Canon EOS 6D Mk II £1,999/$1,999 (body only)

Canon’s entry-level full-frame DSLR was looking dated, so this update has arrived just in time…

The original Canon EOS 6D, introduced way back in 2012, was a really affordable entry point to

full-frame photography. But it has been showing its age and fans have been clamouring for a replacement.

And it’s here. The long-awaited EOS 6D Mark II is better than its predecessor in practically every way, from its sensor to its ISO range, from its autofocus system to continuous shooting mode.

Not surprisingly, however, it’s also considerably more expensive than the model it replaces. So the question is whether these multiple improvements justify the price hike. It also puts the EOS 6D Mark II up against some noticeably tougher competition. Features The EOS 6D Mark II’s brandnew 26.2-megapixel sensor is a significant improvement in resolution on the old model’s 20.2 The 6D II is scarcely larger than an enthusiast level APS-C DSLR, but packs in a lot of smart features. The vari-angle rear touchscreen makes the most of Canon’s fast Dual Pixel CMOS AF in Live View mode. There’s only one SD card slot, where rival cameras in this price bracket have two. The 6D II doesn’t shoot 4K video, either. The rounded contours and efficient button layout make the 6D II a great camera to use. megapixels, and more in line with rival cameras from Nikon and Sony.

More importantly, perhaps, this new sensor uses Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF sensor to deliver fast phase-detection autofocus even in Live View mode, so Live View and movie autofocus should be faster and smoother than the EOS 6D Mark I’s older and simpler contrast autofocus system.

The 6D Mark II’s regular autofocus system gets an update too, with a 45-point array (all cross-type) that’s light years ahead of the old model’s archaic nine-point system, and Canon’s latest Digic 7 image processor aids object recognition and focus tracking to predict subject movement across the frame.

The new sensor and Digic 7 combination delivers an ISO range of 100-40,000, expandable to 50-104,400. The original EOS 6D was actually a pretty good low light performer, but the new model delivers both higher ISOs and higher resolution.

Action fans get a higher frame rate, too. The EOS 6D Mark II can shoot at 6.5 frames per second, which is almost 50% faster than the 4.5fps of the old model. Its buffer can capture up to 150 JPEGs or 21 RAW files, which is adequate but not enough to make the 6D Mark II the sports specialist some might like.

Canon has decided not to include 4K video, presumably to preserve some differentiation between the 6D II and its more expensive models like the EOS 5D Mark IV. It does offer Full HD video at up to 60fps, however, and adds in-camera fiveaxis digital stabilisation for movies – the first time it’s been used on a full-frame model. Canon does not have a physical sensor-shift system like those used in Olympus and Sony mirrorless models, but this is probably the next best thing.

Externally, the EOS 6D Mark II looks a lot like the original 6D, but round the back, the 6D’s fixed LCD display has been replaced by a fully-articulating touchscreen, which should make the 6D Mark II much easier to use for video, macro photography and other work where you’re having to compose shots at awkward angles.

Like the original 6D, the 6D Mark II has GPS location tracking built in. You get built-in Wi-Fi too, and both NFC and Bluetooth.

So even though the price increase is pretty substantial, the EOS 6D Mark II also brings some pretty substantial improvements. It’s more of a stretch for cash-strapped enthusiasts, but also a much more modern and capable camera.

Build and handling

The EOS 6D Mark II is a nice camera to hold and to use. The smoothedover contours of the top plate and pentaprism don’t just make the 6D Mark II look good, they make it easier to handle too, as you can just slide your fingers over the surfaces to reach the buttons.

These are organised in a logical pattern and are easily memorised. Four buttons on the top plate handle key shooting settings – AF mode (One-shot AF, AI Focus AF, AI Servo AF), Drive mode, ISO setting and metering pattern – you press the

1 Exposure metering This backlit window gave the 6D II’s Evaluative metering no trouble at all, but it did prove unpredictable in at other times. 2 Noise and detail At first glance the EOS 6D II’s high-ISO JPEGs look pret ty clean, though raw files look a good deal noisier. 3 Dynamic range The 6D II’s dynamic range is adequate, but doesn’t quite match up to the standard of the old model, surpr isingly.