My Canon EOS R6 II in-depth review vs Sony A7 IV and Lumix S5 II Canon EOS R6 II at B&H: bhpho.to/3UeGKhR // WEX UK: tidd.ly/3FE7Jzq Buy Gordon a coffee: www.paypal.me/cameralabs Gordon's In Camera book: amzn.to/2n61PfI / Amazon uk: amzn.to/2mBqRVZ Cameralabs merchandise: redbubble.com/people/cameralabs/shop Gordon’s retro gear channel: ruclips.net/user/dinobytes Check MPB to buy and sell used gear: bit.ly/3ULU9yL Check eBay to find vintage gear: rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=1&pub=5574908462&toolid=10001&campid=5338329149&customid=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg Lost photos? I recover mine with: www.dpbolvw.net/click-100568658-13808570?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stellarinfo.com%2Fphoto-recovery-software.php Equipment used for producing my videos Sony A6400: prf.hn/l/pRO0wp5 Sony e 24mm f1.8: amzn.to/2TqWNzk Rode NT USB mic: amzn.to/3AdHcUp Rode Wireless Go II mic: amzn.to/3xkCvGo Rode Lavalier Go mic: amzn.to/3ygzzKY Godox UL150 light: amzn.to/2VpVbXE Godox QR-P70 softbox: amzn.to/3yQfGdF MacBook Pro 14in (16GB / 1TB): amzn.to/3PrKbPV 00:00 - Introduction and alternatives 02:04 - Canon EOS R6 II design and controls 03:12 - Canon EOS R6 II screen and viewfinder 03:41 - Canon EOS R6 II card slots, ports and battery 05:18 - Canon EOS R6 II lens mount and lenses 06:58 - Canon EOS R6 II image quality options 08:11 - Canon EOS R6 II resolution vs A7 IV and S5 II 09:42 - Canon EOS R6 II noise high ISO vs A7 IV and S5 II 11:41 - Canon EOS R6 II dynamic range with mechanical shutter 12:22 - Canon EOS R6 II IBIS stabilization 13:55 - Canon EOS R6 II autofocus and subject tracking 19:34 - Canon EOS R6 II burst speeds 22:07 - Canon EOS R6 II wildlife bird and action photography 23:23 - Canon EOS R6 II RAW burst mode 24:52 - Canon EOS R6 II electronic rolling shutter skewing 26:24 - Canon EOS R6 II lenses for fastest bursts 27:04 - Canon EOS R6 II bulb timer 27:24 - Canon EOS R6 II focus bracketing 29:06 - Canon EOS R6 II multiple exposures 29:36 - Canon EOS R6 II sample images and verdict Music: www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases
I love the review, but you lost one Function on the R6II that for me is amazing, I don't know how it call, but is the Manual Focus Assist, and it's the feature that is actually making me considering a substantial financial loss and to switch from Sony to Canon. I'm still considering in upgrade my beloved A7III for the A7IV, but Manual Focus is one thing that I love it, and the R6II has a similar feature from Nikon F3HP, well, it's the idea at least. Nikon F3Hp, which I used to own back in the days, had in the centre a circle with a line, if the line was "broken", camera was out of focus, if it was perfect, it was perfect in focus. In fact, I purchased Canon Elan 7, which had an amazing AF, probably the best in 2000, but I could still focus faster with my over 10 years old Nikon F3Hp because of the prism that could assist manual focus to be blazing fast. The R6II Manual Focus have something similar and I got in love it.
I always appreciate your no-nonsense and detailed reviews. I have been shooting with the R6II for a month or two - only stills, I am not a videographer. I would like to make a couple of points about the 3rd party lens issue - accepting that reviews age with time: 1. Sony started out with their mount came out in 2010, about 8 years earlier than Canon or Nikon did and I took the trouble to find every third party lens released for their MILC mount. It turns out that the first 3rd party lenses came out only SLIGHTLY earlier than Canon or Nikon, and the mass of those third party lenses came out after 8 years, so they have had a major time advantage. 2. At time of writing both Canon and Nikon have said that they will allow 3rd party lenses on a case-by-case basis, and one RF autofocus 3rd party lens has been released by Meike in April 2023. 3. I have been shooting with the R5, R6 and R6II, using legacy Canon EF lenses, as well as the Sigma 150-600c and Sigma 60-600s lenses. Personally, I have not experienced the pulsing that some people have apparently found, and I think this could be due to how the lenses have been set up - as I have customized both using the Sigma docking station, and how the Canon Autofocus Eye tracking has been configured - which can vary wildly among users.. I am expecting Sigma to get the go-ahead to eventually release an RF version of their recent 60-600 release for Sony, but in the meantime I don't feel any frustrations. I have never had an issue with my legacy EF lenses: 70-200 f/2.8 MkII, 70-200 f/4 MkII, (both IS USM), 70-300L, 100-400MkII, 24-105 MkI L, 17-40 f/4L.
Well done and spot on! I am a wildlife photographer. I picked up an R6 ii as a back up body to my R5 and find I prefer it to the R5 whenever I can get the subject big enough in the frame (large mammals). For small birds I still prefer the R5. I use the R6 with a variety of lenses 14-35, 24-105, 100-500, EF 600 F4 III, EF 500 F4 II, and the previously unused 800 F11. The 800 was the big surprise focus area is dramatically increased on the R6 ii which combines with its excellent performance in low light and killer focusing to make that a very usable lens with excellent IQ.
I have noticed that many people complain about third-party lenses. I own Sony A7IV cameras with all Sony G-Master native lenses. Recently, I purchased the Canon R5 and R6 II with all the RF lenses. I take pride in owning Canon cameras and their lenses. Even if Canon were to open the door for third-party lenses, I would still prefer to buy all RF lenses.
Gordon! I have all EF adapted lenses for the R6 II and they all get H+ speeds. And they work amazing! The EF Sigma 50 1.4 focuses 2x faster than the RF50 (both the 1.8 and 1.2). These all work with H+ mode EF Sigma Art 50 1.4 EF Sigma Art 14-24 2.8 EF Canon 70-200 2.8 IS Mark III Shot hockey with the 70-200 and yup, full H+ speeds (around 12 FPS) and it was 100% accurate... the best focusing setup I've ever used and I've been a pro shooter for about 18 years.
Great, you answered the question I had. EF lenses work perfectly fine so I won't have to worry about lenses if I got this body. I really don't need to purchase expensive RF lenses.
This is something I've been trying to figure out for the last couple weeks. I've been debating which 135mm to get and right now that sigma is looking mighty fine if it supports h+ even tho the canon RF version is sharper
Looks like they are really starting to make the mirrorless space their own, and have finally worked out that you can put great features into a moderately priced body without cannibalizing the high end market.
Been watching your videos for years and still some of the best reviews, overviews and incredibly detailed information on the internet today. Thanks Gordon!
Great review. I would note on your comments on lack of 3rd party lenses, that Sony has been out for almost 10 years, so it has had a long time to establish its own lens portfolio and get back the investment in its mount technology. I use Sigma EF lenses: 150-600c and 60-600s lenses with my R5 and R6 bodies with no issues.
As an original R6 owner, your review makes a compelling case to upgrade to the Mark II. But I also have an R5. So I'll wait to see if an R5 II arrives as rumored. If so, I'll have a tough decision on which to swap my R6 for, depending on the R5 II price and features.
I think your instincts are correct. If I had an R6 and was looking to upgrade, I'd probably wait for an R5 II or similar, unless the R6 II upgrades are exactly the things that bothered you.
