Canon EOS R3 Mark II Coming the First Week of February?

[downhill on water]

If true, the most interesting bit of this rumor is that the camera would be based upon a brand new Canon sensor. Sensor technology is Canon's principle weakness today v/v Sony. As someone who's planning to sit on the market sidelines in 2026, anything that can be learned about their direction and current capabilities in sensor technology will be helpful.

 

[Quack]

If true, the most interesting bit of this rumor is that the camera would be based upon a brand new Canon sensor. Sensor technology is Canon's principle weakness today v/v Sony. As someone who's planning to sit on the market sidelines in 2026, anything that can be learned about their direction and current capabilities in sensor technology will be helpful.

It seems as if virtually all the actual tests from many sources and various charts from Photons to photos show that there is little or no difference between Sony and Canon sensors. So, I'm curious as to what info you might have that Canon sensor tech is such a weakness in comparison to Sony. Or are you just about 7 or 8 years behind the times?

 

[Quack]

If there is R3 with 50MP sensor, than the R5III will have to have something much bigger than that so it will contonue to be "different" from it...

All the R5 series needs to be "different" from the R3 with a 50mp sensor is the price.

 

[neuroanatomist]

It seems as if virtually all the actual tests from many sources and various charts from Photons to photos show that there is little or no difference between Sony and Canon sensors. So, I'm curious as to what info you might have that Canon sensor tech is such a weakness in comparison to Sony. Or are you just about 7 or 8 years behind the times?

That's the mantra. Repeat it often enough, it becomes true. Or not. For example, from two years ago:

I suspect Sony will continue to have an advantage in sensor technology, but in 1H24 Canon needs to minimize its impact and supersede Sony sensors that have been on the market 1-3 years.

I guess Canon didn't do what they needed to do, at least in the personal opinion of @downhill on water. We've all seen the effect on market share that Canon's failure to launch 'better' sensors in 1H24, 2H24, 1H25 and 2H25 has had...none whatsoever.

 

[EricN]

The best of 2026?
R3 II & RF 14mm TSE & RF 35mm f/1,2

RF ~180mm macro

 

[EricN]

It seems as if virtually all the actual tests from many sources and various charts from Photons to photos show that there is little or no difference between Sony and Canon sensors. So, I'm curious as to what info you might have that Canon sensor tech is such a weakness in comparison to Sony. Or are you just about 7 or 8 years behind the times?

Sony does have a higher resolution sensor and the global shutter. I don't think it's a huge difference for most people, but I am interested to see what will happen, nonetheless.
I don't think it will happen from Canon but Leica has a monochrome sensor.
There was also a rumor about Canon adding an IR channel. Of course they have done a handful of bodies optimized for astrophotogravy.

 

[Surab]

Maybe the R3 will become to R5 what the R6II is to the R8. Same imaging platform but more advanced hardware features.

My main doubt with this hypothesis is that Canon would decrease, albeit only slightly, the sensor read-out speed for the R3 line if they did this step.

 

[Moritz_RD02]

It seems as if virtually all the actual tests from many sources and various charts from Photons to photos show that there is little or no difference between Sony and Canon sensors. So, I'm curious as to what info you might have that Canon sensor tech is such a weakness in comparison to Sony. Or are you just about 7 or 8 years behind the times?

If sensor quality of ANY major brand from the past ten years - be it ISO performance or resolution - are of concern and hinders the way of working with the gear: it's you, not the myriad of available products.

Apart from that: I still fondly look back at the 1Ds Mark III, a dream from my past, very broke student me. Paired with the EF 50 L that behemoth was the stuff of my dreams. And now that I've got the RF 50 L Canon could make my wish come true with a mirrorless version of it ;-)

And that's the thing: I don't see Canon releasing another speed-orientated "1" style body that somewhat cannibalizes the still pretty new R1. My best guess would be a trailblazer product, something with a global shutter and or high megapixel count above the R5 line or (even though highly unlikely) some Foveon-like sensor.

