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Canon EOS R6 Mark II

I’ve always wanted, but could never justify, a full-frame (ILC) interchangeable-lens camera. For many years, I also prioritized compactness and portability over camera speed and marginal image quality gains.

When Canon introduced the EOS R-series in 2018, I looked on with interest. I waited patiently for the R-series to mature to the point were an enthusiast grade body would have the right balance of features and price for me.

The EOS R6 Mark II is that camera. I think it is the perfect Swiss Army knife of a body and a class leader at this price point.

Features that interested me:

• IBIS (in-body image stabilization)
• 6k oversampled full-sensor 4k 60fps 10-bit 4:2:2 C-Log 3 internal video
• 24 megapixel full-frame sensor (I actual don’t want more megapixels which would negatively impact speed and video performance)
• DIGIC X Processor (same as EOS R3¹)
• 12 fps mechanical shutter, 40 fps electronic shutter
• Subject detection (people, eyes, animals, vehicles) and tracking borrowed from the flagship EOS R3¹

In 2020 I started shooting video seriously for the first time (though the subject, RC cars, is not that serious). Thus I was keen to have a full-frame MILC hybrid camera that would last me for years to come.

I purchased the EOS R6 Mark II with a RF 24-105mm ƒ/4 L IS USM lens and BG-R10 Battery Grip. I also kitted it out with a SmallRig cage, top handle, external microphone, tabletop/low-angle tripod, and other accessories for shooting video.

I have been shooting with the camera as much as possible, but of course it is still mid-winter, so I haven’t done as much video work as I would like. I plan to purchase a few faster prime lenses to make handheld video easier (the RF 24-105mm is a bit chunky) and may invest in a gimbal and external monitor/recorder eventually.

Some of my favourite minor refinements that just make shooting with the the EOS R6 Mark II almost a joy:

• The ability to assign different AF (auto-focus) configurations to different buttons. I have the AF-ON button configured as my main back AF button. I have the * button configured to switch to Single AF Point focus area, enable Auto Subject Detection if it is not already on, and to start Whole Area Servo AF Tracking. I have other buttons configured to start/stop Whole Area Tracking and to cycle through the available focus areas.
• Though the camera does not have built-in GPS, it is continuously connected to my iPhone via Bluetooth LE and receives location information in real-time from the Camera Connect app, in the background. The camera does lose the phone connection if I use the stand-alone Bluetooth remote, but that is okay. If I really need GPS data and a remote I can just use the Camera Connect app remote function. Alternatively, the camera still works with the ageing GP-E2 hot-shoe-mounted GPS receiver, or I can use a GPS track from my watch to tag photos in post-production. (The camera can also be continuously connected to Wifi, which would be great in a studio situation).
• There are two auto–white-balance modes: AWB and AWB-W (white priority). I always find that AWB (Canon’s and Apple’s) under-compensates when shooting under warm lighting conditions, probably because people prefer a warmer image. I don’t mind a slightly warm image, but have never used AWB because I find it too warm. Now, with AWB-W, the camera is much more aggressive about removing warm casts, resulting in a much more accurate colour rendition.
• When switching to Custom WB in the Quick Settings screen, I can press the trash button and then take a quick WB reading with the shutter button (no file is created of the WB scene). This is so much faster than the old EOS M-series method of taking an actual photo (which would be saved on the card), navigating to the Custom WB menu item, and then loading the saved photo to get a WB reading. Since I have been shooting around snow lately, I have been finding myself taking regular readings as lighting conditions change, despite the fact that I shoot RAW and can always adjust the WB in post. I generally use the ETTR (expose-to-the-right) exposure methodology and an RGB histogram, so having accurate WB in-camera actually helps me to better determine exposure.

At this point, any enthusiast grade or better camera is capable of taking amazing photos, but it’s these little things that making shooting easier, more flexible, and thus pleasant.

Another neat feature is the OVF (optical viewfinder) simulation mode. This turns off Exposure Simulation and the Histogram, but really does make the viewfinder more DSLR-like. I haven’t used it much, but would likely use it in walk-around street photography situations for a change of pace. I’d have to get used to setting exposure with the over/under indicator, something that is very foreign to me at this point.

So far I am happy with this camera, though I struggled to get inspired with it at first. I do miss the compactness of my EOS M5. When/if we ever travel again it will be a challenge to decide which camera to bring along.

Some year, when I have a little extra money, I might buy a small APS-C censored EOS R-series body to replace my M5 (which is still perfectly adequate for everything except video). On the other hand, I might save up some money and invest in a EOS R5 Mark II (I assume the R3’s BSI — back-side illuminated — stacked sensor technology will soon trickle down to other full-frame bodies).

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Footnotes

1. In fact the R6 Mark II is more similar to the R3 than to the R5. The main things the R6 Mark II lacks are Eye Control, the BSI stacked sensor, the faster internal recording of the CF Express Type B card slot, ethernet, and built-in GPS. The R3 with built-in grip and larger battery is actually 28 grams lighter than the R6 Mark II with grip attached and two LP-E6NH batteries! This is amazing considering that the R3 also is a robust alloy body.

