Update July 17th: Canon EOS R1 is officially announced! It is available to pre-order for $6,299, shipment starts in November 2024. Find the Comprehensive Canon R1 vs R3 Comparison here.
All right, you just read our news: Canon has just announced the development of the highly anticipated EOS R1 flagship camera but has shared no specific details beyond promises of enhanced shooting and AF performance, supported by new AI algorithms and an accelerator sensor. Since we have limited information, we must speculate on our own. First, let's examine the scaled size comparison between the R1 and R3
Canon EOS R1 vs R3 SIze Comparison
As seen below, the R1 appears slightly taller than the R3. This increase in size could be attributed to a larger viewfinder, improved heat management, and potentially better ergonomics on the back of the camera.
I don't foresee this size increase being a significant issue for me. The R3 was already quite compact and notably lightweight for a professional camera with a built-in vertical/battery grip. Compare it to the Nikon Z9 to get a better idea: the Z9 is slightly taller but also over 300g heavier than the R3. Even in the worst case, I don't expect the R1 to be heavier than the Z9.
Canon EOS R3 vs Nikon Z9
Canon EOS R1 vs R3: What are the potential improvements?
OK, so here are the areas in which the Canon R1 needs improvement over the R3 to truly earn the 'Flagship' title and effectively compete with the Nikon Z9, the Sony Alpha A1, and the A9 Mark III.
- Higher resolution sensor, possibly 45MP or higher. The R3 has a 24MP which is quite low for many uses to be honest (read: Highest Resolution Canon Cameras are 9 years Old!)
- 8K video. If they use the 45MP or higher resolution sensor, I think this will automatically come with it, and it should.
- A faster reading stacked sensor. The R3 sensor is already very fast but even a faster sensor will help R1 compete well against the Sony Alpha A9 III with its global shutter sensor.
- A Higher resolutiuon and larger magnification viewfinder than the R3's. R3's viewfinder is no slouch at 5.7M dot resolution, but it lags behind the 9M dot of the competition. The magnification is 0.76 which is pretty small compared to the likes of 0.90x of the Sony A1.
- Pre-Burst shooting mode which is especially useful for wildlife/bird and sports photography. Canon already implemented this on the R6 Mark II but the way it is implemented is not the best. Canon has to examine Sony A9 III's implementation to improve the usability of the pre-buffer mode.
- Better heat management to prevent overheating at 8K or 4K 120fps.
- Improved subject recognition. No matter how advanced the current AF tracking modes are, they are still easily distracted especially with foreground objects, like branches in front of a bird, or another player passing in front of the player you are tracking.
- Focus Breathing Compensation. Currently, the EOS R6 Mark II, R8, and R50 are the only RF cameras to have this feature. This would be very welcomed by video shooters. (Read: Canon Lenses and Cameras Compatible with Focus Breathing Compensation)
- A Video/Still switch in the body as in R6 Mark II and R8.
- In-camera Focus Stacking
- Full-size HDMI: Come on Canon, that's easy!
In my view, if they implement all these new features, the Canon EOS R1 is going to become the most advanced and competitive flagship camera in the market - and hopefully released before the 2024 Summer olympics in Paris but I don't hold my breath for it-, and a worthy upgrade over the EOS R3.
