Canon EOS R6
20 MP Full-Frame 12/20 FPS ISO
World's 2nd Best Practical High-Speed Mirrorless Camera
NEW: Canon R6 Mark II.
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
R3 R5 R5C R6 II R6 R R8 RP R7 R10 R50 R100
Canon EOS R6 (two SD card slots, 24.0 oz./680g with battery and one SD card, $1,999 new or about $1,350 used) and Canon EF 50mm f/1.0 L on Canon EF to RF Control-RIng Adapter. bigger. I got mine at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 body-only: $1,999 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $1,350 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,299 at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,099 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H and at Crutchfield.
This all-content, junk-free website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Thanks for helping me help you! Ken.
January 2024 Better Pictures Canon Reviews Mirrorless RF Lenses EF Lenses Flash All Reviews
Nikon vs Canon vs Sony Full-Frame Mirrorless
Canon EOS R6. bigger.
Canon EOS R6. bigger.
Sample Images top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
There are many more shots throughout the review.
These are all shot hand-held as NORMAL (▟ stairstep icon) JPGs; no tripods, FINE (quarter circle) JPGs or RAW CR3 files were used or needed.
Sunset, East of Walker Lake, Bridgeport, California, 5:59 P.M., 17 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 15-30mm IS STM at 17mm, f/6.3 at 1/100 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12.0). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Sunrise over Mono Lake as Seen from Conway Summit, 6:53 A.M., 18 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 62mm, wide-open at f/5 at 1/50 at Auto ISO 100, (LV 10¼). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Aspens Aflame, Poole Power Plant Road, Lee Vining, California, 10:59 A.M., 18 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 118mm, f/8 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100, -1/3 stop exposure compensation (LV 13.0). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Mono Market, Lee Vining, California, 1:09 P.M., 18 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 15-30mm IS STM at 15mm, f/9 at 1/60 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12.4). bigger or fit-to-screen.
Mono Market, Lee Vining California, 1:21 P.M., 18 October 2022. Canon EOS R6 in square-crop mode, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 42mm (about equivalent to the normal ZEISS 80mm f/2.8 PLANAR lens on HASSELBLAD 6×6), f/11 at 1/200 at Auto ISO 100, -2/3 stops exposure compensation (LV 14.6). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Orange Handle on Blue Door, Lee Vining, California, 1:24 P.M., 18 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 100mm, f/8 at 1/40 at Auto ISO 100, -1/3 stop exposure compensation (LV 13.4). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Part of the handle isn't that sharp because depth-of-field goes away at distances this close. If I was paying more attention as we walked around looking for lunch I'd have shot at f/16 at 1/10 instead, but tough.
Blue Door on Red Brick Wall, Bodie, California, 4:20 P.M., 18 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 15-30mm IS STM at 30mm, f/9 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100, -2/3 stops exposure compensation (LV 13.4). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Valero Station, Bridgeport, California, 6:37 P.M., 18 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 15-30mm IS STM at 15mm, wide-open at f/4.5 hand-held at 1/10 at Auto ISO 400 (LV 5¾). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Crosswalk, Bridgeport, California, 6:40 P.M., 18 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 15-30mm IS STM at 15mm, wide-open at f/4.5 hand-held at 1/10 at Auto ISO 2,500 (LV 3.1). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Mono County Courthouse, Bridgeport, California, 6:41 P.M., 18 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 15-30mm IS STM at 15mm, wide-open at f/4.5 hand-held at 1/10 at Auto ISO 1,000 (LV 4.4). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Ken's Sporting Goods, Bridgeport, California, 6:42 P.M., 18 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 15-30mm IS STM at 15mm, wide-open at f/4.5 hand-held at 1/10 at Auto ISO 3,200 (LV 2¾). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Proud Stone, South Tufa, Mono Lake, California, 7:11 A.M., 19 October 2022. Canon EOS R6 in square crop mode, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 38 mm (equivalent to the normal ZEISS 80mm f/2.8 PLANAR lens on HASSELBLAD 6×6), f/8 hand-held at 1/13 at ISO 100 (LV 9.6). More tech details. split-toned print. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Whispy Dawn as seen from South Tufa, Mono Lake, California, 7:19 A.M., 19 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 240mm, f/14 at 1/1,250 at Auto ISO 200, -2/3 stops exposure compensation (LV 17.0), split-toned print. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
I used Skylum Luminar Neo to control the highlights, shadows and tones, and then split-toned the print.
I didn't need any Channel Mixer hijinx here because the subject, and thus the original color image, was monochrome: it was all white, shades of orange, and black. I show it in monochrome here because color adds nothing to the photo; it's all about the whispy shapes of the clouds as well as highlights and shadows; nothing to do with color. If any element, like color or a stray beer can, doesn't add to your piece, take it out.
I can't recall why this is at ISO 200; for all I know I may have set my EOS R6 to Highlight Tone Priority to retain detail in the extreme pointed-at-the-sun highlights, and Highlight Tone Priority has a lowest ISO of 200.
Sunrise, Mono Lake, California, 7:27 A.M., 19 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 50mm, f/16 at 1/320 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 16.4). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Silver Maple Inn, Bridgeport, California, 6:39 P.M., 19 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 15-30mm IS STM at 21mm, wide-open at f/5 hand-held at 1/10 at Auto ISO 1,000 (LV 4⅔). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Busted! I forgot how I edited this photo, other than knowing that this published result has had the darker areas brightened in either Perfectly Clear and/or Skylum Luminar Neo.
General Store, Bridgeport, California, 6:42 P.M., 19 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 15-30mm IS STM at 15mm wide-open at f/4.5 hand-held at 1/10 at Auto ISO 800, -2/3 stops exposure compensation (LV 4¾). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Half Dome in Last Light, Cook's Meadow, Yosemite National Park, California, 5:59 P.M., 20 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 83mm, f/8 at 1/60 at Auto ISO 100, -2/3 stops exposure compensation (LV 12.0). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Chromatic Grass, Sentinel Meadow Just South of the Chapel, Yosemite National Park, California, 11:45 A.M., 21 October 2022. Canon EOS R6 in square crop mode, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 109mm (equivalent to the ZEISS 250mm f/5.6 SONNAR lens on HASSELBLAD 6×6), f/20 hand-held at 1/8 second at ISO 200, -1/3 stop exposure compensation (LV 10.6). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Gigantic "Chicken of the Forest" (Laetiporus sulphureus) fungus, El Capitan Meadow, Yosemite National Park, California, 3:28 P.M., 21 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 70mm, f/8 hand-held at 1/15 at Auto ISO 100, -1/3 stop exposure compensation (LV 10.0). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Backlit Tree Couple, El Capitan Meadow, Yosemite National Park, California, 3:45 P.M., 21 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 40mm, f/6.3 at 1/125 at Auto ISO 100 (LV 12.4). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
The Milky Way and the Andromeda Galaxy as seen from Stoneman Meadow, Yosemite National Park, California, 8:39 P.M., 21 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, Tungsten white balance to make it blueish, RF 15-30mm IS STM at 15mm, f/6.3 for 80 seconds on a tripod at ISO 6,400 (LV -7.0, or minus 7.0!). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
See the flat diagonal blob in the middle right? That's M31, the Andromeda Galaxy. It's much brighter in this photo than it looked to the eye.
