In recent weeks, reports of Canon launching a new camera have dominated news cycles. While some believe it is the imminent launch of the Canon R7 II, there are also suggestions that the company may introduce a full frame camera. As we reported last year, the Canon R3 Mk II needs a refresh, and, per a new report, it will be a bold successor in many ways.
According to Photo Rumors, the Canon R3 Mk II has the possibility of becoming the most ambitious camera the company has ever produced. With the Winter Olympics on the way, the R3 Mk II is reportedly not a derivative of the Canon R1 or a bump in resolution. Instead, it is considered an experimental model offering an industry-first dual-native-resolution back-illuminated stacked CMOS sensor. The sensor switches between 54MP at 40fps and 24MP at up to 90fps at full frame readout.
In addition, the article also states that the company has a redesigned color filter array and pixel-binning strategy. In other words, the 24MP mode will group the same color pixels and merge them to create a signal-to-noise performance boost. There is reportedly an 80% increase in sensitivity compared to the original R3’s single green pixel structure. When combined with triple native ISO, the camera has the potential to redefine low light performance for sports and wildlife photography.
The report also notes that the autofocus seems an upgrade via a “Quad Pixel CMOS AF” system. This uses our photodiodes per pixel to offer cross-type phase detection in horizontal, vertical, and diagonal orientations. All of this at 54MP sensor.
Similarly, video capabilities have also seen a huge change. The report said the R3 Mk II can record internal RAW up to 9K at 60fps and 6K at 120fps, both with full-pixel autofocus.
So far, on Reddit, people have been wondering whether the R3 Mk II will be like the R1, since the original R3 was a bridge to the R1. This, thereby, defeats the camera’s purpose quite a bit.
Given the reports, R3 Mk II seems too good to be true. The reason we are saying this is because of the launch of the R5 II and the R1. Both flagship cameras, they did not woo the audience as they should have, there by, leading to questions whether Canon is even serious about photography. But, if Canon does change its mind, it further makes one wonder the camera they will innovate will be the R3. If the reporst are true, then it could mark a a turning point in sensor architecture and performance standards for professional mirrorless cameras.