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Canon EOS R3 vs Sony Alpha 9 III

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

Better figure, where one is clearly better

CanonEOS R3SonyAlpha 9 III
Overview
ReleasedNovember 2021January 2024
Image and sensor
Camera typeMirrorlessMirrorless
Sensor formatFull frameFull frame
Sensor typeBack-illuminated stacked CMOSStacked Exmor RS CMOS with global shutter
Sensor dimensions36 × 24 mm35.6 × 23.8 mm
Effective resolution24.1 MP24.6 MP
Largest image6000 × 40006000 × 4000
RAW recordingYesYes
Standard ISO range100–102400250–25600
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 25.2 million total pixels; integral memory and global exposure rather than sequential line exposure.
Image formatsJPEG, HEIF, RAW and C-RAW; CR3 still RAW and CRM movie RAW filesJPEG, HEIF and Sony ARW 5.0 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 ISO 250–25600 for stills and movies; stills expand to ISO 125–51200.
Image processorDIGIC XBIONZ XR with dedicated AI processing unit.
Lens and shooting
Lens mountCanon RFSony E-mount
StabilisationLens and sensor shiftSensor shift
Maximum continuous burst30 fps120 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 conditionsUp to 759 still-image or 627 movie phase-detection points; sensitivity EV −5 to 20 with an F2 lens at ISO 100 equivalent. Current UK specification includes automatic subject selection and people, animals, birds, insects, cars, trains and aircraft; launch reviews precede later firmware enhancements.
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 120 fps full-resolution electronic bursts with AF/AE tracking under Sony test conditions; speed depends on lens compatibility and shooting settings. Pre-Capture retains up to one second before full shutter press. No mechanical shutter.
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; 8.0-stop CIPA pitch/yaw claim with FE 50mm F1.2 GM and long-exposure noise reduction off. Active and Dynamic Active movie modes 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 fps3840 × 2160 at 120 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 cardsUp to uncropped 3840 × 2160 120p NTSC or 100p PAL; 4K 60p uses 6K oversampling. Supports 10-bit 4:2:2, S-Log3 and S-Cinetone; All-Intra 4K tops out at 60p. External HDMI RAW output 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″3.2″
Screen dots4,150,0002,095,104
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% coverageFour-axis LCD tilts and opens sideways; approximately 98° up, 40° down, 180° sideways and 270° rotation.
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 and approximately 0.90× magnification with a 50 mm lens at infinity; selectable up to 240 fps NTSC or 200 fps PAL.
Connections and design
Wi-FiYesYes
BluetoothYesYes
Battery life (maker's claim)620 photographs530 photographs
Body weight822 g617 g
Release detailCanon Camera Museum records marketing in November 2021; no exact first-sale day is inferredSony UK announced availability in January 2024; Japan's announcement specifies 26 January. The main date retains UK month precision.
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 and Bluetooth 5.0.
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; Sony UK CIPA approximately 530 photographs with LCD or 400 with viewfinder. Japan lists 520/410 respectively. 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 136.1 × 96.9 × 82.9 mm (width × height × maximum depth); grip-to-monitor depth 72.8 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 excludedSony UK specifies approximately 617 g body only or 702 g with battery and memory card; Japan specifies 618/703 g respectively. Main figures use the UK specification.
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 and eyepiece cup, according to Sony UK.

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