Canon EOS R6 II for PHOTOGRAPHY review vs A7 IV and S5 II 

My Canon EOS R6 II in-depth review vs Sony A7 IV and Lumix S5 II Canon EOS R6 II at B&H: bhpho.to/3UeGKhR // WEX UK: tidd.ly/3FE7Jzq Buy Gordon a coffee: www.paypal.me/cameralabs Gordon's In Camera book: amzn.to/2n61PfI / Amazon uk: amzn.to/2mBqRVZ Cameralabs merchandise: redbubble.com/people/cameralabs/shop Gordon’s retro gear channel: ru-vid.com Check MPB to buy and sell used gear: bit.ly/3ULU9yL Check eBay to find vintage gear: rover.ebay.com/rover/1/711-53200-19255-0/1?icep_ff3=1&pub=5574908462&toolid=10001&campid=5338329149&customid=&ipn=psmain&icep_vectorid=229466&kwid=902099&mtid=824&kw=lg Lost photos? I recover mine with: www.dpbolvw.net/click-100568658-13808570?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.stellarinfo.com%2Fphoto-recovery-software.php Equipment used for producing my videos Sony A6400: prf.hn/l/pRO0wp5 Sony e 24mm f1.8: amzn.to/2TqWNzk Rode NT USB mic: amzn.to/3AdHcUp Rode Wireless Go II mic: amzn.to/3xkCvGo Rode Lavalier Go mic: amzn.to/3ygzzKY Godox UL150 light: amzn.to/2VpVbXE Godox QR-P70 softbox: amzn.to/3yQfGdF MacBook Pro 14in (16GB / 1TB): amzn.to/3PrKbPV 00:00 - Introduction and alternatives 02:04 - Canon EOS R6 II design and controls 03:12 - Canon EOS R6 II screen and viewfinder 03:41 - Canon EOS R6 II card slots, ports and battery 05:18 - Canon EOS R6 II lens mount and lenses 06:58 - Canon EOS R6 II image quality options 08:11 - Canon EOS R6 II resolution vs A7 IV and S5 II 09:42 - Canon EOS R6 II noise high ISO vs A7 IV and S5 II 11:41 - Canon EOS R6 II dynamic range with mechanical shutter 12:22 - Canon EOS R6 II IBIS stabilization 13:55 - Canon EOS R6 II autofocus and subject tracking 19:34 - Canon EOS R6 II burst speeds 22:07 - Canon EOS R6 II wildlife bird and action photography 23:23 - Canon EOS R6 II RAW burst mode 24:52 - Canon EOS R6 II electronic rolling shutter skewing 26:24 - Canon EOS R6 II lenses for fastest bursts 27:04 - Canon EOS R6 II bulb timer 27:24 - Canon EOS R6 II focus bracketing 29:06 - Canon EOS R6 II multiple exposures 29:36 - Canon EOS R6 II sample images and verdict Music: www.davidcuttermusic.com / @dcuttermusic As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases

Gordon, you might not know this mate, but these reviews are simply unbeatable at helping us folk in the market. Keep up the good work brother

As always, the best and the most comprehensive review out there.

I truly appreciate the amount of work needed to put this video together. Thank you.

Well done and spot on! I am a wildlife photographer. I picked up an R6 ii as a back up body to my R5 and find I prefer it to the R5 whenever I can get the subject big enough in the frame (large mammals). For small birds I still prefer the R5. I use the R6 with a variety of lenses 14-35, 24-105, 100-500, EF 600 F4 III, EF 500 F4 II, and the previously unused 800 F11. The 800 was the big surprise focus area is dramatically increased on the R6 ii which combines with its excellent performance in low light and killer focusing to make that a very usable lens with excellent IQ.

Been watching your videos for years and still some of the best reviews, overviews and incredibly detailed information on the internet today. Thanks Gordon!

Great video with very good comparisons. Thank you. Some features make me want to add the R6 II alongside my R5 or wait for the rumored R5 II.

Marvelous review Gordon, so much detail here, thanks.

Another comprehensive no nonsense and review, thanks Gordon. Good to see in these days of clickbait there are still some professional you tubers. Cheers Ian

As always, the most thorough, clear reviews.

I watched every second and enjoyed your review thoroughly. Thank you for being so detailed. I currently have and enjoy using the R6. I hope to upgrade to this version come summer. Once again, thank you for your review.

