Canon - EOS M6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera with EF-M 15-45mm Lens and EVF-DC2 Viewfinder - Black

The Canon EOS M6 mark ii is a great camera for its price range and class. It’s compact, powerful, and user friendly. Personally, as mainly a Sony shooter, I usually have issues with switching to a canon body but the M6 ii is really intuitive and easy to use with minimum practice and I was able to shoot what I wanted to pretty efficiently right out of the box. Since this review will be long without all the spec talk, I’m going to keep most of that out mostly because you can easily read the specs anywhere with a quick search. I’ll try to keep it mostly to how those specs are used and/or features that aren’t listed in most descriptions as well as what it is like to use in general. Like any product, there’s going to be some pros and cons and some of those are going to be user opinion and not always a fault to the device. I went with 5 stars because most of the cons I found with this camera were based on user preference and not a fault of the camera itself. So with that, let’s get into it. PROS: 4K video. Right? That’s always a pro. Well, it was almost a con because there was no 24p option at 4k but canon has said it is coming in an update shortly and by the time you read this it’s probably available. So that’s great, and really, for the average video shooter, vlogger, vacation memory maker etc, 4k at 30 is going to be just fine and you’ll probably not even notice. That said, the 24p update coming soon is a nice nod from canon to show they do still care about us video production guys and girls and are willing to make that an offer even on their lower end tier bodies. There is also great options at 1080 resolutions for slow motion and time-lapse options. For your basic YouTube content maker or hobby video shooter, this camera is a good budget friendly option. Stills: I think there may be some slightly better options (depending on your preferences) for compact video shooting bodies in this class but for still photography, this body really shines! There is a lack of lenses currently (more on that in the cons) but there are ways around that with adapters etc and honestly, the kit lens this comes with (at 15mm-45mm) is a decent lens for images for web or for vacation shots and capturing moments at home. And since it is interchangeable lenses, you can buy more lenses to fill any need. The rumors I keep seeing is that sigma will be coming out with some really nice primes for this mounting system (EF-M) soon which will only up the value of this awesome camera. The auto focus is great. With Canon’s dual pixel auto-focus, you get fast, sharp auto-focus in any shooting mode and there’s even a touch and drag focus option when using the EVF which allows you to touch the LCD and drag your focus wherever you need it in video or still mode. The image quality when in good lighting conditions is really good. You can get sharp clean shots, especially with the fast shutter speeds available and in low light there’s an on-board flash that can pop up and help you out. The sensor seems to be really high quality from my testing and it even does a quick “cleaning” of the sensor every time you turn it off which is nice that you don’t have to remember to do that every couple uses. At high ISO you are going to get some noise, but you can clean that up easily in post. EVF. Electronic ViewFinder. This is going to show up in my cons list as well personally, but it’s not that it’s bad, it actually works great and is a wonderful quality, but personal opinion is that they should have simply built it into the body. I’ll touch on that later. But the pros of the EVF, besides the aforementioned touch and drag focus, are still worth mentioning. The EVF works really well especially in bright sunny conditions or when you need to really look closely at the image. It slides onto the hotshoe very quickly and easily and has a small release button to remove it. Personally I am 99% shooting with an EVF, I find them easier to frame shots with, less distracting light or visuals I would have in my peripherals when looking at an LCD screen and it helps me keep the camera steady when I shoot. That being said, if you’re going to be vlogging mostly or you are shooting video, the EVF is not a big deal and perhaps being able to remove it would be beneficial to you. Keep in mind if you’re going to flip the screen up for “selfie” style video or photos, the EVF will completely block your view of the screen and will have to be removed. This seems like a missed design flaw in my opinion and one of a few reasons a flip OUT (to the side) vs flip UP screen should have been used. But hey, If the EVF isn’t something you use, you can remove it. However if you think you will ever use it I would suggest getting the bundle with the EVF included. Besides getting a decent lens, you’ll have the EVF and save spending 200 later for it. (let’s be honest, that’s a bit overpriced for something that is generally included in any interchangeable lens camera.) One quick note on the kit lens, I really like that it is compact. I don’t know the technical term for it, but the lens has a switch that allows you to close down the lens when not in use. This makes the lens smaller in your bag/pocket/etc and really nice feature to have for a system that is built around being small and compact. I want to touch on connectivity options lastly here in the Pros section. This is something that works a lot better on the canon than on my Sony bodies and extremely useful especially for shooters who need to do a quick turn around on the go. There are WiFi and Bluetooth connection options. That’s not unheard of but the part I want to focus on is how it works even when the camera is off (after switching a few options in the menu). This means my camera can be tucked away, in the bag and turned off and in the back of my car and I can be sitting in the passenger seat with my phone and connect to the camera and view and download the images to my phone! This is really useful. You can download an image, edit via your favorite mobile app editor and post to wherever, all with the camera sitting off in your bag. You can also obviously do this with the