The Canon EOS M6 Mark II was released simultaneously with the Canon EOS 90D DSLR. In addition to being an improvement over its predecessor, the EOS M6 Mark II is, in some ways, a tiny version of the 90D because both cameras use the same sensor.
While some of Canon’s M-series models are underappreciated and good performers, the original M6 may not have been the easiest to fall in love with. Recently, Canon’s M range of mirrorless APS-C cameras has been playing second fiddle to the company’s full-frame alternatives.
The EOS M6 Mark II is a camera that has undergone a significant redesign since its predecessor. It is now regarded as one of the finest mirrorless cameras for beginners and is also considered as one of the most excellent Canon cameras. For a model that may otherwise primarily appeal to vacation photographers, Canon made a courageous step when it decided to install a high-resolution sensor inside of a compact body and to also include a variety of impressive action-friendly specs. This choice was made for the EOS M100.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Features
The image sensor of the Canon EOS M6 Mark II has a significantly higher resolution than the one in the Canon EOS M6. It has more pixels than any other APS-C sensor that Canon has ever produced.
To go along with that, there is the most recent Digic 8 processing engine, which provides the M6 Mark II a fantastic performance gain over the M5 and the M6 – notably, the ability to shoot at 14 frames per second with continuous focusing while maintaining full resolution. If you can get by with “only” 18 megapixels, a raw burst mode shoots at 30 frames per second.
Vloggers may find the M6 Mark II an appealing option with its tilting screen, microphone connector, and compact size, in addition to uncropped 4K video recording, which is another significant enhancement.
In terms of autofocus, we have some new capabilities in eye detection. This is something we’ve seen before on Canon’s EOS R and EOS RP full-frame mirrorless models; however, you shouldn’t expect to utilize it for more than one subject at a time.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Build Quality
Canon crammed an incredible number of features into the body of the EOS M6 Mark II, even though it has a rather plain appearance, and its size belies what it is capable of beneath the hood.
Although it weighs just 408 grams, the M6 Mark II nevertheless feels substantially more sturdy than before, thanks to a new grip that was added to the device. There is not a built-in viewfinder, which will be a drawback for some purists; however, for those transitioning from a smartphone, this will be less of an issue; additionally, if you feel the need for a viewfinder, the detachable EVF-DC2 finder is offered as an additional accessory that can be purchased separately.
LCD with 1.04 million dots and tilting functionality is carried over from the M6’s initial generation. This rotates to face all the way forward, making it ideal for taking selfies, and it also tilts down to a 45-degree angle, making it suitable for photographing from elevated positions.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Autofocus
Compared to the first generation of the M6, the Canon EOS M6 Mark II has 5481 points, which may seem intimidating, but rest assured that you won’t be required to browse through that many of them. Tap pretty much anywhere on the screen to choose a focusing point. In practice, you may tap pretty much anywhere on the net. If you decide to hand over control of the selection process to the camera, it will utilize 143 different auto AF regions.
The speed at which the M6 Mark II can focus is quite remarkable; in this regard, there is no time to waste. With sufficient illumination, the camera can lock onto its objects with noteworthy swiftness and precision. There may be some hunting in extremely dim light, but a false confirmation of focus will rarely be displayed. This only happens very infrequently.
This camera’s ability to take 14 frames per second while maintaining focus between each image is one of its most notable characteristics; as a result, it is ideally suited for capturing sports and other types of action photography.
The hit rate is pretty impressive: as long as you are tracking a moving subject that isn’t too unpredictable, the M6 Mark II does an excellent job at keeping up with the action as long as you are following it (and bear in mind that we tested the camera with the 15-45mm kit lens – other optics may deliver even better performance).
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Performance
For a small camera, the Canon EOS M6 Mark II packs many features that will appeal to photographers in fields such as action, sports, and wildlife photography. However, first impressions can be deceiving, and the Canon EOS M6 Mark II may not immediately strike you as suitable for these types of photography.
One of these features is the ability to shoot at 14 frames per second, which makes use of the sensor’s maximum resolution. Alternatively, if you are content to shoot at 18 megapixels instead, there is a dedicated 30 frames per second RAW burst mode. The buffer isn’t huge, which is a drawback. You’ll be able to record 54 JPEGs or 23 raw files before it starts to slow down. A smart alternative is to configure the camera to capture smaller C-raw files, in which case you’ll get 36 of those.
The Canon EOS M6 Mark II has an official battery rating of 305 shots, which is not particularly impressive. Still, if you carefully control the power in your camera, you can often get significantly more than that out of it. The good news is that charging through USB-C is available. This is convenient for recharging devices while on the go or for those who do not wish to bring many chargers when they travel.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Image Quality
As a result of receiving an award for having the highest-ever resolution, the new sensor housed within the Canon EOS M6 Mark II (as well as the Canon EOS 90D) is subject to some relatively high expectations; fortunately, it can produce photographs that have an exceptional appearance.
Unfortunately, this camera does not come with an integrated optical image stabilization system, as this necessitates a more deliberate approach to photography on the user’s part (for example, using faster shutter speeds or higher ISOs). Nevertheless, we were pretty impressed with the performance of such a compact and lightweight camera, especially considering its ability to produce high-quality images.