Definitely the best camera in it's price range! With full frame oversampled 4k60 (best in the mirrorless world), 12/40 fps for photos, fastest sensor readout of any full frame non stacked sensor, best battery life of any mirrorless camera (outside of the R3 and z9 that are 2x as big and cost 3x as much) and class leading AF, nothing really can touch it. And I use all third party lenses without issue. I have the Sigma Art lenses adapted to EF so third party options are not an issue. Unlike with Sony, Nikon and Panasonic... Canon has no performance loss with adapted lenses. In fact my Sigma Art 50 1.4 focuses 2x faster than either of the RF 50 lenses (1.2 and 1.8) and costs 1/3 the price and is just as sharp as the RF 50 1.2.
This is my favorite waterfall to shoot in TN. There are so many good shots to take here. I love it when the pool beneath fall is full. Nice shots. 🙌 Keep up the good work.
Another comprehensive no nonsense and review, thanks Gordon. Good to see in these days of clickbait there are still some professional you tubers. Cheers Ian
Thank you Gordon. I am a Canon DSLR user who is well overdue in my jump to Mirrorless. Your video phenomenal features I haven't seen in other videos, and which I now must have!
You're very welcome, I try to be as thorough as possible! Also consider the R8 which has the same sensor and AF but in a simpler, cheaper body, albeit without things like IBIS.
I brought R6II in December because the good reviews of auto-focus. Well, when you look at the camera screen during the shooting, it seems to auto-focus eyes very well. However, when you review your photos of mechanical burst, if you look at the image afterwards , only less than 25% is focus on the eye. Most (about 40%) focus in between eyes when person moves slowly from side to side.
Yes, it's important to test that as well, as while the software may show the right tracking, the end result may not be perfect. I find my results vary greatly depending not just on subject but also lens. Which lens were you using and what was the subject doing?
@@cameralabs It is important to disclose these results. I have the A7iv and the 70 200 GM2. I've been shooting people running in cloudy conditions. Face and eye detection as well as tracking always worked flawlessly. But only 30% of the shots were sharp. I had to go down to 6 FPS (uncompressed RAW) to get a somewhat acceptable 80% hit rate. I would not have bought the A7iv if I had known.
I have often seen reviewers to point out that S5 needs to be tripod mounted. However, in 'mode 2' of motion handling mode, handheld works pretty good with fast shutter speed. It helps with noise. Also, long exposure shots can be extended. However, there is a limit of 8 sec. Shutter speed in this mode.
So, here we are 10 months after this review and I decided to get the R6-II with the great deal of $500 off the regular price. I already own the R7, so I have a small collection of lenses to get started in the world of full-frame, but my most pressing desire is for Canon to allow 3rd party lenses for the RF mount. I've got an adapted EF Sigma 150-600 for my birding to hold me for now, and a handful of prime lenses including an RF 85mm f/2 that I plan to use quite a bit. I've seen videos about what Canon is ready to launch as far as lenses go, but all are out of my budget even a year from now.
I used the burst mode with the RF 100-500, of a heron taking off and flying away, 165 shots with perfect eye tracking on 164 of the shots, very impresstve
This was such an amazingly thorough video! Been eyeballing the Mark II for a while and have been growing more and more confident to purchase one to enhance my channel's video quality. You might have just tipped my motivation to get one, good sir - well done and thanks for putting this together!
Thanx for your video and info. I'm thinking of getting the R5 or R6ii. At present I've the R7. In a few months the R5ii will be out so it might help me decide otherwise too ... I'll see.
Excellent stuff as always, Gordon! I hadn't really been giving any thought to moving to mirrorless, being very happy with my 7D2 and 1DX3. But more and more, I find myself tempted to add the R62 to my camera bag. I think it would be a great addition to my kit, since I could keep using my Canon glass with the EF-RF adapter.
Thanks for this wonderful review! I am at the point of moving from my Canon 80D to mirrorless and am trying to understand the pros and cons of both Canon R6 M2 and Sony A7 4. Your video helped me better visualise the differences with the photos that I would also take. I am not into videos but more into landscapes/nature, animals/birds and architecture photos. What I could not see in the review (I might have missed it as well, kindly excuse me) is the performance at low light, say around sunrise or sunset, if you could cover that part or where to look for, will be great help. Thank you.
The battery info you gave is for the old R6. The new R6 II has a huge improvement over the original R6 (and much better than the S5 II and A7IV) with a CIPA rating of 760 shots with the LCD.... almost 50% better than the R6 and the competition.
I watched every second and enjoyed your review thoroughly. Thank you for being so detailed. I currently have and enjoy using the R6. I hope to upgrade to this version come summer. Once again, thank you for your review.
Thank you for this review. It was very informative. I've never owned or even used a modern mirrorless camera. The closest I've come is my wife's nearly 10-year old Sony DSC-RX100m3 point-&-shoot pocket-camera. I've shot a lot with Nikon DX DSLR bodies since 2004, but I've sold off and/or gifted away all of my Nikon DSLR gear. I prefer what I've seen and read about the Canon EOS R6m2. My brother is pushing me towards the Nikon Z6ii. I'm not looking for pro-caliber lenses. Rather, my budget limits me to f/4 constant maximum aperture zoom lenses and f/1.8 fixed focal length lenses. Historically, I like to photograph people, pets, sports, scenics, and indoors. Video, while important to me, takes a back seat to still photography. Which of these two systems, and camera bodies, would you recommend? Thank you. Good things! 👍
The Nikon system is also very good and the Z6 II is a solid body, although I've not personally tested it. I'd say the features are similar, so go for the system which has the lenses you prefer and can afford - have a look at their ranges carefully, and bear in mind there are not many third party lenses available for either of them yet - and may not in the future - so be satisfied by the range and prices from Canon and Nikon themselves.
That's a wonderful insight and detailed review....Being an occasional enthusiast, I'm using still my Nikon D750 for photography....would it be a best choice to pick Lumix s5ii to explore video features along with photography or canon R6 ii would be better as I can stick with one eco system for longer period?
Great review thanks! I want to jump to mirrorless or my 5D4, and I think this is one to go for. Bummer about the 3rd party lens issue but I recon that will change later this year. I will adapt my EF glass. Excited about the eye detect and 12fps for wildlife especially, plus the focus stack for macro. Do you think and EF adapted Laowa macro lens will work on this camera?
@@cameralabs Hi Gordon, love your videos. I would be very interested in video as well! I am looking between the R5, R6 ii, and A7iv when it comes to hybrid cameras doing video and can't find any head to heads when it compares 4k line skip, no crop, crop accordingly.
Thank you, Gordon. Really looking forward to the upcoming review of the video quality of the R6 II (in particular, dynamic range, low light performance and the full-frame 4K 60fps performance).
I am looking forward to that review as well. Gerald Undone indicated that the dynamic range of the R6 II was slightly lacking compared to the competition.
@@cameralabs Im surprised that nikon, canon, panasonic have few or even any first party high end 35mm lenses that is faster than f1.8. I also consider weight so that makes sony 35mm f.1.4 gm the best option for me. It feels like they are about to release new fast 35s but now I feel like the options are pretty limiting.
Having gone from an RP to an R6 and shooting a lot over the past 2.5 years, I don't understand the big deal about lack of RF 3rd party lenses right now. Canon glass is fantastic and I'd rather save up for great L glass and use EF adapted L lenses and 3rd party lenses on the meantime. I am extremely happy with the lenses i have, some RF L lenses, a couple EF L lenses, non L RF primes and a Samyang RF 14 2.8 and EF Sigma 150-600 C. I'll slowly upgrade my EF glass and primes as I go. I don't need RF 3rd party. I'm doing just fine as I go...
