Canon EOS M6 Mark II
£869 / $849 New EOS M flagship is ideal for photographers and vloggers alike
Compelling update for this capable CSC
Specifications
Sensor: 32.5MP APS-C CMOS sensor Image processor: Digic 8 AF points: Dual Pixel CMOS phase-detect, 143 / 99 points (depending on lens) ISO range: 100 to 25,600 (exp to 51,200) Max image size: 6,960 x 4,640 Viewfinder: N/A Metering modes: Evaluative, partial, centre-weighted, spot Video: 4K UHD up to 30fps, 1080p Full HD up to 120fps Memory card: SD/SDHC/SDXC (UHS-II) LCD: 3-inch tilting touchscreen, 1.04m dots Max burst: 14fps continuous, 30fps raw burst mode Connectivity: Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, USB-C, Micro HDMI Size: 120 x 70 x 49mm Weight: 398g (body only, with battery and SD card)
Much like the EOS M line as a whole, the original Canon EOS M6 was easy to like, but difficult to love. With Canon’s APS-C mirrorless camera range having seemingly plateaued at 24.2MP, there were only so many bells and whistles that could make the M6 feel exciting – things like 4K video, which were sadly absent.
It left the M6 with that awkward ‘second camera’ tag; it was good enough to be your backup, or the one you took out when pictures weren’t quite as important, but it wouldn’t demand your attention beyond that.
Well, you can officially throw that line of thinking out the window. With all the tech that comes across our desks, it takes a lot for a camera to impress us these days. The M6 Mark II, however, took us completely by surprise with what it can do.
The new powerhouse 32.5MP sensor gives this camera a higher resolution than its big brother, the Canon EOS R. In fact, the M6 Mark II packs more megapixels than any Canon body save the 50MP 5DS/R – not at all bad for the supposedly humble APS-C format.
Indeed, not only does it outmuscle the EOS R in the resolution stakes, it also outperforms it in a number of other departments – not least its freakish 14 frames-per-second continuous shooting mode, and the fact that it can shoot 4K video without any crop factor.
Build & handling
The Canon EOS M6 Mark II is slightly beefier than its predecessor, but it remains a micro marvel. Even more so, in fact; for a camera this capable to be packed into a body this small is quite remarkable.
However, there’s a temptation to conclude that its pocketable profile means it’s only fit for being a ‘travel’ or ‘street’ camera. And yes, it is very much ideal for both of those things – but a more apt conclusion would be that the M6 Mark II is so small that it can transform the way you shoot,
because you simply don’t require the bigger system you thought you did.
Performance
We first tried the EOS M6 Mark II in conditions that were far from optimal, in a dimly lit indoor karting track that was somewhat akin to shooting in the basement of a car park at night. Even so, the M6 Mark II still impressed us.
The poor lighting certainly tested the ISO performance, while also putting the improved -5EV low light focusing through its paces. With the smaller sensor, noise does start to rear its head when you push beyond ISO 1,250, and capturing moving subjects at high speed meant that we had to exceed this by some margin.
Despite the torrid illumination, the Canon EOS M6 Mark II’s 14 frames per second continuous shooting (with continuous AF) did a stellar job of keeping up with the action, capturing the cars as they came careening around corners. In fact, in some extremely limited testing, the improved Eye AF tracking even came in useful if drivers’ visors were up, as the camera was quick enough to find and follow eyeballs.
Finding focus manually is similarly smooth and simple, either tapping your focus point if shooting on the back screen or using touch-and-drag if using the electronic viewfinder.
The M6 Mark II’s 4K video also comes up trumps. Not only is the footage uncropped, but the Dual Pixel AF is now fully functional while shooting 4K – and the camera now features clean HDMI output.
It’s not all good, though. The M6 Mark II does not yet shoot 4K at the popular 24fps frame rate (which we’re told is coming) or at 60/50p (which isn’t). There’s no in-body stabilisation, no zebra pattern exposure warnings, and no headphone jack to monitor the sound.