

28th I’ve seen suggestions that the R3 update may have been withdrawn after reports of some errors – expect a new version to appear at some point.

27th  Firmware Version 1.2.0 incorporates the following enhancements and fixes:

1. Adds the ability to set “Custom high speed continuous” to the Drive mode. It is possible to shoot from 2 to 50 images continuously at a speed of approximately 30 to 195 fps.
2. Adds the ability to select “FHD 239.76 fps/200.00 fps” in “High frame rate.”
3. Adds the ability for in camera “Depth compositing” during “Focus bracketing.”
4. Adds Focus bracketing and depth compositing with a flash (Speedlite EL-1).
5. Adds the ability of time-lapse movie recording. Note that the time-lapse movie setting is retained even if the camera enters the Auto Power Off state before starting time-lapse movie recording.
6. Adds the ability of Cloud RAW processing functionality. RAW processing with the latest image processing technology is possible. This is a paid service that requires the purchase of a Canon Imaging App Service Plan, which will be available starting July 25, 2022.
7. Adds the ability to convert multiple HEIF images into multiple JPEG images..
8. Adds the ability to set [Still Image Crop/Aspect] to [Custom Controls]. The assigned button can be used to switch between crop and aspect ratio.
9. Adds the ability to crop and resize images during transfer to an FTP server.
10. 802.1X authentication/WPA2-Enterprise now supports the PKCS#12 certificate format.
11. Adds an electronic shutter sound to be played when the mechanical shutter or electronic 1st-curtain is set.
12. Enhances the performance of “Movie Digital IS”. It stabilizes the image when taking selfies or walking shots using a wide-angle lens.
13. Adds [Auto Power Off Temp.: Standard/High] to the menu for still shooting.
14. Fixes an issue, which displays Error Code 70 on the camera, that may occur, in rare instances, when the [Disp. performance] setting is set to [Smooth].
15. Fixes minor issues.

Firmware v1.2.0 for the Canon EOS R3

2021 November

6th An R3 manual is available in several formats.

There is an online HTML manual or, for the downloadable PDF, see here.

September

15th Keeping that hot-shoe connector clean – the cover in place (how many of these would I need to keep up with losses ;-)

14th A well thought out week long test of the R3 by a pro R5 user [PP]

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A few videos

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Canon has widely seeded pre-production cameras, so expect lots of ‘first look reviews’ of varying depth & competence ;-)

See: DPReview for a good analysis

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The new accessory shoe design shows where the new devices for the top get their link to the camera.

Does this look a potential dust/water trap?

Yes – the mount is designed to maintain a weather-sealed connection when used with weather-resistant Canon flashguns.

However, Canon is going to sell an adapter that lets you mount a normal flash while keeping the camera body sealed.

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The R3 is officially launched.

The launch info (press releases etc) is on its own R3 launch page.

This page will cover ongoing news, reviews and supply related info

The first paragraph of the US announcement gives a feel for how Canon is positioning this camera…

MELVILLE, NY (September 14, 2021) Building on the success of the EOS R camera series, Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, today announced the next leap forward in full-frame mirrorless cameras – the professional-grade Canon EOS R3. The new camera leverages the advancements in technology that Canon has developed since the original EOS R launch in 2018 and bridges the gap between the immensely popular EOS R5 and the world-renowned Canon flagship EOS-1D X line. The EOS R3 is the first ‘3’ series camera from Canon since the widely used EOS-3 film camera was launched in 1998….

Canon EOS R3 specifications

13th Some availability info [Nok]

The planned domestic [Japan] release dates for new Canon products are RF100-400mm and RF16mm in late October 2021, R3 and accessories (ST-E10 / AD-E1 / ER-L1 / ER-hE / ER-h) in late November. It seems that the multi-accessory shoe smartphone adapter “AD-P1” will be in February 2022, and the multi-accessory shoe stereo microphone “DM-E1D” will be in March 2022.