The blurry smears are caused by the rotation of the earth, not the camera or lens.
Barn Interior, Yosemite National Park, California, 10:57 A.M., 22 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 15-30mm IS STM at 15mm, f/8 at 30 seconds at ISO 100, +2/3 stops exposure compensation (LV 1.0), split-toned print. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
A Touch of Cloud, Half Dome, Yosemite National Park, California, 1:16 P.M., 22 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 118mm, f/11 at 1/100 at Auto ISO 100 -1/3 stop exposure compensation (LV 13.6). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Rain falls over the Merced River near the Ahwahnee, Yosemite National Park, California, 3:56 P.M., 22 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 47mm, f/8 at 1/40 at Auto ISO 100, -1/3 stop exposure compensation (LV 11.4) split-toned print. More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Interior, The Ahwahnee, Yosemite National Park, California, 4:47 P.M., 22 October 2022. Canon EOS R6, RF 15-30mm IS STM at 15mm, wide-open at f/4.5 hand-held at 1/8 at Auto ISO 1,250, +2/3 stops exposure compensation (LV 3¾ IPS). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Cathedral Rocks and Merced River Fog at Dawn, Yosemite National Park, California, 8:34 A.M., 23 October 2022. Canon EOS R6 in square-crop mode, RF 24-240mm IS USM at 37mm (equivalent to the normal ZEISS 80mm f/2.8 PLANAR lens on HASSELBLAD 6×6), f/8 at 1/25 at Auto ISO 100, -1 stop exposure compensation (LV 10.6). More tech details. bigger or fit-to-screen.
Porsche Panamera Turbo Typ 971 in GT Silver, 12:15 PM, 12 January 2021. Canon EOS R6, Canon RF 85mm f/2 Macro IS STM, Canon 580EX II flash, f/5.6 at 1/200 at ISO 100 (LV 12.6), Perfectly Clear. bigger or full-resolution or camera-original © JPG file.
Plant, 9:11 AM, 17 September 2020. Canon EOS R6 in 4:3 crop mode, Canon RF 24-240mm IS at 240 mm at f/16 hand-held at 1/60 at Auto ISO 500, -0.3 stops exposure compensation (LV 11.7), Perfectly Clear. bigger or full resolution.
Introduction top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
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The EOS R6 was Canon's highest frame-rate mirrorless camera (along with the EOS R5) and has the highest ISO settings, longest battery life and deepest frame buffer of any Canon full-frame mirrorless camera when it first came out. Today the newer R6 Mark II is much better, and sells for about the same price.
The EOS R6 was Canon's most practical high-speed full-frame mirrorless camera. The EOS R5 is wonderful, but if you need high speed you probably don't need the R5's insane 45MP resolution at 12 or 20 FPS, and the accompanying slowdown in workflow from having to choke on double the data for everything you do.
It's way more than printed specifications. Neither Nikon nor Sony measure-up to Canon overall. I've been shooting for over 50 years and what matters is far more than specifications; it's how well a camera feels in your hands, how the images actually look and how well the camera just gets out of the way. The R6 is superb.
The R6 easily runs at 20 FPS and tracks autofocus and auto exposure just great. It's a huge step up from other mirrorless cameras except for last year's Sony A9 II, which also shoots fast, but falls flat on its face with sloppy menus and awful ergonomics that get in the way to make the Sony a pain to shoot to those of us who know how a camera is supposed to feel and handle.
Don't fret resolution; 20MP is more than enough for anything as you can see at my Sample Images above, most of which are shown here at only one or two megapixels.
I got my EOS R6 at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 body-only: $1,999 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $1,350 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,299 at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,099 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H and at Crutchfield.
New intro top
Dual SD card slots, up to UHS-II.
As of May 2022, latest firmware gives auto brightness control for the finder.
5-axis In-Body Image Stabilization.
Used with an IS lens, Canon claims up to 8 stops stabilization improvement.
12 FPS mechanical shutter.
20 FPS silent shutter.
HEIF image file format option in addition to the usual JPG and CR3 raw.
"Dual Pixel CMOS AF II" covers the entire frame with 6,072 manually-selected AF zones, or 1,053 auto-selecting AF zones.
Autofocus detects people, mammal and bird faces and eyes.
New rear 8-way rear thumb-nubbin replaces the touch bar of the original EOS R.
A big rear dial (a Canon tradition since 1987) replaces the rear 4-way controller of the of the original EOS R and EOS RP.
New dedicated [ Q ] and magnify buttons evolve from being shared previously with the SET and [+] buttons.
New power knob adds a lever tab, making it much easier to flick with just your thumb.
New "Clarity" setting separate from Picture Style. It's at MENU > CAMERA 3 > Clarity.
New menu option to keep the shutter open or closed when off — the best of both worlds! Set it at MENU > WRENCH 4 > Shutter at shutdown.
4K video up to 59.94p, 1080 up to 119.88p.
10-bit 4:2:2 video with Canon Log or HDR PQ.
Internal Recording with all video formats.
New LP-E6NH higher-capacity battery, cross-compatible with the LP-E6N.
Optional BG-R10 Vertical Battery Grip. Works with up to two LP-E6NH, LP-E6N or even the ancient LP-E6 batteries.
Good intro top
Great flash performance, and I can shoot at 12 FPS with flash!
Dedicated MODE dial, a big step up from the EOS R and even the more expensive EOS R5!
Built-in Image Stabilization.
Electronic video stabilization.
Super-fast and smart corner-to-corner tracking autofocus to keep up with 20 FPS (but your lens needs to be fast enough, too), and exposure tracks great at these frame rates.
No finder blackout.
Super-smooth and quiet mechanical shutter to 12 FPS.
Silent electronic shutter to 20 FPS.