We took pictures with the various Picture Style settings, but our favorite is the Fine Information option. This setting makes the most of the ultra-high pixel count to produce photos that nearly leap off the screen and have fantastic colors and a lot of detail.
Naturally, many will also shoot raw. The raw files produced by the M6 Mark II are pretty pliable, providing you with enough opportunity to modify the exposure after the fact using the camera.
Only the EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 lens was provided to us for testing with the camera, and while it is a decent walkabout lens for everyday use, you are likely to find that you crave better and more versatile optics at some point in the future. Our only lens for testing with the camera was the EF-M 15-45mm f/3.5-6.3 lens. Given the compact nature of the EOS M6 Mark II, the EF-M 32mm f/1.4 lens is an excellent choice for shooting topics such as travel and street photography due to its fast aperture.
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Specs
| Body type | Rangefinder-style mirrorless |
|---|---|
| Body material | Magnesium alloy |
| Sensor | |
| Max resolution | 6960 x 4640 |
| Image ratio w:h | 1:1, 4:3, 3:2, 16:9 |
| Effective pixels | 33 megapixels |
| Sensor photo detectors | 34 megapixels |
| Sensor size | APS-C (22.3 x 14.9 mm) |
| Sensor type | CMOS |
| Processor | DIGIC 8 |
| Color space | sRGB, Adobe RGB |
| Color filter array | Primary color filter |
| Image | |
| ISO | Auto, 100-25600 (expands to 51200) |
| Boosted ISO (maximum) | 51200 |
| White balance presets | 6 |
| Custom white balance | Yes |
| Image stabilization | No |
| Uncompressed format | RAW |
| JPEG quality levels | Fine, normal |
| File format | JPEG (Exif v2.31)Raw (Canon CR3, 14-bit) |
| Optics & Focus | |
| Autofocus | Phase DetectMulti-areaCenterSelective single-pointTrackingSingleContinuousTouchFace DetectionLive View |
| Autofocus assist lamp | Yes |
| Manual focus | Yes |
| Number of focus points | 143 |
| Lens mount | Canon EF-M |
| Focal length multiplier | 1.6× |
| Screen / viewfinder | |
| Articulated LCD | Tilting |
| Screen size | 3″ |
| Screen dots | 1,040,000 |
| Touch screen | Yes |
| Screen type | TFT LCD |
| Live view | Yes |
| Viewfinder type | Electronic (optional) |
| Viewfinder coverage | 100% |
| Viewfinder resolution | 2,360,000 |
| Photography features | |
| Minimum shutter speed | 30 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed | 1/4000 sec |
| Maximum shutter speed (electronic) | 1/16000 sec |
| Exposure modes | ProgramShutter priorityAperture priorityManual |
| Scene modes | Self-Portrait, Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports, Food, Panning, Handheld Night Scene, HDR Backlight Control |
| Built-in flash | Yes |
| Flash range | 4.60 m (at ISO 100) |
| External flash | Yes (via hot shoe) |
| Drive modes | SingleHigh-speed continuousPanningLow-speed continuousSelf-timer/remote |
| Continuous drive | 14.0 fps |
| Self-timer | Yes (2 or 10 sec) |
| Metering modes | MultiCenter-weightedSpot |
| Exposure compensation | ±3 (at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
| AE Bracketing | ±3 (3 frames at 1/3 EV, 1/2 EV steps) |
| WB Bracketing | Yes |
| Videography features | |
| Format | MPEG-4, H.264 |
| Modes | 3840 x 2160 @ 30p / 120 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 120p / 120 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 60p / 60 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC1920 x 1080 @ 30p / 30 Mbps, MP4, H.264, AAC |
| Microphone | Stereo |
| Speaker | Mono |
| Storage | |
| Storage types | SD/SDHC/SDXC card (UHS-II supported) |
| Connectivity | |
| USB | USB 2.0 (480 Mbit/sec) |
| USB charging | Yes (with USB-PD compatible chargers) |
| HDMI | Yes (Micro HDMI) |
| Microphone port | Yes |
| Headphone port | No |
| Wireless | Built-In |
| Wireless notes | 802.11b/g/n + Bluetooth |
| Remote control | Yes (wireless or smartphone) |
| Physical | |
| Environmentally sealed | No |
| Battery | Battery Pack |
| Battery description | LP-E17 lithium-ion battery & charger |
| Battery Life (CIPA) | 305 |
| Weight (inc. batteries) | 408 g (0.90 lb / 14.39 oz) |
| Dimensions | 120 x 70 x 49 mm (4.72 x 2.76 x 1.93″) |
| Other features | |
| Orientation sensor | Yes |
| Timelapse recording | Yes |
| GPS | None |
Canon EOS M6 Mark II Verdict
The Canon EOS M6 Mark II is a camera that has a lot of positive qualities going for it. Its tiny size and low weight make it the ideal traveling companion, and it does not compromise on specs and capabilities. It has a super-high resolution APS-C sensor, can shoot at 14 frames per second and can record in uncropped 4K. Although we do have a few concerns, on the whole, this is an excellent camera that is certainly deserving of your attention.