camera on and use your phone (with the free canon app on android and iOS) as a remote and see a live view version on your phone screen, adjust settings and shoot all from the phone remotely. There’s a variety of connection options available like printers, remotes, phones, computers etc and they all worked very easily without having to look up how to do it. CONS: Ok, so let’s touch quickly on a few “cons” I’ve come across that, like I said earlier, are not faults of the camera as much as things I don’t personally like based on my shooting style and needs. EVF: I explained what the EVF is and how it works and why it’s awesome already. So for the parts I don’t like so much, top of the list is that it's bulky. Because it is removable and “all in one” it actually makes the camera overall size large and awkward when it is attached. Other bodies in its class have them built in and manage to take up less space. The obvious flip side of this is without the EVF on, the M6 Mark ii is now smaller than most of those competitors. This makes it compact and pocket size and definitely a great option when you have to pack light but don’t want to lose quality. Lastly, with the EVF on, you lose your hotshoe. This means you’ll be choosing between mic or EVF or if you use a speed-lite or EVF. Probably not an issue for most, but keep it in mind. Lens selection: So this isn’t much of a fair “con” especially since any new style body from any manufacturer is going to take some time to get a nice pile of lenses available, but the mount system (EF-M) currently is a small group. Of course, grab an adapter and you can use your other canon glass, but that shouldn’t be a must and personally I like to shoot with the native mount whenever possible. The thing I don’t love about the EF-M mount is it can’t be used anywhere else. I can take a sony EF mount and put it on a sony E mount (crop sensor) and they still work, just cropped obviously. So it would be nice if these mounts were more universal but the compact size of the lenses is a major plus. Where my picture profiles at?: As a video shooter, I am disappointed that there are no pro level picture profiles like CLog which is not a must for a camera in this class, but you can’t ignore that other brands do include more pro level profiles and in general just have more pro video options. There is still a mic input and USB C but micro HDMI instead of mini HDMI is a head scratcher. Battery and SD card slots are on the bottom but they can be blocked by a tripod quick release if you have one on. That’s probably plenty for now and too much info for most. Suffice it to say you won’t be disappointed with this Mirrorless option from Canon with so many amazing features and options for the basic beginner shooter to the pro shooter who needs a nice reliable B cam or an on the go compact body. The menus are easy, the button layout is great, you can change lenses and remove the EVF and so much more. This is a great body for any canon shooter and even if you shoot with other brands, you’ll still love to shoot with this body and enjoy all it has to offer!

The Canon EOS M6 Mark II is Canon’s top of the M-series line (cropped sensor) offering, slotting in below the full frame mirrorless R series. The M series is beyond an entry level camera and is aimed more at the enthusiast market that needs a fuller feature set. This model comes in a few varieties – body only, w/ 15-45mm kit lens, and with 18-150mm kit lens. Both versions with the kit lenses also come with the optional electronic view finder (EVF) attachment. The setup I have is the 15-45mm lens kit with EVF. I originally came from a Nikon 1 J1 kit, so the M6 is a definite upgrade. Size The M6 is a well equipped mirrorless camera that packs a lot into a small form factor. First off, the size of the camera body is quite compact. It’s not much bigger than a lot of fixed lens setups. Even with the size of its 32.5 MP APS-C sensor (22.3 x 14.9mm). It’s only slightly larger than my J1 with its 10.1 MP (13.2 x 8.8mm) even with a 280% larger sensor area. Without the EVF attached the camera could easily fit in a small bag or even a coat pocket. Features The camera body comes equipped with a 3” fold out touch screen that can flip forward for a selfie screen experience. You can enable the screen to use it to trigger the shutter (on by default). The M6 comes with a built-in flash which is convenient since the EVF takes up the hot shoe. The grip is part of the body and is comfortable and appropriately sized for my hand. There are 3 dials on top of the camera - shooting mode, main dial (around the shutter button), and quick control dial (around the dial function button) are easy to use. Depending on the shooting mode dial setting, the functions of the other 2 dials vary. It could be something like changing the aperture setting, iso, shutter speed, etc. There’s a selector switch on the back of the camera for auto or manual focus. Then there’s the standard layout for flash, exposure, drive mode, trash, menu, gallery and record buttons. The camera body also has 3 popout covers. The one on the left side (near the flash pop up button) has a port for a microphone and for a remote control. The other side has a USB-C port to transfer pictures – no need to remove your SD car, and a mini HDMI port for connecting to a screen for playback. The battery door also has a cover that allows the cord for the DC coupler charger to be used (DR-E17 w/ CA-PS700A). The SD card slot supports fast UHS-II cards, so if you plan to do a lot of burst shooting then get the fastest card your budget allows. I’m using a UHS-I Sandisk Extreme Pro 128GB card and it is fast enough for me ($40 vs $200 for the UHS-II). There are 11 shooting modes supported by the mode dial switch. They range from auto, to movie, to manual, to different priority modes (aperture, shutter speed, etc.). There’s also the creative filter mode, which allows you to apply filters prior to shooting. Filters include B&W, fisheye, soft focus, and 4 different HDR modes. I’ve messed around with these only briefly – mainly the miniatures mode which processes your image to make your subject look like it’s a mini figure. There’s also the integration with the Canon Camera Connect App. I can