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The Canon EOS R6 III is Canon's newest full-frame camera. We absolutely loved the R6 II when we reviewed it , and the Mark III's improved 32.5MP resolution, 7K video capability and CFexpress compatibility build on that strong foundation to take this camera from the beginner and enthusiast level straight into the serious intermediate camera category.

We primarily tested it for wildlife photography with Canon's 100-300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens, but the R6 III is such an impressive all-rounder, it can easily turn its hand to astrophotography, sports or event photography, too.

Canon EOS R6 III: Design

Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Comfortable grip to accommodate larger lenses

Identical layout to previous model

One SD card slot, one CFexpress card slot

Existing Canon users will feel right at home with the Canon EOS R6 III, as the build and button layout are nearly identical to the R6 II, and similar to many other R-series bodies. We tested the R6 III with the Canon RF 100-300mm f/2.8L IS USM lens and found it comfortable to get a good grip on, and it feels satisfying in the hand, especially when paired with bigger lenses.

Key specs:

Type: Mirrorless, full-frame

Resolution: 32.5 megapixels

Burst rate: 12fps mechanical, 40fps electronic

Image stabilization: 8.5 stops

Weight: 1.54 pounds / 699 g (with battery and card)

Battery life: 620 shots (CIPA)

The LCD screen and viewfinder are exactly the same as the Mark II, but there are a couple of small differences elsewhere in the design. The R6 III now has a CFexpress Type B card slot as well as an SD card slot, allowing for faster workflows and data transfer. However, considering this camera sits in the more intermediate level, we have to question whether two SD slots would be more useful for the majority of users, especially because CFexpress cards are more expensive. Plus, we used fast SD cards during our tests and encountered no problems at all with the write speed or buffer.

Canon EOS R6 III: Performance

Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane An absolute joy for wildlife photography

32.5MP sensor is a very welcome improvement over the Mark II

Autofocus and subject detection are accurate and sticky

The Canon EOS R6 III features more advanced AI-powered autofocus, which enables it to track people, animals and vehicles more easily compared with the Mark II. When we were photographing animals at a zoo, the autofocus was generally very good, although there were a few occasions when the camera got confused. The focus jumped between the giraffe’s eyes, nostrils and ossicones, and the camera couldn’t quite figure out what to focus on, even when the animal was facing towards the camera with the eyes in view. There were also a few unfortunate occasions when the camera would find and track an "eye" on the — how do we put this — wrong end of the animal. Generally, though, it was fast and accurate.

In our review of the previous model, the Canon EOS R6 II, we said, "Considering it's the next step up from the Canon EOS R8, we'd hoped for a bump in resolution. Matching the 32.5MP resolution of the crop-sensor Canon R7 would have given the R6 II an even sweeter spot between the R8 and the 45MP powerhouse Canon EOS R5 II." It seems Canon was listening, as the 32.5MP sensor in the Canon EOS R6 III sits perfectly between the beginner and professional lineups. The images are clean, detailed and not too noisy, making this camera a compelling choice for photographic styles that require excellent resolution without excessive noise.

Canon EOS R6 III: Functionality

Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Kimberley Lane Canon claims battery life allows for around 620 shots (CIPA) — we took around 6,000

Blackout-free burst shooting up to 40FPS

Pre-continuous shooting

For wildlife photography, blackout-free shooting enables you to follow the subject a lot easier as it's moving, to ensure you can keep the subject centered and maintain your composition. What's more, with the R6 III, you can shoot up to a massive 40 frames per second (FPS) blackout-free, which is perfect for fast-moving wildlife. (Keep in mind, this means you need to hone your timing to avoid the "spray and pray" method and end up with tons of photos of the exact same moment). This is one feature of a wildlife camera that makes a big difference.

The R6 III also features pre-continuous shooting, where it'll record up to 20 frames (approx 0.5 seconds) before the shutter is fully pressed — another useful feature for wildlife and sports photographers who need to capture fleeting moments.

The Mark III uses the upgraded LP-E6P battery, shared with the R5 II, which offers significantly more shots per charge than the LP-E6NH in the R6 II. That said, it means that if you're upgrading from a different Canon model, your current spare batteries won't work in the R6 III, so you'll need to invest in a few spares. However, we managed to get more than 6,000 photos without having to swap out the battery, so you won't need to worry about the battery running out unless you're shooting all day for multiple days.

Should you buy the Canon EOS R6 III?

We can confidently say: yes, you should buy it. It seems to tick all the boxes for a lot of shooting scenarios, whether it's your main wildlife camera or a backup body for weddings. The 32.5MP sensor produces beautiful images with minimal noise and accurate color reproduction; it's lightning fast with a 40FPS burst speed and can capture up to 7K 60p video. However, if you're looking for a more serious pro-level camera, perhaps opt for the R1 or R3 instead.

If this camera isn't for you

If you want to go pro

Canon EOS R1

If you're looking for a professional body with maximum reliability, professional-level handling and overall increased performance, look at the Canon EOS R1.

If you're a beginner

Canon EOS R7

Beginners or anyone on a budget should consider the Canon EOS R7. It has the same 32.5MP resolution, a 30FPS burst rate, and the APS-C sensor applies a 1.6x crop factor when paired with a full-frame lens to increase reach.