11th The R3 is pitched at $5999 US [CR] … OK, maybe £5899 for the UK ;-)

10th The R3 will set you back 6099 euros – shall we say £5999 in inflated UK prices

The full launch will be on the 14th, but with ongoing web site problems it may be a while until I can fully update the site

August

16th Some R3 details have emerged – still quite a lot that Canon is keeping quiet about though.

• Blackout and lag will be reduced as a result of the much faster sensor [CR]

July

31st With new hosting, I’m hoping the site is now running much better – enough to finish upcoming articles.

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The R3 has been widely seen at the Olympics, and EXIF data seems to point to a 24MP sensor, with 6000×4000 resolution.

Current specs are estimated as:

• 24mp backside illuminated image sensor
• Multi-Controller & Smart Controller
• Vari-Angle Touch Screen
• NEW accessory shoe
• Wifi 5GHz
• High speed 30fps electronic shutter with AF/AE tracking + RAW shooting at this speed
• AF down to -7.0 EV
• 8 Stops Coordinated Control IS with Optical IS and In-Body IS
• 4K Canon Log3​
• Oversampling 4K
• Internal RAW video
• Inclusion of cars and motorbikes in AF tracking technology
• RAW internal movie recording
• Speedlite shooting with electronic shutter
• The same weather sealing as the EOS-1D series
• LP-E19 Battery
• Dual card slot SD & CFExpress

The R3 also showed up in more certification [CR]

June

26th Looks like the official R3 announcement will be next Tuesday – 29th

2nd Some more info comes out from Canon

Canon Announces Additional Details of EOS R3 Full-Frame Mirrorless Camera Currently In-Development

Following up on the announcement of the development of Canon’s most powerful professional full-frame camera, the EOS R3, Canon has new details to share on the upcoming product.

The upcoming EOS R3 will offer enhanced AF performance and tracking capabilities using Deep Learning technology, with even better face, eye, head, and animal body detection. The EOS R3 will add vehicle subject recognition and tracking for cars and motorcycles, ideal for photographers capturing fast-action motorsports.

The EOS R3 will be able to autofocus in extreme low light conditions up to EV-7, along with up to eight stops of coordinated IS control when used with RF lenses that feature Optical Image Stabilization. Users of the upcoming EOS R3 will be able to shoot 4K video with Canon Log 3 support, oversampled 4K, and RAW movie internal recording.

For added flexibility and the necessary support for high-speed image transfer, the EOS R3 will have Wired LAN and 5GHz Wi-Fi capability built-in. The new accessory shoe will provide further options for data communication and power while also supporting new accessories. In addition, the use of Canon Speedlite products will still be possible when the EOS R3’s electronic shutter is active.

Additional Specifications Include:

• Dual-card slots: 1 CF Express, 1 SD.
• LP-E19 battery
• Magnesium-Alloy body
• Vari-angle touch LCD monitor
• Multi and smart controller equipped

May

27th Two new views of the R3 ‘leak’ [Nok]

3rd A few snippets of R3 info appear in a Russian R3 interview [via CR]

As expected, it’s not the ‘flagship’ mirrorless. Not one for me, since it’s intended for wildlife, sports, racing, and photojournalism.

April

21st Until Canon starts to officially ‘leak’ info, there is mostly speculation. A hint dropped to [CR] suggesting that the sensor AF system would be improved. This could be as simple as alternating left-right and up-down pixel splits or it could be as advanced as having four sub-pixels per pixel.

Expect a few new features… Oh and the R1 won’t be along for quite some time.

14th The R3 gets a formal development announcement and will be available in 2021

So, the ‘3’ line is indeed resurrected, along with eye focus. There are no real specs, but 30fps does fit with ~45MP and the maximum transfer rate of CFExpress cards

Here’s a rough guide to its comparative size against the 1D X III

13th At last, an update for my 3D page with what seems to be an R3 [Nok] due for a ‘development announcement’.

Are we going to see a return of ‘3’? Is this top end or perhaps the high MP mirrorless (R5s/RS page)

2018 December

20th Mirrorless EOS R is the future, so I’m expecting the next appearance of ‘3’ in a mirrorless model.

