canon eos 6d mk II
Canon’s most ‘affordable’ full-frame camera has become a little less affordable
£1,728/$1,699
packed into a casing that was part magnesium alloy and part polycarbonate, the original 6D was Canon’s only ‘enthusiast’ rather than ‘professional’ grade full-frame SLR. It looked and felt very much like a full-frame version of the 70D, and the updated Mk II bears a striking resemblance to the 80D.
The Mk II addresses the 6D’s shortfalls. Most notably, the 11-point autofocus module with just a single cross-type point at the centre has been replaced with a 45-point system (all cross-type) in which 27 points work at f/8. The sluggish 4.5fps continuous drive rate is boosted to 6.5fps, the megapixel count is increased and the sensor now has Dual Pixel AF, while the image processor is two generations newer. NFC and Bluetooth are added to Wi-fi and GPS, and the rear LCD becomes a vari-angle touchscreen. It works well for movies, especially coupled with the 5-axis stabilizer, similar to that of the 77D. Again, there’s a time-lapse movie capture mode, but this time with the option of 4k UHD (not available for regular movie capture).
performance
Along with a boost from 20.2Mp to 26.2Mp, the Mk II delivers better lab scores for resolution at higher ISO settings. The downside is that image noise becomes more noticeable as you ramp up the ISO, and dynamic range is marginally worse as well. Even so, the Mk II is a better all-rounder, with sportier performance and enhanced movie capture facilities, although much more expensive. Ready to move up to full frame? The EOS 6D II delivers power, versatility and cost-effectiveness.