Depends on your needs. I love my Tamron 35-150/2.8-4 and would like to have the faster 35-150/2-2.8 that the Sony guys get (no EF Version will come) and the added length of the adapter is also stuff I could do without
Great review. I am in the Canon eco system. However I feel cheated. I jump on the mirrorless wagon with the Canon EOS R. Then sold a few EF lens for more expensive Canon RF lens. Next I upgraded to the R6 with the expectation the less expensive RF lens would be available. However Canon has aggressively limited options for user like me. I purchased a Viltrox 85mm only to see eliminate third party offering across the board. I am a portrait and events shooter and adapted EF lens are softer and slower focusing. I had to buy 2 $2500 RF L- level lens to support my small business. With Canon these predator marketing practices hurt the brand and customer loyalty. If I could have better understood the mirrorless market Better 4 years ago, Sony and LUMIX are better options. The quality is very equal. The ownership experience is not
Glad you found it useful, and I share your frustration. I do believe Canon will open it up to third parties at some point, but in the meantime I agree the options are limited. You could of course adapt EF lenses, but i will continue to press them to move on!
@@cameralabs thanks for highlighting this issue with lenses. I've bought EF-R adapter and tried some EF lenses, and it works but this is not very convenient and not very travel friendly solution. And some of the EF lenses are not really up to the high standards of modern lenses, both in terms of optical quality and size / weight.
@@FotografiaDesportiva 300MB/s RW I think. All the TOUGHs are the same speed, so look them up on a store and it'll be the same as mine! I use 32-128MB.
Good question, I'm not sure. You can adjust the increment, and maybe it's proportional to the starting focus distance. I'll try to investigate but don't know right now.
Another fantastic video, thank you. I personally take a lot of long exposure night photos of scenes, both moonlit & light painted, I can't find much info comparing the Sony & Canon in this regard. The Sony sports the BSI sensor supposedly good for low light, but then the lower MP count of the Canon should help it in low light too. I currently still use the 6D for such shots but it's time to change..
I also enjoy long exposure photography - I made a video about it on my channel you might enjoy - but I haven't made any direct comparisons. TBH, they're all good enough for me now.
Hi Gordon! Thanks again for another great video. I wish I had waited a little longer to getting my R6, I got main about 3 months before the R6 II came out. I like a couple of the new features on the R6 II, but I think I just stick with what I have. I have been collecting RF lenses and have a pretty decent group: 24-105 L, 35mm, 24mm, 85mm 100-400mm. I think that I will get a 600mm or the 800mm for taking wildlife shots. I live in Central Florida in an area called The Villages, lots of wildlife (birds, alligators, bears, etc.) and I want to take full advantage of all this nature while I can. I've been following you for many years and watch most your videos. Some of my favorites were the ones you did when you were traveling in Morocco! That was a while ago!
Thanks! Your R6 is still a great camera and the animal detection on it works great, so I'd say you're well-sorted. Concentrate on lenses and maybe see what's coming next for a step-up on a body in a year or two. Thanks also for remembering my working holiday videos, there weren't many folk posting 'location independent' lifestyle videos back then, but sadly they never got much traction versus those which are out today - I think I needed to be younger, have a van and show the family or at least the missus! I used to visit Florida quite a lot when I was trying to catch the final launches of the Space Shuttle - did you see the old video I made about renting a 500mm lens for the occasion? ruclips.net/video/dkkQZSktfAQ/видео.html
@@cameralabs I don’t think I did, but I will definitely check that one out. We have launches at least once a week now, but I haven’t gotten any pictures yet, in fact there was a night launch last night! Keep up the great work!
@@danieletamburini9015 I'd honestly choose it based on lens availability, pricing, borrowing from friends, renting etc. If you can easily get the lenses you want, that wins.
I am in a struggle of an upgrade point. I have been looking for an upgrade from my rp, which I enjoy. The a7iv didn’t impress me when it came out, parts of the a7rv have not blown me away, but I am intrigued by the r6ii. But I may hold out to see if there really is an r5ii coming down the pipeline because I want the megapixels of the r5, but the r6ii covers all of my photos needs of nothing else. Very impressive camera for the price I believe.
Thank you Gordon for another extremely detailed review. I am very pleased with the upgrade to version two from my previous r6. the 40 frames per second coupled with the much better autofocus give me much more keepers for sports photography. this advantage also applies to more general photography. it has also encouraged me to go into video thanks to its two distinct and configurable modes. all in all this new version has eliminated all the little frustrations that went with the original r6. I've made some informed choices thanks to you. I've made donations for each significant buy...still I feel you helped me save money. getting the wrong gear can be quite expensive after all best regards
Why do people claim there are no third party rf lenses with autofocus? I have the samyang/rokinon 85 1.4 that has autofocus. It has worked plenty well for me when taking portraits and photos of people.
For price point...most perfect vs sony nikon fuji. R6 mkii fixed most complaints of r r5 r6 and most don't want r5 bit expensive overkill.. Sadly I have r6 and might upgrade r6 mk2 in future and maybe 2nd body r8.
Hi Gordon, Thanks for a great review, as always. :) during AF test wasn't Lumix switched to Face/EYE detection? In test you have done on S5II Human subject detection mode can track head/body much better with box visible around head/body.
Yes, well spotted, I was using Face and Eye on the S5 II here. I actually did this test TWICE, once with face and eye, as shown here, and again with Human selected. The clip with Human selected was actually worse in this environment, losing me several times. It worked well in my outdoor test - as seen in my S5 II review - where it tracked my whole body when my face was too small, but it faired less well in this indoor environment. There's lots of factors involved, maybe it didn't like my hat, but the fact is under the same conditions, the R6 II outperformed it here. But as I concluded at the end, all three of these cameras are more than enough for most of us, but you will always find aspects where one takes the lead over others. Panasonic really should also group face / eye and Human under the same option - it's bad enough selecting human or animal, but having to choose whole human or human face is crazy, especially when the whole human option switches to pretty good face and eye when close enough.
Awesome video only now I’m torn hang fire see what stacked bodies come out or get the r8 as a 2nd body along side my r6 or px the r6 in for the mk2 I love the pano mode and the better sensor readout speed decisions decisions
@@cameralabs I was tempted to move over to Nikon z8 or z9 but after trying a z7 mk2 for a few hours the layout (after shooting canon 20 years ) is really putting me off moving ship
Gordon, I fancied the R6II but the DP Review says that the camera sharpens RAW files and this can’t be switched off. Is this common practice with all camera brands?
I think many RAW files are processed a bit to some degree, more than we assume they are, but I've not noticed it particularly. You should get hold of some RAW files and see if it's a problem for you.
I have a pair of 5DM3s and told myself I was never going mirrorless, until I saw the focus performance of this model. Today it goes for $1,999, takes the same battery as my other cameras and the same cards. I was also unaware of the low price lens adapters that allow me to use the dozen current lenses. Please join me in a round of happy birthday to grandpa.
Yep, same here.. 6D but the screen died at 150k. Grabbed an R6 original for the low cost now that the r6 (and r5) mk2 is out. I had to dig out the old 5D original and that thing felt like a dinosaur.. always good to remember that they all take good pictures if you get out there and try to take them.
I’m currently a 6Dmkii body shooter. My workhorse lens is the Tamron 24-70m f/2.8. If I upgrade to the R6mkii will my Tamron (with adapter of course) not function in terms of AF? Cheers, Josh.
Really wish this had the top display and moved the controls to the right and rejig that video/stills switch. Just such a waste of space and the cost of a display up there would be minimal. Even my EOS 3 and EOS33 film cameras have it :(
And yet it exhibited a similar amount of skewing in my tests. Try getting all three, fitted with the same focal length and shake / pan them back and forth with the electronic shutter and see what happens.
@@cameralabs are you talking about video or taking pictures? I know how much rolling shutter my R6 II has and how much the A7 IV has. And that‘s not nearly the same. But I talk about taking pictures. Maybe that‘s the misunderstanding here. In video comparison the rolling shutter is nearly the same in 4K 60. But the R6 II uses the whole sensor and the A7 IV has a crop. „The A7 IV has the worst rolling shutter we saw in our tests since a long time“ that‘s what some camera testers are saying. DPReview for example is talking about readout speed of 1/15 sec for stills with the A7 IV. The R6 Mark II can capture 40fps. That‘s not possible with readout speed of 1/15 sec. The R6 II has 1/60 - 1/70. That‘s four times faster and a big difference. There are thousands of people shooting wildlife, birds in flight, moving dogs and playing kids with the R5 and R6 II in electronic shutter mode without a problem.
