Canon EOS R6 REVIEW - I am Blown Away but also Psychologically Disappointed with the R6 

I just printed a 24-36 image on metal from Printique. The pixel panic thing is hilarious. Image is absolutely phenomenal 👍

As a 5D Mark IV owner, amateur nature photographer, and new RU-vidr, I recently bought an R6 and put it to the test against the 5DM4 for landscapes. I must echo every point you made. The R6 photos are virtually indistinguishable in quality from the 5DM4 unless you really pixel peep. I could comfortably print them to 13" x 19", maybe a little bigger. And video? No question. I shot the comparison video with it exclusively. I wish the R6 had the 30 MP of the 5DM4 but I think I'll get over it; it's so fun to use.

Thank you for such a thorough review! I just purchased the R6 as an upgrade to my (12 mp) Nikon D3, and I'm just thrilled. 20 mp is a great upgrade, quality entry into mirrorless, way less expensive than what I paid for my D3 13 years ago, auto-focus and eye-detection is awesome, photos are amazingly sharp, and I don't need 45 mp slowing everything down.

Toby, a very helpful review, thanks. Have you been able to use both the new rf24-105 f/4 and 24-70 f/2.8 to comment on whether the 24-70 improves enough on the R6’s landscape image quality to recommend that lens over the rf24-105? It costs quite a bit more. (And again, i am considering its use just for landscape use. Craig

Is it’s prints at 17x20 just as good as the R5’s as long as you don’t need to crop? How would it do as a portrait camera, again without cropping?

Thanks for another informative and keeping things in perspective video.

I picked up the R6 on release and as a full time professional architectural/real estate photographer/videographer I was a little nervous, but really wanted to eliminate using my GH5 as my second camera and do everything in one camera setup. Just about 2 months and 150 houses later I have not had it over heat once on the job and that was 4k 60 walk throughs after I spent about 45min photographing the home first. As for megapixels I use DNG converter to take the RAW and shrink it to 8mp for easy sharing with my editors so the 20mp has been great. I still use my EOS R for anything that would need higher megapixels. If you are in real estate photography I would say this camera is perfect. For long interviews you may want a external recorder, but for video walk through's I have not had any overheating issues with internal 4k 60fps. I've been compiling footage over the last few months and hope to give my two cents on the camera in real world use. Thanks Toby! Keep up the good work on your channel.

Love the AF performance with the R6. Looks like you helped with my decision. Thanks!

nice review Toby - good to see you back

Very nice review thanks. Totally agree and waiting for the two I ordered!!

Now that you've looked at the R6, how do you think the RP compares for video? I'm most interested in 1080p, maybe a little 4k, mostly nature and wildlife RU-vid type of videos (no raw video or crazy stuff). The RP is significantly less at just $999. I have a 5D mk IV for stills. I also have an M100, but it doesn't have mic input. I'm looking at getting something to do video and as a backup for stills.

First ...thanks for such a great, thorough review! I've been hearing the more mega-pixel has to be better delusion for nearly 2 decades. Though, in general, more megapixels are a plus .. there are far more factors to get a sharp, high-resolution image from a camera than just the purported MP count of a camera. I started shooting DSLRs back in the early days when we professional photographers were just switching over to digital DSLRs. My first venture was the original Canon EOS Rebel back in 2003! (was shooting with a Nikon F5 and F100 back-up film camera) It only had a 6MP crop-sensor but at low ISOs could produce beautiful photos. I remember hearing about the Kodak DSLR that touted 12MP or so ...and most accounts said the images it produced were horrible! How can that be, I thought? Quickly I learned that the camera's image processor was far more important than the total number of MPs. Another extremely important factor ...even more so than the camera body ...is the glass you attach to your camera body! In fact ...most reviews and consensus from pros is that the glass/lens is more important than the camera when it comes to image quality. ....Now fast forward from 2003 to today's DSLRs. Advances have grown by leaps and bounds on DSLRs in every aspect ...and now in mirrorless cameras. I've owned both the 7D and 7D MkII (still own) and the MkII was a major improvement in every area "except" for one ...image quality at high ISOs, IMO. Cramming more pixels onto the same size sensor doesn't ALWAYS mean improved images, especially at high ISOs. My 40D @ 10.1MP ... which I owned, years ago, produced stunning images with a great dynamic range over anything I owned up to that point (moving from the 20D & 30D)! Having read several reviews of the R6 ...and this one as well have convinced me that traded my 5D MkIV in to get an R6 is a smart move FOR ME. I wish I could afford an R5 but sadly I can't justify it at this time. I'm predominantly doing Real Estate Photography (semi-retired) and I think the R6 will serve me far better, than any other alternative for an EOS with an articulating view screen ...to use with my EF 17-40L lens. Hopefully, my EF 70-300L will function well too. I hope to trade that up to the EF 100-400 VII when able and this review convinced me that the R6 will work well with that lens! Now I just need to find a MkIV buyer who will give me a decent price for my low shutter count like-new 5D!