link my phone via Bluetooth and use my phone as a remote. I can also do a WI-FI link and transfer pictures on the fly. It’s a useful tool that works well. Shooting Capabilities So, I’ve done a lot of well lit outdoor/indoor shooting days. I’ve played around with the different burst modes, shooting modes, shutter speeds, and aperture settings to get a feel for the camera. So far the amount of control is well beyond what I had available on my Nikon 1. Appropriately lit shots with both cameras produced nicely rendered images. Where the M6 pulled way ahead was with low light and overlit settings. Glare from the sun overexposed on the Nikon, whereas the M6 (in auto even) easily adjusted and produced a crisp picture. Low light applications also heavily (and I mean heavily) favored the M6. I was super impressed with how well the M6 performed in low light shots. I took it out to a couple of Christmas light nights and the pics were perfect. My Nikon only produced blurs, and even my cell phone camera was no match (and it’s a good camera). I have dozens of crisp, clear pics that were done without the need for a flash with nothing but Christmas lights providing the ambient light. I didn’t feel the need to move past the auto setting for this situation as the camera did an excellent job adjusting the ISO and exposure settings on the fly. My 2 kids have provided me with ample opportunities for some action shots using the continuous shooting modes. The burst mode captures at a super fast 14 fps and can take somewhere around 25 pics before you fill up the buffer and need to wait. You can prioritize shutter speed or subject matter tracking with the burst shooting, so you can tailor it to your specific situation. The pictures again are clear and blur free. The only area I noticed some difficulty was with shooting macro. My Nikon with a little 10mm pancake lens actually gave me a little better performance in macro shots. The 15-45mm lens just softens everything up a bit too much. I could achieve a soft blur background but at the cost of softening my subject up too much. I will probably look into either the 22mm wide angle or the 28mm macro lens in the future. For now I still have my Nikon for macro stuff, which I admittedly don’t do very often so I’m in no rush. Video Capabilities The M6 can record in HD (720p @ 60fps), FHD (1080p @ 30 or 60fps), and UHD (4K @ 30fps). The onboard mic captures the audio in the recording. I don’t find myself capturing too many videos yet, but I did take one of the tunnel light show at the Anheiser Busch Brewery Lights in St. Louis. It was shot in 4K in a lower light situation, and it came out surprisingly well. It wasn’t too dark, recording was smooth, and the image stabilization kept up as I walked along taking the video. Using this for content creation is certainly within its wheelhouse. Battery Life Unfortunately like most mirrorless cameras the battery life isn’t spectacular. The listed lifespan is only 305 shots – less with the viewfinder in use. If you pop over to ECO mode (find it through the menu options) you can get a touch over 400. In default mode I was able to take around 285 pictures, while reviewing pics on the screen and occasionally using the viewfinder. It took about 2 hours for me to fully charge the battery, so if I were to take this on a long shooting day I would likely need a backup camera. Accessories There are quite a few accessories out for the M series as the product line continues to mature. There are currently 6 lenses available for the EF-M mount – 2 macros and 4 variable (including the 15-45mm lens that’s part of the kit). There’s also the EF-EOS M adapter that allows you to use EF and EF-S lenses. There are several additional speedlight accessories that attach to the hot shoe. Also for Vloggers there’s the directional mic attachment for content creation. There’s no lens hood included with this kit but it is available (Hood EW-53) and just over 20 bucks. Drawbacks The EVF is not a standard attachment but rather a separate attachment that gets bundled together. If you want to buy just the base the EVF is an additional $200. That does make this bundle extra enticing then because the body alone is $850, and this comes with a kit lens. Some little things to start off with. The hot shoe attachment point has a small plastic cover when not in use – same with the EVF. However, there is no place to store these when either is in use. It would be nice if a small plastic case or something was included to keep these together. The slide button on the lens to rotate it open/closed is difficult to use. I really dislike this feature to be honest. I was shooting with gloves on (its winter), and that little slide was annoyingly difficult to slide open. Also, and this just comes from being a Nikon user, but the rotation direction of the lens seems backwards to me. The Canon rotates CCW (Nikon is CW) and makes for odd ergonomics when opening/closing the lens. The slide button to open the flash is a little difficult to use. The strap tends to fall down and lay over the slide, so I have to move the strap out of the way to slide that little button. Difficulty increases with gloves on. Conclusion First off, Wow this is a great camera. Definitely not a starter setup but could be used by a beginner with ease, and the documentation (as well as on-screen info) is enough to help you learn to make full use of the camera. An advanced photographer could get the most out of the feature set of this camera. I have 2 hobbyist photographers in the family that shoot on full frame DSLR’s (Sony Alpha and Canon 6D?), and they were both impressed by the performance out of this little camera. I don’t think I’d ever convince myself to lug around a full frame DSLR, but this mirrorless crop-sensor is just the right size (same reason I like my old Nikon). I am certainly loving the excellent low light performance and the super fast shutter speed of the M6. The only real drawback with this setup that I could find was its macro performance with this lens. I fully understand a variable kit lens like the 15-45mm will have its limitations, and this just happens to be one of them. Overall this is a great setup that I think is a good fit for a wide range of camera users.