Anything else I'd consider odd, but that was also kind of the motto of the original R3.

 

[GMCPhotographics]

If there is R3 with 50MP sensor, than the R5III will have to have something much bigger than that so it will contonue to be "different" from it. The R1 will be the "fastest" thing around with lower resolution (as the 1D were) the R5 will be the "camera with the most MP" and the R3 will be somewhere in the middle while it features new things that later will come to the R1 (2) and the R5 (3).

That's maybe your prediction, but that's not what the artical reports. It's looking a lot like a super-pro version of the R5 linage.
The R1 is sports dedicated camera. It can easily shoot most things and it's very versatile. But the designers have honed and forged it for a life of profressional sports photographers. But this is a small niche in the professional world of photography, but it's the niche that grabs the headlines and it's where Canon likes to place it's top tier camera. If those photographers like a non extended 70-200/f2.8....then we get the new Z lens option. If those photographers don't want 45mp, but prefer 24mp...then that's what gets delivered, regardless of the wants / hopes / needs of any other type of photographer. It's been like this for years and years. Even pre digital...rememerber those days?

For years, (pre mirrorless) a pair of 5D series camera bodies were the staple of working pro photographers. They just worked, had the right level of build , durability and features. They were do it all cameras. Canon split this line into the 5D and 6D cameras, with the 5D going up in price and the 6D being a more budget friendly option (considering most pros buy a pair of these). In the mirrorless world, Canon pushed this envelope even further. The R5ii is a far more porfessional camera than it's 5DIII forebare, with a higher price tag to suit. I suspect that the near miss with the EOS R (many considered it to be an immature project camera), Canon threw everything the had at the R5 and it's the first camera in living memory where Canon poured so much tech and ability into it.
As a consequence, the R5 has become the pinaccle of versatility with the cropablity of it's 45mp sensor. You can do top tier landscapes, wild life...pretty much anything that you can throw at it. You see a lot of profressional wildlife, landscape, portraiture, wedding, events...all using a R5 or R5ii. It's THAT versatile.
Since the stacked sensor in the 5D mkII, it's easily THE most versatile camera Canon have ever made. The 45mp is actually overkill for many photographers, it seems to be the standard that we have all gotten used to. Which is why the R6 range is so popular, it's a slightly less extreme R5.

Which means that from a product and development point of view, Canon really have only one play with the R3II. Essentially making a R5II in a sports pro body, like the 1Ds series used to be, and make it a dev tray / play pen for fancy things like global shutter options. If Canon had put a stacked sensor in the R6iii, then it would seriously rob sales of the R5ii. An R3ii would never rob sales of a R5 series...more likely sell a few more R5ii's as a backup to the R3ii. The R5 range is the camera that Canon makes it's super profit from and it's the camera they will endeavour to protect it's market. A 50mp R3ii won't rob sales from the R1 either, because those photographers are not interested in post production or crop-ability. They need speed and a fast workflow. Shoot....get it right in frame....send to agency.

I don't think a R3ii will be a particaulrly big seller, and in some repects it's a halo camera, so it doesn't need to sell well. Both the R6 and R5 sell in far more profitable quantaties.

We have amazing choices and options in the Canon range as we enter 2026!

 

[Viddrumr32]

That's maybe your prediction, but that's not what the artical reports. It's looking a lot like a super-pro version of the R5 linage.
The R1 is sports dedicated camera. It can easily shoot most things and it's very versatile. But the designers have honed and forged it for a life of profressional sports photographers. But this is a small niche in the professional world of photography, but it's the niche that grabs the headlines and it's where Canon likes to place it's top tier camera. If those photographers like a non extended 70-200/f2.8....then we get the new Z lens option. If those photographers don't want 45mp, but prefer 24mp...then that's what gets delivered, regardless of the wants / hopes / needs of any other type of photographer. It's been like this for years and years. Even pre digital...rememerber those days?