Looks like they are really starting to make the mirrorless space their own, and have finally worked out that you can put great features into a moderately priced body without cannibalizing the high end market.

This is my favorite waterfall to shoot in TN. There are so many good shots to take here. I love it when the pool beneath fall is full. Nice shots. 🙌 Keep up the good work.

I always appreciate your no-nonsense and detailed reviews. I have been shooting with the R6II for a month or two - only stills, I am not a videographer. I would like to make a couple of points about the 3rd party lens issue - accepting that reviews age with time: 1. Sony started out with their mount came out in 2010, about 8 years earlier than Canon or Nikon did and I took the trouble to find every third party lens released for their MILC mount. It turns out that the first 3rd party lenses came out only SLIGHTLY earlier than Canon or Nikon, and the mass of those third party lenses came out after 8 years, so they have had a major time advantage. 2. At time of writing both Canon and Nikon have said that they will allow 3rd party lenses on a case-by-case basis, and one RF autofocus 3rd party lens has been released by Meike in April 2023. 3. I have been shooting with the R5, R6 and R6II, using legacy Canon EF lenses, as well as the Sigma 150-600c and Sigma 60-600s lenses. Personally, I have not experienced the pulsing that some people have apparently found, and I think this could be due to how the lenses have been set up - as I have customized both using the Sigma docking station, and how the Canon Autofocus Eye tracking has been configured - which can vary wildly among users.. I am expecting Sigma to get the go-ahead to eventually release an RF version of their recent 60-600 release for Sony, but in the meantime I don't feel any frustrations. I have never had an issue with my legacy EF lenses: 70-200 f/2.8 MkII, 70-200 f/4 MkII, (both IS USM), 70-300L, 100-400MkII, 24-105 MkI L, 17-40 f/4L.

The very best review of the R6 II i´ve read so far. You covered details i didn´t know i would be interested in, but i was. Hats off!

I'm a total noob to this hobby and this was so much great information. Thank you!

your seagull in flight is the highlight of your video for me. Always look forward to it. VERY few reviewers even know how to do that

Great review. I would note on your comments on lack of 3rd party lenses, that Sony has been out for almost 10 years, so it has had a long time to establish its own lens portfolio and get back the investment in its mount technology. I use Sigma EF lenses: 150-600c and 60-600s lenses with my R5 and R6 bodies with no issues.

Gordon! I have all EF adapted lenses for the R6 II and they all get H+ speeds. And they work amazing! The EF Sigma 50 1.4 focuses 2x faster than the RF50 (both the 1.8 and 1.2). These all work with H+ mode EF Sigma Art 50 1.4 EF Sigma Art 14-24 2.8 EF Canon 70-200 2.8 IS Mark III Shot hockey with the 70-200 and yup, full H+ speeds (around 12 FPS) and it was 100% accurate... the best focusing setup I've ever used and I've been a pro shooter for about 18 years.

Excellent stuff as always, Gordon! I hadn't really been giving any thought to moving to mirrorless, being very happy with my 7D2 and 1DX3. But more and more, I find myself tempted to add the R62 to my camera bag. I think it would be a great addition to my kit, since I could keep using my Canon glass with the EF-RF adapter.

This was such an amazingly thorough video! Been eyeballing the Mark II for a while and have been growing more and more confident to purchase one to enhance my channel's video quality. You might have just tipped my motivation to get one, good sir - well done and thanks for putting this together!

Looks like a very competent camera with well thought out updates to the user interface and functionality.

Thanks for one of the most comprehensive, easy to understand reviews.

As an original R6 owner, your review makes a compelling case to upgrade to the Mark II. But I also have an R5. So I'll wait to see if an R5 II arrives as rumored. If so, I'll have a tough decision on which to swap my R6 for, depending on the R5 II price and features.

Great review, thanks Gordon!

Thank you Gordon. I am a Canon DSLR user who is well overdue in my jump to Mirrorless. Your video phenomenal features I haven't seen in other videos, and which I now must have!

I used the burst mode with the RF 100-500, of a heron taking off and flying away, 165 shots with perfect eye tracking on 164 of the shots, very impresstve

Thanks for this photography review and comparison 🎉. I have been looking for this. Most reviews just focus on video

I have noticed that many people complain about third-party lenses. I own Sony A7IV cameras with all Sony G-Master native lenses. Recently, I purchased the Canon R5 and R6 II with all the RF lenses. I take pride in owning Canon cameras and their lenses. Even if Canon were to open the door for third-party lenses, I would still prefer to buy all RF lenses.

