Canon EOS R6 Mark II: A new full-frame mirrorless perfection for both videos and photographs

Compared to its predecessor, EOS R6, EOS R6 Mark II has a higher resolution or 24.2 MP against 20.1 MP, lighter weight including the battery and memory card or 670 grammes against 680g, and a longer battery life of about 760 shots against 510 shots by the EOS R6.

The EOS R6 Mark II is a mirrorless camera for advanced amateurs and it should also please video loggers or video journalists thanks to its good video quality in high resolution of 4K/60p (60 frames per second).

During a test by The Nation, our photographer was impressed by the image quality of still photos and video shots. She was happy that EOS R6 Mark II could shoot video continually for over half an hour – long enough for most news reports.

The video feature set is a star of EOS R6 Mark II as it overcomes the limitations of video shooting of its predecessor.

EOS R6 Mark II can capture oversampled UHD 5K/60p video using the entire width of its sensor without cropping. Thermal performance also improves. Now, EOS R6 Mark II records 4K/60p for up to 40 minutes using the full sensor width or up to 50 minutes in APS-C mode.

The EOS R6 Mark II is also capable of recording FHD/180p video, compared to FHD/120p on the original EOS R6. However, the Full HD (FHD) footage is not oversampled by EOS R6 Mark II so some quality loss could happen.

If you are a serious video shooter, you’ll be happy that the EOS R6 Mark II can record RAW video to an external device that supports RAW video workflow, such as an Atomos Ninja V+ recorder or any other compatible recorder.

The EOS R6 Mark II also provides aspect ratio markers for both horizontal and vertical aspect ratios. It also has a mode to automatically pre-record and buffer video for three or five seconds before you hit a record button.

Our photographer was also impressed by the image quality of still images. The colours of image quality were also well-saturated and the camera’s autofocusing was also excellent.

The EOS R6 Mark II comes with a 24.2 MP Full Frame CMOS sensor and it features built-in image stabilization in-body rated to 8.0 stops. The high resolution coupled with a good image stabilization results in a good low-light performance.

The EOS R6 Mark II combines lens-based optical IS with in-body IS for up to 8 stops¹of stabilization, making it an ultimate camera for filmmaking on-the-go so video loggers or video journalists should love it.

The camera is also good for shooting fast-action shots, such as sports activities as it is capable of firing mechanical shutter at a fast rate of 12 frames per second and 40 fps for electronic shutter.

The EOS R6 Mark II captures excellent photos thanks to its Dual Pixel CMOS AF II technology with intelligent subject detection and tracking.

The EOS R6 Mark II incorporates more machine learning in its Aoto Focus algorithms and its AF is also enhanced with some of the technology inherited from Canon’s flagship EOS R3.

New subject tracking modes of EOS R6 Mark II go beyond the “people” and “animal” options in the original EOS R6. Now, there is a “vehicle” option which is optimized for motorsports, cars, motorcycles, aircraft and trains.

Moreover, its animal tracking function now includes support for horses and zebras when the EOS R6 Mark II is set to recognize both the eye and head of animals.

You can also set the camera to focus on either the left or right eye of people or select the closest eye automatically.

If you are new to photography, you’ll appreciate EOS R6 Mark II’s new “auto” mode for subject recognition and tracking. With the “auto” mode, you don’t have to pre-select your subject mode. The auto mode combines all the subject-specific modes and attempts to apply the best algorithm based on the detected subjects.

Other shooting modes include Scene Intelligent Auto, Flexible Priority AE, Programme AE, Shutter Priority AE, Aperture Priority AE, Manual, Bulb, and Custom.

While using EOS R6 Mark II, you don’t have to be worried about storage because it has dual SD card slots for flexible storage.

The EOS R6 Mark II has both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity so you can conveniently connect and share your shots and video clips instantly. It also comes with SuperSpeed USB 3.2 Gen 2 USB C connector for connecting to your PC or Mac computer for uploading your stills and video clips. It can also be connected to Canon’s Camera Connect app for sharing photos and video clips.

Adventurous photographers should be pleased with the robust design of EOS R6 Mark II. It comes with a strong magnesium-alloy body that has protective seals to guard against dust and moisture so you keep shooting with confidence under bad weather conditions.

