The Canon EOS R3 has lastly been launched from the storage the place it’s been hiding for the final six months – and the specs affirm that it’s the highly effective, speedy F1 car of mirrorless cameras.But this shiny showcase of Canon’s newest digital camera tech, as spectacular because it is, additionally exhibits that Canon is still enjoying catch-up with its most important rival in the producer’s championship: Sony.Sony’s engineers have been tinkering away in the mirrorless sport for a lot longer than Canon. And this expertise, mixed with its huge R&D energy, imply that in the key skilled areas – sensors, EVFs, video, even next-gen hot-shoes – its cameras have already pioneered a lot of the tech seen in the EOS R3.(Image credit score: Canon)What Sony’s cameras haven’t but performed is pack all that goodness right into a DSLR-style physique that professional sports activities and wildlife shooters will take to love Lewis Hamilton on a Go Kart – and that’s the place the Canon EOS R3 actually shines.It doesn’t simply sit in between the Canon EOS R5 and Canon 1D X Mark III – it melds the finest of each cameras into what is unquestionably one of the finest skilled cameras round. But whereas options like a brand new stacked sensor make it a tech pioneer in Canon’s steady, it’s still a catch-up play somewhat than a spectacular overtaking maneuver.Action stackedIn some ways, the Canon EOS R3 is the most completely advanced digital camera for professional sports activities and wildlife photographers ever made. It’s supremely quick (as quick as the Sony A1, on paper, because of that 30fps uncooked burst capturing mode) and comes in a kind issue that was cast in a time when Sony’s E-mount still had its L-plates.But its benefits over cameras like the Sony A1 and the Sony A9 II stem extra from its heritage than its trailblazing digital camera tech. The huge tech story is that the EOS R3 is the first Canon digital camera to have a stacked full-frame sensor, which delivers the read-out speeds wanted to drag off ludicrous feats like that 30fps uncooked burst mode.(Image credit score: Canon)Yet it is Sony that has been the pioneer right here and it has been honing its stacked full-frame sensors for nicely over two years. This is why it was capable of come out of nowhere, with one of the best-kept secrets and techniques in the entire of client tech, with the Sony A1 in January this yr. That digital camera is the variety of uncompromising all-rounder we’ve by no means seen earlier than, even when that method mockingly results in some compromises on the practicality entrance (like its price ticket, for instance). But it is undoubtedly a trump card that has stolen some of the Canon EOS R3’s thunder.Panoramic viewSony hasn’t simply established a tech lead in sensors, both. An fascinating function of the Canon EOS R3 is that it has the identical digital viewfinder (EVF) specs as the all-rounder Canon EOS R5. No huge deal, on the face of it, as the EOS R5’s EVF is a superb 5.76-million dot OLED affair with a 120fps refresh charge, which our assessment might “barely distinguish from the true optical viewfinders discovered in conventional DSLRs”.Yet the Sony A1 already pushed skilled EVFs to the subsequent degree again in January with an unbelievable 9.44-million pixel viewfinder with a 240fps refresh charge. That refresh charge is significantly essential for capturing sports activities and wildlife capturing, as a result of it impacts how easy movement seems in the viewfinder.Image 1 of 2(Image credit score: Canon)Image 2 of 2(Image credit score: Canon)Interestingly, a teardown of the Canon EOS R5 final yr appeared to disclose that its viewfinder – the identical as the one in the Canon EOS R3 – is a Sony-made module. Does that designate why Canon wasn’t capable of match the Sony A1’s EVF on its professional mirrorless sports activities digital camera? Possibly, but both means the viewfinder is a vital function for sports activities photographers, significantly these switching from DSLRs. And like sensors, Sony is out in entrance right here, on paper no less than.As Canon advised us again in January 2020, in relation to viewfinders, mirrorless cameras “can by no means be as quick as a DSLR”, as a result of a DSLR’s optical viewfinder works at the velocity of mild. Canon has added an ‘OVF simulation’ mode to the EOS R3, which helps you to see outdoors of the body to anticipate motion, to assist ease the transition for DSLR customers. But there isn’t any doubt Sony still has possession of the excessive bar in relation to mirrorless