I have often seen reviewers to point out that S5 needs to be tripod mounted. However, in 'mode 2' of motion handling mode, handheld works pretty good with fast shutter speed. It helps with noise. Also, long exposure shots can be extended. However, there is a limit of 8 sec. Shutter speed in this mode.

Thanks for another awesome review.

PreCapture and in camera focus stacking are valuable additions.

Definitely want to see Sigma on the RF mount, but for now adapted lenses are a very seamless experience.

I love the fellas at DP review. But you really set the standard in terms of depth of testing. Thanks so much!

I brought R6II in December because the good reviews of auto-focus. Well, when you look at the camera screen during the shooting, it seems to auto-focus eyes very well. However, when you review your photos of mechanical burst, if you look at the image afterwards , only less than 25% is focus on the eye. Most (about 40%) focus in between eyes when person moves slowly from side to side.

as Always, a very good and detailed review.

Definitely the best camera in it's price range! With full frame oversampled 4k60 (best in the mirrorless world), 12/40 fps for photos, fastest sensor readout of any full frame non stacked sensor, best battery life of any mirrorless camera (outside of the R3 and z9 that are 2x as big and cost 3x as much) and class leading AF, nothing really can touch it. And I use all third party lenses without issue. I have the Sigma Art lenses adapted to EF so third party options are not an issue. Unlike with Sony, Nikon and Panasonic... Canon has no performance loss with adapted lenses. In fact my Sigma Art 50 1.4 focuses 2x faster than either of the RF 50 lenses (1.2 and 1.8) and costs 1/3 the price and is just as sharp as the RF 50 1.2.

Great review. Thank you.

Thank you Gordon for another extremely detailed review. I am very pleased with the upgrade to version two from my previous r6. the 40 frames per second coupled with the much better autofocus give me much more keepers for sports photography. this advantage also applies to more general photography. it has also encouraged me to go into video thanks to its two distinct and configurable modes. all in all this new version has eliminated all the little frustrations that went with the original r6. I've made some informed choices thanks to you. I've made donations for each significant buy...still I feel you helped me save money. getting the wrong gear can be quite expensive after all best regards

Love my R6 MKII and R3 thanks for a great review and making me more confident in my choice - cheers Hieth

Great review thanks! I want to jump to mirrorless or my 5D4, and I think this is one to go for. Bummer about the 3rd party lens issue but I recon that will change later this year. I will adapt my EF glass. Excited about the eye detect and 12fps for wildlife especially, plus the focus stack for macro. Do you think and EF adapted Laowa macro lens will work on this camera?

Wow, the Auto Subject Detection AF mode is very impressive!

Another fantastic video, thank you. I personally take a lot of long exposure night photos of scenes, both moonlit & light painted, I can't find much info comparing the Sony & Canon in this regard. The Sony sports the BSI sensor supposedly good for low light, but then the lower MP count of the Canon should help it in low light too. I currently still use the 6D for such shots but it's time to change..

Thanks Gordon! I love a longer term test on these bodies, so important when raw support is not available on launch videos and reviews

Thanx for your video and info. I'm thinking of getting the R5 or R6ii. At present I've the R7. In a few months the R5ii will be out so it might help me decide otherwise too ... I'll see.

Hi Gordon! Thanks again for another great video. I wish I had waited a little longer to getting my R6, I got main about 3 months before the R6 II came out. I like a couple of the new features on the R6 II, but I think I just stick with what I have. I have been collecting RF lenses and have a pretty decent group: 24-105 L, 35mm, 24mm, 85mm 100-400mm. I think that I will get a 600mm or the 800mm for taking wildlife shots. I live in Central Florida in an area called The Villages, lots of wildlife (birds, alligators, bears, etc.) and I want to take full advantage of all this nature while I can. I've been following you for many years and watch most your videos. Some of my favorites were the ones you did when you were traveling in Morocco! That was a while ago!

That's a wonderful insight and detailed review....Being an occasional enthusiast, I'm using still my Nikon D750 for photography....would it be a best choice to pick Lumix s5ii to explore video features along with photography or canon R6 ii would be better as I can stick with one eco system for longer period?

For video I am so excited about the Panasonic S5-II. The Canon is interesting. I am curious if Tascam support XLR balanced audio for the Canon. The Panasonic does support XLR audio from their own. Sony does the same though especially higher costs. I would chase these mostly for video. The phase detect auto focus for the Panasonic is great. No more breathing background. Systems wise, the Sony wins. Panasonic is next, then Canon. I am amazed Canon has not made open 3rd party lens support. Just silly.