I upgraded to the R6 from the R. I was a bit hesitant with the drop in resolution but once I got it and started reviewing the pictures, it's not an issue at all. The pictures are fantastic. Really pleased with it so far. p.s. Nice review 😁

Great video. Did you shoot this blog with the Canon R6 or with another video camera?

What a great way to describe it. Psychologically Disappointed. When I got my 6D I thought the image quality of the 20 megapixel was great, still do and the R6 is replacing that for my landscape work and 80D for wildlife of which it will also outperform in every way, except for that crop ‘reach’ and psychological megapixel difference.

Yay, Toby's back! Great review. Random question: what do you use to film your EVF, like the AF segment here? It's very cool.

thanks for this great review! quick question...would you recommend shooting: R6 with a Sigma 150-600mm f/5-6.3 DG OS HSM Contemporary Lens for Canon EF ($900) with a Canon Adapter Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R ($99) or spending a LOT more money and getting the new Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM Lens ($2700)? I only shoot outside and use natural light (mostly beach) Thanks for helping out!

The megapixel complaint in the world of Instagram is hilarious. How many people make large prints today? How many people even own a printer? I can make excellent 20x30inch prints from a twenty MP sensor. I’ve made 24X36 inch prints from a 21mp sensor and no one ever complained. The 1Dx mk III has the same sensor. The camera used for NFL football and NBA basketball. Yes if you zoom in 400x you would see a difference. You ever see someone look a large print with a magnifying glass? I never have. This camera is not for high end advertising photographers that make images for the side of buses. For 98% of the world it will make excellent images.

A very easy to follow review as I am looking at making a purchase of the R6. Your explanation and detail is very easy to follow and has driven me more in the positive direction. Thanx for the video 👍

Very excellent review and confirmed my decision to trade to the R6 from my 5D MK IV, although my six years with the 5D MK IV were faultless!

Nice review. New subscriber. I'm an amateur sports photographer, currently using a 7D and 7D2, tempted by the R6. For shutter speeds around 1/1000, we turn (in lens) image stabilization off. Is the same recommended with IBIS?

You have done a very good job with this video. Clear, concise and with some humor. You addressed all my questions and concerns about whether I should buy the R6 versus the R5. Thanks for the video. Keep up the good work. I liked and subscribed!

Thanks for this video man. Nice job👏👍

I'm looking to get the RP. What do you think of it? Thx

great review. appreciate the hard work

This review has really helped me. I'm starting to gain a small collection of used Canon bodies, I might need to sell them all to get this one. Currently have a 5dMiii, original 1DX and an Eos R It would just about be an even swap. Something I will have to consider.

Doesn't the Canon R6 have No Optical low-pass (anti-aliasing) filter to make image quality sharper?

Hi sir which camera best canon eos r6 & sony a73

I currently am shooting with a Canon Rebel T7i. I’m trying to get into shooting sports but this camera is no where near fast enough. Would you recommend a switch to the Canon R6 for photography or the Sony A7iii

Great review - thanks. I have a 5D3 and 7D2 the latter of which I use daily to take insect/spider macro stills handheld in the field for scientific publications (field guides etc) and birds (fun). The 7's getting old, and isn't going to be replaced. For macro the 7 cropped sensor works really well to see and photograph the subject - better than full frame. I'll have to replace the 7, so wonder have you done macro tests with both R6 and R5? I use a Canon ring flash. I'm retired and all my work is voluntary, so I can't afford to try before I buy and no one seems to test for macro. Please help. Cheers!

