Connectivity comparison

Canon EOS R1 vs Sony α9 III: connectivity and tethering compared

Sports and press flagships that file to the desk during the game. This comparison is about one thing: how fast each body gets a finished frame to where it's needed — its USB-C port, Wi-Fi, built-in FTP, Ethernet and card slots, and how it tethers to a phone with CloudTether.

By the CloudTether team · Updated

Canon EOS R1 cameraCanon EOS R1Sony α9 III cameraSony α9 III

Side by side

Canon EOS R1Sony α9 III
Hardware (maker's specs)
Sensor formatFull-frameFull-frame
RAW filesCR3ARW
USB portUSB-C, SuperSpeed Plus USB (USB 3.2 Gen 2)USB-C, SuperSpeed USB 10Gbps (USB 3.2), plus a Micro USB (USB 2.0) port
Wi-FiWi-Fi 6 (IEEE 802.11ax); 6 GHz only in some regionsIEEE 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, 2.4 + 5 GHz (some regional models are 2.4 GHz only)
Built-in FTPBuilt-in FTP transferBuilt-in (FTP Transfer Func.)
Wired EthernetBuilt-in RJ-45, 2.5GBASE-TBuilt-in LAN terminal (1000BASE-T)
Card slotsTwo CFexpress Type BTwo slots, each CFexpress Type A or SD (UHS-II)
Tethering to a phone with CloudTether
CloudTether over USBSupported by the protocol, not yet tested by us (same code as our verified Canon body)Supported by the protocol, not yet tested by us (same code as our verified Sony body)
CloudTether over Wi-FiSupported by the camera, not yet tested by usSupported by the camera, not yet tested by us
Rated sendYes — only shots you rate in cameraNo — every frame is sent
Camera setting for a USB tetherNone — turn the camera's Wi-Fi off before USBUSB Connection Mode → Remote Shooting, plus Remote Shoot Function On
Cable to a USB-C phoneUSB-C to USB-C data cableUSB-C to USB-C data cable

“Not stated” means the maker's spec page doesn't list it — we don't fill gaps with guesses. Wi-Fi bands can vary by region.

Verdict: which delivers faster?

Built for wire work, both have a 10 Gbps USB-C port, built-in FTP, Ethernet in the body (2.5GBASE-T on the R1, 1000BASE-T on the α9 III) and two card slots. For a phone tether the USB link is what matters, and both connect the same way as their siblings.

At sports frame rates, what you send matters more than the link. The R1 supports rated send — rate the keepers and only they leave — and R1 users' transfers in our logs show a median 33 MB CR3 reaching the phone in 1.46 s over USB. Over Sony tethering every frame is sent, so JPEG only is the way to keep the α9 III's uplink ahead of the shutter. Neither exact body is tested by us.

Pick the EOS R1 if…

…you want to file only rated frames from the phone, or Canon's Wi-Fi tether.

Pick the α9 III if…

…you'd rather file everything as JPEG and keep RAW on the cards.

Setting each one up for tethering

Canon EOS R1

Sony α9 III

Download on theApp StoreGet it onGoogle Play
Coming soon tomacOS

Canon EOS R1 vs Sony α9 III: FAQ

Which is faster to tether to a phone, the EOS R1 or the α9 III?

Their USB-C ports are the same class on paper (10 Gbps per the makers' specs). To a phone, the phone's own port usually sets the limit — standard USB-C iPhones and many Android phones run at USB 2 — and a JPEG still arrives in a fraction of a second (a median 0.06 s from an EOS R5 Mark II in our logs).

Can both tether to a phone over Wi-Fi with CloudTether?

EOS R1: supported by the camera, not yet tested by us; α9 III: supported by the camera, not yet tested by us. Canon Wi-Fi is the wireless tether we've verified; USB is the dependable path on every body.

Which one can send only the shots I rate?

The EOS R1. Rated send works over Canon and Nikon tethering only; over Sony tethering every frame is sent — use JPEG only to keep uploads light.

Do the EOS R1 and α9 III have built-in FTP?

EOS R1: built-in FTP transfer; α9 III: built-in (FTP Transfer Func.). In-camera FTP is a separate path from a phone tether — CloudTether can also deliver to an FTP/SFTP server from the phone, on any body.

Sources

Hardware specs from each maker's own specification page or online manual (checked 2026-11-15). CloudTether status from our own testing — see supported cameras.

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