How much better is the Canon EOS R6 III than previous models for astrophotography?

In a rare first for me, I actually used autofocus for this entire astrophotography shoot. If I'm being honest? I prefer it when shooting astro with a mirrorless camera. Why? Because it is quicker and that means more time capturing the stars and less time setting up. I can get a star in sharp focus using autofocus in half the time that it would take me to do it manually and it's way easier to focus with the shutter or back button than play about with the focus ring, especially with cold fingers.

The Canon EOS R6 III makes shooting astro much quicker with its rapid low-light autofocus. (Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)

I only managed to get out under one clear sky to test the new R6 III but it was a wonderful session at my usual dark hill spot surrounded by a sea of stars and celestial shapes. After setting up my tripod, I was ready to start shooting, armed with the Canon 14mm f/1.4 and 45mm f/1.2 lenses.

Pairing the R6 III with the RF 14mm f/1.4 lens is a perfect set up for astrophotography. Harry Bennett / Future

I also tried it with the Canon RF 45mm f/1.2 lens, which delivered exceptional aperture performance, albeit with a few spots of chromatic aberration. Harry Bennett / Future

If you are a seasoned astrophotographer, you will undoubtedly have started your craft by learning how to manually focus on stars to get them crisp and sharp in the frame. Everyone does. Whilst the manual focus (MF) versus autofocus (AF) debate continues within the community, the technology for low-light autofocusing capability has come a long way since mirrorless cameras were first introduced and the R6 III is physical proof of that.

The astrophotography

Mizar and Alcor in the panhandle of the Big Dipper. Shot with Canon EOS R6 III and RF 45mm f/1.2 lens, Aperture: f/1.2, Shutter speed: 2 sec, ISO 500 | Bortle class 4. (Image credit: Harry Bennett / Future)

You only get the luxury of being able to do this if your camera is actually good at autofocusing in low light and for…