@@frankelbefotografie When A7IV is set to compressed RAW required for 10fps it uses 12-bit readout which is twice as fast, about 1/30s. This is still slower than R6 II, but closer. Maybe this is what Gordon observed?
@@s-trapYT maybe it‘s that. But then the R6 Mark II is still twice as fast. I don‘t want to make trouble. I was just surprised why he said something like that. 🙂👍 This is only for people that read all the comments: We all know or heard that the Sony A9 and A9 II are great cameras for sports and fast action. And I think to remember that they have had 1/140 - 1/160 read out speed. Not as much as many people think. O.k. the new Sony A1 has 1/240 read out speed, that’s really fast. But no one would say the A9 was or is to slow for fast action. So the R5 and R6 Mark II are great with their 1/60 sec. There are not many full frame cameras in this price range, that have faster sensor readout. Is there one? In most pictures you will not detect any rolling shutter. Only with very fast birds, or very fast balls and rackets in Sport. 🙂
Do you think there will be any day a sucessor to the Sony A7S III? If the camera has low megapixel, it better has superior low light and video performance
Not sure. And in my tests a high res body has smaller noise artefacts, so actually isn't as bad as you might think for high ISO. But as a video centric body, the A7S is very compelling, albeit 'only' 4k.
@@cameralabs I realized that as i "upgraded" from full frame EOS RP to APS-C EOS R7. The additional megapixel (especially when considering a often needed crop on FF and less or no crop on APS-C sensor) make the R7 even better in low light than the "low MP" FF EOS RP up to ISO 6400 or partially also ISO 12800. Only at 25600+ the RP/full frame is "better", but at these ISOS the RPs images get as "unusable" as the R7 ones to be honest. In fact that was also the reason i sold the RP later (i kept it for low light/astro and usage with RF 50 1.8) With the R7 and no RF 50 anymore i miss the nice bokeh and "full frame" look i had once, but the pretty much "all in one" EF-S 17-55 2.8 replaced the basic 50mm prime for me pretty much with so much more usecases/possibilities additionally since its nice zoom range and aperture.
@@cameralabs I´ve just bought the R8 based on your review. I hope that the camera will recognize the importance of my face given that the AF system comes from the R6 M2 :-) :-)
I got the R6 II when it was released in early December and it was actually $200 cdn cheaper than the A7IV. It was a huge steal! The R6 II with 12/40 fps, the only full frame oversampled 4K60 on the market, class leading battery life, build and LCD, and the best rolling shutter of any non stacked camera was the best camera I could buy after a lot of research. The S5 II came out around the same time and it has way too many "Gotchas!" and cripples (especially in high speed modes) and would definitely be a slight step backwards, though it is slightly cheaper. James Reader also did a comparison of the R6 II and its competitors and his findings were the same: R6 II on top followed by the A7IV and then finally S5 II bringing up the rear.
@@cameralabs looking at this R6 mk ii or the R8 because of price. Sports and concerts are the things I shoot the most. Thank you for the review, found it very helpful.
@@42Kunze well the good news is the R8 has the same photo, video and AF quality / features. The differences are things like IBIS (which wouldn't help you in concerts or sports), dual card slots etc. I've detailed the differences in my R8 review, but you my R6 II review applies for the quality and AF.
Hi there, I’m considering going from the R6 to the S5IIX for hybrid shooting. However, the excellent AF & tracking on the Canon, especially on the PHOTO side has me hesitating. However I know LUMIX just release a firmware update with improvements to their AF. So I’m wondering if this will compare it to the Canon AF at all? Any suggestion on which way to go?
@@cameralabs thanks so much. It’s really a tough choice. I love the idea of one hybrid cam (the S5iix) for both photo & video, but I don’t want to feel like I’m downgrading on the AF on the photo side if I ditched my R6. Just tough to know how noticeable an issue it would be, if at all. Will keep thinking on it. Thanks again!
@@alchemymagick what do you use the AF for on the Canon? If it's for birds, sports, action etc, then I suspect it may still be ahead, but for basic day to day stuff, the S5 II is fine, and hopefully now a bit better than before too.
My Canon EOS R6 II in-depth review vs Sony A7 IV and Lumix S5 II
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00:00 - Introduction and alternatives
02:04 - Canon EOS R6 II design and controls
03:12 - Canon EOS R6 II screen and viewfinder
03:41 - Canon EOS R6 II card slots, ports and battery
05:18 - Canon EOS R6 II lens mount and lenses
06:58 - Canon EOS R6 II image quality options
08:11 - Canon EOS R6 II resolution vs A7 IV and S5 II
09:42 - Canon EOS R6 II noise high ISO vs A7 IV and S5 II
11:41 - Canon EOS R6 II dynamic range with mechanical shutter
12:22 - Canon EOS R6 II IBIS stabilization
13:55 - Canon EOS R6 II autofocus and subject tracking
19:34 - Canon EOS R6 II burst speeds
22:07 - Canon EOS R6 II wildlife bird and action photography
23:23 - Canon EOS R6 II RAW burst mode
24:52 - Canon EOS R6 II electronic rolling shutter skewing
26:24 - Canon EOS R6 II lenses for fastest bursts
27:04 - Canon EOS R6 II bulb timer
27:24 - Canon EOS R6 II focus bracketing
29:06 - Canon EOS R6 II multiple exposures
29:36 - Canon EOS R6 II sample images and verdict
Music: www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic
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I love the review, but you lost one Function on the R6II that for me is amazing, I don't know how it call, but is the Manual Focus Assist, and it's the feature that is actually making me considering a substantial financial loss and to switch from Sony to Canon. I'm still considering in upgrade my beloved A7III for the A7IV, but Manual Focus is one thing that I love it, and the R6II has a similar feature from Nikon F3HP, well, it's the idea at least. Nikon F3Hp, which I used to own back in the days, had in the centre a circle with a line, if the line was "broken", camera was out of focus, if it was perfect, it was perfect in focus. In fact, I purchased Canon Elan 7, which had an amazing AF, probably the best in 2000, but I could still focus faster with my over 10 years old Nikon F3Hp because of the prism that could assist manual focus to be blazing fast. The R6II Manual Focus have something similar and I got in love it.
Gordon, you might not know this mate, but these reviews are simply unbeatable at helping us folk in the market. Keep up the good work brother
Thankyou, I appreciate your kind words!
I always appreciate your no-nonsense and detailed reviews. I have been shooting with the R6II for a month or two - only stills, I am not a videographer.
I would like to make a couple of points about the 3rd party lens issue - accepting that reviews age with time:
1. Sony started out with their mount came out in 2010, about 8 years earlier than Canon or Nikon did and I took the trouble to find every third party lens released for their MILC mount. It turns out that the first 3rd party lenses came out only SLIGHTLY earlier than Canon or Nikon, and the mass of those third party lenses came out after 8 years, so they have had a major time advantage.
2. At time of writing both Canon and Nikon have said that they will allow 3rd party lenses on a case-by-case basis, and one RF autofocus 3rd party lens has been released by Meike in April 2023.
3. I have been shooting with the R5, R6 and R6II, using legacy Canon EF lenses, as well as the Sigma 150-600c and Sigma 60-600s lenses. Personally, I have not experienced the pulsing that some people have apparently found, and I think this could be due to how the lenses have been set up - as I have customized both using the Sigma docking station, and how the Canon Autofocus Eye tracking has been configured - which can vary wildly among users.. I am expecting Sigma to get the go-ahead to eventually release an RF version of their recent 60-600 release for Sony, but in the meantime I don't feel any frustrations.
