Canon EOS M6 Mark II Review: Canon’s Best Compact Camera For Hi-Resolution Still Photography
Canon is constantly adding new cameras to the company’s portfolio, specifically in the mirrorless range. The company recently announced the compact flagship EOS M6 Mark ii, the APS-C mirrorless camera in India in October 2019. The M6 Mark ii replaces the older M6, and the M5, and is essentially an interchangeable-lens camera engineered for amateur photographers or even professionals that seek high-resolution photography within a compact form-factor.
- Compact And Lightweight Design
- Powerful Sensor Captures High-Res. Images
- Uncropped 4K Footage
- 14fps Burst Shoot
- Brilliant Autofocus Capabilities
- No Built-in EVF
- Limited Native Lens-Support
- Lacks Built-in Stabilization
The EOS M6 Mark II with kit lens (EF-M15mm-45mm f/3.5-6.3 IS STM lens) is available in India at Rs. 83 995. The highlight of the compact mirrorless camera is the big 32.5 Megapixel APS-C CMOS sensor, which is complemented by the faster-locking and fast-tracking autofocus system.
Backed by the Canon’s dual-pixel technology, the EOS M6 Mark ii is capable of delivering impressive 14 fps burst shooting speeds and 30 fps in Raw Burst mode. However, there are some downsides too. The premium mirrorless shooter is not weather-sealed and does not feature a built-in electronic viewfinder. The company shared the EOS M6 Mark ii unit with us for testing with the kit lens. Here’s what we found out.
The Canon EOS M6 Mark ii is a delight to use due to its compact design. Thanks to the APS-C sensor (Image size- 22.3 x 14.8 mm) and the small EOS M mount size, the M6 Mark ii is smaller and lighter than a full-frame camera making it perfect for content creators and street photographers. At 408g with battery and the storage card inside, the camera lets you comfortably shoot videos and capture pictures. You can even capture shots with one hand if the autofocus isn’t set to manual.
The handgrip could have been deeper but what more you can expect from a camera this compact. The twin dial controls on the top surface of the camera further add to the convenience. Additionally, the 3.0″ touchscreen flips up by 180° thus enabling comfortable shooting in complex scenarios. Overall, the M6 Mark ii scores quite high on ergonomics making it a perfect compact shooter for photographers who want a capable device without the unnecessary bulk.
If you already are a Canon EOS user, you will feel at home as the M6 Mark ii mimics the operation buttons and dials of high-end EOS models with some neat additions. The compact mirrorless features twin control dials. You can quickly change the widely used shooting modes with the left dial on the top plate. The second one allows you to change focus and aperture. The shutter button is positioned at an angle above the handgrip encircled by a scrolling dial. The dial allows you to control various settings depending upon the camera mode you are using to take pictures.
Canon got away with the two-level EV control for a single dial which has a control button at its centre. This button lets you quickly change the ISO levels, white balance and a variety of other important camera settings. A dedicated switch button is placed at the rear side to quickly change the camera’s focus mode.
The lack of a built-in electronic viewfinder is a big disappointment. We got the unit without the additional accessory which restricted the photography experience to a big extent. If you are investing in the Canon EOS M6 Mark ii, make sure you are ready to spend another Rs. 14,000 (approx.) for the EVF which takes the price to approximate Rs. 1 lac.
The EOS M6 Mark ii flaunts a crisp 3.0″Clear View LCD II screen that supports capacitive touch and offers a high resolution of 1,040,000 dots. You can tilt the touch-enabled LCD to 180° up and 45° down to shoot in complex scenarios. These two angular movements enable high visibility of the LCD panel making the EOS M6 Mark ii a vlogger’s delight. You can tilt the screen to capture selfies and record video intros for your content platform with ease. Overall, the compact form factor combined with the flip-up display makes the EOS M6 Mark ii a powerful content creation gadget.
The M6 Mark ii also gets the ‘eye-detection’ mode of the company’s full-frame mirrorless cameras. The subject-tracking is impressive while using the camera in servo mode with eye-detection mode enabled. I was able to focus on the composition while the Eye AF locked the focus effectively on the moving subject in the frame. However, it is worth mentioning that the camera’s AF focuses on the closest eye/face movements if there are more than one subjects in the composition.