For years, (pre mirrorless) a pair of 5D series camera bodies were the staple of working pro photographers. They just worked, had the right level of build , durability and features. They were do it all cameras. Canon split this line into the 5D and 6D cameras, with the 5D going up in price and the 6D being a more budget friendly option (considering most pros buy a pair of these). In the mirrorless world, Canon pushed this envelope even further. The R5ii is a far more porfessional camera than it's 5DIII forebare, with a higher price tag to suit. I suspect that the near miss with the EOS R (many considered it to be an immature project camera), Canon threw everything the had at the R5 and it's the first camera in living memory where Canon poured so much tech and ability into it.
As a consequence, the R5 has become the pinaccle of versatility with the cropablity of it's 45mp sensor. You can do top tier landscapes, wild life...pretty much anything that you can throw at it. You see a lot of profressional wildlife, landscape, portraiture, wedding, events...all using a R5 or R5ii. It's THAT versatile.
Since the stacked sensor in the 5D mkII, it's easily THE most versatile camera Canon have ever made. The 45mp is actually overkill for many photographers, it seems to be the standard that we have all gotten used to. Which is why the R6 range is so popular, it's a slightly less extreme R5.

Which means that from a product and development point of view, Canon really have only one play with the R3II. Essentially making a R5II in a sports pro body, like the 1Ds series used to be, and make it a dev tray / play pen for fancy things like global shutter options. If Canon had put a stacked sensor in the R6iii, then it would seriously rob sales of the R5ii. An R3ii would never rob sales of a R5 series...more likely sell a few more R5ii's as a backup to the R3ii. The R5 range is the camera that Canon makes it's super profit from and it's the camera they will endeavour to protect it's market. A 50mp R3ii won't rob sales from the R1 either, because those photographers are not interested in post production or crop-ability. They need speed and a fast workflow. Shoot....get it right in frame....send to agency.

I don't think a R3ii will be a particaulrly big seller, and in some repects it's a halo camera, so it doesn't need to sell well. Both the R6 and R5 sell in far more profitable quantaties.

We have amazing choices and options in the Canon range as we enter 2026!

Now that's intriguing to think about. To have the R5ii sensor in a pro-style body would be nice. But that's such a significant departure from what the R3 has been. I feel like that's too big of a leap for the marketing department to sign off on. But I agree about your thoughts for the R3ii being a testing zone. It feels ripe for their first global shutter foray just like the Sony A9iii. I wouldn't be surprised if they use a 24-30mp resolution for the global shutter sensor at $6000. That grabs headlines while comfortably avoiding impact on the R5ii (resolution will be too low and price too high) and R1 (worse image quality from global shutter and unproven tech the pros won't want to deal with).

Selfishly, it would work perfectly for me to help solve the banding/flicker issues I deal with on a weekly basis so I'd be first in line. I just hope the timing is accurate. I remember thinking in fall 2024 that the R6iii was imminent.

 

[GMCPhotographics]

Maybe the R3 will become to R5 what the R6II is to the R8. Same imaging platform but more advanced hardware features.

My main doubt with this hypothesis is that Canon would decrease, albeit only slightly, the sensor read-out speed for the R3 line if they did this step.

If true, it might be the only way to get a R5ii camera with a decent buffer size! The R6iii’s buffer is way superior!

 

[Red Dog]