Any idea why the Multiexposure greys out when I want to use the 24-105mm lens that came with my EOS R5? It tells me that it can't be done unless I have the step-up ring to use other lenses than the 24-105 lens that came with the deal. No hardship as luckily I have a batch of varied lenses to play with but that is so annoying to discover straight after I bought it.

Owning an EOS R now. Would you advice the R6 regarding to 10mp downgrading ? I do crop a lot for my wildlife/bird photography. Will this be visable in my photos (not printing my photos).

After having the R6 for a while, have you seen any issues with the hot shoe coming loose?

So I shoot mainly wildlife and landscapes and I currently own a 7d mk II and a Rebel T3i. I’ve been considering upgrading and I’m trying to decide between the 5ds R and the R6. I’m really impressed with R6 focusing system, but the recent price drop on the 5ds R has thrown a wrench into my thought process. Which would you upgrade to?

I have the R and the R6. I honestly don't miss the extra pixels, at all.

I got 2 x R5’s ... definitely feels like a natural progression from the 5d4, been really loving work with them - no overheating issues for photos at all, although, if you shoot photos for a while then switch to 4K 120 you may already be too hot for that type of video ... more likely to be able to do 4K HQ or 8K, one nice thing about the R5 is being able to crop from landscape to portrait and still having a 19.9 MP image. It’s mechanical shutter is also rated to 500,000 shots, vs 300,000 on the R6- really I feel like both cameras have all the big features that we could want for a long time

Hi.. canon EOS R6 or canon 5D mark IV which camera is best

It's not 45mp so you can't crop the photo, but many reviewers including myself can crop the photo decently enough. What you fail to mention is because it is 20mp, it teaches you to frame the photo better. . But you did make a point about doing what Panasonic did with stacking multiple photos so you have a larger photo size to work with. That is something Canon could have done to compensate for the low mp. Other than that, the review is spot on.

Awesome video. I would like to ask you a question. I currently have Canon 70D with 3 EF-S and 3 EF lenses. The crop sensor is a problem when taking Milky Way photos so I want to upgrade to a full frame camera. I am an enthusiast and not a professional so cost is important. My current thought was to upgrade to an EOS R and buy an adaptor and decent RF lens. However, after watching this video I wonder if I should purchase the Canon R6 and adapter and use my existing lens for the time. I shoot landscape, time lapse, and Milky Way photos and no portraits. Recommendation? Thanks.

Nice review of the R6, thanks! I have 2 Canon 5D mark III and one EOS90D. Now, I wanna upgrade one of my old 5D Mark III. I am an birdphotographer and aviation photographer so I always end up croping, even with my 5D Mark III. 90D is interesting but noise is an issue. Would R6 be a decent upgrade in terms of better image quality from my 5D III? OR, would an used 1DX II for the same price as a new R6 be a better choise?

I basically shoot photography with Canon 7D II and want to upgrade the camera body to R6. I have a Sigma Art 18-35mm f/1.8 lens which works fantastically with Canon 7DII. I don't want to sell this lens and don't want to keep two camera bodies. I heard that crop sensor DSLR lenses works fine with Canon EOS R body with the adapter. Do you have any idea about this specific lens with the EOS R body for photography? Will it cause vignette at 18mm focal length? Thanks

Does it have the AA FIlter? In some websites they say it does and in many others they say it doesn't.

What about cropping for small birds with 20mp on the R6? I have 5div now with 30.4mp and I love it but need to drop some gear weight due to health issues. Looking at R6 with 100-500 lens. What are your thoughts?

Just got the R6 and have a week to decide if I'm going to keep it. So far I've been using it like my R shooting 4k 60fps and photos for a family outing at the orchard for 3hrs at 78 farenheit and did not get any overheating. I do use a sleep button when I'm not shooting, a routine I do ever since I got the R. The eye auto focus is at another level than the R. So far I think it will be a keeper. Great video as I have reached the same conclusion after using it for a few days.

