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Canon EOS R3 review: Eye control magic

Canon EOS R3

The Canon EOS R3 is a monster of a camera with a price tag to match. At S$8,749 for the body only, casual photographers probably won't be getting this. Designed for professionals but also great for hardcore amateurs, this camera comes with a new nifty feature called eye control that could possibly trickle down to more affordable models in the future. Heck, this feature is really the reason why you should be getting this mirrorless beast.

Quick specs

  • 24MP stacked BSI sensor
  • Battery: Around 860 shots with LCD, 620 with viewfinder
  • Weight: 1,015g with card and battery
  • Supports 1x CFexpress Type B, 1x SD/SDHC/SDXC and UHS-II

Eye control autofocus is a new (well, a first version appeared in 1992) feature that lets you use your eye to direct the autofocus of the camera. It's super cool, really. Once calibrated, you just need to look at a spot to help direct the camera's super snappy autofocus. It works by using infrared light to read reflections in your eye to see where you are looking at. When using it, a dot shows you where you are looking at, and hitting the autofocus will get you close to the subject you are looking at. I do note that wearing glasses does throw it a little off sometimes, so it's a good idea to recalibrate at your shoot location.

Canon EOS R3
Credit: Aloysius Low/Can Buy or Not

The 24MP stacked sensor has a wide ISO range, from 100-51,200 and up to 204,800 extended. I tested mostly in RAW, but you can also shoot in JPG or HEIF, too. Burst mode is rated at 30fps. In JPEG, a fast storage card will mean the buffer almost never runs out. I shot more than 400 images before I realised it wasn't going to pause to clear the buffer. RAW files, though, will pause briefly after about five seconds, but you will still get a lot of shots in first. Low-light performance is also pretty good when you crank up the ISO. I was definitely comfortable at up to ISO12,800. There's plenty of detail without too much noise. The camera also has built-in HDR shooting. Video is also great, you can shoot up to 6K/60fps video, or 4K 120p for those high-definition slow-motion shots.

Canon EOS R3
Credit: Aloysius Low/Can Buy or Not

Another standout feature is the great OLED viewfinder. The R3 also comes with a vertical grip. While this does add bulk to the camera, professionals will love the flexibility for portrait shots. There are also a lot of buttons and dials to use — some customisable — but they offer pros and dedicated amateurs ways to control the camera better. The touchscreen is also handy to quickly change the settings.

50mm f1.2 1/250
Credit: Aloysius Low/Can Buy or Not
177mm f2.8 1/1,600
Credit: Aloysius Low/Can Buy or Not
200mm f2.8 1/400 cropped
Credit: Aloysius Low/Can Buy or Not
200mm f2.8 1/4000 cropped
Credit: Aloysius Low/Can Buy or Not

The Canon EOS R3 is a beast of a camera. It's probably overkill for the average user, but if you got the cash, why not? The eye control autofocus is cool as heck. The snappy autofocus is also perfect for sports or nature. Professional photographers will love what it offers. Get it from Shopee or Lazada, where it's discounted from its retail price.

See Also
Xbox Controller

Note: Review unit provided by Canon.


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Verdict



CAN BUY

Beastly camera.

Buy from Lazada
Shop it at Shopee

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