This is my 3rd mirrorless camera. First 2 were Sony. I always sick to what I know. But I wanted to try what all my friends were using. And I went with this canon M6 mark2. And thank goodness I did. From the look and feel with it’s nice textured grip. To it’s amazing high megapixel count sensors. The weight is perfect and kills the old Sony I had. To me looks count. But obviously the picture quality is what it’s all about. That’s where this mirrorless take top rank in my book. Picture clarity and sharpness are amazing. I always was great at taking good photos. But now I can barely do anything and allow the camera to stun my friends and family. It’s soo easy to use. I mainly use A+ setting as my family are usually on the run and very active. So quick set and shoot. Almost perfect every shot. Video is amazing as well. 4K is the standard nowadays. This camera does it beyond well. The image stabilization is crazy good. I shot a few videos at sea world. And we were blown away and how great they look. We also plan to dabble in a YouTube channel. This is perfect as we can flip up the screen to see ourselves and not have to connect an external monitor. Can’t wait for you that. My kit included the electronic view find which I highly recommend. It’s more than useful. Super clear. But be careful as it’s not permanently attached to the camera. A gift and a curse(kinda). If you want to use the flip up screen. Not a big deal for me tho. Also this canon has the free all mic plug that is usually in more expensive set up. Great add on. The lens has some good glass. But my only gripe is that this kit lens doesn’t zoom as much as I hoped. But plenty for us. Another great feature is the companion app called canon camera connect. This is great for those on the go. The app allows for you to transfer the original size file photo or video directly to your phone via WiFi/Bluetooth. I’ve used this and it works great and pictures look just as amazing. I love this camera soo much. Well built and packed with features. I’m no pro but I am learning. And I know tech. This is well worth every penny. And if you can get it on sale. Even better. I recommend this canon m6 markii 1000%.

**Summary** Equipped with a class leading 32.5 Megapixel CMOS APS-C sensor, excellent image quality, a precise and accurate dual pixel auto focusing (AF) system, and high speed continuous shooting all crammed into a compact, lightweight body, Canon engineered a remarkably high performing mirrorless camera to capture life’s precious moments and test your creativity . That in a nutshell are the Canon M6 mark II’s (M6ii) hallmark features and what it aims to deliver; And boy does this camera deliver! **Styling** The M6ii I received is the graphite black capped with a silver top and bottom. This gives the camera a classic, vintage-retro look which I just adore. I was taking some photos the other day with it and a friend was wondering why I was still using an old film camera. Really liking the look of this camera! **Touchscreen** The 3 inch touchscreen can be tilted 180 degrees up for vlogging and selfies, and 45 degrees downward to get some of those above the head shots. While the tilt screen is good, I wished the M6ii had the more familiar vari-angle flip screen allowing for greater flexibility for those tough angle compositions. **Performance** The M6ii is an amazing performer limited only by the lens you put on it. The dual pixel CMOS AF system is lightning quick, precise, and accurate. Enabling continuous AF with face and eye detection, I was able to take sharp portraits of my kids who have a hard time standing or sitting still. With AI Servo AF tracking turned on, the camera captures action shots with ease and with a high percentage of keepers. Add to that a 14 frames per second (fps) high speed continuous shooting with AF and auto exposure (AE) tracking and you won’t be missing any of the action. Canon also boasts RAW mode shooting of up to 30 fps with 0.5 seconds of pre-shooting images to capture the perfect moment. I was amazed at the sharpness of the photos and the speed of the AF system after reviewing the photos I took of my kids running around. **The Kit Lens is Forgettable** Of course how the camera performs and the quality of images you get depend on the lens you outfit with the camera. And this brings me to the weak link of the package - the included 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM kit lens. The kit lens is a good introduction to the M6ii, but that’s about it. It’ll give you acceptable image quality for static subjects and may work for moving subjects in good lighting conditions, but will not showcase the outstanding DIGIC 8 image processor or the CMOS sensor. For this you’ll want some of Canon’s native fast primes for its EF-M mirrorless mount system such as the 22mm f/2 STM and the 32 mm f/1.4 STM. (Sigma, a third party manufacturer has come up with their f/1.4 “mirrorless trio” of fast glass that should be on any serious shooter’s wish list.). Even Canon thinks the 15-45mm kit lens is forgettable. On Canon’s own product webpage for the M6ii with kit lens, it provides three sample pictures taken with the camera, none of which were taken with the 15-45mm kit lens. Tells you how much Canon thinks about the image quality of this lens. **Get the EF EOS M Mount Adapter** You’ll also be able to take advantage of Canon’s entire universe of EF and EF-S lenses with the EF EOS M Mount Adapter. I purchased this separately and am glad I did. I have a small collection of Canon EF-S and EF lenses along with several third party Sigma lenses. The lenses I attached to the M6ii via the M Mount adapter are as follows: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 II (non STM version), Canon 18-135mm IS nano USM, Canon 55-250mm IS STM, Sigma 70-200 f/2.8 OS (the generation right before the release of the Sport badge), Sigma 17-50 