Canon R6 Mark II Review: The Ultimate Hybrid Camera

You can tell right away that this is a big step up for both photos and videos. This is what makes it the best hybrid camera available right now. Right now, there isn’t much of a difference in quality. All of the big names make professional cameras that take great pictures, record great videos, and work well in low light. Colour science is also very good in general. A camera needs something unique to set it apart. That feature is on the R6 Mark II. Its improved autofocus and subject tracking are big improvements.

This review of the Canon R6 Mark II will go into a lot of detail about what makes this camera stand out. We’ll talk about its new features, how it stacks up against the competition, and what we think about it in the end. Is this the camera you want?

What are the new features of the Canon R6 Mark II?

The R6 Mark II is better than the first one. It has new features that are very useful for creators today. These are the most important new features that are not in the original Canon R6.

• The new 24.2MP CMOS sensor has more pixels than the R6’s 20.1MP sensor.
• Incredible Speed: With the mechanical shutter, it takes 12 frames per second (fps), and with the electronic shutter, it takes 40 fps.
• Advanced Image Stabilisation: When used with RF lenses, it can stabilise images by up to 8.0 stops.
• Better 4K Video: Records 4K/60p video that has been oversampled from the full 6K sensor width, with no cropping.
• External RAW Video: Sends 6K ProRes RAW video to an Atomos recorder that can handle it.
• You can take pictures before you take them in RAW Burst Mode, so you’ll never miss the perfect moment.
• Longer Battery Life: With the new LP-E6NH battery, you can shoot for longer.
• No More Time Limits: You can now record videos for as long as you want.

The Canon R6 II has a lot of the same great features as the original. It has the same beautiful touchscreen with 1.62 million dots that can move. The electronic viewfinder with 3.68 million dots is the same, too. Both cameras have strong image stabilisation that can work up to 8 stops. This is a big help when you want to take pictures by hand in low light. The grip, weight, and two UHS-II card slots are all the same.

Sensor and Image Quality: A Big Improvement

The sensor is the first big thing that changes. The Canon R6 Mark II now has 24.2 million pixels. The extra resolution makes it easier to crop photos. This is a nice jump from the original R6’s 20.1MP. This is very useful for people who take pictures of animals and sports.

The picture quality is very good. The colours are classic Canon: bright but natural, and they look good on skin tones. You can get a lot of detail back from shadows and highlights in post-production. Its performance is about the same as that of many other products in its class. The sensor works very well, according to the Canon R6 Mark II DXOMARK test and other tests.

This camera works well in low light. Even when the ISO is set high, the new sensor and fast processor keep noise levels very low. You can take clear, sharp pictures by hand even in very low light with the 8-stop image stabilisation.

Out-of-this-World Autofocus and Speed

The R6 camera shines here. The Canon R3, which is the best camera in the line, gave the R6 Mark II its autofocus system. One of the best things about it is the new AI-powered subject detection. The camera can now see and follow:

• People (Eyes, Face, Head, and Body)
• Animals (Dogs, Cats, Birds, and Horses)
• Vehicles (Cars, Motorcycles, Airplanes, and Trains)

If you set the camera to “Auto” subject detection, it will automatically find the right subject in the frame. It sticks to their eye like glue, even when they move quickly. This is why it’s such a great camera for family, event, and portrait photos. The electronic shutter that works at 40 frames per second is great for action. You can record even the tiniest bit of a second. This is a great way to take pictures of birds and sports. The RAW Burst Mode with pre-capture is another great feature.

A Real Hybrid: Professional Video Features

The first R6 was a good video camera. The R6 Mark II is a great camera. It is a real hybrid machine that works well for people who take pictures and videos. A video review of the Canon R6 Mark II would show how well it works. You can use the full width of your lenses. It’s also much easier to keep the R6 from getting too hot.

The R6 Mark II can send 6K ProRes RAW to an Atomos recorder, which is great for professional filmmakers. This gives you the most choices for colour grading after the fact. It also has professional tools like focus breathing correction, false colour, and a C-Log 3 profile that makes video look better by giving it more dynamic range.