Shutter closes with power-off to keep dust off sensor when changing lenses. Even better, a menu option(MENU > WRENCH 4 > Shutter at shutdown) lets you choose if the shutter stays open or closes when turned off.
Bulb Timer provides timed exposures up to 100 hours long with no need for a remote or stopwatch.
In BULB, a MM:SS timer shows in the finder or on the rear LCD, and swaps as you move you eye back and forth. This is much better than the EOS R5, on which this is only shown on an unlimited little top LCD, making it useless in the dark.
Live RGB histograms as you shoot, something neither Nikon nor Sony can do. This is the best and fastest way to ensure you don't blow anything out as you're shooting; with Nikon and Sony you have to stop and playback to see color histograms.
Turns on quickly.
Wakes quickly from sleep.
Excellent, non-obtrusive level display lets you get level shots without blocking too much of the finder.
Seems minor, but I love that the cards face the correct way (label towards me).
World standard for image quality and color rendition.
Full-frame autofocus.
C1, C2 and C3 preset modes.
4:3, Square 1:1, 16:9 and APS-C as-shot crops.
Focus bracketing (but you have to stack them later in your computer).
Wi-Fi.
Bluetooth 4.2.
It's about as weather-sealed as a 6D series, which is good, but not for shooting out in the pouring rain all day like the 1DX Mk III.
100% U. S. A.-based high-quality technical support at (800) OK-CANON.
Bad intro top
"Rolling shutter" effect with electronic shutter can warp or distort moving things if you pan left or right too quickly. If it bugs you, use the smooth, quiet mechanical shutter at 12 FPS instead.
Be sure to use super-fast SD cards if you're really using 20 FPS. This is one of the few cameras I've used that gets a little clunky trying to play-back if it's still taking a while to write to my SD card.
Missing intro top
Electronic shutter goes no faster than 1/8,000.
No automatic brightness control for the rear LCD, but I set my C2 mode to full brightness for outdoor shooting so it's not a problem.
No ability to save and recall camera settings to and from a card.
No built-in flash.
No illuminated buttons.
No voice recorder (get the EOS R5 for that).
Does 4K (3,840 × 2,160) and 1,920 × 1,080 video, but no 8K DCI (8,192 × 4,320), 8K (7,680 × 4,320) or 4K DCI (4,069 × 2,160).
Has Bluetooth 4.2, not Bluetooth 5.0, so?
Has Wi-Fi IEEE 802.11b/g/n 2.4 GHz, but no 5 GHz 802.11a/ac. (so?)
No GPS, use the app.
No NFC.
Canon EOS R6 and Canon EF 50mm f/1.0 L on Canon EF to RF Control-RIng Adapter. bigger.
Specifications top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
I got my EOS R6 at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 body-only: $1,999 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $1,350 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,299 at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,099 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Lens Compatibility specifications top
Canon EOS R6. bigger.
Works with Canon's RF lenses.
With an adapter, works with the entire range of EF and EF-s lenses.
Won't work with any EOS-M lens.
Image Sensor specifications top
20 MP.
24.0 × 36.0 mm CMOS.
6.56 µm pixel pitch.
3:2 aspect ratio.
1.00 × crop factor.
Optical anti-aliasing filter.
Ultrasonic cleaner.
ISO specifications top
ISO 100 ~ 102,400; also ISO 50 (L) and ISO 204,800 (H1).
The usual programmable Auto ISO options.
Image Sizes specifications top
5,472 × 3,648 pixels native resolution (Large 20 MP or 19.96 MP or 19,961,856 pixels) in JPG, Raw and HEIF.
3,648 × 2,432 (M JPG, 9 MP).
2,736 × 1,824 (S1 JPG, 5 MP).
2,400 × 1,600 (S2 JPG, 3.8 MP).
Cropped Aspect Ratios
4:3, Square 1:1 and 16:9 cropped from the above sizes.
1.6x "APS-C" crop inside the above sizes.
Still Formats specifications top
JPG, HIF and/or CR3 raw.
sRGB and Adobe RGB.
Video Sizes & Rates specifications top
4K (3,840 × 2,160) at 23.976, 25, 29.97, 50 or 59.94 FPS.
1,920 × 1,080 at 23.976, 29.97, 50, 59.94, 100 or 119.88 FPS.
Audio specifications top
Recorded only along with video.
S - t - e - r - e - O microphone built in.
3.5mm mic-in jack with plug-in power overrides built-in mic.
3.5mm headphone jack.
Autofocus specifications top
Identifies, locks-on and tracks bodies, faces and eyes for people, mammals and birds.
Rated to LV -6.5 with f/1.2 lens (not as good with slower lenses, or of course with the RF 85/1.2 DS).
For movies, rated LV -5 ~ +20 with f/1.2 lens (not as good with slower lenses, or of course with the RF 85/1.2 DS).
Auto-selected
1,053 zones (39 × 27); 819 zones (39 × 21) in 16:9.
Covers 100% of image.
Manual selection
6,072 zones (92 × 66); 4,968 zones (92 × 54) in 16:9.
Covers 90% horizontal by 100% vertical.
Light Meter specifications top
384 zone (24 × 16) Evaluative, 6.1% partial, 3.1% spot or center-weighted.
LV -3 ~ +20.
Finder specifications top
0.5" OLED.
3.69 megadots.
Up to 120 FPS refresh rate.
0.76× magnification with 50mm lens.
35.5º diagonal apparent angle.
-4 ~ +2 diopters.
23mm eyepoint.
Shutters specifications top
Bulb Timer provides timed exposures up to 100 hours long with no need for a remote or stopwatch.
Mechanical Shutter
81 ms shutter lag.
1/8,000 ～ 30 seconds.
1/200 flash sync speed; 1/250 with the electronic first-curtain option.
Silent Electronic Shutter
50 ms shutter lag (also 50 ms with first-curtain electronic shutter option).
1/8,000～ ½ second.
Won't work with flash, HDR, multiple exposures, Multi Shot Noise Reduction, AEB, HDR PQ, anti-flicker, Dual Pixel RAW shooting or Digital Lens Optimizer [High].
Remote Release
Via app, or via 2.5mm remote control jack for RS-60E3.
Buffer (Burst) Sizes specifications top
These all depend on the speed of your card.
Expect over 1,000 frames with JPG and about 100 RAW with a slow card, and over 1,000 frames with JPG and about 200 RAW with a UHS-II card.
Flash specifications top
1/200 flash sync speed; 1/250 with the electronic first-curtain option.
Can't shoot flash with electronic shutter.
E-TTL control for use with all EX- and EL-series Canon flash.
Built-in Flash
None.