f/2.8 OS, Sigma 30mm f/1.4 (the generation before the Art badge), and Sigma 10-20mm f/3.5. And guess what the results were when I tested all these lenses? They all performed flawlessly on the M6ii as though they are natively EF/EF-S mounted. Autofocus speed, accuracy, precision, focus tracking, and image stabilization are just the same as if they performed on my Canon 70D. Didn’t matter if it is a Sigma lens. Nothing was lost in the communication between the Sigma lens to the Canon M6ii. And on the M6ii with its 32.5 megapixel CMOS sensor, DIGIC 8 image processor, and ultra accurate and lightning auto focus, I had a larger percentage of action shot keepers. As a bonus, the sensor and processor of the M6ii resolved the image with more detail, clarity, and sharpness than on my 70D. I am sure that if you have the Canon L series lenses attached to the M6ii via the EF EOS M Mount Adapter, you’ll be even more pleased with the results. **Video** And let’s not forget about motion pictures. The Canon M6ii is a competent video camera. Vloggers and content creators have the option to record in uncropped 4K UHD 30fps, FHD at 30fps or 60fps, and HD at 60fps. The camera can also produce slow motion capture in FHD at 120fps. It can also create some neat time lapse video as well. There is a microphone jack to attach an external mic. Perhaps the only disappointment observed by the video community is that the M6ii lacks recording at 24fps which is the standard for cinematographers. Canon has issued a response via its web product page stating that there will be a firmware update in 2020 to include 24fps. **Other Notable Features** +Even at 12,800 ISO, images are surprisingly acceptable when the noise reduction is turned to the High setting. +The camera comes with the detachable electronic viewfinder (EVF), which is a great addition to have when you’re out in bright sunlight or if you’re so used to a viewfinder like myself that you cannot live without it. You can view everything in the EVF as though you were looking at the touchscreen. +Touch and drag AF is a great feature. With it enabled, while peering through the EVF, the touch screen turns into a touch pad where you can use your finger to move the auto focus point to the desired location, and you can see it move in the EVF. +The mechanical shutter is limited up to 1/4000 sec, but the electronic shutter can shoot up to 1/16000 sec. +The electronic shutter is a silent shutter. This means you can shoot discreetly during a performance or event that cannot be disturbed (e.g. music recital) +It’s a compact and discreet camera. People on the streets are often times turned off by a big dslr with an equally big lens. However, with the M6ii paired with an EOS M fast prime, it is perfect for street photography. +With the included bulb mode, you can shoot some awesome star trail shots just like the pros. +Interval shooting is a nice feature if you want to piece together your own time lapse using other video software. +Button customization. Canon makes it easy to reassign the physical buttons and dials on the camera to the way you like to use your camera. One thing I always do is to assign a back button focus and eliminate the half press shutter focus. +Take advantage and take the time to learn to connect the M6ii wirelessly via bluetooth and wifi. You will be glad you did. I tried it, and I don’t think I’ll ever go back to taking the memory card out of my camera to insert into the computer. You’ll be able to magically transfer photos directly to your smartphone, PC/laptop, or to a cloud service. If you have a studio set up with a PC, you can control the camera functions and take photos with the Canon EOS Utilities software. Install the Camera Connect app on your smartphone and view and download all the pictures and videos from your M6ii to your phone. Better yet, use this same app connected via bluetooth/wifi to remotely activate the shutter for that perfect group shot with yourself included. No need to have a 10 sec or 2 sec timer tripping over the tripod to get yourself into that group shot. **Some Minor Gripes** -The EVF attaches to the hot shoe. For someone like myself who likes using a viewfinder to compose shots and also use an external flash for indoor flash bounce, this becomes a problem. I cannot use the EVF and external flash simultaneously. -Similar scenario for videographers who like to attach an external microphone to the hot shoe. You won’t be able to use the EVF simultaneously. -Because the EVF is detachable, it can easily be misplaced. -Mediocre battery life. According to the specs, the battery lasts for approximately 305 shots using the touchscreen, 250 shots thru the EVF, and around 410 when in ECO mode. That’s not much. Plan on getting an extra battery if you plan to shoot a lot for the day. -The camera body is not weather sealed (but neither are the lenses I own). Don’t take the camera out in the rain. **Conclusion** The M6ii is a compelling camera that is compact and lightweight, but is big on features, rivaling some of the best enthusiast cameras on the market today. It takes excellent photos, focuses quickly to capture the most fleeting action shots, and has very high speed continuous shooting. With all the advanced features built into the camera, one would think it is geared for advanced amateurs to enthusiasts. That is not totally the case since Canon integrates fully automatic and scene modes to aid beginners. This is definitely a camera that a novice can grow with. As for the advanced amateurs and enthusiasts, they will feel at home with the advanced feature set in the M6ii. Even professional photographers will find some interest in the M6ii as a secondary camera when they don’t need to carry around the bulk. I have decided to retire my 70D after using the M6ii. I highly recommend that you put the M6ii on your short list of cameras to consider.