More than happy to welcome an R3 Mkii with slightly more megapixels than the current one, provided it can still produce as clean an image as the current version at high ISO values. As a freelance sports photographer the R3 has been my go to body since I bought it several years ago, and apart from a few teething issues getting to understand how to get the best AF tracking settings for my usage, its been a terrific camera.
I also now have the R5mkii in the armoury and it serves 2 purposes, a back up to the R3 on match days, but its also now my main body for motorsports events, provided the light is good. The extra MP is a great benefit especially when shooting at distance, as H&S don't really like you standing a couple of yards from a 200 mph missile these days (unless you're in the Isle of Man of course).
Apart from high ISO performance the R5Mkii is let down by shocking battery performance. It just eats them. A full days shooting requires a pocket full of batteries at present whereas the R3 could handle the same on 2 batteries at most. If the R3mkii does appear I hope Canon retain the current battery otherwise it'll be staying well clear. Whilst 2 CFExpress card slots would be a bonus, the current card slot set-up doesn't impact on my use of either camera, so it wouldn't be a massive incentive. I'll be watching for any action images from the Olympics with interest, as I know one particular photographer going who was given the original R3 to test before it came onto the market. He was very straight and honest in his opinion of its overall performance including the things which didn't work particularly well for him.

 

[Copland]

For me personally, it would be a moderate disappointment if a new R3 line with significantly higher resolution were to appear in the near future.
About a year ago, I switched from my R3 bodies to the R1. There were a few small reasons for that (age/wear, minor functional improvements, viewfinder, dual CFexpress slots, app compatibility), but it wasn’t really necessary. Economically, certainly not. At the time, I could have bought four new R3 bodies for the price of two new R1s.

Pure speed or the even more robust body were not my main reasons for switching. I got along extremely well with the R3s; they were, in fact, the best cameras I had ever owned up to that point. And over 35+ years with Canon, I’ve had pretty much everything that was state of the art at the time. Still, the manufacturer’s “best” camera always has a certain appeal.

That’s also why I was disappointed that the R1 again came with only 24 MP and was not a step up in that regard. But okay, it is what it is.

In principle, I’d be fine with Canon continuing the R3 line. But in that case, the R1 series should clearly remain the highlight, with everything else always following behind.

Even as someone who switched from the R5 to the R5 II, I would be extremely annoyed if a 50 MP R3 were to appear shortly afterward. Not every R5 user can deploy that camera without compromises.

The big problem with Canon is still that all bodies involve compromises. None of them can truly do everything. Even now. And I find that very unfortunate—and honestly a bit weak—for a manufacturer like Canon.

I would really wish for Canon to offer a single body that combines high resolution, speed, and all state-of-the-art features in one camera. Price is “irrelevant,” as long as it’s appropriate for “the best of the best.”
The price of the R1 certainly suggests that… ;-)

In practical terms, within the Canon system you seem to need the R5 II for high resolution, the R3 II for speed, resolution, and ruggedness, and the R1 for personal status and the few technical features only it offers. That’s absurd.
Does Canon seriously expect its professional users to have this entire lineup in their kit?

 

[Xopher78]

I think it’ll be a shame if the R3 is a mish-mash of the R1 and R5 that it will inevitably be… I’d love a professional APS-H camera to supersede the R7 or 7DII, like the original 1D. 24MP would be just fine.

 

[scyrene]

The big problem with Canon is still that all bodies involve compromises. None of them can truly do everything. Even now. And I find that very unfortunate—and honestly a bit weak—for a manufacturer like Canon.

Does any other manufacturer do that? In any field? A body that did everything would have at least one compromise: price. It would cost a lot more.

In practical terms, within the Canon system you seem to need the R5 II for high resolution, the R3 II for speed, resolution, and ruggedness, and the R1 for personal status and the few technical features only it offers.

If this rumour is in any way accurate, then you won't need the R5II for resolution, will you? So it's still a two-way choice (the same choice that has been there since the 1Dx/5D3 days).

 

[neuroanatomist]

In practical terms, within the Canon system you seem to need the R5 II for high resolution, the R3 II for speed, resolution, and ruggedness, and the R1 for speed and ruggedness personal status and the few technical features only it offers. That’s absurd.

Excluding a camera about which we know nothing including if it will even exist, it seems a basic choice between resolution and speed. Sounds a lot like the choice between the Sony a1 and a9III.

Does Canon seriously expect its professional users to have this entire lineup in their kit?

More likely, Canon expect their professional users to know what they need and buy that.

