Introducing the Canon EOS R6: a powerhouse for stills and video

Offering all-round excellence across stills and video, the EOS R6 is Canon's next-generation full-frame mirrorless camera. Building on the heritage of the full-frame Canon EOS 6D series, high-speed Canon EOS 7D class and Canon EOS R System range, the Canon EOS R6 is versatile, fast and packed with technical innovation for unrivalled creative possibilities.

Sitting above the Canon EOS R and Canon EOS RP and below the Canon EOS R5 in the full-frame mirrorless range, the Canon EOS R6 represents a marked step up from its predecessors, with shooting speeds of up to 20fps,¹ ground-breaking in-body Image Stabilization and a powerful DIGIC X processor.

The Full Frame 20.1MP CMOS sensor offers high-sensitivity performance for stills and movies, with a native ISO range of ISO102,400, expandable up to ISO204,800, compared to the top expansion setting of ISO102,400 in the EOS R. While some professionals may demand the 45MP resolution of the top-of-the-range Canon EOS R5, the Canon EOS R6's sensor offers most users an optimum balance of resolution and low-light performance, dynamic range and shooting speed, with the benefit of reduced file sizes and less post-processing time, while still delivering ample resolution for poster-size prints if required.

The Canon EOS R6 also offers unparalleled AF performance in low light, being capable of autofocus in conditions as low as -6.5EV² – roughly the light of a half-moon. This is the lowest light AF of any Canon camera. "At -6.5EV, that's situations where you can barely see," says John, "and it's testament to just how well the Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology works in all lighting conditions."

The Dual Pixel CMOS AF II system offers advanced subject recognition thanks to its machine learning algorithms. The intelligent AF delivers improved performance, detecting eyes on smaller faces than was possible with the Canon EOS R, as well as adding better support for subjects in profile. In addition to face and eye tracking, the Canon EOS R6 can detect heads, and animals including dogs, cats and birds.

"Selecting the right AF point can be tricky, so it's a huge benefit if the camera can do it for you," says John. "You can leave the EOS R6 in the automatic tracking modes and the camera will pick up and track the subject by detecting human faces, eyes, heads, bodies and now animals as well. If you do want to take control, there's huge flexibility with the Dual Pixel AF system, which will now virtually cover the entire frame when tracking in the automatic or large zone area modes."

There are 6,072 AF points when making a manual AF point selection, which is done by either touching and dragging points on the LCD screen or using the AF Multi Controller, a method of control familiar to users of Canon EOS 5D and EOS 7D series cameras. The Canon EOS R6 also features two control dials for quickly adjusting settings and scrolling through images.

The Canon EOS R6 and the Canon EOS R5 are the first EOS cameras to feature an in-body mechanical Image Stabilization system, which delivers a market-leading 8-stops of IS when teamed with a compatible lens,³ leading to sharper images and smoother footage without the need for a tripod or gimbal.

"The 8-stop IS system has been made possible because the camera and lens work in parallel through the high-speed RF Mount communication system to provide co-ordinated 5-axis correction to reduce the shake and movement of the user," says John.

The camera's sensor physically moves, enabling it to mechanically correct shake over five axes, and this is particularly effective at correcting shake that occurs at a wide angle. Paired with optical correction, which is very strong at correcting shake at the telephoto end of the focal length, the combined IS system together can provide greater coverage and effectiveness than previously was possible with any single method. The largest combined effect is gained with the use of IS-equipped RF lenses, but there are also benefits with IS-equipped EF lenses, which can benefit from the X and Y correction and roll correction that the in-body IS system can add to the existing Pitch and Yaw correction of the optical Image Stabilizer technology.

"Typically, you would need a tripod to capture a long exposure featuring the smoothed effect of waves or water breaking over rocks in a seascape or river," adds John. "But during our own personal testing we have been able to achieve sharp handheld landscape shots with the Canon EOS R6 with shutter speeds that are several seconds long – beyond what you'd normally expect with an optical IS system. So in the future it may not be so necessary to always carry additional equipment to stabilise your motion, so you can travel lighter and be more spontaneous and creative."

Since the launch of the Canon EOS R, a number of fast-aperture, high-performance lenses have been added to the RF lens range, such as Canon's f/2.8 trinity of pro zoom lenses – the Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8L IS USM, the Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM and the Canon RF 70-200mm F2.8L IS USM. The Canon EOS R6 also offers full compatibility with the wide range of EF lenses via an EF-EOS R mount adapter.

A hybrid camera offering versatile stills and video performance, the Canon EOS R6 shoots 4K footage at up to 60fps (compared with 30fps on the Canon EOS R) thanks to a faster sensor output rate and the power of the DIGIC X processor. The high frame rates are supported by Dual Pixel CMOS AF II and the subject recognition and tracking also found within the stills modes. Full HD shooting is also available at 100fps or 120fps for extreme slow-motion capture, and the high-resolution 3.69M-dot electronic viewfinder works at up to 120fps, providing a clear rendition of what is being captured.

"The Canon EOS R6 is very capable on the video front, with features you would traditionally associate with cinema cameras," says John. Canon Log allows for increased dynamic range, reduced noise and expanded grading options. Support for 10-bit YCbCr 4:2:2 internal recording and HDR PQ recording has also been added, while diverse capture needs are catered for with in-camera time-lapse, interval timer, and focus bracketing for depth compositing.

With 2.4GHz built-in Wi-Fi, Bluetooth and FTP, FTPS and compatibility with the new image.canon cloud service, the Canon EOS R6 is well connected for sharing imagery with ease.

"You can create great video footage and deliver it to a high standard," says John. "And you've also got a powerful stills camera. The Canon EOS-1D X Mark III raised the game in terms of technology and speed, and now you're seeing the benefits of some of those technologies in the Canon EOS R6."