Canon EOS M6 Mark II Features
The Canon EOS M6 Mark II is Canon's mid-range APS-C mirrorless camera, with a 32.5mp sensor, it offers the latest in sensor and processing technology, with high-speed continuous shooting, and uncropped 4K video recording, that is likely to get videographers and vloggers very excited.
The camera uses the Canon EF-M lens mount, which means it does not work with Canon RF lenses. You can, however, use EF and EF-S lenses with the EF-EOS M adapter. The Canon EOS M6 II updates the M6, which is now 2 years old.
The M6 II has the following new features when compared to the M6:
- 32.5mp APS-C CMOS sensor
- 4K video recording
- FullHD video at 120fps
- ISO100 to ISO51200
- Eye-detection AF, -5EV focus sensitivity
- 143/99 AF points (vs 49)
- 14fps continuous shooting (vs 9)
- Up to 30fps continuous shooting (BurstRAW) at 18mp
- Electronic shutter, up to 1/16,000s
- Focus bracketing (with certain lenses)
- Slightly improved battery life
- USB Type-C
- NFC has been removed
- DIGIC 8 image processor
- New AF/MF switch
The 32.5mp APS-C CMOS sensor features Hybrid AF, with phase-detection Af on the sensor. There are now 143 AF points, and the camera supports both face and eye-detection auto-focus, however, if you want to use this, make sure it is switched on in the camera menus, as it's switched off on default settings. The Dual Pixel CMOS AF (aka Phase detection focus), covers 100% vertical and 88% horizontal of the frame.
The kit lens provided with the camera is a 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens with optical Image Stabilisation (IS), which is equivalent to 24mm to 72mm in 35mm equivalent terms (due to the 1.6x APS-C sensor crop). It's a collapsible design so that when you're not using the lens, it remains compact. You'll need to extend it before you can shoot with it. It uses a plastic lens mount, however, this shouldn't cause too many concerns as long as you're careful with your equipment. The lens weighs just 130g, which makes it a compact and lightweight companion to the M6 II.
The M6 II camera has P, Av, S(Tv), M shooting modes, giving you full manual controls, plus "Hybrid Auto", Fv, numerous scene modes, followed by digital filters and effects, as well as HDR shooting modes, and two customisable shooting modes. You can also select the picture style, with these being customisable, and up to 3 user-defined picture styles can be set up.
The camera can shoot at 14fps with AF tracking using the mechanical shutter, or up to 30fps using the Burst RAW mode, which shoots raw images. However, the camera will quite quickly run out of steam, shooting only 54 frames in JPEG, 23 frames in RAW or 36 in CRAW.
There is no built-in electronic viewfinder (EVF), but Canon will happily sell you the camera as a kit with the EVF-DC2 (Electronic Viewfinder), which features a good resolution of 2.36million dots, and 100% coverage.
There's a built-in pop-up flash that can be used as a fill-flash. On the side are a microphone and remote release socket.
Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are built-in letting you connect the camera to your smartphone or tablet, and the Canon Camera Connect app is available for Android and iOS devices.
4K video recording has been added, with 25 and 24fps available. There's FullHD video recording, which crops in slightly into the frame. The 4K video mode crops noticeably into the frame and is something to be aware of if you need to shoot wide-angle video. High-speed video recording is available, at a reduced resolution on 720p, but with a frame rate of 120/100fps available (NTSC/PAL).
Key Features
- 32.5mp APS-C CMOS sensor
- Canon EF-M lens mount
- DIGIC 8 image processor
- 3inch tilting touch-screen, 1040K dots
- Eye-detection AF, and Face-detection AF
- Dual Pixel CMOS AF, 143 AF points (PDAF)
- 14fps continuous shooting with AF-tracking / 30fps Raw burst (18mp)
- ISO100 to ISO51200 (Hi)
- Built-in pop-up flash (4.6GN), with 4 sec recycle time
- 4K 30/25p video - 24fps to come with a future firmware update
- FullHD 120/100p
- Wi-Fi and Bluetooth
- HDR and Digital Effects available
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Handling
The Canon EOS M6 II is a compact mirrorless camera, but with good handling and ergonomics, with a large rubberised handgrip considering the size of the camera. This makes it comfortable to use, with a nice layout, with the thumb grip at the back providing a good anchor point. The rubber coating extends all the way around the camera, covering all sides of the camera, including behind the tilting touch-screen!
The camera body feels well built, with metal and plastic construction, along with solid hinges for the screen, which can be tilted forwards for selfies, and vlogging. If you do use the optional electronic viewfinder, then this will limit the screen's flexibility.
Looking at the top of the Canon EOS M6 II, the top right dial has changed from an exposure compensation dial to a customisable dial with a button in the middle.
On the back of the camera, a new button and switch have been added - which is rare! Normally newer versions of cameras have fewer buttons, and more on-screen controls but not this time, as there's a new MF/AF switch with a middle button. There's an M-Fn button on the front, near the shutter release button, that gives you quick access to different settings, which can be adjusted using the control dial.
The camera features a traditional mode dial. As well as full manual controls (P, Av, Tv, and M), there are two custom modes, multiple scene modes and creative effects, as well as the new Fv shooting mode - this is Canon's new flexible exposure shooting mode, which we explain in more detail here.