I have never had an issue with my legacy EF lenses: 70-200 f/2.8 MkII, 70-200 f/4 MkII, (both IS USM), 70-300L, 100-400MkII, 24-105 MkI L, 17-40 f/4L.
Well done and spot on! I am a wildlife photographer. I picked up an R6 ii as a back up body to my R5 and find I prefer it to the R5 whenever I can get the subject big enough in the frame (large mammals). For small birds I still prefer the R5. I use the R6 with a variety of lenses 14-35, 24-105, 100-500, EF 600 F4 III, EF 500 F4 II, and the previously unused 800 F11. The 800 was the big surprise focus area is dramatically increased on the R6 ii which combines with its excellent performance in low light and killer focusing to make that a very usable lens with excellent IQ.
I have noticed that many people complain about third-party lenses. I own Sony A7IV cameras with all Sony G-Master native lenses. Recently, I purchased the Canon R5 and R6 II with all the RF lenses. I take pride in owning Canon cameras and their lenses. Even if Canon were to open the door for third-party lenses, I would still prefer to buy all RF lenses.
I'm a total noob to this hobby and this was so much great information. Thank you!
Gordon! I have all EF adapted lenses for the R6 II and they all get H+ speeds. And they work amazing! The EF Sigma 50 1.4 focuses 2x faster than the RF50 (both the 1.8 and 1.2).
These all work with H+ mode
EF Sigma Art 50 1.4
EF Sigma Art 14-24 2.8
EF Canon 70-200 2.8 IS Mark III
Shot hockey with the 70-200 and yup, full H+ speeds (around 12 FPS) and it was 100% accurate... the best focusing setup I've ever used and I've been a pro shooter for about 18 years.
Thanks for the info!
Great to know that I'm not stuck with "overpriced" RF lenses if I go with the R6 II over the A7V and S5II
Great, you answered the question I had. EF lenses work perfectly fine so I won't have to worry about lenses if I got this body. I really don't need to purchase expensive RF lenses.
This is something I've been trying to figure out for the last couple weeks. I've been debating which 135mm to get and right now that sigma is looking mighty fine if it supports h+ even tho the canon RF version is sharper
I truly appreciate the amount of work needed to put this video together. Thank you.
Glad you enjoyed it, and yes, it took ages!
Looks like they are really starting to make the mirrorless space their own, and have finally worked out that you can put great features into a moderately priced body without cannibalizing the high end market.
your seagull in flight is the highlight of your video for me.
Always look forward to it.
VERY few reviewers even know how to do that
Thanks, I try to be thorough!
Been watching your videos for years and still some of the best reviews, overviews and incredibly detailed information on the internet today. Thanks Gordon!
Glad you like my approach!
Great review. I would note on your comments on lack of 3rd party lenses, that Sony has been out for almost 10 years, so it has had a long time to establish its own lens portfolio and get back the investment in its mount technology. I use Sigma EF lenses: 150-600c and 60-600s lenses with my R5 and R6 bodies with no issues.
As an original R6 owner, your review makes a compelling case to upgrade to the Mark II. But I also have an R5. So I'll wait to see if an R5 II arrives as rumored. If so, I'll have a tough decision on which to swap my R6 for, depending on the R5 II price and features.
I think your instincts are correct. If I had an R6 and was looking to upgrade, I'd probably wait for an R5 II or similar, unless the R6 II upgrades are exactly the things that bothered you.
Definitely the best camera in it's price range! With full frame oversampled 4k60 (best in the mirrorless world), 12/40 fps for photos, fastest sensor readout of any full frame non stacked sensor, best battery life of any mirrorless camera (outside of the R3 and z9 that are 2x as big and cost 3x as much) and class leading AF, nothing really can touch it. And I use all third party lenses without issue. I have the Sigma Art lenses adapted to EF so third party options are not an issue. Unlike with Sony, Nikon and Panasonic... Canon has no performance loss with adapted lenses. In fact my Sigma Art 50 1.4 focuses 2x faster than either of the RF 50 lenses (1.2 and 1.8) and costs 1/3 the price and is just as sharp as the RF 50 1.2.
This is my favorite waterfall to shoot in TN. There are so many good shots to take here. I love it when the pool beneath fall is full. Nice shots. 🙌 Keep up the good work.
The very best review of the R6 II i´ve read so far. You covered details i didn´t know i would be interested in, but i was. Hats off!
Glad you found it useful!
Another comprehensive no nonsense and review, thanks Gordon. Good to see in these days of clickbait there are still some professional you tubers. Cheers Ian
Thankyou, I try my hardest!
I love the fellas at DP review. But you really set the standard in terms of depth of testing. Thanks so much!
Thanks! I love Chris and Jordan too and it really is amazing how much they get across in 10-15 minutes.
Outstanding review. Over half an hour, and I didn't for a second consider skipping. I have bought your book and I think I will get a Canon R6 Mkii!
Thankyou very much!
Marvelous review Gordon, so much detail here, thanks.
Thanks, glad you found it useful!
As always, the best and the most comprehensive review out there.
Thankyou!
Thank you Gordon. I am a Canon DSLR user who is well overdue in my jump to Mirrorless. Your video phenomenal features I haven't seen in other videos, and which I now must have!
You're very welcome, I try to be as thorough as possible! Also consider the R8 which has the same sensor and AF but in a simpler, cheaper body, albeit without things like IBIS.
I brought R6II in December because the good reviews of auto-focus. Well, when you look at the camera screen during the shooting, it seems to auto-focus eyes very well. However, when you review your photos of mechanical burst, if you look at the image afterwards , only less than 25% is focus on the eye. Most (about 40%) focus in between eyes when person moves slowly from side to side.
Yes, it's important to test that as well, as while the software may show the right tracking, the end result may not be perfect. I find my results vary greatly depending not just on subject but also lens. Which lens were you using and what was the subject doing?
@@cameralabs It is important to disclose these results.
I have the A7iv and the 70 200 GM2. I've been shooting people running in cloudy conditions. Face and eye detection as well as tracking always worked flawlessly. But only 30% of the shots were sharp. I had to go down to 6 FPS (uncompressed RAW) to get a somewhat acceptable 80% hit rate. I would not have bought the A7iv if I had known.
Great video with very good comparisons. Thank you. Some features make me want to add the R6 II alongside my R5 or wait for the rumored R5 II.
I have often seen reviewers to point out that S5 needs to be tripod mounted. However, in 'mode 2' of motion handling mode, handheld works pretty good with fast shutter speed. It helps with noise. Also, long exposure shots can be extended. However, there is a limit of 8 sec. Shutter speed in this mode.
Good tip, I should try that
PreCapture and in camera focus stacking are valuable additions.
Agreed! Combine that with how good the Auto Subject Detection AF works, the R6 II is pretty compelling.
So, here we are 10 months after this review and I decided to get the R6-II with the great deal of $500 off the regular price. I already own the R7, so I have a small collection of lenses to get started in the world of full-frame, but my most pressing desire is for Canon to allow 3rd party lenses for the RF mount. I've got an adapted EF Sigma 150-600 for my birding to hold me for now, and a handful of prime lenses including an RF 85mm f/2 that I plan to use quite a bit. I've seen videos about what Canon is ready to launch as far as lenses go, but all are out of my budget even a year from now.
Thanks for one of the most comprehensive, easy to understand reviews.
You're welcome!
I used the burst mode with the RF 100-500, of a heron taking off and flying away, 165 shots with perfect eye tracking on 164 of the shots, very impresstve
Wow, the Auto Subject Detection AF mode is very impressive!
I thought so!
This was such an amazingly thorough video! Been eyeballing the Mark II for a while and have been growing more and more confident to purchase one to enhance my channel's video quality. You might have just tipped my motivation to get one, good sir - well done and thanks for putting this together!
