Hands-on Review: Canon EOS R6 with Vanessa Joy

Written by Vanessa Joy
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Published on August 5, 2020
Vanessa Joy Canon EOS R6 review
Vanessa Joy Canon EOS R6 review
Vanessa Joy
Adorama ALC

At first glance, you might think that the Canon EOS R6 full-frame mirrorless camera is sort of like the Canon EOS 6D Mark II. It’s not. It’s much more powerful than that. In fact, the image sensor in here is the same image sensor and processor as the Canon flagship DSLR camera the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III; a camera I own.

Vanessa Joy Canon EOS R6 review
Photo by Vanessa Joy

I’m excited that I can get that sensor in a nice, small body and a mirrorless camera. The Canon EOS R6 shares a lot of similarities with the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with some added bonuses like animal eye focus. I know that will make a lot of you pet photographers very happy. So, now you have a ton of power available in a lightweight camera body that’s really great for fitting into camera bags for vloggers, travel photographers, street photographers, moms, gaming streamers – you name it.

We’ll get into the tech in this article, but make sure to take a look at the video we’ve made on AdoramaTV featuring the new Canon EOS R6 as well as the images throughout this article that I’ve taken while testing out the camera. The majority of the images in this article are straight out of camera jpgs so you can see what the images are like with zero editing.

Canon EOS R6 | Hands On with Emily Teague

The EOS R6 has a 20.1MPO CMOS sensor with a DOGIC X Processor. The ISO range is 100-102,400, and expandable to 204,800. I can attest that it is a beautifully clean image at higher ISO ranges even when shooting, essentially, in the dark. The auto-focus tech boasts dual-pixel CMOS AF with 100% coverage area utilizing 1053 AF points with eye, face, head detection, plus animal eye detection.

Now onto the big important thing I know you’ll all thinking about. Yes, it has 5-axis in-body image stabilization (IBIS). Plus when you pair it with an image stabilized lens, you have up to 7.5 stops of image stabilization. It has dual USH-II SD card slots for added security or space when shooting. Built in Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technology make getting your photos and videos online quickly super easy. It takes the LP-E6NH battery and has all of the ports you’d expect like audio in and out and micro HDMI.

Photo by Vanessa Joy
Photo by Vanessa Joy
Photo by Vanessa Joy
Photo by Vanessa Joy
Photo by Vanessa Joy

The Canon EOS R6 doesn’t disappoint on frames per second. It’s high-speed continuous shooting is capable of up to 12fps with mechanical shutter and 20 fps with electronic (and 100% silent) shutter. The LCD screen is a vari-angle touch screen. The built-in 0.5” 3.69 million dots OLED electronic view finder (EVF) has a 120fps refresh rate which you can enable, or disable it to save battery.

Let’s get into the video capabilities, which, in my opinion, leaves nothing wanting for any content creator today. The Canon EOS R6 shoots in 4K up to 60fps, Full HD (1080p) up to 120fps, 10 bit 4:2:2 Canon log or HDR PQ, everything internal recording with auto focus.

The camera is very easy to use, and if you’re already a Canon DSLR shooter you’re going to love the ergonomic feel of the camera body. Unlike the R and RP, the R6 brought back the rear dial so that muscle memory you’ve developed over the years will feel entirely natural. It’s a similar feel to what I’m used to.

Photo by Vanessa Joy
Photo by Vanessa Joy

The Canon EOS R6 is geared towards advanced amateurs, enthusiast photographers and content creators for both photography and videography, and is priced accordingly. As a wedding photographer, I think this camera is a great choice for a budding professional. I certainly would be proud for any of my second shooters to use this camera on my wedding gigs.

I’ve used the new Canon camera with my kids, with fashion photography, casual street photography, for fun travel photography, dark club-like scenes, and even hooked up to a PC to stream for gaming through Twitch, and tested both photo and video in each scenario. I love the way it feels and operates. The Canon EOS R6 is light, easy-to-use and when paired with the incredible RF lenses, it’s a perfect marriage.

Shop the Canon EOS R6 Now!

Feature photo via Vanessa Joy

Vanessa Joy
Vanessa Joy is a Canon Explorer of Light practicing wedding and portrait photographer in the New York and New Jersey area. You can find her online education at BreatheYourPassion.com and Instagram @vanessajoy, facebook.com/vjoyphoto, and on YouTube at youtube.com/vanessajoy.