Great view overall! Like you mentioned the RF glasses basically makes the "less" expensive cameras a expensive investment. Even the native EF mounts are still expensive. I am still considering the R6, but with Sigma lenses for the EF mount. I am worried about how they would perform though....

Thnx allot for this review, it really made me decide i want this R6 to be my camera besides my 5Dm4 and replace my 5Dm3.

Your explanation of the psychologically disappointing megapixels is spot on! Thank you for this amazing review.

The pizza at the end sold me on the R6 🍕🤣🤣🤣 Great review👍👍

When shooting in burst does the evf still show a stop motion effect like the eos r? I have trying to track a subject with that lag happening.

I love the R6 so far. As a photographer already invested into the Canon ECO System of lens and accessories this is a no-brainer purchase. I would note this has not made me a better photographer, I have just enjoyed creating with it more than my EOS R. Plus it has IBIS. Great review though.

Excellent review and really enjoyable video to watch

How about the 20MP Sensor on the 1DX Mark III? Does that make the 1DX an inferior camera?

Fantastic review - thanks Toby!

Great review. I'm agonizing over this decision at the moment, having just returned a Canon RP due to finding its dynamic range really disappointing.

It has the same amazing 20mp sensor from the 1dx markiii. Also bigger pixels on lower megapixel which means more dynamic range. More mp on same sensor = smaller buckets to collect light photons vs 20mp. There are tradeoffs. 20mp more than outperforms 35mm film resolving power.

id go as far to say the performance of EF lens with adapter on r6 is far better than on EF body. my hit rate with the 85 f/1.2 has gone up a ton since upgrading. and i can actually shoot moving stuff a bit with it. compared the 5d3 where that just was impossible to nail every time

What would you choose R6 or 5D mark IV at this price point? Cool video.

Fantastic review! "Psychologically disappointing" perfectly sums up my feelings for this camera as I am choosing a replacement for my 6D. I know that 20 megapixels will be enough for just about everything I will ever do. But there's always that "what if?", especially if I botch the composition and need to crop a lot. But paying almost twice for the R5 seems like an overkill.

This was an excellent review of this camera and I’ve watched a bunch.

The 20MP sensor allows for higher ISO noise reduction. I shoot sports with a 1DXII and the 20MP sensor produces crisp images, even after tight crop. On the flip side, the 90D I use for wildlife is pathetic when it comes to high ISO due to high mega pixels in a crop body. Images need extra TLC over ISO 800 on the 90D.

My concern with the 20MP sensor is when it comes to wildlife photography. I find that I very often need to crop the original. 20MP really does not give you much scope to do that. Has anybody had experience with using the R6 for wildlife photography? What are your experiences with cropping? (Oh, and simply upgrading to the R5 to get the extra 25MP is not an option for me - and I suspect many others - for financial reasons)

Hello, there can we use canon eos r6 for Product photography ? 20mp will it be good?

To me the 20MP when taking birds in flight and needing some crop is likely a show stopper. What do R6 owners think? Toby - great video. Thx

Nice review! But just to remind that the high-end 1dx Mark iii is stil 20.1MP,(7400USD).It gives me peace of mind!

I know a reviewer is doing a great job when I'm able to listen for the whole review without being distracted and also understanding every point mentioned, beautiful work.

Thank you for this review! I'm planning to upgrade to the R6 from my 5-ish year old 6d and the more reviews I watch, the easier the decision is becoming to go with the R6. It seems to have a few minor negatives but everything does.

I'm a sports photographer and I've been using the 7D mk2 with a 20MP sensor for years. Since getting the R6, I have had to adjust to the crop difference, but I'm used to the image size and workflow. I have used an EOS R for video and other photo work for about a year, but this new R6 is a different tool for a different purpose. I agree that people replacing an EOS R or 6D/5D may be bummed with the sensor size, but the focus improvements and price differential from the R5 make it perfect for photographing runners!

I am debating for long time whether to upgrade from RP to R6. I think that this clip convinced me that I should.

