Canon and Sony Both Announce on May 13: What the Leaks Say
May 13 is shaping up to be one of the more significant single days in camera news in some time. Canon has scheduled an announcement for 9:00 AM EDT; Sony follows thirty minutes later at 9:30 AM EDT. Both events have been extensively pre-leaked, and the picture that emerges is of two companies addressing very different problems with very different philosophies.
Canon’s announcement is the EOS R6V. The body is built on the R6 Mark III and Cinema EOS C50 platform – a 32.5-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor – but the engineering priorities have been redirected entirely toward video. The R6V is reported to support 7K 60p RAW and 7K 30p open-gate RAW recording internally, neither of which the R6 Mark III can do. The mechanism that makes sustained high-resolution recording viable is active cooling: multiple sources have confirmed a fan system, which distinguishes this body from every passively cooled hybrid in Canon’s lineup and directly targets the thermal limitations that have dogged cameras like the R6 Mark III in extended recording scenarios.
The body design reinforces the repositioning. There is no electronic viewfinder – the top plate is flat – placing the R6V alongside the Sony FX3 and Nikon ZR as cameras built for operators rather than photographers. Autofocus uses Canon’s 1,053-point Dual Pixel AF system with full-frame coverage. The grip carries the cross-hatch pattern from the EOS R1, which improves handling in wet conditions. Mount points follow the C50 and R50V layout, with a single left-side attachment point and the standard tripod mount below, optimized for vertical rig configurations. The rear screen is a 3-inch 1.62-million-dot touchscreen. Body weight is reported at approximately 598 grams with battery. The price is expected around $2,900 – $300 to $400 below the R6 Mark III – which makes the R6V the more capable video platform at the lower price point, a deliberate inversion of the usual product hierarchy. Canon will also announce the RF 20-50mm f/4L IS USM PZ, a power-zoom lens built for smooth electronic zooming in video workflows, and a new BR-E2 wireless remote. Both camera and lens are expected to ship in June.
Sony’s announcement is the a7R VI, the first update to the R-series high-resolution line since the a7R V launched in 2022. The headline specification is a 67-megapixel full-frame sensor – up from 61MP – with a stacked architecture that sources variously describe as partially or fully stacked; the distinction matters for rolling shutter performance and will need to be confirmed against the official spec sheet. Leaked figures indicate 30fps 14-bit RAW continuous shooting with full AE/AF tracking, 10K/30p video recording via oversampling, 8K/60p, and 4K/120p. IBIS is reported at 8.5 stops. A new BIONZ XR2 processor is expected. Pricing leaks place the body at approximately $4,999 to $5,099, a meaningful increase over the a7R V’s $3,900 launch price, reflecting both the sensor upgrade and the current tariff environment. Sony will also announce a new FE 100-400mm f/4.5 GM – not a replacement for the existing 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6 GM, but a parallel entry in the lineup with a constant maximum aperture across the zoom range and an internal zoom mechanism that keeps barrel length fixed from 100mm through 400mm. Internal zoom improves balance on a gimbal and tightens weather sealing. The lens is expected to price around $4,999 to $5,000, positioning it as a premium companion to the a7R VI for wildlife and sports work. Sony will hold a two-day Alpha In Residence event in New York City on May 14 and 15 where the new gear will be available for hands-on review.
The two announcements do not directly compete. Canon is building a video-first full-frame hybrid aimed at content creators and run-and-gun operators; Sony is pushing the resolution ceiling for photographers who print large, crop hard, or shoot mixed stills and high-resolution video. What they share is a date, and a Beijing PE Show backdrop that makes the timing legible: both companies are using the show week to set the terms of the second half of 2026.