You're very welcome! Remember the R8 has the same quality in a cheaper, simpler body if you prefer
@@cameralabs Oh that might be a great option then - maybe I'll go that route. Thanks!
Thanx for your video and info. I'm thinking of getting the R5 or R6ii. At present I've the R7. In a few months the R5ii will be out so it might help me decide otherwise too ... I'll see.
Excellent stuff as always, Gordon! I hadn't really been giving any thought to moving to mirrorless, being very happy with my 7D2 and 1DX3. But more and more, I find myself tempted to add the R62 to my camera bag. I think it would be a great addition to my kit, since I could keep using my Canon glass with the EF-RF adapter.
I’d love to see more of how it does with indoor still photography
Thanks for this wonderful review! I am at the point of moving from my Canon 80D to mirrorless and am trying to understand the pros and cons of both Canon R6 M2 and Sony A7 4. Your video helped me better visualise the differences with the photos that I would also take. I am not into videos but more into landscapes/nature, animals/birds and architecture photos. What I could not see in the review (I might have missed it as well, kindly excuse me) is the performance at low light, say around sunrise or sunset, if you could cover that part or where to look for, will be great help. Thank you.
Low light conditions generally need higher ISOs, so just look at the noise comparison section.
Definitely want to see Sigma on the RF mount, but for now adapted lenses are a very seamless experience.
Thanks for this photography review and comparison 🎉. I have been looking for this. Most reviews just focus on video
I try to make a photo-lead review for all new cameras. Most youtubers are videographers hence them concentrating on that.
As always, the most thorough, clear reviews.
You're welcome!
The battery info you gave is for the old R6. The new R6 II has a huge improvement over the original R6 (and much better than the S5 II and A7IV) with a CIPA rating of 760 shots with the LCD.... almost 50% better than the R6 and the competition.
dude why do you comment on every single channel chill out. you got a good deal okay chill out..
I watched every second and enjoyed your review thoroughly. Thank you for being so detailed. I currently have and enjoy using the R6. I hope to upgrade to this version come summer. Once again, thank you for your review.
You're very welcome!
Love my R6 MKII and R3 thanks for a great review and making me more confident in my choice - cheers Hieth
You're welcome!
Looks like a very competent camera with well thought out updates to the user interface and functionality.
Thank you for this review. It was very informative.
I've never owned or even used a modern mirrorless camera. The closest I've come is my wife's nearly 10-year old Sony DSC-RX100m3 point-&-shoot pocket-camera.
I've shot a lot with Nikon DX DSLR bodies since 2004, but I've sold off and/or gifted away all of my Nikon DSLR gear.
I prefer what I've seen and read about the Canon EOS R6m2. My brother is pushing me towards the Nikon Z6ii.
I'm not looking for pro-caliber lenses. Rather, my budget limits me to f/4 constant maximum aperture zoom lenses and f/1.8 fixed focal length lenses.
Historically, I like to photograph people, pets, sports, scenics, and indoors. Video, while important to me, takes a back seat to still photography.
Which of these two systems, and camera bodies, would you recommend?
Thank you.
Good things! 👍
The Nikon system is also very good and the Z6 II is a solid body, although I've not personally tested it. I'd say the features are similar, so go for the system which has the lenses you prefer and can afford - have a look at their ranges carefully, and bear in mind there are not many third party lenses available for either of them yet - and may not in the future - so be satisfied by the range and prices from Canon and Nikon themselves.
That's a wonderful insight and detailed review....Being an occasional enthusiast, I'm using still my Nikon D750 for photography....would it be a best choice to pick Lumix s5ii to explore video features along with photography or canon R6 ii would be better as I can stick with one eco system for longer period?
Either model would be great! Choose the brand and style you prefer, plus take lens pricing into account.
Great review thanks! I want to jump to mirrorless or my 5D4, and I think this is one to go for. Bummer about the 3rd party lens issue but I recon that will change later this year. I will adapt my EF glass. Excited about the eye detect and 12fps for wildlife especially, plus the focus stack for macro. Do you think and EF adapted Laowa macro lens will work on this camera?
I've not tried adapting an EF Laowa lens onto an EOS R, so you may want to ask in the forums for Laowa.
I thought Laowa only makes MG lens?
Well done! When do we see the review for video? Cheers!
Thanks! I fear I may have left that one too late now, but we'll see!
@@cameralabs Hi Gordon, love your videos. I would be very interested in video as well! I am looking between the R5, R6 ii, and A7iv when it comes to hybrid cameras doing video and can't find any head to heads when it compares 4k line skip, no crop, crop accordingly.
@@Doug.L I'm actually working on it as we speak, the results will be posted first in my S5ii video review coming in about a week
Thank you, Gordon. Really looking forward to the upcoming review of the video quality of the R6 II (in particular, dynamic range, low light performance and the full-frame 4K 60fps performance).
Glad to help!
I am looking forward to that review as well. Gerald Undone indicated that the dynamic range of the R6 II was slightly lacking compared to the competition.
great review, thank you. did you review the video too?
I never got round to finishing it, but I will try by Christmas!
I'm considering buying the a7 IV, this is just what I need to make the choise easier for me since I will mostly take stills.
Glad to help
@@cameralabs Im surprised that nikon, canon, panasonic have few or even any first party high end 35mm lenses that is faster than f1.8. I also consider weight so that makes sony 35mm f.1.4 gm the best option for me. It feels like they are about to release new fast 35s but now I feel like the options are pretty limiting.
Having gone from an RP to an R6 and shooting a lot over the past 2.5 years, I don't understand the big deal about lack of RF 3rd party lenses right now. Canon glass is fantastic and I'd rather save up for great L glass and use EF adapted L lenses and 3rd party lenses on the meantime. I am extremely happy with the lenses i have, some RF L lenses, a couple EF L lenses, non L RF primes and a Samyang RF 14 2.8 and EF Sigma 150-600 C. I'll slowly upgrade my EF glass and primes as I go. I don't need RF 3rd party. I'm doing just fine as I go...
Depends on your needs. I love my Tamron 35-150/2.8-4 and would like to have the faster 35-150/2-2.8 that the Sony guys get (no EF Version will come) and the added length of the adapter is also stuff I could do without
Thanks Gordon! I love a longer term test on these bodies, so important when raw support is not available on launch videos and reviews
Nice video. Are you related to Sting by any chance? 🙂
No-one's mentioned that for a while! But no, I'm not.
@@cameralabs I honestly didn't think you were but you kinda look like him to me. 🙂
Nikon Z9 was first to have multi-subject AF select I think, no?
Great review. I am in the Canon eco system. However I feel cheated. I jump on the mirrorless wagon with the Canon EOS R. Then sold a few EF lens for more expensive Canon RF lens. Next I upgraded to the R6 with the expectation the less expensive RF lens would be available. However Canon has aggressively limited options for user like me. I purchased a Viltrox 85mm only to see eliminate third party offering across the board. I am a portrait and events shooter and adapted EF lens are softer and slower focusing. I had to buy 2 $2500 RF L- level lens to support my small business. With Canon these predator marketing practices hurt the brand and customer loyalty. If I could have better understood the mirrorless market Better 4 years ago, Sony and LUMIX are better options. The quality is very equal. The ownership experience is not
Glad you found it useful, and I share your frustration. I do believe Canon will open it up to third parties at some point, but in the meantime I agree the options are limited. You could of course adapt EF lenses, but i will continue to press them to move on!
@@cameralabs thanks for highlighting this issue with lenses. I've bought EF-R adapter and tried some EF lenses, and it works but this is not very convenient and not very travel friendly solution. And some of the EF lenses are not really up to the high standards of modern lenses, both in terms of optical quality and size / weight.
