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Canon has announced the updated EOS R6 Mark II, which is equipped with a newly developed 24.2-megapixel sensor, it can shoot at up to 40 frames per second and has a “high-precision” autofocus system.
The body design of the Canon R6 Mark II is generally not much different from previous Canon RF mount cameras, but changes have been made to the placement of the top of the camera. To the left of the electronic viewfinder, where there used to be a power switch, is now a new switch between photo and video modes. The power switch moves to the right side of the camera above one of the command dials, which is now smaller than the previous version. The video recording button remains unchanged, as does the general layout of the buttons and dials on the back of the camera.
The EOS R6 Mark II now has a version of Canon’s Multi Interface Shoe, giving the camera more options to communicate with supported accessories. The Mark II also retains built-in image stabilization, which the company says is effective at slow shutter speeds of up to eight stops.
The sensor at the heart of the Canon R6 Mark II is unique to this camera, despite sharing resolution with the flagship Canon R3 sports camera. It should be noted that while the R6 Mark II can shoot at up to 40 fps with an electronic shutter (up to 12 fps with a mechanical shutter), it is not a multilayer sensor design. It also has no backlight (BSI). Canon hasn’t revealed how the sensor can shoot so fast (and avoid the horrific rolling shutter effects).
The mechanical shutter sync speed is 1/200 second, and the electronic shutter is 1/250 second. The sensor supports several new smart features, including the ability to tell the camera to switch focus between the left and right eye, the ability to tell the camera which subject types to prioritize, a new burst RAW pre-recording mode, and HDR shooting for moving subjects.
RAW burst mode with pre-recording continuously records a couple of seconds while autofocus is held on the subject until the moment the shutter button is pressed all the way.
HDR shooting for moving subjects allows photographers to shoot in bracketed HDR mode. Canon didn’t elaborate on how the feature works, nor did it explain how it can take multiple frames of a moving subject and merge them into one single image.
Canon highlights the EOS R6 Mark II’s autofocus performance, and the company says it’s a system that combines the intelligence found in the R3 with new features to create what it calls “high-precision” people, animals, and vehicles and tracking. In addition to the previously available smart autofocus capabilities, the R6 II also adds horses, trains, and planes, which are now discoverable thanks to upgraded deep learning technology.
In terms of video, the Canon R6 Mark II provides internal 4K video recording with oversampling from 6K and shooting at up to 60 fps without cropping, which it can continuously record for 40 minutes “or longer”. The company stipulates that it has no recording limit, and notes that however long the recording continues past 40 minutes, it will depend on the memory cards inserted and the ambient temperature. The camera is capable of “unlimited” recording when it’s set to 4K at 30fps or slower.
The R6 Mark II can also shoot in Canon Log 3 and supports internal recording up to 4:2:2 10-bit H.264 or H.265. When connected to a supported external recording device, the camera can also shoot in 6K RAW. In terms of media, the R6 Mark II uses a pair of UHS-II SD card slots.
Canon R6 Mark II release date and price
The Canon EOS R6 Mark II cameras and kits with the Canon RF24-105mm f4 L IS USM or RF24-105mm f4.0-7.1 IS STM USM lens are already available to pre-order on the Bhphotovideo.com store for an estimated retail price of $2499, $3599 and $2799 respectively.