Canon R6 Mark II vs. The Competition

R6 Mark II vs. Sony A7 IV

Autofocus: Both have great autofocus. But a lot of people think Canon’s user interface and subject tracking are easier to use and more reliable, especially for video.

R6 Mark II vs. R6

Yes, in almost every way. The new sensor, better video (no crop 4K/60, no time limit), and R3-level autofocus are all big improvements. If you’re making a choice today, the Mark II is worth the extra money.

R6 Mark II vs. R5

The Canon R5 is still better in some ways. It has a 45MP sensor and can record video in 8K. It was made for professional use with a high resolution. On the other hand, most people will find that the Canon R6 Mark II is the better camera for them. Its autofocus is just as good, and its video features are easier to use. At normal ISOs, the Canon R3 and R6 Mark II take pictures that are very similar in quality.

Frequently Asked Questions

Ergonomics and Handling: It’s Easy to Use

The specifications of a camera are only part of the story. How it feels in your hands is also important. You will feel at home if you’ve ever used a Canon camera made in the last few years. The grip is deep, safe, and easy to hold. Your fingers know where to go on their own. This makes it fun to shoot for a long time. The buttons are in the right places and are easy to find. You can easily get to the main settings for ISO, shutter speed, and aperture. It’s on the top left of the camera. This makes it easy to switch between your video and photo settings. This makes life much better for people who use hybrid guns.

The touchscreen is another great feature. It can move in any direction. It can spin and flip out in any direction. This is great for vlogging, taking pictures from above or below, and keeping the screen safe when you’re not using it. The menu system is the same as Canon’s other ones. It is clean, simple to use, and not as hard to figure out as the menus of some of its competitors.

The R6 Mark II is a great camera for taking pictures of animals and birds

It is one of the best in its class because it has so many features. The autofocus is the first big plus. It’s amazing how well you can find animal eyes. It can lock onto a bird’s eye even if it’s far away or behind branches. This one thing will make your keeper rate go up a lot. You don’t have to spend as much time looking for focus and can spend more time getting the shot just right. A lot of people want to know if the original R6 is good for bird photography, and it is. The Mark II, on the other hand, takes it to a whole new level.

The second good thing is speed. You can take a picture of a bird taking off or an animal moving right at the moment it happens with the 40fps electronic shutter. The Raw Burst Mode with pre-capture is a secret weapon. It always keeps pictures in memory.  Wildlife photographers will love this R6 camera with a good telephoto lens.

Good for Weddings and Other Events

The R6 Mark II is also a great camera for people who take pictures at weddings and other events. Its features are perfect for getting moving moments that only happen once in a lifetime. The two UHS-II card slots are necessary for professionals. You can save your videos and pictures to the second card right away. You can relax knowing that your clients’ most important memories are safe.

Another important feature is the shutter that works electronically and doesn’t make any noise. You can take pictures at 40 frames per second without making any noise. This is great for church services or other times when a loud shutter would be a problem. The 8-stop image stabilisation lets you take pictures with a slower shutter speed while holding the camera. This means you can get great shots of the light around you without any blur. The class-leading autofocus will find and follow faces and eyes even in a dark, crowded room.

A Videographer’s Dream Machine

This is more than just a camera that records videos. It is a tool that is only used to make movies. There are a lot of videos online that review the Canon R6 Mark II in more depth, but here are the most important things for creators to know.

• No More Overheating or Time Limits: This A-cam is now a good choice for long interviews, podcasts, and events because it can handle heat better and doesn’t have a 30-minute recording limit anymore.
• Stunning, Uncropped 4K/60p: The ability to shoot slow motion in clear, oversampled 4K without cropping is a huge creative advantage. It lets you use your wide-angle lenses the way they were meant to be used.
• Professional Colour Profiles: Canon C-Log 3 lets you record video with the most dynamic range possible. This lets you colour grade a lot in post-production, just like you would with a movie camera.
• Focus Breathing Correction: This digital feature works with RF lenses that are compatible with it to get rid of the annoying change in framing when you change focus. It makes your focus pulls look a lot more like they belong in a movie.
• External 6K RAW: For the best quality and control, you can send 6K ProRes RAW to an Atomos Ninja V+. This makes the plate quality look professional.