External Flash
Dedicated hot shoe.
(No PC (Prontor-Compur) flash sync terminal.)
LCD Monitor specifications top
2.95" (75 mm) diagonal.
2.44" (62 mm) horizontal.
1.65" (42 mm) vertical.
1,620,000 dots.
3:2 aspect ratio.
No automatic brightness control.
Swivels.
Anti-smudge coating.
No anti-reflection coating.
Connectors specifications top
Canon EOS R6 Connectors. bigger.
3.5mm mic in.
3.5mm headphone out.
2.5mm remote control jack for RS-60E3.
USB-C 3.1 gen 2.
HDMI Micro-D (not CEC).
Wi-Fi specifications top
IEEE 802.11b/g/n
2.4 GHz (No 5 GHz).
Bluetooth specifications top
4.2 low-energy.
GPS specifications top
None; try the app.
Storage specifications top
Canon EOS R6. bigger.
Two SD slots, both UHS-II compatible.
Won't work with either Eye-Fi or MMC Multimedia cards.
Power & Battery specifications top
Battery
Rated 250 shots with the finder, or 360 with the LCD in high-performance mode.
Rated 380 shots with the finder, or 510 with the LCD in power-saving mode.
New LP-E6NH higher-capacity battery (7.2V, 2,130 mAh), cross-compatible with the LP‑E6N and also works with the ancient LP‑E6.
Works with my Watson LP‑E6N batteries, even with in-camera charging and for registration of battery data by serial number. Who hoo!
What looks like a green sticker is actually a hologram that will always look different from different angles.
Charging
Charges in-camera with any USB-C PD "Power-Delivery" rated charger, or externally in the included charger:
LC-E6 folding plug 100-240V 50-60 cps charger, included.
Size specifications top
3.84 × 5.45 × 3.48 inches HWD.
97.5 × 138 × 88.4 millimeters HWD.
Weight specifications top
24.0 oz. (680 g) with battery and one SD card.
21.1 oz. (598 g) stripped.
Quality specifications top
Canon EOS R6. bigger.
Made in Japan.
Operating Environment specifications top
0º ～ 40º C (32º ～ 104º F).
0 to 85% RH.
Included specifications top
Comes with all you see here. bigger.
EOS R6, R-F-5 EOS-R Body Cap and eyecup.
LP-E6NH battery.
Strap.
Announced specifications top
Hinted at earlier, but only actually announced Thursday, 09 July, 2020 at 8 AM NYC time.
Promised for specifications top
End of August, 2020.
Shipping as of specifications top
Mine shipped from B&H on 01 September 2020.
Price, U. S. A. specifications top
15 January 20245 ($500 off)
R6 body-only: $1,999 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $1,350 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,299 at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,099 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H and at Crutchfield.
30 December 2023 ($500 off)
R6 body-only: $1,999 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $1,400 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,299 at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,099 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H and at Crutchfield.
02 May ~ 24 November 2023 ($500 off)
R6 body-only: $1,999 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $1,600 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,299 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,099 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H and at Crutchfield.
03 April 2023 ($400 off)
R6 body-only: $2,099 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $1,800 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,399 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,199 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H and at Crutchfield.
02 November 2022 ($200 off)
R6 body-only: $2,299 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $2,100 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,599 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,399 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H and at Crutchfield.
August 2022
R6 body-only: $2,499 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $2,200 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,799 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,599 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H.
July 2020 ~ May 2022
R6 body-only: $2,499 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H or at Crutchfield.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,799 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,599 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H.
Optional Accessories top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
R6 body-only: $1,999 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $1,350 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,299 at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,099 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H and at Crutchfield.
BG-R10 Vertical Battery Grip.
Works with up to two LP-E6NH, LP-E6N or even the ancient LP-E6 batteries. Also at Crutchfield.
LP-E6NH Battery (included).
LC-E6 Battery Charger (included but not needed if you charge via USB-C as I do).
RF Lenses
EF Lenses (use with an EF to RF adapter.)
Flash
Canon DM-E1 Programmable Microphone
Mono shotgun, 90º or 120º stereo settings.
Windscreen included.
Canon DM-E100 Stereo Microphone
Only one stereo pattern.
Windscreen included.
Canon Angle Finder C
Switchable 1.25× and 2.5× optical magnifications.
Performance top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
Overall Autofocus Manual Focus Ergonomics
Finder Flash High ISOs Lens Corrections
Noise & Vibration Stabilization
Rear LCD Playback Data Power & Battery
I got my EOS R6 at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 body-only: $1,999 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $1,350 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,299 at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,099 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Overall performance top
The R6 has great technical image quality and unbeaten frame rates coupled with fantastic autofocus, a great finder and the industry's best ergonomics, speed, usability and technical support.
Bravo!
Autofocus performance top
Autofocus is fast.
The speed at which the R6 focuses from near to far depends mostly on your choice of lens.
With a fast-focussing lens like the RF 24-240mm, autofocus is almost instantaneous.
With lenses with slower autofocusing, like the RF 85mm f/1.2 DS L, it's slower.
This isn't a big deal; the EOS RP autofocuses in and out almost as fast as the R6.
What really matters is how fast the R6 manages multiple AF sensors as it tracks targets all around the frame. Just like only the Sony A9 and A9 II used to be able to do, the subject is covered with loads of little square boxes moving all over the finder from corner to corner with the subject. The boxes are blue when tracking in SERVO AF, and green when they locate and lock-on in ONE SHOT.
This is marvelous; the R6 just locates and throws up a sea of green boxes on the subject when set to ONE SHOT, and does the same and tracks the subject all over with blue boxes in SERVO AF. Once you set it up, couldn't be simpler or faster. It tracks really well, and history has shown us that newer firmware often makes it even faster as time goes on.
There's an amber AF illuminator LED.
While it has corner-to-corner AF with most lenses, with the slow Canon RF 600mm IS STM and Canon RF 800mm IS STM only about the central 24×24mm section of the frame has active AF sensors that work at f/11.
Manual Focus performance top
In manual focus you have options of 5× or 10× magnifiers, an in-finder focus-distance scale and the option to see focus peaking. More at my Canon R6 User's Guide.
Ergonomics performance top
Canon EOS R6. bigger.
A dedicated MODE dial makes the EOS R6 faster and easier to use than the silly combined MODE button and generic control ring of the EOS R and even the more expensive EOS R5! Just like the EOS RP, just turn the dial and you're done.
Oddly the mode dial is farther forward than it is on the EOS RP, so you have to reach your thumb in a bit to get to it. I prefer when I can reach it from the rear of the camera, as I can on the EOS RP.