The EOS R6 Mark II comes with a 1.62M-dot, 3-inch rear touchscreen, along with the same 3.68M-dot electronic viewfinder that can run at either 60 or 120 fps, with 0.76x magnification, which are the same features of its predecessor.

It has an upgrade in the form of Canon's multi-function accessory shoe, which provides support for advanced strobes, microphones, or an advanced audio adapter that accepts XLR microphone connections and facilitates 4-channel audio.

The EOS R6 Mark II has superb ergonomics and you’ll find it intuitive to control the camera functions in a short time.

If you are a Canon fan, you find the body of EOS R6 Mark II very familiar. It has three main dials. One of them is for your index finger next to the shutter button and another one is for your thumb on the back of the top plate. The last one is a large dial on the rear plate and this control goes back to Canon's pre-digital days. The dials can all be customized to provide the operational workflow that suits you best.

The EOS R6 Mark II’s body and control are almost identical to the original EOS R6. It has the same grip, the same curve and the same buttons mostly.

The EOS R6 Mark II uses the same LP-E6NH battery, which is used on many other EOS cameras. It can also use older models of batteries, like LP-E6N and LP-E6.

The R EOS R6 Mark II uses Canon RF lenses, which are a new generation of lenses designed for Canon's EOS R mirrorless camera system. They were announced in 2018 and feature a wider mount than Canon's previous EF lenses, which allows for faster autofocus and communication between the lens and camera body. RF lenses also have a shorter flange-back distance, which means that they can be smaller and lighter than EF lenses.

Canon currently offers a wide range of RF lenses, including prime lenses, zoom lenses, and telephoto lenses. Some of the most popular RF lenses include:

RF RF14-35mm f/4L IS USM

RF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM

RF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

RF 50mm f/1.2L USM

RF 85mm f/2L Macro IS STM

RF 135mm f/1.8L IS USM

Three choices of RF lenses suitable for photo and video journalists are RF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM, RF 85mm f/2L Macro IS STM and RF RF14-35mm f/4L IS USM.

The tele RF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM comes with image stabilization of up to 7.5 stops. News photographers and video journalists can use it to take good portrait shots and can zoom into subjects during the press conference, for example, so it could be an all-purpose lens for photo and video journalists.

The test by a Nation photographer found that it could capture impressively sharp and clear shots.

The RF 85mm f/2L Macro IS STM has a large aperture of f/2 and good image stabilization of up to 8 stops. It provides excellent portrait shots with dissolved backgrounds.

Photo and video journalists can also use ultra-wide RF RF14-35mm f/4L IS USM for taking beautiful landscape shots for their documentary reports.

Canon EOS R6 Mark II has a suggested retail price of 96,990 baht only for the body. The RF70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM has a suggested retail price of 112,800 baht, RF85mm f/2 Macro IS STM for 24,390 baht and RF14-35mm f/4L IS USM for 65,900 baht.

Key specs:

Image sensor: CMOS sensor with 24.2 effective megapixels

Aspect ratio: 3:2

Sensor Shift-IS: Up to 8-Stops advantage depending on the lens used

Lens mount: RF (EF and EF-S lenses can be attached using adapters)

Focusing type: Dual Pixel CMOS AF II

AF Modes: One Shot, Servo AF, AI Focus AF

AF Point Selection: Automatic selection: 1053 Available AF areas when automatically selected

Metering Modes: Real-time with image sensor, 384-zone metering

ISO Sensitivity: Auto 100-102400 (in 1/3-stop or 1 stop increments) ISO can be expanded to L:50, H:204,800

Shutter type: Electronically-controlled focal-plane shutter and Electronic shutter function on sensor

Shutter speed: Mechanical: 30-1/8000 sec (1/2 or 1/3 stop increments), Bulb; Electronic: 30-1/16000

Viewfinder: 0.5-inch OLED colour EVF with 3.69 million dots

LCD monitor: 3.0-inch Clear View LCD II, approx. 1.62 million dots

Still image file type: JPEG, RAW

Movie file type: MP4 Video: 4K UHD, Full HD (16:9)9 Audio: Linear PCM / AAC

Battery: Rechargeable Li-ion Battery LP-E6NH (supplied)/LP-E6N

Dimension: 138.4 × 98.4 × 88.4 mm

Weight: 588g (body only)