Canon R6 Mark III vs Sony a7 V: which to buy?

The two mainstream full-frame hybrids of 2026. The R6 Mark III leads on bursts, stabilization and video (7K raw, open gate); the a7 V answers with a faster partially stacked sensor, a bigger multi-angle screen, Wi-Fi 6E and better battery life.

Canon EOS R6 Mark III full-frame mirrorless camera body with a lens, front view — **Canon EOS R6 Mark III**32.5MP · launched at $2,799 in 2025Photo: 昼落ち via Wikimedia Commons, CC0 (resized)

Sony a7 V full-frame mirrorless camera body — **Sony a7 V**33MP partially stacked · launched at $2,899 in 2025Photo: Zachariah Chou via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Side-by-side specs

	Canon EOS R6 Mark III	Sony a7 V
Sensor	32.5MP full-frame CMOS (35.9 × 23.9 mm)	33.0MP full-frame partially stacked Exmor RS CMOS; 7008 × 4672
Processor	DIGIC X	BIONZ XR2 with AI processing unit
Autofocus	Dual Pixel CMOS AF II; EV -6.5 to 21; people, animals, vehicles; Register People Priority	759 phase-detection points (about 94% of frame); EV -4 to 20; human, animal, bird, insect, car, train, airplane
ISO	100–64000 (50–102400 expanded)	100–51200 (50–204800 expanded, stills)
Stabilization	In-body, up to 8.5 stops center / 7.5 periphery	5-axis in-body, up to 7.5 stops center / 6.5 periphery (CIPA)
Burst	Up to 40 fps electronic, 12 fps mechanical; pre-continuous up to 20 frames	Up to 30 fps blackout-free with AF/AE tracking (electronic), 14-bit RAW; Pre-Capture up to 1 s
Fastest shutter	1/16000 s (electronic)	1/16000 s (electronic)
Video	7K raw up to 59.94p internal; 7K open gate; 4K up to 119.88p; Canon Log 2 / Log 3	4K up to 60p oversampled from 7K; 4K 120p in Super 35; 10-bit 4:2:2; S-Log3; no raw or open gate
Heat	No fan; PetaPixel saw 4K/60 Fine stop after 28 min, open gate after 34	Sony: about 90 min of continuous 4K/60 (4:2:0 8-bit)
Viewfinder	3.69M dots, about 0.76x	OLED, 3.69M dots, 0.78x
Screen	3.0-inch vari-angle touchscreen, about 1.62M dots	3.2-type 4-axis multi-angle touchscreen, 2.1M dots
Card slots	CFexpress Type B + SD (UHS-II)	CFexpress Type A / SD (UHS-II) + SD (UHS-II)
Ports	USB-C (USB 3.2 Gen 2); full-size HDMI; mic and headphone jacks	Two USB-C (one 10 Gbps); full-size HDMI; mic and headphone jacks
Wireless	Wi-Fi 802.11ac (2.4/5 GHz), Bluetooth 5.1	Wi-Fi 6E (2.4/5/6 GHz), Bluetooth 5.3
Battery (CIPA)	LP-E6P; about 620 shots (LCD) / 390 (viewfinder)	NP-FZ100; about 750 shots (LCD) / 630 (viewfinder)
Weight	About 699 g with battery and card	695 g with battery and card
Weather resistance	Magnesium alloy; dust- and water-resistant	Sealed seams and battery cover; Sony: dustproof and drip-proof, not fully
Launch price	Nov 6, 2025; $2,799 body-only (US)	Dec 2, 2025; $2,899 body-only (US)

Specs from Canon Europe's EOS R6 Mark III specifications and Sony's ILCE-7M5 specifications, cross-checked against our R6 Mark III and a7 V guides; heat figures from PetaPixel and Sony; US launch prices from Canon U.S.A. and Sony. ✓ = advantage; blank = tie or not directly comparable.

Sample photos

Six photos taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark III and four with the Sony a7 V, shared on Wikimedia Commons under open licenses.

Gray’s spinner dolphin leaping off Panglao — Taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark III and Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens. Photo: Charles J. Sharp via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Black bulbul perched in Qianshan — Taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark III and Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens. Photo: Charles J. Sharp via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Common bluebottle butterfly on citrus blossom — Taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark III and Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens. Photo: Charles J. Sharp via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Philippine tarsier in Bohol — Taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark III and Canon RF100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM lens. Photo: Charles J. Sharp via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

NASA’s SLS rocket and Orion spacecraft at Launch Pad 39B — Taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark III and Canon EF16-35mm f/2.8L II USM lens. Photo: NASA/Sam Lott via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)

Full moon rising over the Artemis II stack at Launch Pad 39B — Taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark III. Photo: NASA/Sam Lott via Wikimedia Commons, Public domain (resized)

Church square and St. Vitus church in Oellingen — Taken with the Sony a7 V and Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens. Photo: Georg Karl Ell via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Historic house at Bahnhofstraße 2, Gelchsheim — Taken with the Sony a7 V and Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens. Photo: Georg Karl Ell via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

St. Laurentius church in Bütthard — Taken with the Sony a7 V and Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens. Photo: Georg Karl Ell via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

St. Laurentius parish church in Riedenheim — Taken with the Sony a7 V and Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM II lens. Photo: Georg Karl Ell via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Who should buy which

Buy the R6 Mark III if…

You shoot video seriously: internal 7K raw, 7K open gate and 4K/120.
You want the fastest bursts: 40 fps with 20 frames of pre-capture, plus 8.5-stop IBIS.
You already own RF lenses or EF glass to adapt.

Buy the a7 V if…

You shoot long 4K/60 takes: Sony rates about 90 minutes continuous, and PetaPixel saw the R6 III stop at 28.
You want the 3.2-inch tilt-and-swing screen, Wi-Fi 6E and about 750 shots per charge.
You already own Sony E-mount lenses.

Watch-outs from our guides: DPReview found the R6 Mark III's dynamic range behind the best rivals and its CFexpress Type B slot means new cards; the a7 V has a busy menu and no raw or open-gate video. Sticking with one brand? See R6 Mark II vs R6 Mark III or a7 V vs a7 IV.

Where to buy

Canon EOS R6 Mark III

R6 Mark III · body

Canon: Launched at $2,799 in 2025 (Canon U.S.A., November 6, 2025).

Check price
Read the full Canon EOS R6 Mark III guide

Sony a7 V

a7 V · body

Sony: Launched at about $2,899 in 2025 (US)

Check price
Read the full Sony a7 V guide

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