Thanks for this wonderful review! I am at the point of moving from my Canon 80D to mirrorless and am trying to understand the pros and cons of both Canon R6 M2 and Sony A7 4. Your video helped me better visualise the differences with the photos that I would also take. I am not into videos but more into landscapes/nature, animals/birds and architecture photos. What I could not see in the review (I might have missed it as well, kindly excuse me) is the performance at low light, say around sunrise or sunset, if you could cover that part or where to look for, will be great help. Thank you.

Thank you, Gordon. Really looking forward to the upcoming review of the video quality of the R6 II (in particular, dynamic range, low light performance and the full-frame 4K 60fps performance).

awesome video!

So, here we are 10 months after this review and I decided to get the R6-II with the great deal of $500 off the regular price. I already own the R7, so I have a small collection of lenses to get started in the world of full-frame, but my most pressing desire is for Canon to allow 3rd party lenses for the RF mount. I've got an adapted EF Sigma 150-600 for my birding to hold me for now, and a handful of prime lenses including an RF 85mm f/2 that I plan to use quite a bit. I've seen videos about what Canon is ready to launch as far as lenses go, but all are out of my budget even a year from now.

Thanks!

Thanks for a detail review of R6 ll. I want know whether focus bracketing will work with large products like rugs and carpets😮. Thanks

Thank you Gordon, this is really great! I was looking for it.

I'm considering buying the a7 IV, this is just what I need to make the choise easier for me since I will mostly take stills.

I am in a struggle of an upgrade point. I have been looking for an upgrade from my rp, which I enjoy. The a7iv didn’t impress me when it came out, parts of the a7rv have not blown me away, but I am intrigued by the r6ii. But I may hold out to see if there really is an r5ii coming down the pipeline because I want the megapixels of the r5, but the r6ii covers all of my photos needs of nothing else. Very impressive camera for the price I believe.

Thank you for this review. It was very informative. I've never owned or even used a modern mirrorless camera. The closest I've come is my wife's nearly 10-year old Sony DSC-RX100m3 point-&-shoot pocket-camera. I've shot a lot with Nikon DX DSLR bodies since 2004, but I've sold off and/or gifted away all of my Nikon DSLR gear. I prefer what I've seen and read about the Canon EOS R6m2. My brother is pushing me towards the Nikon Z6ii. I'm not looking for pro-caliber lenses. Rather, my budget limits me to f/4 constant maximum aperture zoom lenses and f/1.8 fixed focal length lenses. Historically, I like to photograph people, pets, sports, scenics, and indoors. Video, while important to me, takes a back seat to still photography. Which of these two systems, and camera bodies, would you recommend? Thank you. Good things! 👍

Awesome video only now I’m torn hang fire see what stacked bodies come out or get the r8 as a 2nd body along side my r6 or px the r6 in for the mk2 I love the pano mode and the better sensor readout speed decisions decisions

I’d love to see more of how it does with indoor still photography

Hi Gordon thanks for your video . For wedding fotography which one do you think is better between those three ?

I’m currently a 6Dmkii body shooter. My workhorse lens is the Tamron 24-70m f/2.8. If I upgrade to the R6mkii will my Tamron (with adapter of course) not function in terms of AF? Cheers, Josh.

I can’t wait for the video features review!

I have a pair of 5DM3s and told myself I was never going mirrorless, until I saw the focus performance of this model. Today it goes for $1,999, takes the same battery as my other cameras and the same cards. I was also unaware of the low price lens adapters that allow me to use the dozen current lenses. Please join me in a round of happy birthday to grandpa.

Thank you for such a detailed video. Out of curiosity, what specific SD card was used, and its speed?

For price point...most perfect vs sony nikon fuji. R6 mkii fixed most complaints of r r5 r6 and most don't want r5 bit expensive overkill.. Sadly I have r6 and might upgrade r6 mk2 in future and maybe 2nd body r8.

Hi, I have a YN 50mm 1.4 for Canon EF and tried it on a new Canon R6ii with Canon EF-R adaptor, but unfortunately the lens hunts for focus until the camera freezes. Have contacted Yongnuo and maybe they can come up with a firmware fix for it? But other than that, liking my R6II

Hi Gordon, Sorry for being off topic here... do you have any intel on when the Fujifilm XF 8mm f3.5 will be available? Thanks and best wishes, GB

Hi Gordon, Thanks for a great review, as always. :) during AF test wasn't Lumix switched to Face/EYE detection? In test you have done on S5II Human subject detection mode can track head/body much better with box visible around head/body.