There’s a lot to like about the Canon EOS M6 Mark II from its ultra high-resolution 32.5MP sensor and zippy dual pixel autofocus to its large tiltable touchscreen and wireless connectivity options, but a few lacking features and design choices may affect its competitiveness against similar mirrorless cameras in its class. One of the first things you’ll notice with this camera is that there isn’t a built-in viewfinder on the back; instead you have a generously sized 3” touch LCD which articulates and pitches up or down for low and high angle shooting, and flips up 180° for front-view monitoring and taking selfies. The LCD does not, however, swivel left and right nor flip out to the side. Even though you can use an add-on external EVF via the hot shoe, which is included with this kit, you’re then left having to choose between using the viewfinder or a flash or mounted microphone. You’ll also have to remove the EVF anytime you want to flip the LCD up to view the monitor from in front of the camera, otherwise it will block the screen, which could prove cumbersome for vloggers and selfie-takers who also frequently use the EVF. As for the image quality, the camera delivers faithfully sharp photos and accurate colors that feel natural and lifelike. It performs equally well in bright, daylit conditions as well as at night with respectable low-light performance that has little graininess even at higher ISO settings. The one limitation to all of this hi-res goodness is the current lack of premium lenses that are able to take advantage of all the camera has to offer. The included 15-45mm kit lens is just 1 of 8 available EF-M mount Canon lenses, of which 3 are prime lenses. Separate adapters are required to open the camera up for use with EF or EF-S lenses. What the camera excels at is its fast and generally very accurate autofocus performance both for video and still photos. With the ability to set autofocus priority to face and eye detection, this makes tracking moving people effortless, even during fast-paced movement and action. You can even easily switch subjects by tapping them on the LCD screen making performing a rack focus dead simple. The fast AF pairs nicely with its 30 frames per second e-shutter raw burst capability, but you’ll need a sufficiently fast memory card to capture the maximum number of frames per CR3 RAW file. Using a 2000x 300 MB/s write speed UHS-II card, I was able to capture about 45 frames on average in a single RAW file before the buffer ran out, but this will vary depending on the camera’s settings. Be prepared for the multi-frame files to be quite large, often 500-900 MB each. Speaking of the new CR3 format, in order to extract individual frames from a multi-frame CR3 file, you’ll need to use Canon’s proprietary Digital Photo Professional software on a PC, Mac, or mobile device (it’s free) or extract frames directly on the camera, as most third-party software isn’t yet able to process these files. The DPP app isn’t terrible, but its interface feels a little dated and the tools and menus aren’t the most intuitive. I did enjoy the one-tap focus and shutter trigger on the LCD. This made handing off the M6 to others not familiar with handheld cameras easier. I found the creative assist for applying in-camera filters and editing photos interesting. There's a lot you can do to tweak the photos on-the-fly, though ultimately, I prefer to do my post-processing on a computer where I can see more detail on a bigger screen. The one feature that I was pretty excited about was the addition of 4K video to this line of cameras. However, compared to the 4K video I’ve taken with other ASP-C sensor cameras, I found the M6’s quality to be just a touch softer, so edges aren’t as crisp, and you lose a bit of refinement in the details. The M6 also doesn’t currently support shooting at 24fps in either 1080p or 4K modes, so that might give pause to filmmakers who shoot in this format until the announced firmware update adds this functionality (sometime in 2020). You can, however, shoot at 60 fps in 1080p for super smooth footage or 120 fps at 1080p for a cool slow-motion effect. The battery life for this camera is so-so lasting in the range of 250 to 300 shots on a full charge depending on whether or not you’re using the flash and EVF (which consume MORE battery). One small complaint I had was the size of the battery door; since it’s so wide, I have to take off my tripod’s quick release plate to get it open and take the battery out for charging. Charging via the USB-C port is only possible using the dedicated (and pricey) Canon charger and you cannot just use a regular USB-C cable. My other pet peeve was how easily the lens cap pops off the kit lens as several times I found it laying at the bottom of my camera bag instead of dutifully protecting the glass. I put a UV filter on the lens as an extra precaution. USB-C data transfer speeds were pretty good when uploading photos to my computer and the wireless connectivity to copy photos directly to a mobile device worked fine, albeit slowly. I did like being able to use my smartphone as a remote monitor and control for the camera via the Canon mobile app. While this latest addition to Canon’s EOS-M lineup has the highest resolution of any ASP-C sized sensor digital camera made to date and is certainly geared towards enthusiast photographers replete with plenty of manual controls, the lack of an electronic viewfinder and lackluster 4K video performance may be a deal breaker for some photographers or filmmakers. However, for users who might not place so much importance on those features, it’s a solidly performing mirrorless camera with fast and accurate autofocus that takes sharp detailed images, even with the basic kit lens, and has the capability to meet a wide range of needs.

As much as I love this little camera, if you are looking for a simple point-and-shoot that requires a minimum amount of effort, look elsewhere. However, if you are serious about getting into photography as a hobby and are tired of the picture quality of your smartphone, read on, as this is a perfect kit for you or a wonderful gift for someone with similar aspirations. This Canon M6 Mark II is an amazing little “jewel” to hold and explore. It contains a “Creative Filter” mode that smartphone users have come to enjoy and expect. I too have used my iPhone for many photo needs, but I am quite often put off by the wide-angle cartoonish distortion, noisy low-light graininess of the images, and digital-only zoom capability. Anyone who cares at all about the photographic history of their life owes it to themselves to invest in a real camera and spend the time needed to properly operate it and reap the full benefit of its capabilities. While the paper “Getting Started” guide that is packed with this camera contains 29 pages in English, the digital manual, online at Canon’s web site is 606 pages long, chock full of information on what this little powerhouse of a camera can do. If you are contemplating a purchase at this price point, you are either an enthusiast that might have a bit of an investment in photo equipment and will probably buy based on the brand of that equipment so that you can utilize lenses you already own or you are ready to jump in head first and will choose what best fits your perceived needs. If you are one of the latter, you will not be disappointed in this Canon. It takes first rate still pictures at 32 megapixels thus allowing you the luxury of cropping and still being able to enlarge the image and having a shot you can be proud to share and display. Combine that with 4K video capability…4K…at home…boggles my mind…and you have what you need to become your own director. Throw this up on a 4K capable television and all I can say is stunning…absolutely stunning. What