EVFs.Renewed focusOf course, being first with new applied sciences would not all the time outcome in higher cameras, and the Canon actually is not enjoying catch-up in all areas with the EOS R3. No digital camera in historical past has given you extra management over your autofocus. The EOS R3 combines a touchscreen, conventional knurled AF joysticks, the speedy Smart Controller from the 1D X Mark III (suppose an upside-down laptop mouse), and Canon’s new incarnation of its Eye Control AF system.Image 1 of 2(Image credit score: Canon)Image 2 of 2(Image credit score: Canon)The latter is distinctive to Canon and tracks the motion of your eye to maneuver the autofocus level to wherever you are trying. It actually brings sensible benefits for buying focus, but there are additionally fairly a number of calibration hoops to leap by way of (each to your eye and the native lighting circumstances) and it additionally won’t work so nicely for these sporting glasses or contact lenses.Canon has additionally largely caught up with Sony in relation to monitoring autofocus tech too, with the EOS R3 refining the algorithms for its People and Animal AF and likewise including a brand new one for Vehicles. While we’ve got seen the latter earlier than on the Olympus OM-D E-M1X, the EOS R3’s mode is impressively superior, even permitting you to decide on whether or not to prioritize the driver’s helmet (in open-top autos like F1 automobiles) or the automobile itself for focus.(Image credit score: Canon)The EOS R3 is additionally arguably now the mirrorless chief in relation to weather-sealing. While the Sony A1 does declare to supply ‘improved’ weather-sealing from its different mirrorless cameras, the EOS R3 matches the sealing of the robust 1D X Mark III DSLR. Canon is additionally out in entrance in relation to in-body picture stabilization, which is helpful for each preserving handheld picture high quality and video. With suitable lenses, you will rise up to eight stops of stabilization on the EOS R3, which is class-leading on paper.Grand graspBut regardless of the Canon EOS R3’s spectacular roll name of options, Sony is still arguably the tech chief in the actually key areas. The EOS R3 does break away of Canon’s conventional video recording limits (claiming to have the ability to maintain capturing in commonplace frame-rates for six hours) and its potential to shoot 6K uncooked video internally is spectacular.Yet with cameras like the Sony A1 and Sony A7S III (to not point out the Sony Airpeak drone), its rival continues to set the commonplace for professional video shooters – and additional competitors is en route from the 8K-shooting Nikon Z9. Given the EOS R5’s early points with overheating, we’re additionally trying ahead to seeing how the EOS R3 fares in this division.(Image credit score: Canon)Sony’s headstart in mirrorless cameras additionally continues to provide it a slight edge on lenses, relying on what you wish to shoot. The Canon RF system is now impressively mature, even when solely half of them are presently available for purchase – and at the moment’s announcement of the Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM and Canon RF 16mm f/2.8 STM has served up some inexpensive choices for non-professionals.The five-year lead Sony had on making mirrorless digital camera lenses, although, together with its vast third-party help from the likes of Sigma, Tamron and Zeiss, has given its E-mount system an unequalled quantity of selection in any respect worth factors, together with compelling specialist choices like the Sony FE 135mm f/1.8 G Master lens and different ‘G Master’ primes. (Image credit score: Canon)Race to the prizeNone of because of this the Canon EOS R3 is not an unbelievable digital camera – it gives a novel mixture of retro, DSLR-style dealing with and staggering mirrorless energy. And we might but see a Canon EOS R1 take an sudden leap ahead in the identical vein as the Sony A1.But the EOS R3 does additionally present that Sony continues to be a step forward in the most essential areas of full-frame tech, together with stacked sensors, burst capturing, viewfinders, multi-function hot-shoes and (to a lesser extent) lens alternative.The good thing for digital camera followers is that Canon has simply proven that it is completely succesful of staying with its most important rival. Like an F1 car in digital camera kind (and likewise one whose autofocus can observe F1 automobiles) the Canon EOS R3 is the quickest of quick followers, and the final winners might be photographers and filmmakers.