Great video really detailed ! Thank you

The battery info you gave is for the old R6. The new R6 II has a huge improvement over the original R6 (and much better than the S5 II and A7IV) with a CIPA rating of 760 shots with the LCD.... almost 50% better than the R6 and the competition.

Very detailed review. Thanks for this

great in depth 30min+ review on the R6 mk II / S5mk II

Do you know if there is still banding in indoor ambient when shooting silent on electronic shutter, or the faster readout and improved flicker reduction fixed that?

Very interesting comparison! Great job!

great review, thank you. did you review the video too?

Nice. Can’t wait to watch this. Very interested in the R6 Mark II photo capabilities.

Hi Gordon. Bought one about 4 weeks ago but cannot get it to connect to EOS Web Cam facilty. The web cam facility show in OBS but does not show the camera output. My R6 and M6 both worked when I had them. Any ideas.

hello is R6ii compatible wit Dji RS2 procombo? RS2 is in the compatibility list

Great review as always 👌before it was the megapixel war but now the autofocus tracking war is here with Ai and what’s next?

Hi Gordon. Will EOR6 Mark II detect and focul on all people faces in the frame. I have original EOR and that is the biggest issue that I have with it. It would not find all the faces in the picture. What can you say about that. Please let me know. Thank you.

Thanks Gordon for another great review! Excluding the AF Auto setting, how would compare the AF performance for people & animals vs the original R6 ?

Canon still has best skin tones while the lumix magenta push is wild

28:24 My A7rIII can sync flash with pixelshift in ES mode but at 1/13s speeds or slower. Is the A7rV the same or the Canon?

Canon R6 ii for me then !

Do you think there will be any day a sucessor to the Sony A7S III? If the camera has low megapixel, it better has superior low light and video performance

Well done! When do we see the review for video? Cheers!

Gordon, what was the camera thinking when it focused on your manhood at 15:31 instead on your face? :-) :-)

Hi there, I’m considering going from the R6 to the S5IIX for hybrid shooting. However, the excellent AF & tracking on the Canon, especially on the PHOTO side has me hesitating. However I know LUMIX just release a firmware update with improvements to their AF. So I’m wondering if this will compare it to the Canon AF at all? Any suggestion on which way to go?

Could you ask Samsung and Sandisk when they will release an "8TB Portable" SSD?

Thank you Gordon. I can't wait for Lumix vs R6 vs a7IV video comparison. Companies keep giving us 6k, 8k but not what everyone needs: good quality 4k in affordable price! Maybe new cheap Canon camera which you probably been sent for review will bring something good for solo content creators on a budget.

Really wish this had the top display and moved the controls to the right and rejig that video/stills switch. Just such a waste of space and the cost of a display up there would be minimal. Even my EOS 3 and EOS33 film cameras have it :(

Why are the R6mii and R3 so cheap now? Are there some updated versions coming soon?

I shoot concerts so lowlight performance is important. Currently use a 6D mk ii. How is the R6 mk ii for shooting concerts?

Gordon, I fancied the R6II but the DP Review says that the camera sharpens RAW files and this can’t be switched off. Is this common practice with all camera brands?

As a photographer and not a videographer I see no reason to spend the extra cash on the mk.2 What do you think?

When I turn off the R6ii, I get a message on the touchscreen LCD saying "Keep the lens cap on after you turn the camera off"... why do I have to do that? (I'm using a Canon adapter)

Nice video. Are you related to Sting by any chance? 🙂

Nikon Z9 was first to have multi-subject AF select I think, no?

Thanks for this review. I actually considered waiting to get my R6 II until your review would arrived ;-) But I reckoned it would be better to quickly trade in my R6 as I was still able to get a decent value for it. Waiting for the video review now. I'm interested on any thoughts in the new multi-function hot-shoe by the way. I got the DM-E1D microphone to go with the camera. And even though the Sennheiser MKE440 that I also have is definitely a better stereo microphone the convinience of the DM-E1D is so great that I have it near permanently attached to camera. No more forgetting to turn on your microphone when shooting video, replacing batteries and the DM-E1D does have decent audio pickup directly behind the camera which the MKE440 lacks a bit.