Comparing the EOS R6 II to the original R6, which had a sizable fan base, there are several worthwhile upgrades. Excellent burst shooting, good autofocus, fantastic low light performance, and welcome minor resolution bump to 24MP. Despite this, the R6 II appears to be somewhat pricey for a 24MP full frame hybrid camera, and the 8-stop IBIS system is by no means a guarantee of sharp pictures.
Specifications for the Canon EOS R6 Mark II
- Sensor: 24.4MP CMOS
- Image processor: Digic X
- Mount: Canon RF
- ISO range: 100-102,400 (exp 50-204,800)
- Shutter speeds: 1/16,000-30s
- Image stabilization: 5-axis IBIS, up to 8 stops
- Max image size: 6000 x 4000 pixels
- Max video resolution: 4K HQ 60p, 1080p 180p
- Max burst: 12fps mechanical shutter, 40fps electronic
- Viewfinder: 3.69m dot OLED, 0.5 inch, 100% coverage, 120fps refresh
- Memory card: 2x SD UHS-II
- LCD: 3-inch, 1.62m dot, vari-angle touchscreen
- Size: 138.4 x 98.4 x 88.4mm
- Weight: 670g (including battery and memory card)
Release information and cost for the Canon EOS R6 II
New Canon cameras often have higher price tags when compared to the competition and require some time—sometimes a very long time—to drop to a more affordable level. The Canon EOS R6 II is available for $2,499.99 / £2,799 / AU$4499 for the body-only model and $3,599.99 / £3,999 / AU$6399 for the combination with the RF 24-105mm F4 lens.
So, it is not surprising that the EOS R6 II appears to be more expensive than its competitors right away. They include the brand-new Panasonic Lumix S5 II, Sony A7 II, and Nikon Z6 II, all of which cost about $500 less. In fact, the Canon is currently less expensive than the 30MP Sony A7 IV. However, the R6 II and 24-105mm f/4 lens package costs almost as much as an EOS R5 body.
Is the EOS R6 II excellent enough to justify the price premium over its direct competitors? When you reach this level, you commit to a system rather than a single camera, so if you’re just getting started, you’ll need to have a lot of faith in the Canon name to spend more money on the R6 II. If you already use Sony, Panasonic, or Nikon equipment, it’s difficult to understand why you would convert to the R6 II if you are a Canon user.
CANON EOS R6 II: DESIGN
Cameras made by Canon have excellent handling. The EOS R6 II features cozy curved shapes and soft, gripping surfaces, whereas other manufacturers appear to favor hard-edged rectilinear designs. It does seem overbalanced by larger lenses—we tested it with the RF 24-105mm f/4—and your little finger is still left dangling at the bottom of the grip—but it’s more comfortable than its competitors.
Although the dial functions vary by mode and in some situations, two dials perform the same purpose, the three-dial control layout does require some getting used to, but this is to be expected when using a sophisticated camera.
The addition of dedicated ISO and WB buttons would have been good, and why isn’t continuous shooting available on the stills/video lever on the top plate’s far left? It’s something this camera excels at, so having to search through the interface to find it is a little bothersome.
When you want to choose the focus point, you might also wish there was a convenient method to turn off the subject recognition system, but you can do that by using the C1, C2, and C3 settings on the main mode dial.
It does seem as though Canon has abandoned the concept of a camera with visible dials and buttons in favor of one that you can configure and control yourself.
Although the EVF can be a little jerky when you move the camera, it gives amazing clarity, sharpness, and contrast. The vari-angle back screen is likewise good, but Canon might have made it 3.2 inches instead of 3 inches.
You won’t appreciate the R6 II’s large Off-Lock-On lever further back on the top plate if you prefer cameras with power levers right where your forefinger is, directly around the shutter release. There must be an ergonomic explanation for why holding a camera with one hand while turning it on and off with the other is necessary. Postcards with the answers.
The top plate doesn’t have a status display, but the comprehensive menu is still quite straightforward to use and understand. Although the video record button on the top plate appears to be placed randomly, it is actually extremely simple to locate with your index finger.
The features and ferformance of the canon eos R6II
The main reason Canon’s newest AI autofocus system is so outstanding is that you can turn off its subject identification and just let it work. Mostly always, it determines what your topic is and concentrates on it without any assistance from you. It works particularly well on people and animals, but it also works exceptionally well on cars.
If you pick Zone AF or single point AF, it will still show you what it’s recognized in the EVF or on the rear screen, but it will respect your area/point AF option, which saves you getting into an argument with the camera over what to focus on.
The eye AF and tracking are excellent, making them perfect for one-person vlogging crews who want to film themselves. In our tests, it followed us tenaciously as we moved about talking to the camera, failing only when our movements were irregular and quick to change frames. Basically, it doesn’t put a foot wrong as long as you’re not trying to trip it up on purpose.
It was also very useful for finding squirrels in our neighborhood park. When a squirrel was viewed head-on, it struggled to distinguish the eyes, but when the squirrel was viewed sideways, it was dead on.
The 8-stop (claimed) IBIS lacks credibility. It is cited at 105mm with the RF 24-105mm lens, which is exactly how we tested it. At about 4-stops compensation, we had a respectable hit rate, but after that, the results were rather bad.
Long lenses and video weren’t our favorites, either. It is fantastic for static filming, but in the hands of all but the most experienced operators, it performs too many ‘jump-resets’ for dependable footage when the camera is moving. The RF 800mm f/11 super-telephoto lens produced the same results when we tested it; if you can’t control the movement of this lens tightly, the stabilizer just hops from one’stable’ position to another, making precise framing exceedingly challenging.