this does compared to tech I grew up with and grew old with is simply amazing. Still photos taken at 14 frames-per-second! No more “missed” shots, or imperfect timing. The 4K video is at 30 frames-per-second and full High-Def at 60 fps! There is supposed to be an upcoming firmware update to allow 24 fps for videophiles that prefer that frame-rate which is the same as the motion picture industry uses. That makes for video that we are already accustomed to viewing as the eye can perceive the subtle difference in appearance between 24 and 30 frames-per-second. I’m going to touch on a few of the many positives of this Canon first. The LCD screen on the back of the camera is a touchscreen which, if you have ever slogged through menus using a directional pad (cross keys) and the “Set” button, is a godsend. The screen on the M6 Mark II is so easy to use that it is just as responsive as that on any smartphone I have ever used. Now combine that with the fact that the screen tilts to give you flexibility in how and where you hold the camera to frame a shot - down low or up high over a crowd. The screen even folds up over the camera body 180 degrees so that you can see it from the front of the camera for taking selfies! This camera has the right amount of “hard button” controls, dials and switches and buttons, to make using it a real pleasure. It can be a little intimidating at first, but the more you use it, the more intuitive it becomes. Your fingers fall right into place to make using the controls simply by feel, become second nature in just a short time. And even more goodness is the ability to custom program just about all of the buttons and dials to the functions you desire and use frequently. This kind of custom tailoring makes using the camera so mush easier as you can “build” it to your liking. For those with some idea about basic camera functions, the M6 has two shutters, an electronic shutter that is typically found on mirrorless cameras and a mechanical shutter which is usually found on single-lens reflex cameras. Both types of shutters have their own pros and cons, which is too involved to discuss here, but it is advantageous to have both types of shutters. The electronic shutter can shoot form 1/16000th of a second to 30 seconds and the mechanical shutter from 1/4000th of a second to 30 seconds. An ISO range of 100 to 25600 gives you the ability to shoot in low light conditions without using a flash. These specs are just amazing. The body and electronic view finder (EVF) hardware are made in Japan and the lens in this kit was manufactured in Taiwan. To take nothing away from the lens (although it appears to be mostly plastic/composite construction, thus lightness), the quality of the feel and appearance of the body are about as close to excellence as you can get in my opinion and are so pleasant to hold and manipulate - I just love the feel of well made hardware. There is a single slot for an SD memory card and it is located under the same door on the bottom plate as the battery. Pro-grade cameras usually have two memory card slots, but I doubt even the serious amateurs will miss the second slot. The user manual states that there is no size limit to the memory cards the camera can support. The camera supports the newest UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed), but I was able to record 4K video with an UHS-I card with no issues. The manual states to use UHS-II memory cards when you plan to shoot RAW format images in burst mode (these are large files that have to be saved very quickly). To watch playback on your big-screen TV, you will need to purchase a cable that is HDMI Type-A on one end (the TV end) and HDMI Type-D (the camera end). These are available for a reasonable price from the aftermarket. There are eight Canon EF-M lenses available that range from 11mm focal length to 200mm - in 35mm camera-speak that is from 18mm (wide angle) to 320mm (telephoto), where 50mm is a “normal” lens…it sees the scene the way the human eye sees it. If you have never had a camera system with interchangeable lens capability, you will be amazed at the wide scope of functionality it affords you, especially over using your smartphone. The variety of OEM lenses are prime (single, fixed focal length), zoom (multiple magnifications from wide angle to telephoto), and even a macro lens for extreme close-ups. After buying full-frame lenses for my DSLR, it is a treat to look at the reasonable prices for these M-Series lenses. This 15-45mm lens that comes in the kit has a sliding button on the barrel of the lens that needs to be used while slightly rotating the lens to enable the use of it. While I had never seen this before and found it a little cumbersome at first, I quickly became accustomed to it. Not all of the Canon lenses incorporate this feature, however. Now for the things I was slightly less than enthused about. The electronic view finder is basically a tiny LCD screen that you put your eye up to rather than looking at the large LCD screen on the back of the camera at arm’s length. This mainly helps you to compose shots when you are in bright sunlight that washes out the big LCD screen and also lets you concentrate on composition with less distractions. On the M6 Mark II this little view finder is an extra piece of hardware that attaches to the camera on the hot shoe accessory attachment point. This means two things, you have another piece of equipment to carry around in case you need it and it uses up the hot shoe spot meaning you cannot simultaneously use an accessory flash or other hot shoe-mounted item like an external microphone for video recording. It also makes the camera look less sleek in appearance, but at the same time it keeps the body dimensions at an absolute minimum. This EVF also has some excessive color saturation and the scenes you are looking at are more vivid than they naturally appear to be - probably a minor issue at worst. And speaking of using a flash, the camera has a built-in pop-up flash. However this flash does not automatically deploy from the its hiding spot when needed like on some other cameras, but you have to push a mechanical switch on the side of the camera for it to extend. I guess the nice thing about that is that you don’t have the flash inadvertently firing for a scene where you want just ambient lighting. This is different than what I am used to, so it might not be a negative for some people. The flash can also be manually pushed up with a finger on your left hand to make the light bounce off the ceiling for softer lighting with less harsh shadows, a handy feature. The battery gauge on the display is a simple three segment icon that looks like a little AA battery. I would have hoped for a digital battery-percentage remaining like I am used to seeing on my cell phone so that it might give me a more realistic expectation of existing battery life. Battery life is not as good as some other cameras, but this is going to be strictly a function of physical size of the battery and how much the user utilizes the main LCD screen. If I was shopping for an advanced-amateur camera today, I would have to give serious consideration to choosing the Canon M6 Mark II over my digital single-lens reflex, thus saving myself a bunch of cash and making it so much easier to take the whole system with me when traveling or going out in the field on a shoot for fun. This Canon is currently one of the most advanced and feature-filled mirrorless cameras on the market and one that will provide the average user with plenty to grow into as their skills develop. Your future self will thank you for the fantastic photographic memories that this camera will provide in the years to come. Don’t waste any more special moments and events using only a smartphone to record them.