The Canon EOS M6 Mark II next to the little brother, the Canon EOS M200.
The camera has multiple focus points (up to 143/99 depending on the lens), as well as multiple focus options, including face and eye detection focus, as well as tracking. On default settings eye-detection focus is switched off, so you'll need to enable this for improved portrait photos. Focus performance is excellent, and the camera can also focus down to -5EV with a bright f/1.4 lens. If you do use focus bracketing, you'll need to stitch the photos together, later, on your computer using Canon's Digital Photo Professional software, as the camera doesn't do this in-camera.
The 3inch touch-screen has a resolution of 1040K dots, and with a gapless design, and has very good viewing angles. The screen is bright, clear, and the controls are neatly positioned, with on-screen buttons easy to use. The screen is visible outdoors in the sun, and being able to tilt the screen means you can angle it when needed if anything is reflecting on the screen.
The optional EVF connects to the small pins in the hot-shoe, and gives a good view, with a good resolution of 2.36million dots, and 100% coverage. It feels very well made and features dioptre adjustment. We found it comfortable to use, and useful when we wanted a more direct shooting experience, for example when shooting portraits.
The menus are clearly designed. The shooting modes are also clearly designed and described, with sample photos showing you what kind of photos you should be taking when using each mode. You can use the controls on the camera to go through the menus and options, or you can use the touch-screen.
The Q Set button gives quick access to numerous settings, on-screen, and as you can see above, the camera has built-in help that explains the settings, making it easier to use.
Setting up a connection to your smartphone from the camera is quite easy, with the Canon Camera Connect app (which you need to install on your smartphone) guiding you through the process. As long as you follow the instructions step-by-step then you'll be connected quite quickly, and then you can transfer images, remotely shoot, and add geotag information to photos. After you've set up the connection the first time, it's easy to reconnect.
Battery life - Battery life is rated at 305 shots according to CIPA test results, which is average for a mirrorless camera, therefore we would recommend a spare battery if you plan on shooting more. If you use the Eco Mode, Canon says you should be able to get around 410 shots. There's a USB Type-C socket on the side, and this can be used to charge the battery in the camera (but not power it), or you can use the provided (external) battery charger.
There is little warning that the battery is likely to go flat soon, and while you're using the camera, the red battery warning light will suddenly appear, flashing to warn you that the battery is due to die soon. Once this comes up, the battery doesn't last much longer.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Performance
The performance section is where we look at the image quality performance of the camera. Additional sample photos and product shots are available in the Equipment Database, where you can add your own review, photos and product ratings.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Sample Photos
Sample Photos - The Canon EOS M6 Mark II delivers images with excellent colour reproduction, inheriting the colour technology from Canon's wealth of knowledge developed over years of EOS camera development. Skin tones are very good in terms of colour, although we were left disappointed by the lack of sharpness in images when using the kit lens, except for when the lens was stopped down. There's also some noise in the shadow areas to be aware of, even at low ISO speeds.
Exposure is very reliable and consistent, with little exposure compensation needed when shooting. With the Auto Lighting Optimisation (ALO) option you can record more dynamic range in photos. There are multiple HDR/backlight shooting modes to enhance dynamic range further if needed, and you can also shoot using the HDR Art modes if you want that "over the top" HDR look.
Eye-detection focus is switched off by default, which could result in a lower success rate when shooting portraits. If you reset the camera settings then this switches off, so be sure to check this.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Lens test images
Lens Performance - The 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM kit lens provides impressive close-up focus capabilities, particularly when stopped down, and when not stopped down, the bokeh can be quite good. The built-in optical image stabilisation can help, but at times, didn't seem as effective as other systems.
If you're shooting in bright, sunny conditions, with plenty of light, then the lens can be stopped down, and images can be very sharp, however when shooting "wide-open" at larger apertures (smaller number, such as f/3.5), then images are often soft, and lacking in quality and sharpness. This is particularly noticeable when looking for the extra detail expected from a 32.5mp sensor. There are different "Picture styles" available, which will help get extra detail out of the camera, including the Fine Detail option, as well as options within this to adjust sharpness levels further.
To get the best out of this camera, you're going to want to invest in some prime lenses, however, there are a fairly limited number of Canon EF-M lenses. It's also worth looking at the new Sigma prime lenses that are now available in EF-M mount.
Lens correction is built-in to the camera, with options for vignetting, distortion, and digital lens optimizer. We left the camera on default settings, and this left all the settings on, apart from distortion correction, which was off. Flare can be a problem when shooting into or towards the sun. Vignetting was not a problem (being corrected automatically in-camera).
