Introduction
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The Canon EOS R6 II is a higher-resolution, better-performing follow-up to 2020's EOS R6. Like its predecessor, it's a mid-range, full-frame camera aimed at enthusiasts or pros. But while it looks very familiar externally, it's actually packed with upgrades throughout.
In this article, we'll take a look at its new features and what they bring to the table for photographers and videographers alike.
What is the R6 II?
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Before we get into what's new since the original R6, let's get a broader sense of where the EOS R6 II slots into Canon's lineup and what it brings to the table.
The R6 II is a camera you'll most likely turn to either as a well-heeled enthusiast or perhaps as a pro looking for a second body. Its nearest rivals are the Sony a7 IV and Nikon Z6 II, and like those cameras, it doesn't necessarily hit the ball out of the park in any given area.
But while you'll find faster, higher-res cameras further up the line, the R6 II nevertheless delivers solid performance where it matters most, while still being much more competitively-priced than flagship models.
Basic specs include a 24.2MP CMOS image sensor, in-body image stabilization, continuous shooting at 12 fps with mechanical shutter or a whopping 40 fps with electronic shutter, support for sensor-width 4K 60P video capture, and an uprated autofocus system with deep-learning-based subject recognition.
A subtly-tweaked body hides a new imaging pipeline
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The R6 II looks a whole lot like its predecessor, although a second glance at the top deck reveals a new still/video switch in place of the power switch. Atop the R6 II's handgrip, a new three-position switch has subsumed both power control and locking functions. The joystick control around back has also been reprofiled slightly, but in other respects the exterior design is unchanged.
Bigger changes are found on the inside, where the R6 II boasts an entirely new imaging pipeline, with both sensor and processor being new designs. The increase in sensor resolution from 20 to 24 megapixels is a fairly subtle advance, translating to just a 10% boost in linear resolution – not really worth upgrading for.
That said, it will still offer a little more latitude for cropping post-capture, as well as help Canon keep up with the Joneses in the spec tables. And importantly, you can expect the same sensitivity range and low-light AF performance as in the original R6, despite the reduction in pixel pitch.
Somewhat confusingly, Canon is still using DIGIC X branding for the R6 II's image processor. But while the name is the same as that in the R6, the processor is a brand-new one. We'll come back to the benefits it brings in a moment. (Spoiler alert: You'll likely notice these rather more than the modest resolution bump.)
A surprisingly swift shooter with minimal rolling shutter
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The subject matter chosen by Canon for the press experiential accompanying the EOS R6 II's launch is pretty indicative of what the company sees as its key strength versus its rivals: it was a hefty helping of sports, sports and more sports. And Canon isn't wrong – the R6 II will be right at home here.
Although its new sensor is a standard design – that is to say, it doesn't have a stacked design for performance, nor backside-illumination to maximize sensitivity – it turns out nevertheless to be much more capable than that of its predecessor.
Performance with the mechanical shutter is about par for the course at 12 fps. But when using an electronic shutter, you can shoot a whopping 40 fps with autofocus and autoexposure between frames.
And rolling shutter – which seemingly causes subjects moving across the frame to lean at drunken angles – is surprisingly minimal for a non-stacked sensor design, given that it correlates with readout speed. The only downside is that you're limited to a 12-bit raw depth, but that's not unusual and a trade-off well worth making.
What this all means is that you can (and if you're a sports shooter, very likely will) take regular advantage of its speed. That gives the R6 II a big edge over both its predecessor and marketplace rivals. If you don't need all that speed you can dial the capture rate back to 20, five or one fps. And if you don't need a silent shutter you can enable a pseudo-shutter sound.
For tricky subjects, meanwhile, you can enable a half-second pre-roll buffer to grab some frames from before you pressed the shutter button. And we've saved the best for last: You can have the camera group batches of photos in Raw Burst mode like your smartphone would for much quicker access when reviewing, then rate frames right on the camera using a dedicated rate button on the camera's left shoulder.
Even more AI autofocus smarts
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Of course, fast burst capture is no good without swift autofocus, but the DPRTV team found that the camera locks focus swiftly from the first frame, which inspires confidence. Canon has also continued the education of its deep-learning algorithms, which can now newly identify zebra or horses, as well as planes, trains or helicopters.
Better still, there's now an auto mode that lets the camera deal with choosing what subject types to recognize, letting you focus on your subjects. The R6 II also gives you more control over portraits, as you can now manually tell the camera which eye to focus on (toggling back and forth with a custom button) as well as just letting it select the nearest eye automatically.
Canon has also worked to make its autofocus tracking algorithms more 'sticky,' although DPRTV's Jordan reports that pre-production models could still use a bit more stickiness when shooting video. And a new 'detect only' AF mode will stop the camera hunting for new subjects if the currently-tracked subject leaves the frame altogether.
Much more capable video capture
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Video was clearly well up Canon's list of priorities for the R6 II. If you're coming from the original R6, it'll take a little while to get used to the new control placement, which repurposed the power switch for still/video mode switching and added a new power switch on the handgrip instead. It's worth relearning, though, and not just because it makes powering on a one-handed affair.
The key benefit here is that the new still/video control works in concert with the mode dial, so exposure modes won't send you into the menu system any more. Better still, you also get shutter or aperture-priority exposure plus three custom positions, where the R6 offered only program auto or manual exposure.
You can also pre-buffer three or five seconds of video from prior to recording being triggered. And there's no more mandatory sensor crop, with the R6 II now allowing full sensor-width 4K 60p video that will help maximize the wide-angle possibilities of your lenses.
