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Canon EOS R3 vs Sony Alpha 1

Every spec side by side, from each maker's published figures.

Better figure, where one is clearly better

CanonEOS R3SonyAlpha 1
Overview
ReleasedNovember 2021March 2021
Image and sensor
Camera typeMirrorlessMirrorless
Sensor formatFull frameFull frame
Sensor typeBack-illuminated stacked CMOSStacked Exmor RS CMOS with integral memory
Sensor dimensions36 × 24 mm35.9 × 24 mm
Effective resolution24.1 MP50.1 MP
Largest image6000 × 40008640 × 5760
RAW recordingYesYes
Standard ISO range100–102400100–32000
Sensor detailApproximately 24.1 million effective and 26.7 million total pixels; full-frame back-illuminated stacked CMOS, approximately 36 × 24 mm in the maker's technical guideApproximately 50.5 million total pixels. Pixel Shift Multi Shooting combines four or 16 frames using Imaging Edge; 16-frame output is 17280 × 11520 and requires a suitable static scene.
Image formatsJPEG, HEIF, RAW and C-RAW; CR3 still RAW and CRM movie RAW filesJPEG, HEIF and Sony ARW 4.0 RAW; compressed, lossless-compressed and uncompressed RAW.
ISO detailStandard still-photo ISO 100–102400, expandable to ISO 50 or 204800; normal movie ISO 100–25600, or ISO 800–25600 with Canon Log 3Standard still and movie ISO 100–32000; stills expand to ISO 50–102400.
Image processorDIGIC XBIONZ XR.
Lens and shooting
Lens mountCanon RFSony E-mount
StabilisationLens and sensor shiftSensor shift
Maximum continuous burst30 fps30 fps
Lens detailCanon RF lenses; EF/EF-S lenses via EF-EOS R adapter, excluding EF-M; EF-S lenses use approximately 1.6× crop–
AutofocusDual Pixel CMOS AF II with people, dogs, cats, birds and motorsport vehicle recognition; up to 4779 manually selected still-photo positions; −7.5 EV still-photo claim with f/1.2 non-DS lens, centre point, One-Shot AF, ISO 100 and room temperature. Eye-control selection is for stills only, requires calibration and may be affected by eyewear, individual eyes and shooting conditions759 full-frame phase-detection points covering approximately 92% of the image area, plus 425 contrast points; sensitivity EV −4 to 20 with an F2 lens at ISO 100. Launch recognition includes human, animal and bird Eye AF.
ShutterMechanical and electronic first curtain up to 1/8000 second; electronic up to 1/64000 second in Tv/M with restrictions; Bulb supported–
Burst detailNormal full-resolution continuous shooting up to 30 fps electronic with AF/AE tracking or 12 fps mechanical/electronic first curtain, depending on lens, battery and settings. Separate custom high-speed mode in firmware 1.2.0 or later reaches 195 fps for up to 50 frames; maker drive-mode manual fixes shutter speed, aperture and ISO from the first shot, and Amateur Photographer reports fixed AF/AE in this brief burstUp to 30 fps electronic Hi+ with compressed RAW/JPEG and AF/AE tracking under compatible-lens and maker conditions; in AF-C, shutter speed must be 1/250 second or faster. Uncompressed or lossless-compressed RAW tops out at 20 fps; mechanical bursts up to 10 fps. Launch buffer claim at 30 fps is 155 compressed RAW or 165 JPEG frames using CFexpress Type A under Sony test conditions.
Stabilisation detailFive-axis in-body image stabilisation coordinated with compatible lens optical IS; Canon UK claims up to eight stops with specific RF lenses, not every lensFive-axis sensor shift; 5.5-stop CIPA pitch/yaw claim with Planar T* FE 50mm F1.4 ZA and long-exposure noise reduction off. Active movie stabilisation supported.
FlashMulti-function accessory shoe; mechanical flash sync 1/200 second, electronic first curtain 1/250 second and electronic shutter 1/180 second–
Video
Highest video resolution6000 × 3164 at 59.94 fps7680 × 4320 at 30 fps