This camera is easy for YouTubers, documentarians, corporate videographers, and small production companies to pick out.

The Canon RF Lens System

The RF mount from Canon has a lot of great lenses that are always getting better. There is a lens for every need and budget, from the RF 24-70mm F2.8L, a professional L-series zoom, to unique and cheap primes. The native RF lenses are designed to work best with the mirrorless system. They have a programmable control ring and other neat features. The images are very sharp, and the autofocus is very fast.

If you’re switching from a Canon DSLR, the news is even better. The adapters that let you use Canon EF lenses with RF cameras work perfectly. You can still use all of your EF and EF-S lenses without losing quality or speed of autofocus. Many people say that their old EF lenses work even better with the R6 Mark II’s advanced autofocus system. This makes it a lot cheaper to switch to a mirrorless camera.

Who Should Buy the Canon R6 Mark II?

This camera would make a lot of people happy. You should think about buying it if you are:

• As a hybrid creator, you take a lot of pictures and videos. This is likely the most well-balanced hybrid camera on the market right now.
• To take pictures of things that move quickly, like action, sports, or animals, you need a camera with high-speed burst rates and cutting-edge autofocus.

1. You need a camera that is fast, quiet, reliable, and works well in low light if you are a wedding or event photographer. It should also have two slots for cards.

• A Serious Enthusiast: Instead of an older DSLR or an entry-level mirrorless camera, you want to get a professional camera that won’t limit your creativity for years to come.

Should you buy a new R6?

People who own the original Canon R6 will find this question hard to answer. The first review of the Canon R6 said it was a great camera, and it still is. If you mostly take pictures and are happy with 20MP, you might not need to upgrade.

But you should upgrade if:

• You record a lot of video and are annoyed by the 4K/60p crop or the fact that you can’t record for very long.
• You need the best autofocus tracking when things move quickly.
• You want the extra resolution of the 24.2MP sensor so you can crop more easily.
• The switch between photos and videos and other improvements to the quality of life will speed up your work a lot.

What do you think about the Canon R6 Mark III?

Because technology changes so quickly, some buyers are already thinking about the future. Will there be a Canon R6 Mark III? Yes, but not for a while. If Canon sticks to its usual product cycles, we won’t find out when the Canon R6 Mark III will come out for at least two to three years. The R6 Mark II is such a great camera that it will be useful and powerful for a long time. You could miss out on years of shooting with this great tool if you wait for a possible Mark III.

Final Verdict: The Best Hybrid Camera

After a lot of use, the Canon R6 Mark II is not a “mid-level upgrade.” It is a strong camera with many features that set a new standard for hybrid shooters. This review of the Mark II R6 shows how far Canon has come with the technology. Canon listened to what users had to say and delivered on all fronts. They improved the resolution, removed the limit on how long you can record video, removed the 4K crop, and added a world-class autofocus system. The camera feels complete in the end. It doesn’t give up much.

The R6 Mark II is the best camera for wedding photographers, content creators, wildlife lovers, and serious hobbyists. It has a body that is easy to use and takes both high-quality photos and professional-quality videos. The Canon R6 Mark II is very close to being the perfect camera for everyone. There is no doubt that this is the best hybrid camera you can buy right now because of its price, performance, and features.

• Read More: Is Your Old R6 Skin a Hidden Treasure? Marketplace Beta Reveals All
• Read More: The 6 Best Cameras for Beginners: An Expert Guide for 2025
• Read More: Best Hybrid Mattresses for Hotel-Quality Sleep in 2025
• Read More: Sony a7 IV Review (2025): The New Standard for Hybrid Cameras
• Read More: Level Up Your Audio: Best Action Camera Microphones in 2024