On the R6 you can run through the menus with the touch screen, or use the thumb nubbin. Push-in the nubbin or press SET to select things.
You can enter text (copyright data, for instance) with the touch screen, although with my big American fingers I have to be dainty about it. It's a small screen compared to an iPhone.
I'll admit that I prefer the rear 4-way controllers of the EOS R and EOS RP; on the R6 I haven't quite gotten comfortable with having to swap my thumb between the multiway nubbin and the big rear wheel.
I never did warm up to the rear function bar of the EOS R, and now in the R6, a thumb nubbin replaces the function bar; good!
I like the green ONE SHOT AF boxes, but the blue SERVO AF boxes are a little weird. To me; green means go, not blue. Obviously Canon wants people to know whether or not they're in ONE SHOT or SERVO without having to look away from the picture.
It seems minor, but I love that the cards face the correct way with the label towards me.
Finder performance top
The finder is big, sharp and clear. It doesn't get fuzzy in various areas as you move your eye around or adjust the diopter; it's sharp corner-to-corner and sharp everywhere inside. Bravo!
This isn't just because of the R6's finder OLED, it's because of the bigger, better eyepiece optics. The R5 and R6 have obviously larger rear finder elements if you look at Canon EOS R, RP, R5 & R6 Compared (scroll down to the photos of the backs of the cameras).
There is no blackout at any frame rate. At ultrafast frame rates it may be showing you the just-shot frames rather than live, but at those speeds I can't tell so I don't care.
When shooting with the electronic shutter, similar to Sony the R6 blinks a grey border around the finder image to let you know it took a picture. It's a very subtle effect, which is good because it's only there to let you know the shutter is going off; you don't want to be distracted by it.
Flash performance top
Flash performance is great!
Even more fun and something many mirrorless cameras (like Fuji) can't handle, is that the R6 works great at high continuous frame rates with flash. Of course it only works with the regular mechanical or electronic-first curtain shutters (not the fully electronic shutter), but it does work at up to 12 FPS without a hiccup if your flash can keep up. (Hint: The closer you are, the higher your ISO and the larger your aperture, the faster your flash recycles.)
The 1/250 sync is state-of-the-art. I don't use the HSS options, just regular sync.
With my Canon 580 EX II flash I can blast away at Continuous High+ at 12 FPS and it just goes. No settings are needed, just turn on the flash and fire away. Hint: stay close enough), the system just goes.
Bravo!
High ISO Performance performance top
Complete Images details dark detail performance top
As seen at normal image sizes below, the R6 pretty much makes the same images from ISO 50 (L) to ISO 51,200. ISO 50 is a "pull" ISO, and thus has more highlight contrast. This usually increases perceived highlight detail, but can lead to clipped highlights if you have too much subject contrast, as in the case of the window reflection in the glass of the clock face. ISO 102,400 gets a little blotchier or noisy, and ISO 204,800 (H) looks pretty bad, with duller colors and gray shadows, but still usable if I need it for normal-sized images.
This is magnificent performance.
Click any for the camera-original © LARGE FINE JPG files:
Click any for the camera-original © JPG files (about 10 MB each).
600 × 450 Pixel Crops (9.1× magnifications) High ISOs performance top
What we see at the high magnifications below is that fine details go away as the ISO increases. This happens with all cameras and our own eyes and is an artifact of the noise reduction working harder as the ISO increases. Our eyes see the most detail in good light, too.
In the R6, the most detail is at ISO 50 (L), and becomes softer at every higher ISO. This is normal and how noise reduction works in every camera.
ISO 50 is a "pull" ISO, and thus has more highlight contrast. This usually increases perceived highlight detail, and can lead to clipped highlights if you have too much subject contrast, as in the case of the window reflection in the glass of the clock face.
By ISO 51,200 most of the detailed scrollwork between the clock numbers is gone.
By ISO 102,400 the minute marks are gone.
At ISO 204,800 (H) all the detail is gone from the clock face, leaving only the numbers. Even the hands are starting to disappear.
If these 600 × 450 pixel crops are about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 18½ × 28" (50 × 75 cm) at this same magnification.
If these 600 × 450 pixel crops are about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 37 × 56" (1 × 1.5 meters) at this same magnification.
If these 600 × 450 pixel crops are about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 75 × 112" (2 × 3 meters) at this same extreme magnification.
Click any for the camera-original © JPG files:
Click any for the camera-original © JPG files (about 10 MB each).
Dark-Area 600 × 450 Pixel Crops (9.1× magnifications) High ISOs performance top
Here are crops showing the dark grillwork of the fireplace.
Note how the most detail in the fine screen is at ISO 50 (L), becoming duller even at ISO 100 and less at each higher ISO. This is normal, and how noise reduction works in all cameras as well as our own eyes.
The details in the iron also go away as the ISO increases.
The bricks behind the grill start to go away at ISO 800 and are gone by ISO 6,400.
The ironwork starts to fade at ISO 25,600, is mostly gone at ISO 51,200 and is completely obliterated at ISO 204,800 (H).
Again, this is normal for all digital cameras and for our eyes. We can't see anything in the shadows in the pitch black, either.
If these 600 × 450 pixel crops are about 3" (7.5cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 18½ × 28" (50 × 75 cm) at this same magnification.
If these 600 × 450 pixel crops are about 6" (15cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 37 × 56" (1 × 1.5 meters) at this same magnification.
If these 600 × 450 pixel crops are about 12" (30cm) wide on your screen, the complete image would print at 75 × 112" (2 × 3 meters) at this same extreme magnification.
Click any for the camera-original © JPG files:
Click any for the camera-original © JPG files (about 10 MB each).
Lens Corrections performance top
The EOS R6 can correct automatically for falloff (peripheral illumination correction) and distortion, and has individual options to turn these OFF or ON at MENU > CAMERA 3 > Lens aberration correction.
The R6 corrects for a host of other finer lens aberrations with a Digital Lens Optimizer, also turned ON or OFF at MENU > CAMERA 3 > Lens aberration correction > Digital Lens Optimizer.
The Digital Lens Optimizer allows corrections for diffraction and can correct for the softening effect of the optical low-pass filter. I suspect it also corrects for other things like lateral color.
The options for the Digital Lens Optimizer now are simply OFF, STANDARD, or HIGH. No longer do we have settings to enable or disable individual subcorrections.
Canon cautions that the HIGH setting takes more computation and could slow down the camera. It's set to STANDARD by default.