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Toyo-Field 45 AX

In university, while seriously starting to pursue photography, I was enamoured with owning either a medium format or large format camera system. My preference was for a Hasselblad 501CM, but that was out of my price range. Somehow I discovered Toyo-View, a small Japanese manufacturer of large format cameras. Their Toyo-Field 45 AX folding field-camera was relatively inexpensive. The idea of shooting huge 4″ x 5″ transparencies was very appealing, as was the myriad of camera movements and perspective controls that a large format camera offers. The field camera body has less extreme movement than a studio rail camera, but is also a much more compact outfit. I needed compactness as I planned to shoot not only studio work but large format landscapes as well.

Around 2000, I got the Toyo-Field 45 AX with a Nikkor W 210 f/5.6 “normal” lens and later picked up the amazing Nikkor SW 90 f/4.5 super-wide angle (equivalent to 55mm and 24mm in 135 film format respectively).

I have eight double-sided 4×5 sheet film-holders, but it is unlikely that I could actually make 16 exposures in a single day of landscape shooting. I also have a Horseman 6x9cm 120-format roll film holder too, for those times when I do need to expose a lot of film (e.g., exposure bracketing, in the studio, etc.) and don’t mind a bit of crop factor.

I always intended to buy a large-format digital back to use with this outfit, but large-format backs never became affordable. Instead smaller sensors increased in resolution and smaller lenses improved in resolving power. In 2016 I purchased a Fotodiox 4×5 sliding back adaptor which allows me to make stitched multi-row panoramas using my EOS bodies as a sensor behind the Toyo-Field 45 AX. The image area is about 6.75×4.5cm with the Fotodiox back.

With this digital setup I cannot focus my Nikkor 90mm at infinity (it makes a nice close-up lens though) and the Nikkor 210mm is a bit long. On the hunt for a moderate wide-angle, I finally mounted my old Schneider Componon 135mm f/5.6 enlarging lens, which has incredible resolving power, on a recessed Toyo lens-board. The resulting 180 megapixel images are incredibly detailed.

The process of shooting with the 4×5 camera, adjusting the mechanical movements, and composing under the dark cloth on the ground glass focusing screen, is a truly unique experience.

When I was still shooting positive transparency film in the Toyo-Field 45 AX, but had shut down my darkroom, I purchased an Epson Perfection 4990 Photo flatbed scanner (released 2005). This scanner came with a transparency adaptor and holders for 35mm film strips, mounted 35mm slides, 120 film strips, 4×5 sheet film, and 8×10 sheet film. It is a great scanner and I still regularly use it with Silverfast Ai Studio scanning software. (I recently switched to using my EOS M3 as a copy stand camera for digitizing slides — better resolution and dynamic range than the flatbed scanner).

http://www.toyoview.com/Products/45AX/45AX.html

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Canon PowerShot G7 X

I replaced the PowerShot S110 with a Canon PowerShot G7 X in late 2014. The PowerShot G7 X features a much large 1″ type sensor and at 20.2 megapixels is light years ahead of the PowerShot S110, but with almost no physical size penalty. It also has a tilting touchscreen and Wifi, a fast (f/1.8-2.8) 24-100mm equivalent lens, and maintains the control ring introduced in the S90.

There is really only one reason I bought the PowerShot G7 X in the first place — my daughter. About to have a baby, I figured I could justify a hi-quality compact camera purchase for capturing those once in a lifetime moments that were about to happen. I haven’t been disappointed. The PowerShot G7 X has also been a great travel and back-country camera.

This is still my go-to camera when compactness is required. At the end of 2016 I was sorely tempted to upgrade to the PowerShot G7 X Mark II, but I told myself I would only buy the Mark II or the Canon EOS M5, but not both. I got the EOS M5.

I wrote a short review article of the Canon PowerShot G7 X.

http://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/dcc657.html

Replaces
Canon PowerShot S110

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Canon PowerShot S110

In 2012 I replaced the PowerShot S90 with a fantastic upgrade — the Canon PowerShot S110. The S110 features a 12.1 megapixel sensor, DIGIC 5 processor, touchscreen, and Wifi — all features I put to good use on its inaugural trip, two weeks in India.

I bought the white bodied version for a change of pace. It is a very fashionable looking camera, but I kind of regret the white choice for one reason. The white body tends to show up as a reflection more prominently when shooting through glass, which I often do while travelling (shooting from taxis, trains, airplanes, etc.)

I fitted the PowerShot S110 with a MagFilter magnetically attached circular polarizer. This accessory was very handy for capturing the vibrant colours in India and Argentina. I should really install one on my Canon PowerShot G7 X.

http://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/dcc631.html

Replaces	Replaced by
Canon EOS PowerShot S90	Canon PowerShot G7 X

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Canon PowerShot D10

Released in 2009, I got the rugged and waterproof Canon PowerShot D10 to use primarily on my canoeing adventures. It is a rather bulky and odd looking compact camera, but it has worked well.

