I tested the Canon EOS R6 Mark III — it's a near-perfect hybrid camera, with one major drawback

11 Jan 2026, 01:00 · TechRadar

TechRadar Verdict

As a fully-featured hybrid camera, the Canon R6 Mark III achieves the brief with top marks for both stills and video. It's a little sensible, a little safe, but Canon has managed to pack in a decent array of upgrades into a cleverly refined package. Key additions include the 33MP sensor, support for 7K open gate video, and the genuinely interesting Register People Priority mode. In real-world use, the R6 Mark III is an absolute joy to use, with intuitive controls, menus, and great results straight out of the camera. Both casual and professional users will find a lot to work with here, although Canon's continued decision to keep the RF mount closed to third-party full-frame alternatives is still a drawback versus the rivals.

Pros

+New 33MP sensor
+7K open gate video
+Useful and intuitive autofocus features
+Refined shooting experience

Cons

-Restricted recording times on some formats
-Slightly worse dynamic range than rivals
-Canon's R-Mount is still closed
-More expensive than Mark II

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Canon EOS R6 Mark III: two-minute review

The Canon R6 Mark III is the brand's latest enthusiast-level hybrid camera, and successor to one of Canon's most popular models. It's perhaps the clearest expression of a 'hybrid' Canon camera yet within its price range, with a fresh 33MP sensor that not only offers a significant bump in resolution (from 24MP), but a host of new video features such as 7K open-gate.

Outwardly, you could be mistaken in thinking that the Mark III offers a relatively iterative upgrade versus the previous generation. The overall design of the camera is essentially identical. Under the hood, however, subtle tweaks and improvements provide an upgrade that's bigger than the sum of its parts.

Everything is just a little bit better with the Mark III. You get a nice bump in resolution, a massively expanded video tool-kit, and useful autofocus features from the higher-end bodies like Priority People Detect. Even minor annoyances like video white balance have been smoothed out. Overall, it's an incredibly refined and well-designed camera that simply just works without any fuss. That's high praise, indeed.

(Image credit: Future / Alex Whitelock)

In real-world testing, the R6 Mark III is also a stunning stills and video camera, capable of producing superb results in both fields. In a field where competitors are eager to champion stacked BSI sensors, the Mark III proves that you need neither to achieve great performance. Images are detailed with great dynamic range and flexibility, and you still get an impressive 40fps burst rate, despite the significant jump in resolution.

Perhaps the biggest stumbling block for the R6 III isn’t necessarily the camera itself, but the increasingly competitive field it sits within. Rival brands are not only producing exceptional cameras currently, but they do so on democratized and open lens mounts.

For example, the Nikon Z6 III undercuts the R6 on price, the Panasonic S1 II features more powerful video tools, and the Sony A7 V falls back on its vast lens ecosystem. In comparison, the R6 III looks like the jack of trades - a safe, if somewhat unexciting pick in the best mirrorless cameras landscape.

Those already faithful to the Canon RF-Mount will be overjoyed with this camera, however. As previously stated, there's a refined assuredness to the R6 Mark III that makes it a reliable hybrid workhorse. Regardless of whether you're a professional wedding photographer, amateur videographer, or even a serious beginner, it's hard not to recommend the R6 Mark III because of its compelling mix of usability, image quality, and value. Yes, it's pricier than the Mark II, but considering the new sensor (and inflation), you definitely get a good amount of camera for the money here.

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