Canon's Pro-Grade EOS R3 and Its High-Speed Prowess

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- MATT CRISARA

PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHERS NEED A CAMERA THAT effortlessly captures their subjects without any interference. On a job, things can happen quickly, leaving little time to react-and just one chance to capture those magic moments.

This need for speed and precision makes Canon's new flagship EOS R3 camera body an excellent contender for capturing fast-paced action. But what's the big deal when most people have a phone in their pocket that can shoot video at 240 FPS (frames per second)? Thanks to a firmware update, the R3 is able to capture a 195-FPS burst of up to 50 high-quality RAW photos at the equivalent of 6K resolution. These files also offer much more dynamic range than your iPhone, giving you a lot more headroom to adjust exposure in post-production.

Motorsports photographer Larry Chen-who captures racing events and car culture worldwide is well familiar with quick turnaround shots, and he'll tell you about stunts and other remarkable moments that he's shot from behind the lens. "When I'm on set shooting big stunts with Ken Block or Travis Pastrana, which will only happen once, I need to be able to freeze the action," Chen says. "There's so many things that can happen in a little over half a second." (Full disclosure: Chen is a Canon-sponsored photographer but has been shooting with the brand's cameras for most of his career.) 

One such instance involved Chen shooting behind the scenes of the Hoonigan's Gymkhana films. This included everything from death-defying stunts, like Ken Block's harrowing encounter with "Evo Corner" at Pikes Peak, to sliding very nearly over the edge of a fishing pier. Sure, Chen has already captured these moments with a professional DSLR camera, but the mirrorless R3's high-speed capability would have made the process that much easier with more shots to work with-and increased ability to freeze the action.