Canon might not be done for 2024 just yet. Following the double launch of the EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II in July, there are now suggestions that it has a third full-frame mirrorless camera on the cards this year, the EOS R6 Mark III.
Speculation has been shared on Canon Rumors that the latest mid-range model with full-frame sensor could even hit the shelves at the very end of 2024, along with a list of expected specifications.
We must point out that the camera, announcement dates and specs are all based on rumors, though the timeline would tally with Canon’s two-year cycle for the EOS R6 series so far, following the EOS R6 of 2020 and the EOS R6 Mark II that was launched at the end of 2022.
For a camera at this level, a two-year product cycle feels shorter than most, but with Nikon recently announced the excellent Z6 III that, in many ways, outguns the EOS R6 Mark II, Canon might not be able to afford to sit on this one.
The compelling Canon Nikon rivalry is set to continue
Canon Rumors says its sources have told them the EOS R6 Mark III is “pretty much ready to go”, along with a list of expected specs.
Apparently the sensor will once again be a 24MP one, but that it is ‘related’ to the stacked EOS R3 sensor, which is a much pricier and former flagship used by pro sports and wildlife photographers. There’s no mention of burst shooting speeds, though we’d expect them to be faster if the stacked sensor rumor is true, plus there to be a better handle on rolling shutter distortion.
The Nikon Z6 III was the first camera of its kind to feature a ‘partially’ stacked sensor that has a faster readout speed than the Canon EOS R6 II’s, and so an even quicker stacked sensor in a potential EOS R6 Mark III would be an obvious way for Canon to strike back.
The EOS R6 Mark III can’t tread too much on the toes of the EOS R5 Mark II, however, plus Canon needs to keep it to a sensible price: the EOS R6 Mark II was launched at approxaimtely $2,500 / £2,700 / AU$4,500, the same price as the new Nikon 6 III, and it can’t go much higher than that with a successor.
To that extent, it’s believed the processor will be an improved DIGIC X, but there won’t be the DIGIC Accelerator that boosts performance in the EOS R5 Mark II and EOS R1. It should also feature the same EVF as the EOS R5 and not the one in the Mark II version that features Canon’s neat Eye-control AF.
There are a few more specs listed in the rumor, many of which tally with the Z6 III. If Canon were to launch the EOS R6 Mark III later this year, it’ll form a compelling contest with the Z6 III for the crown of the best mirrorless camera overall, and that’s a battle we’re all for.