Canon EOS R6 vs Sony FX3 — Which Is Better?

The Canon EOS R6 and the Sony FX3 are both full-frame mirrorless cameras. The R6 arrived in August 2020 with an electronic viewfinder for eye-level shooting; the FX3 followed in February 2021 without one, framed entirely through its rear screen.

The FX3 is the smaller and lighter body, at 129.7 x 77.8 x 84.5 mm and 640 g against the R6's 138 x 98 x 88 mm and 680 g, a 5.9 percent weight saving that suits gimbal and rig work.

The R6 is the stronger choice for stills detail and heavy cropping, with 20.1 megapixels against the FX3's 12.1. Extra pixels give a wildlife or sports shooter more latitude to reframe a distant subject, while the FX3 leaves less crop room.

For fast action the R6 is quicker, at 20 fps with 1053 autofocus points against 10 fps and 627 points on the FX3. Each uses its own lens system, Canon RF and Sony E, so lens choices stay within the maker you buy into. In-body stabilisation is shared, steadying handheld frames on both, as is the 1/8000 second top shutter speed.

Slow-motion and 4K delivery are available on either body: both offer 4K as their maximum video resolution and 120 fps as their maximum frame rate, with a built-in timelapse mode for condensing a scene into a short clip.

The recording formats differ in the FX3's favour for editing. It records XAVC S, XAVC HS and XAVC S-1 plus MPEG-4 and MOV, giving an editor several formats, while the R6 records MP4.

Eye-level composition is the clearest split: the R6 has an electronic viewfinder with 3,690,000 dots, while the FX3 has none and is framed through its screen. For run-and-gun stills or bright daylight, the R6 keeps a conventional shooting position.

The rear panels are similar: each is a 3-inch touch screen that flips out for vlogging or high-angle work, though the R6's has 1,620,000 dots against 1,440,000 on the FX3. Both carry weather sealing, plus Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for transfers and remote control. Neither has a built-in flash or GPS, so dim scenes rely on external flash, which both support.

The FX3 holds the endurance advantage, rated for 600 shots against 360 for the R6, a 66.7 percent higher rating. On a long documentary day without charging access, that headroom matters. Both batteries charge over USB between sessions.

Dual card slots are shared, but the card formats differ. The FX3 pairs an SD UHS-II slot with a CFexpress Type A slot, while the R6 uses two SD UHS-II slots, keeping one card format across both slots.