Did you do a Review of the 1dxmk3? Have you talked so Bad about the 20mp there aswell?

6:20 - 6:30 This was fixed in firmware 1.5.0 - Video recording to both cards simultaneously is now possible.

I shoot weddings and senior portraits 98% of the time. (never video) I have 3 5d Mark3 bodies 2 I keep on me during my shoots and one for my assistant. My question was thinking about getting a couple 5d Mark 4 I know not allot better then M3 but rumor has it the M4 may drop down to closer 2K a body. And does have some better features then the Mark3. Would you suggest I rethink to the R6?

Does this camera work good with the tamron150-600 g2 as well??

I know what you mean about the 20Mp. I would have just expected the baseline, at this price, to be 30Mp. My 6D has 20Mp and is 10 years old, a lifetime in technology terms. 20Mp has always proved enough for me. I don't shoot wildlife though. I would expect that the ability to crop, whilst retaining detail, is a huge bonus for Wildlife photographers ... especially considering the price of "Wildlife Glass". I expect I'll wait a few years and pick one of these up, used, for half price. I'm sure it's amazing.

I see you have some Fuji reviews, up to X-T2. You abandoned that line? No good? I am using X-T4 now, and continuous AF/eye/face detect definitely sucks big time... thinking of taking the R6:)

With counseling you should be able to transcend the 20mp thing. Coming from flagship DSLRs, it isn’t a problem.

Canon R6 vs Sony Ar7iiia...which has the better colour rendering?

I will purchase the R6 specifically because it has 20 mega pixels. Lens resolution much?

Funny that 20+ MPx count is considered a negative in a camera nowadays. I remember printing one picture i really liked 7 years ago, taken with my Nikon D3000 (10 mpix), straight out of camera, unedited jpg (at that time i did not even know how editing works), sent it to lab, had them print it 75 * 50cm, i still have that print hang up on my wall, still looking perfect, not a single time i thought of a "low quality" of the print or something. I do own R6 now, and it is just a killer camera.

It's just amazing how succeptible the photo community is towards spec sheet BS. It seems that even seasoned photographers have no clue what those numbers actually mean and they can't help themselves from babbling on and on and how it feels bla bla. It's like car dealers, talking about motor torque, while completely ignoring that this number has little to do with what actually arrives at your wheels, since it's the combination of motor, transmission, weight etc. that decides over the driving experience. Or audio geeks nerding out, stating that more neutral is always better, which as a general statement simply is not correct and most of all is only one aspect of a plethora of things involved in achieving a good sound. I worked as a professional photographer for years - and yes, I would count myself among those people who know shit about the technical underpinnings of a camera or a lens. But I can tell you this: I cropped the heck out of 20MP images and even 16MP images and not only got I fantastic results, but I earned good money with it. And yes, I had clients print those shots on big banners and stuff - no problem at all. Especially in a day and age where most pictures will never be seen bigger than at 4K (which is equivalent to 8,3MP), it is just ridiculous to complain about a 20MP camera. Furthermore, the MP count itself is completely pointless concerning image quality, since it's the actual resolution that counts, and that has much more to do with the actual QÙALITY of the sensor. Concerning the R6, I hear a lot of BS about how it is inferior to cameras in the 24MP class like the Sony A7iii or the Nikon Z6. Now, if you look at resolution tests of those three, you will find that the R6 has no problem whatsoever to keep up. Concerning the edges and corners of the image, even at base ISO it actually is better than both. At higher ISOs, the R6 is considerably better than the other two all around and even better than the Eos R, which has 30MP. There is a reason why pros have no problems with using the 1DXiii - 20 MP are ENOUGH. Personally, I'll take a good 20MP sensor over a mediocre 24 or 30MP sensor all day. Add to that the better AF performance in low light - and there you go. Last but not least, stating that the image quality in general is not quite on par with Nikon and Sony is just complete BS. They actually don't hold a candle against the R6. It just looks better, warmer, with more dimension.