This raises the issue of just what the EOS R numbering system will be?

So will it be an EOS 3R or an EOS R3?

And, what many seasoned 3/3D watchers will wonder, is will it have eye controlled AF?

The 3D stuff (dating back to 2004) is now on the Original 3D rumours page

EOS-3 specs

“A sturdy and modern, full-featured SLR for professionals and advanced amateurs alike, the EOS-3 incorporates a host of technological advances that raise the bar for performance in a high quality 35mm SLR. These features include a 45-point autofocus system, Canon’s amazing Eye-Controlled AF, predictive AF up to 7 frames per second (with optional Power Drive Booster PB-E2 and NP-E2 battery pack), E-TTL auto flash, 18 custom functions, compatibility with Canon’s full range of autofocus lenses and Speedlites, and much more. These capabilities are incorporated into a rugged body with easily accessible controls for quick and easy execution of camera operations. Almost instinctual, the EOS-3 will help to ensure that you never miss a shot again.”

Product Features

Professional 35mm SLR camera with up to 1/8000 second shutter speed (body only)
Features 45-point Area AF, 21-zone metering, and proven EOS-1N control layout
18 custom functions
Wireless TTL system with Speedlites
Large selection of interchangeable AF lenses, flash systems, and remote controllers

Technical Details

Camera type: 35mm AF/AE single-lens reflex with focal-plane shutter and built-in motor drive
Picture sizes: 24mm x 36mm
Compatible lenses: Canon EF lenses
Lens mount: Canon EF mount
Viewfinder type: Eye-level pentaprism
Viewfinder magnification: 0.72x (-1 diopter with 50mm lens at infinity)
Diopter: -1 (20mm eye relief)

Exposure metering modes:

TTL max. aperture metering with a 21-zone silicon photocell.
Evaluative metering (linkable to any point),
Partial metering (approx. 8.5% of viewfinder at center)
Center spot metering (approx. 2.4% of viewfinder at center)
Spot metering (linked to focusing point at approx. 2.4% of viewfinder)
Multi-spot metering (Max. 8 multi-spot metering entries)
Center-weighted averaging metering

Exposure Control Methods:

Program AE (shiftable)
Shutter speed-priority AE
Aperture-priority AE, Depth-of-field AE
E-TTL program flash AE
A-TTL program flash AE
TTL program flash AE
Manual
Bulb

Metering range: EV 0 to 20

ISO film speed range: ISO 6 to 6400

Autofocus type: TTL-AREA-SIR with a CMOS sensor

Focusing points: Area AF with 45 focusing points

Focusing modes:

One-Shot AF: Autofocus stops when focus is achieved, resulting in AF lock
Predictive AI Servo AF: Tracks subject movement up to the start of exposure
Manual focusing: Enabled with the focusing ring when the lens focus mode is set to MF (or M)
Full- time manual focusing: Enabled with the electronic focusing ring during continuous shooting (except during film exposure)

Other features

Shutter type: Vertical-travel, focal-plane shutter with all speeds electronically-controlled.
Shutter speeds: 30 to 1/8000 sec. in 1/3-stops, X-sync at 1/200 sec.
Shutter release: Soft-touch electromagnetic release
Self-timer: 10-second or 2-second delay
Film loading: Automatic
Automatic rewind: Yes
Flash contacts: Hot shoe: X-sync direct contacts, Below camera back latch: JIS B-type socket (threaded)
External flash system compatibility: E-TTL autoflash, A-TTL autoflash, TTL autoflash
Custom Functions: 18
LCD panel: Displays shooting, metering, AF, and film advance modes; shutter speed, aperture, frame counter, and battery level. Illumination provided
Remote control: Quick-lock, three-pin remote control connector provided (N3 type.)
Power source: One 2CR5 lithium battery housed in the camera grip
Width: 6.3 inches
Height: 4.7 inches
Depth: 2.8 inches
Weight: 27.5 ounces (body only, excluding battery)