Canon EOS R3 vs Canon EOS R1

The Canon EOS R3 and EOS R1 are from two different camera lines, but they share a lot of similarities. Both are high-speed cameras with 24 megapixel sensors and integrated grips. Some photographers have even dismissed the more advanced EOS R1 as a mere “EOS R3 Mark II.” But how do their features compare?

In truth, saying that the EOS R1 should have been called the EOS R3 Mark II may be accurate. But the two cameras do have some meaningful differences, as you’ll see in the comparison below.

Canon EOS R3 vs Canon EOS R1 Specifications Comparison

Summary and Recommendations

There are a few key areas where the EOS R1 is an improvement over the EOS R3. First – and probably the biggest – is that the EOS R1 features a pre-release burst mode that allows you to buffer images up to 0.5 seconds before the shutter button is fully pressed. This is very useful for photographing subjects that move more quickly than the human reaction time. Even just this feature may be enough to convince some EOS R3 owners to upgrade to the R1.

Second is the burst rate. Although the EOS R3 already managed a very impressive 30 FPS burst for 420 frames (representing 14 seconds of continuous shooting), the EOS R1 maintains 40 FPS for over 1000 frames. Will there be times that 30 FPS is not enough, and it takes 40 FPS to capture the perfect moment? Sure – although other times, it will just mean more data to sift through later.

Then there’s my favorite new improvement on the EOS R1, which is the bigger viewfinder. I’m a big fan of sharp, high-quality viewfinders that give you the best possible view of your subject. I think it helps for everything from composition to autofocus (easier to follow a fast-moving subject if you can see it better). The R1’s new EVF has almost twice the resolution of the R3’s, and the magnification has received a major boost from 0.76x to 0.90x.

Finally, although it will be a while before we can test the two cameras side by side, the new DIGIC Accelerator processor on the EOS R1, which supplements the existing DIGIC X processor, should improve its autofocus speed and tracking capabilities in difficult situations.

Taken together, these improvements should allow the EOS R1 to capture well-focused photos of subjects that are beyond even the EOS R3’s capabilities. Both cameras are certainly excellent for photographing fast-moving action, but the EOS R1 clearly has the edge. Enough that it deserves its own product line, and the coveted #1 spot in Canon’s lineup? I leave that up to you.

Finally, there are a couple of advantages of the EOS R3 worth mentioning. The most obvious would be the price. Even though the EOS R3’s MSRP is $6000 (only $300 less than you’d pay for the R1), ongoing sales have lowered its price substantially, sometimes as low as $4000. That would represent enough to cover a high-end lens. Second, the EOS R3 is a little lighter and smaller – though both are huge cameras, so the difference may not matter much to you.

Which one should you get? If your budget allows, the EOS R1 is the better camera of these two. But if the difference in price forces you to compromise on the lens that you would want, go with the EOS R3 instead. The price has never been better, and at the end of the day, both cameras will take the same quality photos. It’s just a matter of how much you’d be willing to pay for the EOS R1’s handful of advantages.

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