Thank you for such a detailed video. Out of curiosity, what specific SD card was used, and its speed?
I just use some Sony Tough SD cards I got a while back.
@@cameralabs Thanks Gordon. What speed are they?
@@FotografiaDesportiva 300MB/s RW I think. All the TOUGHs are the same speed, so look them up on a store and it'll be the same as mine! I use 32-128MB.
@@cameralabs thank you again. Keep up the great work, it’s appreciated!
@@FotografiaDesportiva you're welcome, I also just confirmed 300 read and write speeds.
Thanks for a detail review of R6 ll. I want know whether focus bracketing will work with large products like rugs and carpets😮. Thanks
Good question, I'm not sure. You can adjust the increment, and maybe it's proportional to the starting focus distance. I'll try to investigate but don't know right now.
Another fantastic video, thank you.
I personally take a lot of long exposure night photos of scenes, both moonlit & light painted,
I can't find much info comparing the Sony & Canon in this regard.
The Sony sports the BSI sensor supposedly good for low light, but then the lower MP count of the Canon should help it in low light too.
I currently still use the 6D for such shots but it's time to change..
I also enjoy long exposure photography - I made a video about it on my channel you might enjoy - but I haven't made any direct comparisons. TBH, they're all good enough for me now.
@@cameralabs Thanks for taking the time to reply.
I'm pretty much decided on the R6 ii because of the range of things I'm looking to use it for.
Thanks; detailed but understandable.R6ll now discounted in the States; so upgrade was worth it for me.Alex
The price is finally right!
Hi Gordon! Thanks again for another great video. I wish I had waited a little longer to getting my R6, I got main about 3 months before the R6 II came out. I like a couple of the new features on the R6 II, but I think I just stick with what I have. I have been collecting RF lenses and have a pretty decent group: 24-105 L, 35mm, 24mm, 85mm 100-400mm. I think that I will get a 600mm or the 800mm for taking wildlife shots. I live in Central Florida in an area called The Villages, lots of wildlife (birds, alligators, bears, etc.) and I want to take full advantage of all this nature while I can. I've been following you for many years and watch most your videos. Some of my favorites were the ones you did when you were traveling in Morocco! That was a while ago!
Thanks! Your R6 is still a great camera and the animal detection on it works great, so I'd say you're well-sorted. Concentrate on lenses and maybe see what's coming next for a step-up on a body in a year or two. Thanks also for remembering my working holiday videos, there weren't many folk posting 'location independent' lifestyle videos back then, but sadly they never got much traction versus those which are out today - I think I needed to be younger, have a van and show the family or at least the missus! I used to visit Florida quite a lot when I was trying to catch the final launches of the Space Shuttle - did you see the old video I made about renting a 500mm lens for the occasion? ruclips.net/video/dkkQZSktfAQ/видео.html
@@cameralabs I don’t think I did, but I will definitely check that one out. We have launches at least once a week now, but I haven’t gotten any pictures yet, in fact there was a night launch last night! Keep up the great work!
@@MarkAlderson thanks!
As a photographer and not a videographer I see no reason to spend the extra cash on the mk.2
What do you think?
Hi Gordon thanks for your video . For wedding fotography which one do you think is better between those three ?
Seriously any of them. Choose the one with the lenses you want and can afford.
@@cameralabs I know I know but if u have to choose plz tell to me which one plz 🙏
@@danieletamburini9015 I'd honestly choose it based on lens availability, pricing, borrowing from friends, renting etc. If you can easily get the lenses you want, that wins.
I am in a struggle of an upgrade point.
I have been looking for an upgrade from my rp, which I enjoy.
The a7iv didn’t impress me when it came out, parts of the a7rv have not blown me away, but I am intrigued by the r6ii.
But I may hold out to see if there really is an r5ii coming down the pipeline because I want the megapixels of the r5, but the r6ii covers all of my photos needs of nothing else. Very impressive camera for the price I believe.
Check out the new R8
Thank you Gordon for another extremely detailed review.
I am very pleased with the upgrade to version two from my previous r6.
the 40 frames per second coupled with the much better autofocus give me much more keepers for sports photography.
this advantage also applies to more general photography.
it has also encouraged me to go into video thanks to its two distinct and configurable modes.
all in all this new version has eliminated all the little frustrations that went with the original r6.
I've made some informed choices thanks to you.
I've made donations for each significant buy...still I feel you helped me save money.
getting the wrong gear can be quite expensive after all
best regards
Happy I've been of some assistance, and thanks for any coffee donations you've made!
Canon still has best skin tones while the lumix magenta push is wild
Why are the R6mii and R3 so cheap now? Are there some updated versions coming soon?
Could you ask Samsung and Sandisk when they will release an "8TB Portable" SSD?
Stanley, you have far more industry contacts and influence than I do. Loved 2001, by the way.
Thanks for another awesome review.
Thanks for watching!
Why do people claim there are no third party rf lenses with autofocus?
I have the samyang/rokinon 85 1.4 that has autofocus. It has worked plenty well for me when taking portraits and photos of people.
They're not making it anymore. It might even get blocked
For price point...most perfect vs sony nikon fuji. R6 mkii fixed most complaints of r r5 r6 and most don't want r5 bit expensive overkill..
Sadly I have r6 and might upgrade r6 mk2 in future and maybe 2nd body r8.
Great review, thanks Gordon!
You're very welcome!
Hi Gordon, Thanks for a great review, as always. :) during AF test wasn't Lumix switched to Face/EYE detection? In test you have done on S5II Human subject detection mode can track head/body much better with box visible around head/body.
Yes, well spotted, I was using Face and Eye on the S5 II here. I actually did this test TWICE, once with face and eye, as shown here, and again with Human selected. The clip with Human selected was actually worse in this environment, losing me several times. It worked well in my outdoor test - as seen in my S5 II review - where it tracked my whole body when my face was too small, but it faired less well in this indoor environment. There's lots of factors involved, maybe it didn't like my hat, but the fact is under the same conditions, the R6 II outperformed it here. But as I concluded at the end, all three of these cameras are more than enough for most of us, but you will always find aspects where one takes the lead over others. Panasonic really should also group face / eye and Human under the same option - it's bad enough selecting human or animal, but having to choose whole human or human face is crazy, especially when the whole human option switches to pretty good face and eye when close enough.
Awesome video only now I’m torn hang fire see what stacked bodies come out or get the r8 as a 2nd body along side my r6 or px the r6 in for the mk2 I love the pano mode and the better sensor readout speed decisions decisions
Stacked sensors are still expensive and tbh, not many people would exploit them, so I don't see them becoming cheap or mainstream anytime soon.
@@cameralabs I was tempted to move over to Nikon z8 or z9 but after trying a z7 mk2 for a few hours the layout (after shooting canon 20 years ) is really putting me off moving ship
I had eye focus on my old eos 50e 35mm camera :D
as Always, a very good and detailed review.
Thanks!
Gordon, I fancied the R6II but the DP Review says that the camera sharpens RAW files and this can’t be switched off. Is this common practice with all camera brands?
I think many RAW files are processed a bit to some degree, more than we assume they are, but I've not noticed it particularly. You should get hold of some RAW files and see if it's a problem for you.
I'm extremely happy with my R6. However, I'm waiting to hear what an R5ii could be like.
Yes, if you already have an R6, I'd wait for something more substantially different.
sony a7riv with pentax dslr era lenses and i’m good to go.
I can’t wait for the video features review!
I have a pair of 5DM3s and told myself I was never going mirrorless, until I saw the focus performance of this model. Today it goes for $1,999, takes the same battery as my other cameras and the same cards. I was also unaware of the low price lens adapters that allow me to use the dozen current lenses. Please join me in a round of happy birthday to grandpa.
