Canon EOS M6 Mark II, analysis: review with characteristics and opinion

It has been a little over seven years since Canon first launched its EOS M line of mirrorless cameras. And during this time I have been getting to know and testing several models in this series that improved on their predecessors. Today I have with me the Canon EOS M6 Mark II, the latest addition to the EOS M family that becomes the new flagship of Canon's APSC sensor mirrorless range . Introduced in late August alongside the Canon EOS 90D, the EOS M6 Mark II combines a new 32.5 megapixel sensor and the DIGIC 8 processor to achieve two of the most anticipated features by users: 4K video without clipping and bursts of up to 14 fps. On the other hand, it includes the manufacturer's Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology with an AF coverage of 88% horizontal and 100% vertical.. It also offers a 180-degree folding screen and a microphone input, which makes it a very interesting option for vloggers. I've had the chance to test the Canon EOS M6 Mark II for a few weeks with the 15-45mm kit lens, the 32mm f / 1.4 lens, and the EVF-DC2 electronic viewfinder. In this analysis I will tell you how it behaves and what I think.

Canon EOS M6 Mark II Datasheet

Design and handling

At first glance, the Canon EOS M6 Mark II looks a lot like its predecessor. It is a fairly light and compact camera, weighing 408 grams including battery and memory card. Still, the grip is really comfortable thanks to a larger grip than the previous model . Although this makes it somewhat larger than its direct rivals, such as the Fuji X-T30, it is appreciated when used for larger lenses.

The keypad has also changed slightly from the previous model. The exposure compensation dial has disappeared and in its place we have a large dial that adjusts according to the mode we use . In addition, it has a button on the inside that when holding it down will allow us to quickly access options such as ISO settings or white balance.

On the commented dial we have another that surrounds the trigger . If we work in manual, the largest one is in charge of the opening and the one that is together with the speed trigger.

The upper part is completed by the usual mode dial, the M-Fn button and a large slider that will serve to turn the camera on and off. All of them placed on the right side of the camera, on the grip. At the opposite end we have the built-in flash and in the center the hot shoe.

Moving to the back we find the more or less common controls. A crosshead wheel is included to access different options and navigate through the menu. We also have the usual Play and Menu buttons, as well as Info. Yes, a small lever to switch between manual and automatic focus is striking , in addition to the video record button.

And as for the connectors, on the right side (looking at the camera from behind) we have the cover to access the HDMI Micro type D and the USB Type C connector . The first offers an output for external monitors and the second allows charging the camera battery , although it is quite demanding on the charger.

On the opposite side we find another cover that hides the connectors for the remote trigger and the external microphone . Above them we have a small switch to deploy the flash. We do not have a headphone jack, as is usual in this type of camera.

Finally, the battery and the memory card share the same hole at the bottom of the camera. It opens using a sliding system and, as usual, only includes a space for a memory card.

Viewfinder and screen

The Canon EOS M6 Mark II incorporates a 3-inch touch screen with 3: 2 aspect ratio and a resolution of approximately 1,040,000 pixels . As is usual in the manufacturer's models, the screen offers a magnificent response and allows us to control many options.

From it we can not only place the focus point, but also configure the vast majority of shooting options and menus. What may seem obvious is not the case in many of the competitors, who limit the touch function to focus.

The screen can be tilted downwards by 45 degrees and upwards by 180 degrees . It is a valid system to be able to record vlogs, but personally I prefer the fully folding screens. The problem with screens that "only" move 180 degrees is that if we have something mounted on the hot shoe, such as a microphone, flash or the external viewfinder itself, they are rendered useless.

The EOS M6 II, like its predecessor, does not have a built-in viewfinder . However, Canon has sent me the EVF-DC2 viewfinder together with the camera, as it can be purchased as a kit with the camera. This viewfinder has an OLED panel with a resolution of approximately 2,360,000 pixels. It is a viewfinder that works quite well, although it may have become "outdated" compared to viewfinders on cameras like the Sony A6400.

In terms of the design of the viewfinder, it offers quick mounting on the shoe and is quite tall , which will make the camera take up more space in the carrying bag. And speaking of transport, the viewer comes with a small soft case for storage when we are not using it.

Focus and shoot

The Canon EOS M6 Mark II uses the Dual Pixel CMOS AF system . It has phase detection pixels built into the image sensor with a maximum of 143 or 99 points, depending on the lens. It is the same data that we have seen in other cameras, such as the Canon EOS 250D.

