Canon Ships New Timer Remotes, Hotshoe Mic, and R6 III Firmware

Canon will begin shipping two new Timer Remote Controllers — the TC-N3 at $189.99 and the TC-E3 at $209.99 — in early January, reviving the legacy of its classic TC-80N3 controller for the mirrorless EOS R System. The announcement, made alongside new Cinema EOS firmware, also includes a $209.99 compact hotshoe microphone and paid Cropping Guide firmware for the EOS R6 Mark III aimed at volume shooters.

The move matters for working photographers who shoot long exposures, star trails, timelapses, and interval work: Canon has not offered a modernized timer remote for its RF-mount bodies until now, and the new units carry concrete upgrades over the decades-old TC-80N3 design.

What do the new remotes change?

Both controllers build directly on the TC-80N3, the timer remote Canon sold for film and digital SLR cameras. The upgrades are specific:

• A 20% larger LCD panel with bigger numbers and icons
• A new orange illumination backlight for better visibility at night
• A new clock function to schedule shooting sessions in advance
• Tripod compatibility
• Dedicated shooting controls, with AAA batteries as the power source

The illumination and clock functions are the practical additions for astrophotographers working in darkness on multi-hour sequences. Timer remotes exist for precisely capturing long-exposure photos in bulb mode and automating long-interval photography — star trails and timelapses being the canonical use cases.

Which cameras are supported?

Compatibility splits along Canon's two remote-terminal types, so buyers need to check their body before ordering.

The TC-N3 ($189.99) works with the EOS R1, EOS R3, EOS R5, EOS R5 Mark II, and EOS R5 C, plus other cameras carrying an N3 remote terminal — effectively Canon's professional and high-resolution bodies.

The TC-E3 ($209.99) covers cameras with an E3 terminal: the EOS C50, EOS R6 Mark III, EOS R6 V, EOS R6 Mark II, EOS R8 Mark II, EOS R8, EOS R7, EOS R10, EOS R50 V, and EOS R100. Note the price inversion — the consumer-terminal remote costs $20 more than the pro-terminal model.

Canon frames the use cases broadly. "The remotes offer photographers great flexibility and precision when capturing landscapes, astrophotography, and self-portraits, particularly in low-light environments or when composing a group photo or self-portrait from a distance," the company said.

Both remotes ship in early January.

A smaller on-camera microphone

Canon also announced the DM-E10D, a monaural digital microphone for its Multi-Function Shoe, priced at $209.99 and shipping by the end of December.

The mic uses a super cardioid polar pattern that prioritizes sound from the front while reducing unwanted noise from the sides. Unlike fully shotgun designs, it also picks up sound from the rear — Canon's reasoning is that it can capture conversations between the camera operator and a subject, a profile suited to run-and-gun interview and vlogging work rather than strictly isolated dialogue capture.

Feature set for working shooters:

• Cable-free operation via the Multi-Function Shoe
• A Menu button for direct access to audio settings
• Power drawn directly from the camera, no separate batteries
• A built-in shock mount and wind cover

Canon states the DM-E10D is its smallest and lightest DM-series microphone to date. Compatibility spans the EOS R1, R3, R5 II, R6 III, R6 II, R8 II, R8, R7, R10, R50 V, R6 V, and more.

The monaural designation is worth noting against competitors' stereo and dual-capsule offerings at the same price point — a real limit for shooters who need stereo separation.

Firmware for high-volume photographers

The third announcement targets a specific revenue segment: school and sports photographers who must consistently frame many subjects in a short time. Canon's new Cropping Guide firmware for the EOS R6 Mark III full-frame mirrorless camera adds four different guides, including top and bottom guidelines sized to different head sizes and guidelines for positioning props in the frame.

The firmware also adds color-coded guides for common print sizes, including 5×7 and 8×10 aspect ratios — the formats that dominate school and sports package printing.

Canon will begin selling the EOS R6 Mark III with the Cropping Guide firmware already installed for $2,919 in early December. Existing owners can add the feature as a paid service at a $120 charge — a notable example of Canon monetizing firmware capability after purchase, a model software-defined camera makers increasingly use.

What does this change for buyers?

For astrophotography and timelapse specialists on RF-mount bodies, the January remotes replace third-party intervalometers with a first-party option carrying a night-usable backlight and scheduled shooting. For hybrid shooters, the DM-E10D offers a no-cable, camera-powered audio option before year-end. And for volume studios standardized on the R6 Mark III, the $120 firmware charge buys consistent framing across thousands of student or athlete subjects — or $2,919 buys the capability pre-installed from early December.