Yep, same here.. 6D but the screen died at 150k. Grabbed an R6 original for the low cost now that the r6 (and r5) mk2 is out. I had to dig out the old 5D original and that thing felt like a dinosaur.. always good to remember that they all take good pictures if you get out there and try to take them.
I’m currently a 6Dmkii body shooter. My workhorse lens is the Tamron 24-70m f/2.8. If I upgrade to the R6mkii will my Tamron (with adapter of course) not function in terms of AF? Cheers, Josh.
great in depth 30min+ review on the R6 mk II / S5mk II
Thanks!
Thanks Gordon for another great review! Excluding the AF Auto setting, how would compare the AF performance for people & animals vs the original R6 ?
It's feels a bit more refined, and they've added more types of animals, but I probably wouldn't upgrade if I had the R6 1.
Really wish this had the top display and moved the controls to the right and rejig that video/stills switch. Just such a waste of space and the cost of a display up there would be minimal. Even my EOS 3 and EOS33 film cameras have it :(
The Rolling shutter of the R6 II is similar to the A7 IV and S5? I don’t think so. It has very fast readout speed. Only a few cameras are faster. 🤔
And yet it exhibited a similar amount of skewing in my tests. Try getting all three, fitted with the same focal length and shake / pan them back and forth with the electronic shutter and see what happens.
@@cameralabs are you talking about video or taking pictures? I know how much rolling shutter my R6 II has and how much the A7 IV has. And that‘s not nearly the same. But I talk about taking pictures. Maybe that‘s the misunderstanding here. In video comparison the rolling shutter is nearly the same in 4K 60. But the R6 II uses the whole sensor and the A7 IV has a crop.
„The A7 IV has the worst rolling shutter we saw in our tests since a long time“ that‘s what some camera testers are saying. DPReview for example is talking about readout speed of 1/15 sec for stills with the A7 IV. The R6 Mark II can capture 40fps. That‘s not possible with readout speed of 1/15 sec. The R6 II has 1/60 - 1/70. That‘s four times faster and a big difference. There are thousands of people shooting wildlife, birds in flight, moving dogs and playing kids with the R5 and R6 II in electronic shutter mode without a problem.
@@frankelbefotografie When A7IV is set to compressed RAW required for 10fps it uses 12-bit readout which is twice as fast, about 1/30s. This is still slower than R6 II, but closer. Maybe this is what Gordon observed?
@@s-trapYT maybe it‘s that. But then the R6 Mark II is still twice as fast. I don‘t want to make trouble. I was just surprised why he said something like that. 🙂👍
This is only for people that read all the comments:
We all know or heard that the Sony A9 and A9 II are great cameras for sports and fast action. And I think to remember that they have had 1/140 - 1/160 read out speed. Not as much as many people think. O.k. the new Sony A1 has 1/240 read out speed, that’s really fast. But no one would say the A9 was or is to slow for fast action. So the R5 and R6 Mark II are great with their 1/60 sec. There are not many full frame cameras in this price range, that have faster sensor readout. Is there one? In most pictures you will not detect any rolling shutter. Only with very fast birds, or very fast balls and rackets in Sport. 🙂
Not bad. Canon kept the price low at 24MP, Good for budget photography.
Do you think there will be any day a sucessor to the Sony A7S III?
If the camera has low megapixel, it better has superior low light and video performance
Not sure. And in my tests a high res body has smaller noise artefacts, so actually isn't as bad as you might think for high ISO. But as a video centric body, the A7S is very compelling, albeit 'only' 4k.
@@cameralabs I realized that as i "upgraded" from full frame EOS RP to APS-C EOS R7.
The additional megapixel (especially when considering a often needed crop on FF and less or no crop on APS-C sensor) make the R7 even better in low light than the "low MP" FF EOS RP up to ISO 6400 or partially also ISO 12800. Only at 25600+ the RP/full frame is "better", but at these ISOS the RPs images get as "unusable" as the R7 ones to be honest.
In fact that was also the reason i sold the RP later (i kept it for low light/astro and usage with RF 50 1.8)
With the R7 and no RF 50 anymore i miss the nice bokeh and "full frame" look i had once, but the pretty much "all in one" EF-S 17-55 2.8 replaced the basic 50mm prime for me pretty much with so much more usecases/possibilities additionally since its nice zoom range and aperture.
Gordon, what was the camera thinking when it focused on your manhood at 15:31 instead on your face? :-) :-)
It saw something it felt was the main subject.
@@cameralabs I´ve just bought the R8 based on your review. I hope that the camera will recognize the importance of my face given that the AF system comes from the R6 M2 :-) :-)
Great review as always 👌before it was the megapixel war but now the autofocus tracking war is here with Ai and what’s next?
Yeah, I think you're right, AF is the new battleground!
I am curious... should i switch from a7R3... oh.
Depends what you're doing - probably not.
The S5 can do Multiple exposures of up to 5 photos l believe.
Hi Gordon, Sorry for being off topic here... do you have any intel on when the Fujifilm XF 8mm f3.5 will be available? Thanks and best wishes, GB
I have no idea, sorry!
@@cameralabs Thanks, I'll just need to wait (sort of) patiently. :^)
I got the R6 II when it was released in early December and it was actually $200 cdn cheaper than the A7IV. It was a huge steal! The R6 II with 12/40 fps, the only full frame oversampled 4K60 on the market, class leading battery life, build and LCD, and the best rolling shutter of any non stacked camera was the best camera I could buy after a lot of research. The S5 II came out around the same time and it has way too many "Gotchas!" and cripples (especially in high speed modes) and would definitely be a slight step backwards, though it is slightly cheaper.
James Reader also did a comparison of the R6 II and its competitors and his findings were the same: R6 II on top followed by the A7IV and then finally S5 II bringing up the rear.
for non-pros it's meaningless since there is no 3rd party lenses available for Canon
can you use your I phone as a remote to take a picture with the Cannon mark11?
Yes, all cameras have phone apps now
I shoot concerts so lowlight performance is important. Currently use a 6D mk ii. How is the R6 mk ii for shooting concerts?
You'll notice the AF and subject detection are a big upgrade, plus having IBIS
@@cameralabs looking at this R6 mk ii or the R8 because of price. Sports and concerts are the things I shoot the most. Thank you for the review, found it very helpful.
@@42Kunze well the good news is the R8 has the same photo, video and AF quality / features. The differences are things like IBIS (which wouldn't help you in concerts or sports), dual card slots etc. I've detailed the differences in my R8 review, but you my R6 II review applies for the quality and AF.
Can you please make a video with top 10 lines of how to convince your wife you need this camera? Thanks!
You're on your own there. Best of luck.
Hi there, I’m considering going from the R6 to the S5IIX for hybrid shooting. However, the excellent AF & tracking on the Canon, especially on the PHOTO side has me hesitating. However I know LUMIX just release a firmware update with improvements to their AF. So I’m wondering if this will compare it to the Canon AF at all? Any suggestion on which way to go?
I'm planning on upgrading the firmware on my lumux samples. Not sure if I'll be able to make a full test about it, though
@@cameralabs thanks so much. It’s really a tough choice. I love the idea of one hybrid cam (the S5iix) for both photo & video, but I don’t want to feel like I’m downgrading on the AF on the photo side if I ditched my R6. Just tough to know how noticeable an issue it would be, if at all. Will keep thinking on it. Thanks again!
@@alchemymagick what do you use the AF for on the Canon? If it's for birds, sports, action etc, then I suspect it may still be ahead, but for basic day to day stuff, the S5 II is fine, and hopefully now a bit better than before too.
hello is R6ii compatible wit Dji RS2 procombo? RS2 is in the compatibility list
Canon R6 ii for me then !
Crucially for me there is no RF 20mm, id need to adapt a EF lens.
I'm sure there will be a 20 prime at some point, but yes, Sony system already has two...
Does the pixel count make a difference
Don't I show some detail and resolution tests in the review?