Canon R3 vs Nikon Z9 vs Sony A1 vs Sony A9 III Comparison
| FEATURE and SPECS COMPARISON | |  |  |  |  |
| Model | Canon EOS R3 | Nikon Z9 | Sony Alpha A9 Mark III | Sony Alpha A1 |
| Sensor Resolution | 24.0 MP | 46.0 MP | 24.6 MP | 50.0 MP |
| Announced Date | 2021-09-14 | 2021-10-29 | 2023-11-07 | 2021-01-26 |
| Camera Type | Pro Mirrorless | Pro Mirrorless | Pro Mirrorless | Pro Mirrorless |
| Sensor Type | Stacked CMOS | Stacked CMOS | Global Shutter | Stacked CMOS |
| Sensor Size | Full frame | Full frame | Full frame | Full frame |
| Sensor Sensitivity | ISO 100 - 102400( expands to 50 - 204800) | ISO 64 - 25600( expands to 32 - 102400) | ISO 250 - 25600( expands to 250-51200) | ISO 100 - 32000( expands to 50 - 102400) |
| Lens Mount | Canon RF | Nikon Z | Sony E | Sony E |
| Image Stabil. | Sensor-shift ( up to 8.0 stops) | Sensor-shift ( up to 6.0 stops) | Sensor-shift ( up to 8.0 stops) | Sensor-shift ( up to 5.5 stops) |
| Eye Tracking Focus | | | | |
| Weight | 1015g | 1340g | 678g | 737g |
| Dimensions | 150 x 143 x 87mm | 149 x 150 x 91mm | 136 x 97 x 83mm | 129 x 97 x 81mm |
| Weather Sealing | | | | |
| Focus Points | 1053 | 493 | 759 | 759 |
| Min AF Detecting Range | -7.5eV | -7.0eV | -5eV | -4eV |
| Animal Eye Tracking | | | | |
| Focus Bracket | | | | |
| Minimum Shutter | 30 sec | 900 sec | 30 sec | 30 sec |
| Maximum Shutter | 1/8000sec | 1/32000sec | 1/8000sec | 1/8000sec |
| Maximum Shutter Electronic | 1/64000 sec | 1/32000 sec | 1/80000 sec | 1/32000 sec |
| Continuous Drive | 12.0fps | 30.0fps | 30.0fps | 10.0fps |
| Max Video Reso | 6000 x 3164 | 7680 x 4320 | 3840 x 2160 | 7680 x 4320 |
| Video fps at Max | 60p, 30p, 24p,23.98p | 30p, 25p, 24p | 120p,60p,50p,30p,25p,24p | 30p,25p, 23.98p |
| Video Formats | MPEG-4, H.264, H.265 | H.264, H.265 | MPEG-4, AVCHD, H.264 | XAVC S, XAVC HS, H.264, H.265 |
| High Speed Video | 120fps | 120fps | 120fps | 240fps |
| Max Video Color Depth | 10bit | 10bit | 10bit | 10bit |
| Storage Slot | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| CFexpress Support | Type B | Type B | Type A | Type A |
| Battery Life | 760 | 740 | 690 | 530 |
| Battery Model | LP-E19 | EN-EL18d | NP-FZ100 | NP-FZ100 |
| RAW Video | | | | |
| Webcam | | | | |
| Anti Flicker | | | | |
| Microphone Port | | | | |
| Headphone Port | | | | |
| Wifi | | | | |
| Weather Sealing | | | | |
| Timelapse | | | | |
| Screen Type | Fully articulated | Tilting | Fully articulated | Tilting |
| Top LCD | | | | |
| LCD Size | 3.20" | 3.20" | 3.20" | 3.00" |
| Screen dots | 4150000 | 2088960 | 2360000 | 1440000 |
| Touch Screen | | | | |
| Viewfinder | | | | |
| Viewfinder Type | Electronic | Electronic | Electronic | Electronic |
| Viewfinder Coverage | 100% | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Viewfinder Magnification | 0.76x | 0.8x | 0.9x | 0.9x |
| Viewfinder Resolution | 5,760,000 | 3,686,400 | 9,440,000 | 9,440,000 |
| Selfie Friendly Screen | | | | |
| High Resolution Mode | | | | |
| AF Joystick | | | | |
| Bluetooth | | | | |
| Full-size HDMI Port | | | | |
| Gyro data Stabilization | | | | |
| Vehicle Tracking | | | | |
| Eye Control AF | | | | |
| Price | Amazon, B&H Photo | Amazon, B&H Photo | Amazon, B&H Photo | Amazon, B&H Photo |
