Canon just introduced a new full-frame mirrorless camera designed to appeal to a wide swath of photographers, the 24.2MP EOS R6 Mark II. With a $2499 price tag that puts it up against the popular Sony A7 IV, the Canon R6 Mark II is the follow-up to the R6 from 2020 but includes a host of improvements, some of which are inherited from the pro-level Canon R3.
We had a chance to test out a pre-production version of the Canon R6 II on a Canon press trip to San Diego last week for this hands-on preview/review of the camera. We’ve included nearly a dozen images we shot with the R6 II in this story to give you an idea of its abilities.
In a nutshell, the affordably priced R6 II is a fast and nimble full-frame camera that should convince DSLR holdouts to upgrade to mirrorless. The Canon R6 II also has enough serious video features that it will likely appeal to hybrid-shooting content creators as well. Canon described the R6 II as a “Swiss Army knife-style camera” during a press briefing, and while that may be an overused cliché, it does seem to fit this multi-functional mirrorless model.
Canon also unveiled a new lens this morning, the Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM ($2099). Designed for portraits, photojournalism, sports/action, and for video content, this RF lens promises eye-catching bokeh, attractive mid-telephoto compression, and superior sharpness and faster autofocus over the EF version. We had a chance to test out a pre-production version of the Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM during the press trip and we’d have to say it largely lives up to these lofty claims.
We, of course, need time testing full production versions of both the Canon R6 Mark II and RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM before we issue our final reviews on these two products. But let’s just say that with the new Canon R6 II, Sony has a worthy competitor for this “sweet spot” of relatively inexpensive, high-quality full-frame mirrorless cameras, a landscape that has largely been dominated by Sony’s A7 line.
Here’s a rundown of the key specs for the new Canon R6 II camera and RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM lens, which both go on sale in December 2022. You can read our hands-on impressions of both products including more of our test images in our preview/review below the specs.
Canon EOS R6 Mark II Key Features & Specs
- New 24.2MP full-frame CMOS sensor developed and made by Canon specifically for the R6 II (not stacked like the R3’s sensor)
- Features R3’s fast and accurate Dual Pixel CMOS AF II autofocus system
- New subject AF detection and tracking modes including automatic, aircraft, trains, and horses. Also, as previously, people, animals (dogs/cats/birds), vehicle (cars, motorcycles) detection and tracking
- Improved Deep Learning engine for more accurate subject tracking
- Eye Detect AF (left/right/auto)
- 12 frames per second (mechanical) shutter; 40 fps (electronic) shutter
- 6K RAW external video recording or 4K 60p internal the full width of the sensor
- In-body image stabilization with up to 8 stops of shake correction (same as R6)
- DIGIC X image processor (same as R6)
- Native ISO range of 100-102,400 (same as R6)
- Dual SD card slots; UHS-II compatible (same as R6)
- 3-inch vari-angle rear LCD screen (same as R6)
- OLED electronic viewfinder with 3.69 million dots and 120fps refresh rate (same as R6)
- Power switch moved to right top of camera
- Photo/video mode switch moved to top left of camera
- Pre-shooting feature for burst mode; camera constantly pre-shoots images at a half-second buffer when half pressing shutter button
- Dust and weather resistant camera build (same as R6)
- Built-in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth connectivity (same as R6)
- $2499 (body only); on sale December 2022
Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM Key Features & Specs
• 0.7m (2.29′) – 0.26x max magnification
• 17 lens elements in 12 groups
• 3 UD lenses
• 82mm filter
• 9-bladed aperture
• 5.5 stops of image stabilization
• Incorporates ASC
• Weighs 2.06 pounds (935g)
• 5.1 x 3.5 inches (130.3 x 89mm)
• Max diameter is 89.2mm
• Two lens function buttons (customizable, like 30-40 options that can be put to these buttons, like eye detection)
• Control ring
• $2099; on sale December 2022
Canon EOS R6 II Hands-On Impressions (Camera Preview/Review)
To be honest, I don’t remember the Canon EOS R6 very well. First off, the R6 was released over two years ago at the height of the pandemic and there were a lot of other things going on in the world at the time. Secondly, the more affordable 20MP R6 was really overshadowed by its pricey and higher resolution brother, the 45MP Canon R5, which was launched at the same time and went on to become one of the best reviewed cameras of 2020.
Fast forward a few years and Canon has just introduced the 24.2MP Canon EOS R6 Mark II which, we can already say, is one of the best cameras of 2022. Meanwhile, there is not a Canon R5 Mark II in sight, and we don’t expect one to be introduced until sometime in 2023 at the earliest. This leaves the spotlight firmly on the R6 II, which is well deserved.
As mentioned earlier, for a few days last week I tested pre-production versions of the Canon R6 II and new Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM lens on a press trip to San Diego, CA last week. In particular, Canon arranged for us to photograph a variety of sports including BMX racing and aerial stunts, track and field, rowing, diving, tennis, surfing, and mountain biking.
While it’s $2500 price tag and diverse feature set should make the R6 II attractive to a wide variety of photographers and video makers seeking full frame mirrorless, Canon clearly thinks this camera is suited for capturing fast action, and it is. I shot with the R6 II using a trio of lenses, the aforementioned new RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM along with the previously launched RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM and 16mm F2.8 STM.
Of the three lenses, only the slender, wide-angle 16mm seemed to fit naturally with the small bodied R6 II. With dimensions of 5.45 x 3.87 x 3.48 inches (W x H x D) and weighing 1.5 pounds (body only with the battery and memory card), the Canon R6 is similar in size to the Sony A7 IV, and even the slimmed down (compared to their EF counterparts) RF 70-200mm F2.8 and RF 135mm F1.8 lenses felt front heavy on the R6 II.
While the R6 II’s grip is decent, my pinkie dangled off the bottom edge and I never felt completely secure holding it with the two L-series lenses. That’s the price you pay for making full frame cameras as sleek and portable as the Canon R6 Mark II.
On the other hand, I immediately noticed the R6 II’s improved autofocus, which is basically the same as the professional-level R3’s fast and accurate Dual Pixel CMOS AF II autofocus system. If you followed our coverage of photographer Jeff Cable using the R3 at the last summer Olympics in Tokyo, then you know the R6 II has inherited some good genes when it comes to autofocus.
During my testing of the Canon R6 II, the camera was, generally speaking, able to easily keep up with most of the sports I was photographing. I appreciated the R6 II’s AF detection and tracking, particularly on the diving, which would cause most cameras trouble because of the all the twists, flips and inversions of the divers.
There were a few instances in the various shooting scenarios during both high-speed and low-speed sports, where the camera would unexpectedly miss autofocus during sequential bursts (using both 12 fps, mechanical; and 40 fps electronic shutter) but I will chalk those stumbles up to it being a pre-production R6 II that I was testing and, perhaps, to user error. Admittedly, it’s been a while since I’ve photographed fast action sports and I was bit rusty, particularly on the first day of shooting.
I can’t speak, formally, to the Canon R6 II’s image quality since this was pre-production camera, but I will say I was pleased with my results. While the slight bump up in megapixels for the R6 II vs its predecessor, isn’t significant, it helped out in cropping shots, particularly the surfers and rowers.
Overall, I came away impressed with the R6 Mark II and think Canon could have a winner, with mass appeal, on its hands, just in time for the holiday shopping season. I look forward to testing this small but speedy full frame mirrorless camera further once I get my hands on a full production unit.