Many times I looked at upgrading to the D20 or D30, but couldn’t justify the expense for very little gain. The compact camera market (with the exception of the the high-end) has basically disappeared and manufactures are no longer innovating in this space. I’ve considered rugged/waterproof models from other manufacturers, but find the JPEG quality to be total mush compared to Canon.

I’d love the ability to shoot RAW in a waterproof camera, but this does not seem like a feature manufacturers are willing to add.

I’ve basically replaced the PowerShot D10 for casual rugged/waterproof use with my iPhone 6S in a LifeProof FRĒ case.

http://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/dcc576.html

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Canon PowerShot S90

It was not until 2009 that Canon released the successor to the PowerShot S80. The PowerShot S90 featured a much slimmer design than the PowerShot S80, but, as the Canon Museum states, was a “conceptual continuation” of its predecessor, featuring a wide zoom lens and convenient manual controls. It also introduced a feature for which I was overjoyed: RAW files.

A unique addition on the PowerShot S90 was the control ring which encircles the lens barrel. This ring can have its function assigned in software and its use varies by camera mode. The control ring continues in a new form on the Canon EOS M5 as a multifunction dial and selection button combination.

http://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/dcc582.html

Replaces	Replaced by
Canon PowerShot S80	Canon PowerShot S110

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Canon PowerShot S80

I never had a compact point-shoot film camera for casual use. I always wanted full manual control, and if I needed a really compact camera (say for backpacking) I used the Rollei 35 B I inherited from my dad.

In the digital era my dad had a whole string of Canon Digital ELPH cameras. Though very compact I could never bring myself to buy one myself. The larger Canon PowerShot G-series cameras of the time on the other hand seemed like the worst of both worlds — smaller than a DSLR, but still not pocketable and without the ability to change lenses.

In 2005 I discovered Canon’s PowerShot Sxx series of advanced compact cameras. The series has always feature cameras slightly larger than the tiny compacts, but with better quality wide angle zoom lenses, and, of prime importance to me, full manual control.

I purchased the PowerShot S80 (released in 2005) as a compact travel and nature photography camera. It joined me on a lot of adventures and captured a lot of shots rivalling what others were creating with DSLRs. The one drawback of the PowerShot S80 was the lack of RAW files.

http://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/dcc516.html

	Replaced by
	Canon PowerShot S90

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Canon EOS M5

In late 2106, Canon released the Canon EOS M5 addressing a long-standing feature request in the M-series — a built-in EVF. The EOS M5 also adds dual-pixel phase-detection auto-focus (DPAF) which considerably improves AF speed, particularly for adapted EF-mount lenses.

Overall the EOS M5 body has a more DSLR-like feel than it’s predecessors, with a larger body, more pronounced grip, additional control dials, and a more customizable physical interface. And yet, the body retains the compactness and portability that is the hallmark off the line.

Along with the EOS M5 body I added the Canon EF-M 18-150 f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens (released 2016) to my suite of EF-M lenses. I also added a Tamron SP AF 150-600mm f/5.0-6.3 Di VC USD G2 lens to my collection. This is the first non-Canon professional lens that I have purchased. Tamron (and Sigma) are currently making amazing lenses with performance rivalling the major camera manufacturers and with much lower prices. The Tamron 150-600mm is surprisingly hand-holdable mounted on the EOS M5, though it becomes a bit unbalanced at full 600mm extension (that is more a function of the centre of gravity being so far in front my lens holding hand).

The eye-level viewfinder of the EOS M5 coupled with the long telephoto lens required a larger, more stable tripod, so I acquired the beautifully light Manfrotto MT055CXPRO3 carbon-fibre legs.

I wrote a hands-on review of the Canon EOS M5.

Replaces
Canon EOS M3

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Canon EOS M3

The Canon EOS M3 (released 2015) is my second camera in the M-series. (The EOS M2 was never released in North America and featured modest improvements over the original firmware updated EOS M.)

The M3 features a 24 megapixel sensor, dedicated exposure compensation dial, larger grip, an optional hot-shoe mounted EVF, and more DSLR-like handling. The body is larger than the original M, but still compact.

Focussing and overall speed are improved in the M3, though continuous shoot is stilled maxed out at 4.2 frames per second (much worse in Servo AF mode).

I quite enjoy shooting with the M3. Having to attach or remove the EVF is a bit of a pain. However, I really appreciate the tilting function of the EVF, especially when working on a compact tripod, or shooting from low angles.

With the M3 I added the EF-M 55-200mm f/4.5-6.3 IS STM zoom lens (released 2014) to my collection.

In 2015 my family moved to a new house. Desiring to photographically document the interiors of both the old house and the new house, I added two Canon Speedlite 6OOEX-RT flashes and a compact stand set to my collection. The radio transmission (RT) multi-flash setup has many advantages over the old optical transmission system, especially when line of sight is a concern. I paired the new Speedlites with a compact stand and umbrella kit from Photo Republic and on-flash modifiers by Roque Flash.

Prior to the release of the Canon EOS M5 I wrote an article which is essentially a review of the M3: What Do You Want to See in the EOS M System?

http://global.canon/en/c-museum/product/dslr820.html

Replaces	Replaced by
Canon EOS M	Canon EOS M5

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