Video detailInternal 6K RAW 6000×3164 up to 59.94/50 fps on CFexpress; oversampled uncropped DCI/UHD 4K up to 59.94/50 fps; 4K high-frame-rate 119.88/100 fps; Canon Log 3 and HDR PQ. RAW, 4K high-frame-rate and 4K60 ALL-I are not recordable to SD cardsInternal 7680 × 4320 30p 10-bit 4:2:0 XAVC HS with 8.6K oversampling; lower-resolution 4K up to 120p with approximately 10% crop and 10-bit 4:2:2 support. S-Log3 and S-Cinetone; Super 35mm 4K uses 5.8K oversampling. External HDMI RAW is separate from internal recording.
AudioBuilt-in monaural microphone; 3.5 mm stereo microphone and headphone sockets, plus compatible multi-function-shoe audio accessories–
Screen and viewfinder
ViewfinderElectronicElectronic
Screen size3.2″3″
Screen dots4,150,0001,440,000
TouchscreenYesYes
Tilting screenYesYes
Display detailFully articulated 3.2-inch capacitive touchscreen; technical guide specifies approximately 4.15 million dots, while the UK store rounds this to 4.2 million; approximately 100% coverageRear TFT LCD tilts approximately 107° upwards and 41° downwards.
Viewfinder detail0.5-inch OLED EVF, approximately 5.76 million dots, 100% coverage and 0.76× magnification with 50 mm lens at infinity0.64-inch Quad-XGA OLED with 9437184 dots, 100% coverage and approximately 0.90× magnification with a 50 mm lens at infinity. Up to 240 fps display reduces resolution and field of view.
Connections and design
Wi-FiYesYes
BluetoothYesYes
Battery life (maker's claim)620 photographs530 photographs
Body weight822 g652 g
Release detailCanon Camera Museum records marketing in November 2021; no exact first-sale day is inferredSony's UK press centre specifies European availability in March 2021; no day inferred. Exact technical figures use Sony Japan because both UK specification URL forms were inaccessible during research.
Recording mediaOne CFexpress Type B slot and one SD/SDHC/SDXC UHS-II slot; recording to both is limited by the slower cardBoth slots accept CFexpress Type A or UHS-I/UHS-II SD.
PortsUSB-C 3.2 Gen 2, micro HDMI Type D, RJ45 Ethernet, 3.5 mm microphone/headphone sockets and N3 remote-control terminalUSB Type-C at 10 Gbps, Multi/Micro USB, full-size HDMI, 1000BASE-T Ethernet, sync terminal, 3.5 mm microphone and headphone sockets and digital-audio Multi Interface Shoe.
Wireless connectionsWi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4/5 GHz with regional frequency restrictions; Bluetooth Low Energy 5.0; built-in GPS, GLONASS and MICHIBIKI positioningWi-Fi IEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac at 2.4/5 GHz, Bluetooth 5.0 and NFC.
Battery life detailLP-E19; CIPA power-saving approximately 620 EVF or 860 screen shots at 23°C using an SD card; smooth-display approximately 440/760 shots under the same maker conditionsNP-FZ100; CIPA approximately 530 photographs with LCD or 430 with viewfinder; USB Type-C Power Delivery charging and power supported.
ChargingIn-camera charging with optional USB Power Adapter PD-E1; this adapter does not power the camera while operating; AC-E19 and DR-E19 provide optional AC power–
DimensionsApproximately 150 × 142.6 × 87.2 mm (width × height × depth)Approximately 128.9 × 96.9 × 80.8 mm (width × height × maximum depth); grip-to-monitor depth 69.7 mm.
Weight detailApproximately 822 g body only, excluding body cap, eyecup and multi-function-shoe cover; approximately 1015 g including battery and CFexpress card; photographed kit lens excludedApproximately 652 g body only or 737 g with battery and memory card, excluding lens.
MaterialsMagnesium-alloy body with dust- and moisture-resistant construction; resistance is not an underwater rating–
In the boxUK body package includes LP-E19 battery, LC-E19 charger and AC cable, R-F-5 body cap, ER-h small eyecup, IFC-100U interface cable/protector, ER-L1 strap and accessory-shoe coverNP-FZ100 battery, BC-QZ1 charger, power cord, cable protector, shoulder strap, body cap, accessory shoe cap, eyepiece cup and USB-A to USB-C cable, according to Sony Japan.

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