 

[roby17269]

That's maybe your prediction, but that's not what the artical reports. It's looking a lot like a super-pro version of the R5 linage.

The article reports rumors. There is no guarantee that its contents will prove true. We're all speculating here.

The R1 is sports dedicated camera. It can easily shoot most things and it's very versatile. But the designers have honed and forged it for a life of profressional sports photographers. But this is a small niche in the professional world of photography, but it's the niche that grabs the headlines and it's where Canon likes to place it's top tier camera. If those photographers like a non extended 70-200/f2.8....then we get the new Z lens option. If those photographers don't want 45mp, but prefer 24mp...then that's what gets delivered, regardless of the wants / hopes / needs of any other type of photographer. It's been like this for years and years. Even pre digital...rememerber those days?

For years, (pre mirrorless) a pair of 5D series camera bodies were the staple of working pro photographers. They just worked, had the right level of build , durability and features. They were do it all cameras. Canon split this line into the 5D and 6D cameras, with the 5D going up in price and the 6D being a more budget friendly option (considering most pros buy a pair of these). In the mirrorless world, Canon pushed this envelope even further. The R5ii is a far more porfessional camera than it's 5DIII forebare, with a higher price tag to suit. I suspect that the near miss with the EOS R (many considered it to be an immature project camera), Canon threw everything the had at the R5 and it's the first camera in living memory where Canon poured so much tech and ability into it.
As a consequence, the R5 has become the pinaccle of versatility with the cropablity of it's 45mp sensor. You can do top tier landscapes, wild life...pretty much anything that you can throw at it. You see a lot of profressional wildlife, landscape, portraiture, wedding, events...all using a R5 or R5ii. It's THAT versatile.
Since the stacked sensor in the 5D mkII, it's easily THE most versatile camera Canon have ever made. The 45mp is actually overkill for many photographers, it seems to be the standard that we have all gotten used to. Which is why the R6 range is so popular, it's a slightly less extreme R5.

Which means that from a product and development point of view, Canon really have only one play with the R3II. Essentially making a R5II in a sports pro body, like the 1Ds series used to be, and make it a dev tray / play pen for fancy things like global shutter options. If Canon had put a stacked sensor in the R6iii, then it would seriously rob sales of the R5ii. An R3ii would never rob sales of a R5 series...more likely sell a few more R5ii's as a backup to the R3ii. The R5 range is the camera that Canon makes it's super profit from and it's the camera they will endeavour to protect it's market. A 50mp R3ii won't rob sales from the R1 either, because those photographers are not interested in post production or crop-ability. They need speed and a fast workflow. Shoot....get it right in frame....send to agency.

I don't think a R3ii will be a particaulrly big seller, and in some repects it's a halo camera, so it doesn't need to sell well. Both the R6 and R5 sell in far more profitable quantaties.

We have amazing choices and options in the Canon range as we enter 2026!

I do hope you realize that all of the above are your opinions... you may be right or you may be wrong. Canon does not seem to heed the wisdom that pours out of CR forums... otherwise I'd have had my 35 1.2 years ago

 

[AlanF]

Excluding a camera about which we know nothing including if it will even exist, it seems a basic choice between resolution and speed. Sounds a lot like the choice between the Sony a1 and a9III.


More likely, Canon expect their professional users to know what they need and buy that.

It hopes the wealthy enthusiasts will buy the lot!

 

[EOS 4 Life]

The z9 and z8 are essentially the same except for the body and both still do well and have people that think one is much better than the other.

The Z9 has not sold very well ever since the Z8 came out.
I even know people who sold their Z9 cameras and bought Z8 cameras because of the size advantage.

 

[EOS 4 Life]

The big problem with Canon is still that all bodies involve compromises. None of them can truly do everything. Even now. And I find that very unfortunate—and honestly a bit weak—for a manufacturer like Canon.

That is true for every manufacturer of everything, not just cameras.
Without compromise, nothing gets made.