Martin Bissig CANON EOS R3 & R5 / SPORTS & TRAVEL
The Canon Ambassador and sports and travel photographer on shooting with both the R5 and R3 in far-flung locations
I’ve been working with the Canon EOS R5 for the last two years. Coming from the 5D Mark IV and then the EOS R, the EOS R5 was a camera that fulfilled all my dreams: a super fast and accurate AF that covers almost 100% of my frame, 20fps, 45Mp, filming 120fps in 4K and filming Raw in 8K, all that in a compact body. The EOS R5 was my workhorse for countless commercial photo shoots and a couple of overseas expeditions. When Canon announced the EOS R3 last year, I had the chance to test it before its official release.
Canon EOS R3 – the speed king
There are a couple of features that I love in the R3 and where I see an advantage over the R5: shooting super-fast action, I get an additional 10fps over the EOS R5 and I don’t miss the perfect moment when shooting with 30fps. If I want, I can move the AF fields with my eye by looking at objects through the viewfinder, which is a cool feature.
The built-in vertical grip allows me to shoot portrait oriented photos easily. The battery capacity of the R3 is better than the R5. During my tests, I shot more than 3000 frames one morning and had only used 30% of the battery capacity. The file size produced by the R3’s 24Mp sensor is small enough for fast transfers during events.
For events and editorial work, the image quality of the R3 is more than enough.
Why I still love my EOS R5
One of the main reasons why I completely switched to mirrorless in 2018 was the size and weight of the EOS R body. The compact body of the EOS R5 versus the heavier built EOS R3 remains one of main advantages for me and the way I work. During my shoots or expeditions, I usually carry my gear for days or even weeks.
I try to save as much weight and space as possible. I also shoot a lot of commercial work.
The 45-megapixel resolution of the EOS R5 gives my clients the
option to produce big prints or crop a landscape oriented shot into portrait.
Which one is better?
In the end, it depends how and for what a photographer shoots. Fast action that requires fast transmission of files for editorial purposes? The EOS R3 is the one. Commercial work I shoot in the field with the extra megapixels of resolution? I’d pick the EOS R5. Rather than a replacement to the R5, I see the R3 as an addition for very specific tasks, and they make a good pairing.