Gone, too, is the mandatory 30-minute clip length limit. That makes the R6 II much more useful for extended shoots like single-take interviews. But the news isn't all great. Sadly, Canon still won't let you use the histogram or level gauge once recording starts.
If you need to slow your subjects down and can trade off some image quality to achieve it, you'll be pleased by the new 180 fps high frame-rate mode at 1080p resolution, up from 120 fps in the R6. There's also a handy new false-color warning to help get your exposure right before recording starts, some new aspect ratio markers and an improved Q menu interface specific to video capture.
If you prefer to record externally, you'll definitely want to continue to the next page as the connectivity has also received a couple of video-friendly upgrades.
Better wired and wireless connectivity
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Although most things on the connectivity side are unchanged – including, sadly, the relatively fragile Micro HDMI connector – there are some notable wins too. Firstly, the Micro HDMI port now supports sensor-width 6K raw or Super35mm 3.7K raw output using Apple ProRes RAW to a compatible Atomos recorder. (Firmware for the latter isn't yet available, so we've not been able to try it thus far, though.)
Videographers will also be happy to see that the hot shoe has been upgraded to a multi-function shoe. That means you can using accessories like the DM-E1D digital microphone or TASCAM XLR Audio Adapter for much better control over your audio. And Apple MFi support means you can connect your iPhone or iPad directly to transfer data via a cable.
Wireless connectivity gets some love too. First, there's a new 5GHz radio that will deliver a faster, more stable connection to your phone or tablet than the existing 2.4GHz radio, albeit with lesser range, especially if there's not direct line of sight to the camera itself. And while we've not yet been able to try it on pre-production cameras, Canon tells us it has also simplified the Wi-Fi/Bluetooth connection processes.
Keep shooting longer, whether it's stills or video
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Remember when we alluded to the Canon R6 II's unchanged-in-name-but-physically-different DIGIC X processor? It's time we came back to that.
While we understand that the processor's performance is broadly similar to that of its predecessor, its efficiency has improved significantly. That will have multiple positive impacts for photographers and videographers alike. Firstly, both will see a significant improvement in battery life.
Even by the notoriously-harsh CIPA battery testing standard, stills battery life has improved by 50-60%, to at least 580 shots with the rear LCD in fast refresh mode, or 760 shots in power-saving mode. (And you can expect many, many more shots in real-world use.) While we don't yet have hard figures for video battery life, subjectively DPRTV's Jordan Drake has found it to be excellent thus far.
But that improved efficiency doesn't just affect battery life, it also means that the camera is wasting less energy creating unwanted heat. That means it takes longer to thermally throttle. Canon says you should manage 40+ minutes of sensor-width 4K/60p; we've seen it go as long as an hour without a temperature warning on pre-production units. If you need to shoot things like lengthy, single-take interviews, this is huge news!
Oh, and one last win if you're considering an upgrade from the original R6: Not only does the R6 II share the same battery pack as its predecessor, but you can even keep the same battery grip as well.
A miscellany of more minor improvements
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We've hit all the high points by now, but there are a few more minor improvements that didn't really fit elsewhere in this article.
Firstly, a spin on the EOS R3's optical viewfinder simulation function has made it into the R6 II. It gives you the ability to declutter the display, but sadly doesn't give you the R3's high dynamic range viewfinder, so you won't notice a visual improvement in the viewfinder image.
If you like to get creative with focus bracketing and in-camera depth compositing, meanwhile, you'll be thrilled to hear that these features have made the leap over from the R3 and R7. And photographers who are only now taking the leap from a DSLR will be pleased to see the 6D II's feature guide here, as well as some of its scene modes and creative filters, easing their transition to a modern mirrorless camera.
The Canon R6 II is also the first model since the EOS R and RP to be supported by a special version of firmware intended specifically for stop-motion animators. You can either upgrade your firmware post-purchase for a $100 fee, or purchase a body with the new firmware pre-installed for a $100 premium.
Either way, you'll get a much higher-res 1080p live view feed with focus peaking / position memory and an aperture lock. And unlike the EOS R and RP, you don't have to trade away your HDMI output to get all this, as the stop-motion mode can be toggled on or off at will.
Summary
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The R6 Mark II might not look much different on the outside, but clearly it has much more to offer beneath the surface. Importantly, that's true regardless of whether you're a stills shooter or a videographer. And if you have a finger in both pies, these upgrades will make the R6 II doubly compelling.
The slight resolution bump may not be worth upgrading for, but if you anticipate shooting a lot of sports or other very active subjects, the surprisingly useful electronic shutter will give you absolutely epic performance for the price. Videographers and hybrid shooters will definitely appreciate the UI and thermal improvements and of course the removal of a mandatory sensor crop and recording limit.
And regardless of which camp you find yourself in, the improvements in battery life and AI-powered autofocus could make your life easier, too. That Canon has brought all of the bullet points below to you at the same price as the previous model is quite impressive in the current economic climate:
- Better single-handed operation and quicker access to video exposure modes
- Class-leading performance with electronic shutter
- Even smarter and more capable AF
- Crop-free 4K 60P video capture
- No clip length limits or thermal issues
- Much better battery life
Obviously, we've still got a lot more testing to do before we render our final verdict, and there are some important areas we've yet to have the chance to test. But if you're in the market for a camera of its ilk, the Canon R6 II looks to be a worthy upgrade indeed.
from Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com) https://ift.tt/KjWsHOq
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