Long Exposures performance top
In BULB, a MM:SS timer shows in the finder or on the rear LCD, and swaps automatically as you move you eye back and forth. This is much better than on the EOS R5, where it's only shown on a tiny top LCD that goes dark during bulb exposures!
Better, the R6, like many newer Canon cameras, has a clever Bulb Timer option at MENU > CAMERA 6 > Bulb Timer that lets us set precise long exposures out to 100 hours long. Set this, select BULB mode, tap the shutter, and walk away. Bravo!
Mechanical Quality performance top
It's about as weather-sealed as a 6D series, which is good, but not as as good as the 1DX Mk III for standing in the pouring rain all day.
Metal: Strap lugs, hot shoe, lens mount, card door hinge pivot, battery door hinge pivot (and some of its hinge) and the tripod socket.
Plastic: Top panel, power switch, back panel, finder hump (the part that says "Canon"), MODE dial, all buttons, knobs, dials and nubbins, rear LCD cover and housing, card door, battery door and bottom panel.
Rubbery plastic: Eyepiece shield, front and back grip coverings and all connector covers.
Sound, Noise & Vibration performance top
The R6's mechanical shutter is unusually smooth and quiet. I don't see any reason other than 20 FPS shooting to use the silent electronic shutter; the mechanical shutter is just barely loud enough to let you know it went off.
Image Stabilization performance top
In-body sensor-shift Image Stabilization (IS or VR (Vibration Reduction)) with firmware 1.1.1 gives about two stops of real-world improvement with unstabilized lenses, but doesn't add as much as you'd think with stabilized lenses:
With RF 24-240mm IS at 85mm stabilization performance top
"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness I get when I'm shooting hand-held while free-standing with no support or bracing. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed. This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 1 sec. |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
| R6 Internal Stabilization ON | 33 |
33 |
83 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| R6 Internal Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
33 |
33 |
80 |
100 |
WOW! This is four or five stops of real-world improvement, which is great, but still not that much better than how it performs on the completely unstabilized EOS RP.
With EF 14mm f/2.8L (Non-IS, 1991-2007) stabilization performance top
"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness I get when I'm shooting hand-held while free-standing with no support or bracing. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed. This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
| R6 Internal Stabilization ON | 40 |
50 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| R6 Internal Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
25 |
50 |
75 |
100 |
100 |
I see about three stops of real-world improvement, in the center. The corners aren't corrected as well, a problem inherent in sensor-shift vs. optical stabilization with ultra-ultrawide lenses.
With EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II (Non-IS, 2012-today) stabilization performance top
"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness I get when I'm shooting hand-held while free-standing with no support or bracing. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed. This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:
at 24mm
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 1 sec. |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
| R6 Internal Stabilization ON | 5 |
20 |
50 |
83 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| R6 Internal Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
10 |
83 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
I see two stops of real-world improvement.
at 70mm
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 1 sec. |
1/2 |
1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
| R6 Internal Stabilization ON | 0 |
0 |
50 |
50 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| R6 Internal Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
17 |
17 |
80 |
100 |
100 |
I see about three stops of real-world improvement.
With EF 300mm f/2.8L (Non-IS, 1987-1999) stabilization performance top
My EF 300mm f/2.8L autofocuses very fast on my R6.
"Percent Perfectly Sharp Shots" are the percentage of frames with 100% perfect tripod-equivalent sharpness I get when I'm shooting hand-held while free-standing with no support or bracing. Hand tremor is a random occurrence, so at marginal speeds some frames will be perfectly sharp while others will be in various stages of blur — all at the same shutter speed. This rates what percentage of shots are perfectly sharp, not how sharp are all the frames:
| % Perfectly Sharp Shots | 1/4 |
1/8 |
1/15 |
1/30 |
1/60 |
1/125 |
1/250 |
1/500 |
1/1,000 |
| R6 Internal Stabilization ON | 0 |
0 |
0 |
33 |
83 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
100 |
| R6 Internal Stabilization OFF | 0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
33 |
50 |
83 |
100 |
100 |
I see one or two stops of real-world improvement, which is pretty good for sensor-shift stabilization with such a long lens.
Rear LCD Monitor performance top
The rear LCD is the usual plastic-covered flippy screen. Personally I prefer larger glass-covered screens that don't move (like my iPhone), but tough.
Playback performance top
Playback options are the usual from Canon. Canon users will feel right at home; no surprises here.
Data performance top
Cards are titled correctly as "EOS_DIGITAL."
JPG files are tagged as 72 DPI.
JPG files vary in size with image complexity. Typical 20 MP LARGE NORMAL (quarter circle) JPG files have a median size about 6.0 MB, ranging from about 1 MB to 14 MB.
Power & Battery performance top
It even works with my third-party Watson LP‑E6N batteries, whoo hoo!
While Canon only rates it at a few hundred shots per charge, that's if you're snapping one by one and looking at them.
If you are blasting away for long sequences at high frame rates and not stopping to set menus and look at playback every frame, I easily can shoot thousands of images on a charge on my very similar EOS R5, which has a lower shots-per-charge rating:
Still 92% charged after 1,456 shots — and this is with my third-party Watson LP‑E6N battery on my EOS R5! bigger.
Do the algebra, and if it's still 92% charged after 1,456 shots, you'll get over 18,000 shots on this charge if you keep shooting the same way!
This example was me shooting some of the smaller JPG sizes, but you get the idea. Just shoot and don't keep stopping to piddle and the R6 battery - or even my Watson LP‑E6N - run a long time.
What will run it down is not just fiddling, but very long exposures. If you're making two-minute exposures, you won't get thousands of shots on a charge either.
Heres's what I get with typical putzing-around shooting:
35% charged after 642 shots equals about 988 shots at 0%, and this is with my third-party Watson LP‑E6N battery on my EOS R5! bigger.
These samples are from my EOS R5, which is rated for fewer shots per charge, so I expect my R6 to be at least as good, and even better using its original battery.
Compared top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
I got my EOS R6 at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 body-only: $1,999 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $1,350 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,299 at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,099 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H and at Crutchfield.
See Canon EOS R, RP, R5 & R6 Compared.
Nikon vs Canon vs Sony Full-Frame Mirrorless
R6 User's Guide top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
I got my EOS R6 at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 body-only: $1,999 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $1,350 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,299 at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,099 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H and at Crutchfield.
All of Canon's Mirrorless cameras have very similar menus, tricks and options. See also my much more detailed EOS R6 Mark II User's Guide as well as those for all the other canon mirrorless cameras for many more tricks. Most of those guides apply directly to the R6, especially the sections on autofocus, the C1, C2 and C3 modes and the new FV exposure mode. Of course the exact menu locations will be different and some options may or may not be in both cameras, but you get the idea.