As a photography novice I was surprised at how intuitive and easy to use this camera was. The controls are excellent, it’s comfortable to hold, and it’s really easy to take great pictures. There are a lot of great in depth reviews of this camera out there, but I’m writing this from the perspective of a beginner. This kit includes the camera body, a 15-45mm zoom lens, and a detachable electronic viewfinder. The camera body is compact, but very comfortable to hold. Even with the lens attached it’s still very easy to handle. The LCD screen tilts and flips to just about any angle you’d need, though with the EVF attached it cannot flip all the way around. The button and dial layouts were somewhat familiar to me from previous Canon cameras that I’ve used what I didn’t recognize immediately I was able to figure out after just a few minutes. All the modes are clearly laid out on the dial and settings adjustments can be made via the touchscreen or the other navigation dials. Shooting with M6 I stuck mostly with the Intelligent Auto mode and it produced good results in lower light and excellent results outside in natural light. The pin-sharpness of the 32MP resolution really shines outside and allowed me to crop and zoom and still have a great picture at the end. I have been slowly familiarizing myself with the other modes and only expect my experience to improve and I’ve been really happy with what I’ve been able to get with just my limited knowledge. The video quality is good, but the options are more limited and it doesn’t seem to be a focus with this camera. Transferring images back to my phone or PC was super easy with the Canon Camera Connect app. Overall I think this is a great camera for beginners such as myself. Its small size makes it easy to handle and the interface makes shooting great photos easy. The 15-45mm zoom lens that is included is good, but I do think I will be investing in the 32mm lens at some point in the future.

Pros: * Compact and easy to handle. * Useful articulating touchscreen. * Easy to get great photos and videos in fully automatic mode. * Tons of manual, creative and customization modes and settings. * Included electronic viewfinder great for bright outdoor settings. * Built-in connectivity via WiFi and Bluetooth. * Built-in flash fills in basic lighting gaps. Cons: * A bit of a learning curve to take full advantage of all of the nuanced and detailed features. * Flash doesn’t work as lighting for video recording. * Might be a bit too compact for those with larger hands. My Review: Sure - most of us use our phones as our primary camera these days. They are super convenient and take pretty good photos and videos; all things considered. You know what the say - the best camera for the shot is the one you have with you, and our phones are nearly always with us. But for those who want a bit more out of their photography or videography, there is still a need for a good “real” camera. A camera that has a lens that is significantly larger than the tiny dot built into your smartphone. A camera that can vary the actual focus and lighting and has tons of manual and creative options that are more than just software tweaks. This Canon compact camera does it all! It’s small enough to carry with you when you know you want a great shot or that perfect video. It’s as easy to use in automatic mode as your smartphone and the built in articulating touchscreen recognizes most of the same gestures as you’re used to for selecting, scrolling and zooming in on your captured shots. Software in a smartphone can do amazing things, but the lens is what really makes a good camera, and this Canon comes with and uses interchangeable lenses that a tons better than any phone. There is a dizzying array of creative options even in automatic mode. But for those who want a little more control over the capture, you can fully dial in the exact aperture, shutter speed, ISO rating, etc. to make sure you get the perfect shot or video. Most everything can be done with the touchscreen, but there are also tons of physical buttons and dials to make the right adjustments. In fact, there are no fewer than 3 rotary dials, 16 buttons or switches and the main mode selector knob. Most of these are there for shortcuts or for when you’re using the provided electronic viewfinder instead of the touchscreen. There is a slight learning curve even for those familiar with “real” photography, but overall it’s an easy transition from the great automatic modes to the fully manual ones and still get the perfect shot. The video recording is quite good as well, because it’s also using that “real” lens rather than the tiny dot on your phone. My only small gripe is that we’re all probably used to the flash on a smartphone doubling as a video light. This camera does have a built-in flash, but it’s only for still images and not for video. For connectivity, there is built-in Bluetooth and WiFi, USB-C or you can just take out the SD card (not provided) and sneaker-net the photos to your device of choice. The built-in WiFi allows you to connect the camera to the app on the smartphone you’re probably still carrying anyway. The app on the phone can then be used to fully control the camera or just as a place for the photos to automatically transfer to. When connected via Bluetooth or Wifi to your phone, it uses the phone’s GPS to geotag the shots as well. You can even connect the WiFi to a hotspot and have the camera directly upload photos to cloud-based services like Google Drive or Canon’s own photo service. The battery so far has lasted for tons of images and videos even with the built-in flash firing for the stills. You can take out the battery to put in the provided charger or just plug it iv via USB-C and charge the battery while still installed in the camera. The grips are very comfortable but I have slightly smaller hands - those with larger hands might not find it as comfortable after long photography sessions. I wouldn’t necessarily call this a “starter” real camera, but it’s great mid-level one for both casual photographers and seasoned pros who want something more compact than a full-size DSLR. This is my first Canon camera and I’ve been really impressed! I look forward to seeing where my creativity will take me with this awesome camera along for the ride.