However, the M6 ​​Mark II (and its SLR sister the 90D) have improved on the Dual Pixel system with 100% vertical and 88% horizontal coverage . Additionally, the AF system works at light levels down to -5EV with an f / 1.4 lens. In terms of focus modes, it supports zoned areas, single and spot areas, or tracking face. It also has eye detection that also works with Continuous Servo AF.

In the shooting speed we find another of the novelties of this model. The Canon EOS M6 Mark II hits 14 fps, even with continuous autofocus enabled . This makes the camera much more capable of capturing images with fast movements.

In addition, we also have a 30fps RAW burst mode . Of course, in this case the resolution is reduced to 17.9 megapixels and we obtain a slight cutout in the center of the sensor. Finally, comment that in this mode we have the option to activate the “Pre-trigger” , which, with a half pressure of the shutter, captures images of the last half second before pressing it completely. This means that it saves 15 images just before saving the one we are supposed to take.

Picture quality

The image quality offered by the Canon EOS M6 Mark II is very similar to that of its predecessor. The new sensor has the potential to beat the previous 24 megapixel model , but on a practical level I haven't seen much of a difference. At least not with the kit lens. Of course, by using the magnificent EF-M 32mm f / 1.4 we do take full advantage of the quality of the new sensor. But unfortunately, this is a target that is not stabilized.

Thus, in general the camera offers good color reproduction and a fairly accurate exposure . It still lacks sharpness in some shots and the Dual Pixel system still finds it difficult to focus in situations where the subject to be photographed is not clearly contrasted with the background.

Even with all that has been said, the camera offers great image quality in most situations. It is capable of perfectly controlling noise up to 1600 ISO , although it reaches up to 25600 ISO (you can even force up to 51200 ISO, something not recommended).

I have also found that the Canon EOS M6 Mark II has a slight but noticeable tendency to overexpose images . It is something easy to correct both from the camera itself and from the subsequent edition, but we must take it into account.

Gallery of images taken with the Canon EOS M6 Mark II

4K video without cropping

The Canon EOS M6 Mark II is capable of recording video with resolution up to 4K 25p without cropping . If we change to the NTSC system we can record up to 4K at 30p, but it does not have the 24p option. In addition to finally eliminating the crop, the other good news is that we can record in 4K resolution using the Dual Pixel focus system .

We have a maximum recording time of 30 minutes , although with consecutive clips. Of course, if we stretch the recording in 4K resolution a lot, the camera heats up a lot and ends up turning itself off as a precaution. This it does more or less after taking about 45 minutes of recording in full resolution.

As for the quality of the video, it is quite good. As in photography, it offers very natural colors and good exposure control in most scenes . Focusing is quite fast if we use the stabilized lens of the kit, somewhat less if we use a lens like the 32mm f / 1.4.

Connectivity and autonomy

I do not want to extend too much in this section because, basically, we have the same connectivity that the latest cameras from the manufacturer offer us. The EOS M6 Mark II has 802.11n WiFi and Bluetooth 4.1 , in addition to the physical connections that I have talked about in the design section.

Thanks to this connectivity, we will be able to link the camera to the Camera Connect application and directly transfer the photos from the camera's memory card to our mobile or tablet . In addition, we can use the mobile as a remote trigger.

In terms of autonomy, the Canon EOS M6 Mark II uses a rechargeable battery LP-E17 . This offers, according to the camera's data sheet, an autonomy of about 305 shots . Once again, the autonomy is still much lower than that offered by the vast majority of SLR cameras.

Conclusions and price

Canon continues to improve its EOS M range with new models that, without being revolutionary, add improvements that perfect the range and include features demanded by users.

The Canon EOS M6 Mark II combines a new 32.5 megapixel sensor and the DIGIC 8 image processor to record 4K video without clipping and an enhanced burst of up to 14 fps . They are the two great novelties of this year's model.

In terms of image quality, it offers a level very similar to that of its predecessor. As I have commented, only with high quality lenses will we get a plus from the new sensor . The bad part is that the EOS M range doesn't have too many native lenses yet. The good news is that we can use all the EF-S lenses of the SLRs through an adapter and with practically the same performance that we would obtain with the native system.

Finally comment that it is appreciated that the screen can rotate 180 degrees , but I would have preferred a completely folding one. In addition, since we are facing a high-priced camera, it would have been convenient to integrate an electronic viewfinder in the body of it.

And since we talk about the price, the Canon EOS M6 Mark II can be obtained with an official price of 990 euros only for the body . We also have the option of acquiring it in kit together with the EF-M 15-45mm IS STM lens and the electronic viewfinder for 1,270 euros.