Many of these settings are available in other places than the menu system, and I program my favorites to the function buttons. I don't waste this camera on video, so I program my red MOVIE button next to the eyepiece to be a [▶] PLAY button, but that's just me.
Batteries user's guide top
Canon says it should work with any of the new included LP‑E6NH, the LP‑E6N or even the ancient LP‑E6 batteries, although I don't know if it will charge in-camera with Canon's LP‑E6N or LP‑E6; I haven't tried.
I have tried and it works with my Watson LP-E6N batteries, even with in-camera charging. Whoo hoo!
Charging user's guide top
I don't bother with the included external charger; that's mostly for if you want to charge a second battery at the same time as you're charging another one in-camera.
I prefer to use any USB C charger that meets the PD ("Power Delivery") standard.
You have to keep the battery and card doors closed to charge in-camera, otherwise it stops.
When charging in-camera you'll see a battery charge icon on the top LCD and a green LED on the back. The LED blinks if there's a charging error, and it will also show "Err" on the top LCD if there's a problem.
"Keep lens cap on with power off" user's guide top
You may see this warning as you're turning the R6 ON or OFF.
The reason you want to use a lens cap is that the black focal plane shutter usually closes with the power off to protect the sensor, however if you leave the camera out and pointed at the sun you can burn the shutter blades! This was a problem back in the 1950s with LEICAs where you could burn holes in the cloth shutters; with DSLRs the light was reflected through ground-glass and out the viewfinder, and with bare mirrorless sensors much of the infra-red is reflected away with heat mirrors — but not if the shutter is closed.
I don't worry about it, but as a long-time rangefinder shooter, I don't leave my cameras uncapped facing up unattended on picnic tables all day, either.
Menu System user's guide top
You can set menus with the touch screen, or use the thumb nubbin. Push-in the nubbin or press SET to select things.
HEIF Files user's guide top
The new HEIF files probably won't be compatible with most existing computers, software or websites, so be careful that you can read or post them before you get all excited and shoot something important in HEIF
Hint: On Mac, you can see HEIFs in the Mac's Preview program, and convert HEIF to JPG by opening the HEIF in Preview, then select File > Export > Format > JPEG and have at it. The Mac OS reads HEIF, the native format inside the iPhone, but there's no guarantee anything but the latest software from others will read it. I use PhotoShop CS6 from 2012 every day today and it can't read HEIF.
It's like shooting raw; you have to be sure you have a way to read the files; HEIF is nowhere near as standard as JPEG.
New Fv Exposure Mode user's guide top
Try this new Fv ("Function Value") exposure mode right between the AUTO and P settings on the top MODE dial. I love it!
Fv mode is like Program mode, but lets you set individually any or all of Shutter, Aperture, Exposure Compensation and/or ISO, while the other settings continue to set themselves automatically. You can set more than one at a time, and those you don't set will change automatically as needed to make the correct exposure. Cool, huh?
If you want to change something, turn the top rear dial to select what you want to change (you'll see the orange dial icon move), then turn the top front dial to change that quantity. The finder and rear LCD show an orange wheel to the left of what's selected for adjustment. Once you set one item, you can set other things by turning the top rear dial to select and set them.
The top front dial will change the aperture in this example below:
View through R5 finder (R6 similar). bigger.
The orange front dial is to the left of the aperture in the photo above, which will change when you turn the top front dial. The big rear dial icon is to the left of the exposure compensation, which it will change.
The display underlines whatever the camera is controlling automatically, and has no underline for what you've set manually. Simple!
Unlike Program mode which resets any Program Shift as soon as the meter turns off, Fv settings don't reset even if you turn off the power. Your settings stay until you clear or reset them yourself.
Tap the trash button to reset whichever quantity you have selected back to automatic control. Hold the trash button a moment to reset everything back to automatic control. Easy!
Even if you change something like Exposure Compensation by some other method like the lens' control ring, the trash button can reset them back to automatic control, or to zero for compensation.
Storage
Use your choice of one or two SD cards.
Personally I set my R6 to record the same thing to both cards as backup at MENU > WRENCH 1 > Record func+card/folder sel. > Rec options > Rec. to multiple.
Autofocus user's guide top
No one understands all the AF settings in the R6. There are too many to master them all.
That's OK, because I turn off most of them so that the two modes I actually do use are easy to find. Do this at:
MENU > AF 4 > Limit AF methods > and I uncheck everything except the first face+[-]tracking option, and of course leave alone the single-zone 1-point AF option which cannot be unchecked.
I always shoot in the face+[-]tracking setting (usually set as one of the many options after pressing the [ Q ] button, and there are other ways to set this if you prefer), which magically finds and focuses on eyes and faces, or if no faces, just finds the subject and focuses on it — anywhere in the frame.
Only if for some reason the R6 isn't finding the correct subject, then and only then I'll revert to the 1-point AF option and use the rear thumb nubbin to put that sensor wherever I want it.
For things that hold still, I set ONE SHOT (also usually set by pressing the [ Q ] button). You'll see green AF boxes find and focus on the subject, and the camera locks focus as soon at it focuses.
For moving things, set SERVO AF (use the [ Q ] button or another way) and you'll see blue AF boxes running all over the frame tracking your subject(s), be they faces or just objects.
I enable eye detection at MENU > AF 1 > Eye detection > Enable. The reason not to enable this feature is I presume everything will work faster with it off, in which case it simply uses face detection which works fine by itself.
Manual Focus user's guide top
If your lens has no AF/MF switch, like the RF 24-240mm, select manual focus at MENU > AF 2 > Focus mode > MF.
In manual focus you have options of 5× or 10× magnifiers. I assign this to my SET button at MENU > CUSTOM 3 > Customize buttons > SET > Magnify. Now just tap SET and it toggles among 1×, 5× and 10×.
Select the in-finder focus-distance scale at MENU > CAMERA 7 > Shooting info. disp. > Focus distance disp.
Focus peaking is enabled and set at MENU > AF 2 > MF peaking settings.
Manual-Focus Override
By default, there is no always-responsive instant manual-focus override as we take for granted in our DSLRs.
You need to set:
MENU > AF 4 > Lens electronic AF > to either "One‑Shot‑>enabled" or "One‑Shot‑>enabled (magnify)"
or otherwise the focus ring is always ignored in AF. Canon should have it set this way by default, but they didn't. No big deal now that I figured it out.
Now manual focus override works if you turn the ring while continuing to hold the shutter halfway, but only after focus locks in ONE SHOT.