Read our full Canon EOS R7 review

If you want more resolution

Canon EOS R5 Mark II

The Canon EOS R5 II has a higher 45MP resolution with a stacked sensor, 8K video and a decreased but still impressive 30FPS burst rate.

Read our full Canon EOS R5 II review

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Before dawn on July 11, early risers will be treated to a striking celestial scene low in the east-northeast sky.

A slender waning crescent moon , softly glowing with earthshine, will appear to align with the orange light of Mars , the orange-red star Aldebaran , with the sparkling Pleiades and Hyades star clusters close by. Together, they will form a beautiful morning tableau in Taurus — one well worth setting an alarm to see.

First: the moon

Most obvious is, of course, the moon, appearing as a lovely waning crescent, 14% illuminated. It rises around 2:00 a.m. local daylight time and will likely appear as a thin arc of light enclosing a ghostly ball. Here is one of nature's beautiful sights and fits the old saying, "the old moon in the new moon's arms." Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519) was the first to recognize it as earthshine. That faint bluish-gray light is light from Earth reflected toward the moon. Earth's light, of course, reflects sunlight, so earthshine is really sunlight that is reflected off Earth to the moon and reflected toward Earth.

Next: Mars

The second object is a planet: Mars. It will appear as an orange-yellow star roughly five degrees below and slightly to the right of the moon. Your clenched fist held at arm's length measures roughly 10 degrees in width, so Mars will hover roughly 'half a fist-width" below the lunar disk.

Mars rises around 2:40 a.m. local time and is about 15 degrees above the east-northeast horizon by dawn. So as the eastern sky begins to lighten up, Mars will be about "one and a half fist-widths" above the horizon.

It currently resides within the boundaries of the zodiacal constellation of Taurus the Bull. Mars remains rather inconspicuous, but its luminosity continues to increase as we gain on it in our smaller, faster orbit, though it is a very slow process. The planet moves from 17.5 light minutes away on July 1 to 15.4 light minutes by Sept. 1, brightening ever-so-slightly from magnitude +1.3 to +1.2. At its closest approach this coming February, Mars will be only 5.6 light minutes from Earth and will appear to shine fully 10 times brighter than it does now.

On July 11, looking low toward the east about 90 minutes before sunrise, skywatchers will see an eye-catching alignment of the crescent moon, Mars and the bright orange star Aldebaran, accompanied by the beautiful Pleiades and Hyades star clusters. (Image credit: Joe Rao using Starry Night Pro 8.0/Simulation Curriculum.) Finally: Aldebaran

Shining about 5.5 degrees below and slightly to the right of Mars will be a similarly hued, orange-red star, appearing to shine nearly twice as bright as the planet. That will be Aldebaran, marking the angry right eye of Taurus. Aldebaran is the fourteenth brightest star in the sky and lies 67 light-years from Earth. This is a red giant star, 45 times larger than our sun, 1.6 times more massive and over 400 times as luminous. Aldebaran is older and redder than the sun and is preparing to fuse its lightweight core into heavier elements, which are common among stars of its type. Aldebaran has a surface temperature of about 6,760 degrees F (3,738 degrees C). And Aldebaran is really a double star; its companion is much smaller and far dimmer, with an overall mass less than half that of the sun and only about one-third as large.

Incidentally, although it appears among them, Aldebaran is not actually a member of the V-shaped Hyades cluster. But it's much closer to us in space than the other Hyades stars, so it's simply an "innocent bystander," but nicely completes the V-shaped face of the Bull in our sky. Henry M. Neely (1879-1963), a long-time lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium, wrote in his book: A Primer for Stargazers :

"When Taurus is in the night sky, it is well worth the while of any stargazer to beg, borrow or steal a pair of binoculars. . . because the most dazzling of the stars are not visible to the naked eye. This is particularly true of the area inside the V of the Bull's face. Someday I hope an imaginative designer of jewelry will duplicate this superb setting of celestial gems, matching them in color, sparkle and design."

A helpful guide on how to roughly measure the night sky with your hand held out at arm's length. (Image credit: Created in Canva Pro) And completing this lovely early morning tableau, is the beautiful Pleiades star cluster. They'll glitter, as Tennyson imagined, "like a swarm of fireflies tangled in a silver braid." They'll sparkle about six degrees to the moon's upper right. Good binoculars will reveal a score of stars in this little group, while long-exposure observatory photographs show about 1000 in the area — all suffused in great clouds and streamers of nebulous light.

The Pleiades (upper right) and Andromeda (upper center) shine bright in the skies above Tiede National Park. Captured with Sony AS7 III. (Image credit: Daisy Dobrijevic/Future PLC) What a great way to start the second weekend of July!

So, rise before the first blush of dawn, seek out a clear east-northeast horizon, and let the morning sky reward your early vigil. With binoculars in hand, linger a little longer among the Pleiades and the nearby celestial jewels—an ancient sparkle waiting quietly above the waking world.

If you're looking for a telescope or binoculars to observe the night sky, our guides for the best binocular deals and the best telescope deals can help. Our best cameras for astrophotography and best lenses for astrophotography can help you get ready to capture the next stunning skywatching event.

Joe Rao serves as an instructor and guest lecturer at New York's Hayden Planetarium . He writes about astronomy for Natural History magazine , Sky and Telescope , The Old Farmer's Almanac and other publications.