The flash is quite small, and weak, and therefore could struggle to illuminate distant subjects or group subjects. When using the flash, the camera tends to increase the ISO speed.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II ISO test images
ISO Noise Performance - Noise is low at ISO100 to ISO400, but noise starts to appear at ISO800 and is more noticeable in shadow areas (of general shots). At ISO1600 fine detail starts to suffer, but results are good, with images up to ISO3200 still usable. At ISO6400 more detail is lost as noise becomes stronger. ISO12800 may still provide some usable results, if you're using the images resized on the web, or you could convert them to black and white. ISO25600 and above is best avoided. ISO51200 is best avoided.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II White-balance test images
White Balance Performance - Auto White Balance (AWB) gives a warm result under tungsten lighting, with a very similar result using the tungsten preset. There is an "AWB Cool" setting that you can toggle on, and this gives much more neutral results (which will be useful for product shots). The camera also gives a warm result under mixed lighting, so you may want to use manual white balance. AWB performs well under fluorescent lighting, with the fluorescent preset giving a fairly similar result, although with a slight magenta tint.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Digital filters
Digital Filters - There are numerous scene modes available designed to help you get better shots, for example, there is a "Close up" mode, a "Food" mode, and a "Landscape" mode to name a few. You'll also find several different creative effects, such as "Grainy Film" and "Miniature". There is some control available over some of these, although it would be nice if you could also shoot RAW, and then you could revert back to the original image if you wanted to. The camera doesn't feature an automatic panoramic shooting mode.
Video - The M6 II offers 4K and FullHD video recording. FullHD video and 4K video recording uses the full width of the sensor and doesn't crop into the image until you switch on digital image stabilisation, or enhanced digital image stabilisation. Digital image stabilisation is available for both FullHD and 4K video recording.
The camera offers an HDR video mode at FullHD resolution and 30/25fps. High-speed video with 120/100fps available in FullHD. 4K UHD video can be recorded at 30 or 25fps, with a firmware update promised, which will enable 24fps video recording.
ISO100 to ISO12800 is available for both 4K UHD video, and FullHD video, and it can also be expanded to ISO25600 for both. You can also use ALO to expand dynamic range, as was as a "Neutral" picture style.
The optical image stabilisation built-in to the 15-45mm lens seemed to do very little to keep the video steady when recording, and therefore it's likely you'll need to use a tripod, gimbal or the electronic/digital image stabilisation for stable video footage.
Unfortunately, the 4K video footage doesn't look as sharp and crisp as footage from other cameras, however, focus during video was excellent, with Canon's Dual Pixel AF system working very well.
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Value For Money
The Canon EOS M6 II is available for £869 without lens, or £1119 with 15-45mm lens and EVF-DC2 (Electronic Viewfinder), which makes it reasonable value for money. Alternatives to look at, include the following.
Canon EOS M50 24mp, 4K video, EVF, £469 body only
Olympus OM-D E-M10 Mark III, 16mp, 4K video, in-camera IS, from £529 inc lens
Fujifilm X-T30, 26mp, 20fps, 30fps cropped (16mp), 4K video, £869 with kit lens
Sony Alpha A6400, 24mp, 4K video, EVF, £973 with kit lens
Nikon Z50, 20mp, 4K video, EVF, £849 body only, £989 with kit lens
Panasonic Lumix G90, 20mp, unlimited 4K video, in-camera IS, from £899 body only.
Have a look at more Mirrorless cameras in our buying guides: Top 20 Best Premium Mirrorless (with EVF), Top 20 Best Full-Frame Mirrorless Cameras, Top 11 Best Entry-Level Mirrorless (Entry level, may have EVF under or around £500). You'll also need to buy a memory card and a case or bag to keep your camera safe and protected - have a look at our complete guide to camera bags.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Verdict
The Canon EOS M6 Mark II, is a high resolution, high-spec camera, with a 32mp sensor, high-speed continuous shooting, 4K video, and fast auto-focus, with plenty of external controls, and the camera is capable of delivering great-looking photos. Unfortunately, the range of lenses available doesn't quite match the camera.
Here's a list of premium Canon EOS EF-M lenses available that match the EOS M6 II: (signified by a metal lens mount)
- 32mm f/1.4 STM
- 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM
- 22mm f/2 STM
And that's about it, from Canon. There's also the 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS STM that could be a good match, with a metal lens mount, but the rest have plastic lens mounts and don't offer any bright apertures. You'll also find that Canon has only 8 lenses in EF-M mount.
Fundamentally, do Canon make the lens or lenses you want in a camera system? Where is the budget 50mm f/1.8 lens? Where is a longer macro lens? Where is the telephoto lens that matches this high-speed camera?
Whilst this may be a great camera, without a range of lenses, it's hard to really get behind. Every other mirrorless camera system (excluding the recently-launched Nikon Z50) has a much better range of lenses to suit. If you are a Canon user and have a range of Canon EF lenses that you want to use, with an adapter, on the Canon EOS M6 II, then it might make more sense, and could be a way of giving old lenses a new lease of life, thanks to the 32mp sensor.
The Canon EOS M6 Mark II could be a fantastic camera, in fact, it is, but without the right lens or lenses, it's severely limited. It's like a Ferrari stuck in traffic, or on a road with a 30mph speed limit until it gets to the Autobahn. Yes, the Canon EOS M6 Mark II is a great camera, but the first thing you must do is get a better lens, to get the most out of it, and does the currently limited range of Canon EF-M lenses meet or match your requirements?
| With the right lens, the Canon EOS M6 Mark II can excel, however, with the kit lens, the camera is a different story. |