While I know there will always be a megapixel race, I feel like the higher megapixels is equally a psychological game. I shoot weddings. As a high volume photographer, I feel like the 20-24 megapixel range is the sweet spot, and within that range, the difference is negligible at best. File sizes are still big enough for reasonable cropping, without compromising the size of the files I deliver to my clients. But the biggest benefit is the workflow. I have a pretty high end laptop and desktop machine. Even so, I've worked with 40+mp files and the slowdown across the board (transferring to computer, importing, generating full size previews, exporting) is a HUGE loss of money (time=money) in my workflow. And all for a size of file that doesn't really benefit me a significant amount. 20-24mp is large enough in number of pixels to work with, and small enough in file size to work with. Now obviously, if I were a lower volume shooter (say just portraits), I might sing a different tune about the R5's 45mp... but for what I do, it's pure overkill.

Coming from a 7d2, i am looking fwd to getting a R6

It's indeed a psychological issue regarding the megapixels. I think it's actually nice to have a lower count as the files are also smaller = faster workflow. What do you you think now of the EOS R? It's kinda in a weird position now if compared to the R6, R5 and RP.

I´m a wedding photographer and I still do all my work on the mRaw (9mp) mode. I never had any problem with my clients about the size of the files, and I save a lot of storage working this way. Recently I purchase a canon R6 and I wish to have my mRaw mode back

So, this (around $2,500) or Sony A7III (can get one for under $1,700)? I currently have 6DMk2 and 80D (EF 70-200 2.8, EF 85 1.8, Sigma 50 1.4 Art, etc) but compared to friends' Sony A7RIV and RIII, I keep struggling with focus and grain issue under non-ideal lightening conditions. Was set on switching to Sony, but now with R6 reviews, not sure what to do. Looks like they pretty close in focus and low light performance. Sony would be a few hundred cheaper, but then would need to update all lenses, and the 70-200 alone is around $2,500.

9:38 I have a 6d MkII with 26MP and I'm thinking about getting the R6 but the 20mp is somehow a big no for me and I dont understand why Canon did this. The R5 is not in my Budget... Now I dont really know what to do. Maybe sell my Canon Gear and take the Sony Alpha 7iv?

Soon, it'll occur 16mpx cameras are enough. I don't say they aren't, but I remember the discussion on Olympus and Panasonic cameras and their >small number< of pixels.

So it's around $3000 with EF adapter and extra battery and after taxes?

less megapixels is actually a big perk for us lowlight and nightlife photographers. It was actually a huge selling point for me to buy this model.

Is there any distortion using EF lens' with an adapter on the R6?

I am a little disappointed in the way it underexposed faces in backlit scenes in video. I noticed this in your video. Any fix for this yet Thanks for posting this video

I have one thanks 💓

My R6 will even track the eye of Archer on my computer monitor. He looks to be a great dog at helping with your vids.

Avid birder here and I just agonized over switching to the R6 from my trusty D500. Nikon shooter for 25 years. I love the R6 for birds. I feel I have a path forward with Canon, one that I think is not there for Nikon. I loved Nikon, there cameras are so reliable. Oh well!!! Canon guy now. R6 with a Sigma sport 150-600, Cannon glass to come. Looked at the R5 but its not the birding camera the R6 is. Megapixel - smegapixel, 20 is fine for me.

20mp was never an issue on 6d. One of cleanest sensors.

Psychology is... psychology. It concerns things that exist only in your mind. In other word, unreal. So, get the R6 and forget mp. 20mp is enough for a 1x1,5m poster. If you really care, take the R5 😋

I've gone from EOS 6D Mk2 26 megapixels to R6 20 megapixels and I am more than happy with my R6's. Don't forget, its not the size that matters , its what you do with it that counts!

Like that Rollei on the shelf 😀

Or, you can spend a lot less and get the 30mp R. I actually didn’t find the ergonomics that bad with the R when I briefly tried it, and at least it still has the nice 3.69m dot EVF - although I haven’t tried it since the AF updates, but looks like it got a big upgrade. Either way, I’m not impressed with the R6 at its price. Likely really good for low light, but only 20 mp is definitely more than a psychological difference for $2500 ($3400 in Canada!).

I have taken 👍🏻 one 🙏🏻

Good video