Stabilizer Modes user's guide top
Thankfully the built-in sensor-shift stabilization just does its thing in concert with whatever stabilization the lens may (or may not) have without any need for adjustments or settings.
With an unstabilized lens, then (and only then) will a menu option appear at MENU > CAMERA 7 > IS (Image Stabilizer) mode to turn the camera's internal stabilizer ON or OFF.
With a stabilized lens that menu option simply disappears. That's good because instead you use the lens' own IS switch to turn both the lens' optical stabilizer and the camera's sensor-shift stabilization ON or OFF at once.
With a stabilized lens, there is no way to turn the in-camera and in-lens stabilizers ON or OFF separately. It's either both or none. Easy.
Live Shooting RGB Histogram user's guide top
Neither Nikon nor Sony can do this at all, but Canons can show you live RGB histograms in Live View.
To activate these, set MENU > CAMERA 7 > Shooting info. disp. > Histogram disp. > Brightness/RGB > RGB
and
MENU > CAMERA 7 > Shooting info. disp. > Histogram disp. > Display size > your choice of Large or Small. I prefer small; it shows me what I need and covers less of the image.
Keep pressing INFO to swap among various levels of display complexity as you're shooting.
Picture Style user's guide top
This is where we set how the pictures look for saturation, sharpening and etc.
Set these either at the [ Q ] screen or
MENU > CAMERA 3 > Picture Style.
I always use STANDARD.
I increase Sharpening to Strength 7, Fineness 1 (default) and Threshold 5.
For photos of everything except people, I increase Saturation to +4.
For people photos I leave Saturation at its default of 0.
Self Timers user's guide top
These are set as one of the Drive Modes. I prefer to set them by pressing the [ Q ] button and setting the Drive Mode near the bottom left, and you can set this elsewhere.
A trick is that the self timer is 10 seconds by default, but not marked that way in its icon — while the 2-second self timer has a "2" in its icon. If you're looking for the 10 second self timer, just use the unmarked Self Timer icon, and if you want 2 seconds, use the "2" icon. This may seem obvious as you're reading this, but flummoxed me when I couldn't find a way to set 10 seconds when I needed it.
The Drive Mode setting is saved and recalled as part of the C1, C2 and C3 modes; I use my C3 mode for tripod shots and use the 2-second self timer in it, so anytime I recall C3, I'm at 2s self timer and fixed ISO 100 and everything else I set on a tripod, rather than Auto ISO and regular release etc.
Bulb Timer and Long Exposures user's guide top
In BULB, a MM:SS timer shows in the finder or rear LCD, and switches as you move your eyes. Cool.
Better, the R6, like many newer Canon cameras, has a clever BULB TIMER option at MENU > CAMERA 6 > Bulb timer that lets us set precise long exposures out to 100 hours long. Set this, select BULB mode, set the self timer, tap the shutter and walk away, no need for a remote cord or stopwatch. Bravo!
Shutter open or closed at power-off? user's guide top
Canon EOS R6. Shutter closed to keep out dirt. bigger.
You can select if the shutter closes or stays open with power-off. I leave it at its default of CLOSED to protect and keep dust off the sensor.
You can set this at MENU > WRENCH 4 > Shutter at shutdown.
Weird Noises user's guide top
The R6's internal stabilizer system makes a hissing noise while active.
The camera makes a clunking sound when shaken with the power off. I assume that this is the sensor flopping around when it's not under the active control of the IS system. In other words, it seems that Canon doesn't lock-down the shifting sensor with the power off. Turn on your camera and you'll notice it mostly goes away while the sensor is under the control of the camera.
Recommendations top
Sample Images Intro Specifications
Compared User's Guide Recommendations
I got my EOS R6 at B&H. I'd also get mine at Adorama, at Amazon or at Crutchfield, or used at eBay if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 body-only: $1,999 at Adorama, at Amazon, at B&H and at Crutchfield, or about $1,350 used if you know How to Win at eBay.
R6 & RF 24-105mm STM kit: $2,299 at Amazon and at Crutchfield.
R6 & RF 24-105mm f/4L kit: $3,099 at Adorama, at Amazon and at B&H and at Crutchfield.
Unless buying used, get the much improved EOS R6 Mark II for about the same price.
The EOS R6 was Canon's most practical high-speed full-frame mirrorless camera. The EOS R5 is wonderful, but if you need high speed you probably don't need the R5's insane 45MP resolution and the accompanying slowdown in workflow from having to choke on double the data for everything you do.
Personally I love the EOS RP, which is more than fast enough for nature and landscape and interiors and exteriors and almost all the things for which we use mirrorless, and I love the EOS RP's small size, weight and price.
The EOS R6 was a combination of the speed of the 1DX Mk III with all of the benefits of mirrorless, and with most of the benefits of small size and weight of the smaller EOS R and EOS RP — and the EOS R6 shoots this fast with only a fraction of the noise and vibration of the 1DX Mk III, and with a clear, non-blacking-out and unblurred finder. BRAVO!!!
I'd pass on Sony, Nikon or Fuji (see Nikon vs Canon vs Sony Full-Frame Mirrorless). Fuji colors look crappy for anything other than people. Sony colors are OK, but not as vivid as Canon when set the way I prefer (+4 Saturation). Sony and Fuji have awful menu systems. Sony and Fuji cameras feel hard-edged and lack the high level of industrial design in the Canon so they aren't as comfortable to hold and use; Canon always uses soft curves so they feel soft, even if made of metal. Nikon has equally excellent color and image quality to Canon, but second to Canon in ergonomics.
Stick with Canon, and get the EOS R6 Mark II.
Lens & Kit Suggestions
recommendations topThe kit with the RF 24-105 STM is a $99 savings, and the RF 24-105 STM is an excellent lightweight lens, so I'd consider that if you want the RF 24-105 STM.
If you're a seasoned Canon shooter, the EF to RF adapter rings make all our existing EF lenses 100% compatible, so we don't need to buy any new RF lenses unless one really catches our eye.
This 100% all-content website's biggest source of support is when you use those or any of these links to approved sources when you get anything, regardless of the country in which you live. Canon does not seal its boxes in any way, so never buy at retail or any other source not on my personally approved list since you'll have no way of knowing if you're missing accessories, getting a defective, damaged, returned, non-USA, store demo or used camera. I use the stores I do because they ship from secure remote warehouses where no one gets to touch your new camera before you do. Buy only from the approved sources I use myself for the best prices, service, return policies and selection.
Thanks for helping me help you!
Ken Rockwell
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