Canon EOS R6 review 2024: excellent image quality

The new EOS R6 from Canon may have been overshadowed by the more expensive EOS R5, but it has a lot of great features and could become Canon’s most popular camera. It fills the gap between the pretty good skills of the EOS R and the high-end specs of the EOS R5 (which, admittedly, might be too much of a camera for the average user). To put it simply, the EOS R6 is basically a cheaper version of the R5, though it has a much lower sensor resolution and less video recording options that are still very good.

And even though the EOS R6 is a camera for enthusiasts, it has features that are on par with Canon’s professional-level (and very expensive) models. All of these things make the R6 one of the best Canon cameras you can buy at the moment. Taking a page or two from the EOS 1D X Mark III, the EOS R6 has the same 20MP sensor resolution as the DSLR, but not quite the same sensor. A newer version of Canon’s tried-and-true Dual Pixel CMOS autofocusing system has been added to the sensor, which is where the difference lies.

Canon EOS R6 Specifications

Canon EOS R6 review: Design

The EOS R6 isn’t much bigger than its DSLR cousin, the 6D Mark II, in terms of size. It’s only slightly lighter and smaller than the other one, at 680g compared to 765g, and 138mm x 98mm x 88mm (as opposed to 144mm x 111mm x 75mm for the 6D II). In real life, you won’t notice much of a difference.

The R6 is very comfortable to hold and use for long periods of time because it has a deep grip. And for those who worry about the weather, the R6 is sealed against the elements. In fact, you can set up the EOS R6 (and the R5) to keep the shutter closed when the camera is turned off to protect it from dust. This is done through the menu system.

Most of the body is the same as the older EOS R, but there are a few clear differences. The main one is that the joystick multi-controller is back on the back of the camera. Many EOS R users didn’t like the touch bar on the back of the camera, so it’s good to see that it’s gone. You can find the joystick without taking your eyes off the viewfinder because it has a rough surface. You can use it to quickly find the AF point you want or to move through the menus if you don’t like how the Canon touchscreen works. You can buy this camera from its official website.

Canon EOS R6 review: Features

Another important difference is the type of medium on which the data is stored. On the other hand, the R6 has two places for SD UHS-II memory cards, while the EOS R only had one. The R5 has one CFexpress memory card slot and one SD UHS-II memory card slot. This is because it needs much faster storage to be able to handle the huge 45 MP files it can take. In this review, we’ll talk more about how the EOS R’s new Dual-Pixel CMOS II autofocus technology is a big step up from the original Dual-Pixel CMOS, especially when it comes to taking photos of fast-moving subjects.

Canon EOS R6 review: Image quality

A quick look at its list of specs shows that it can compete with and even beat the best mirrorless cameras from Sony, Nikon, and Fujifilm in some ways. How so? Well, it’s a 20.1-megapixel full-frame camera with the best image stabilisation in its class, a 6,072-point dual-pixel autofocus system, 12fps burst shooting, 4K video, and a high-resolution OLED electronic viewfinder.

In short, it has almost everything you could want in a mirrorless camera for photography enthusiasts, with only a couple of small problems. The main ones are that it doesn’t have a really high megapixel count like its more expensive sibling, the Canon R5, or the 33MP Sony A7 IV, and that it doesn’t take the best videos.

Canon EOS R6 review: Video Quality

Since video isn’t a big part of the R6, I didn’t test it as much as I would have liked to. It’s good enough for a still photographer who occasionally wants to take videos on vacation, but YouTubers should look into one of the best cameras for vlogging instead.

It can shoot 4K video at up to 60fps, as you’d expect, but with a small crop of 1.07x. Also, you can record in 1080p at up to 120fps, which could make some beautiful slow-motion videos. Also, all of the autofocus modes and image stabilisation can be used for both stills and videos.

The quality of the footage isn’t an issue here. It’s clear and colourful, and the built-in IS, high sensitivity, full-frame sensor, and superb autofocus all help you get smooth, well-exposed, and in-focus footage. No, the problem is that the camera gets too hot. In 4K mode, it gets very hot, so Canon only lets you shoot for 30 to 40 minutes at 60 fps. At slower speeds, you get more than an hour, and there are no limits in 1080p mode. However, anyone who takes video footage seriously and doesn’t just use it occasionally will probably find it too limited.

Canon EOS R6 review: Performance

The Canon EOS R6 is a full-frame mirrorless camera made for professional photographers and videographers who want high-end performance. The R6 takes still photos with a resolution of 20,1 megapixels and records 4K video at 60 frames per second with Canon Log and HDR PQ. This means that it can be used by hybrid photographers who want to make both still photos and movies.

When paired with the right RF or even EF lens and the right EOS R adapter, the R6’s built-in image stabilisation and the lens’s image stabilisation add up to up to eight stops of stabilisation, which is great for shooting in low light with longer shutter speeds or keeping video footage smooth.

Canon EOS R6 review: Battery Life

The R6 also has two UHS-II SD slots for memory cards, which is a nice feature. This is a hidden advantage over the R5, which only has one SD card slot and one CFexpress card slot. If you want to use both slots, you’ll need to buy an expensive new memory format. The same new 2,130mAh battery, the LP-E6NH, is also used. It has 14% more capacity than the LP-E6N it replaces, but if you’re like us and have a lot of those batteries lying around.

Canon EOS R6 review: Price and Availability

Sony and Canon are fighting hard for the full-frame mirrorless camera market, and the EOS R6 II, which costs $2,500, is Canon’s latest shot. It’s a key competitor to Sony’s 33-megapixel A7 IV, which has the same price, and it gives Canon a chance to fix the EOS R6’s flaws that cause it to get too hot.

The new 24-megapixel sensor is supposed to take better pictures than the 20-megapixel R6. It can also shoot faster, has better 4K video specs, a better viewfinder, and more. The competition is getting tougher in this category, though. The Lumix S5II, which costs $2,000, and the S5IIX, which costs $2,200, are Panasonic’s first cameras with phase-detector hybrid autofocus.

Canon EOS R6 review: Conclusion

For advanced amateur photographers who like to capture moving objects and portraits over landscapes, the Canon EOS R6 is an excellent full-frame mirrorless camera. It’s a supremely capable performer in practically any scenario because to its excellent autofocus (really, it works like magic), class-leading image stabilisation, and super-clean high ISO settings.

Canon EOS R6 review: The good and The bad

FAQS