Canon’s EOS R extensive mirrorless range has a model for every type of photographer from the family snapper and beginner hobbyist to advanced enthusiasts and top-end professionals. Whether for capturing awesome stills or video, the fastest or slowest action, in full sun or by the light of the moon, there are lots of options.
Get to know the Canon EOS R6 Mark II
The stand-out all-rounder in Canon’s mirrorless range is the full-frame EOS R6 Mark II. With its mix of still and video skills, high-end imaging performance and packaged in compact body with superb ergonomics, this is the camera for demanding creatives who need stunning stills and superb video content.
Full-frame, 24.2 megapixels, cutting edge AF and awesome still and video capture credentials, make the EOS R6 Mark II a compelling proposition for content creators. Image credit: Canon
Furthermore, it is keenly priced for the specification and feature set on offer. Indeed, when we tested the EOS R6 Mark II it achieved the ultimate distinction of receiving the coveted AP Five Star Gold Award.
Switching between video and stills shooting is very easy and means that the menu items for both mediums can be independently selected. Image credit: Canon
Today’s creative image-maker needs so much more than a camera that excels in just one field and having a skill set that can deliver sublime results across a wide range of disciplines is a crucial commodity, and the 24.2-megapixel EOS R6 Mark II certainly fits the bill. With so many highlights, picking out a couple is difficult but two that deserve special praise are the EOS R6 Mark II’s autofocusing capabilities and its ISO performance.
The EOS R6 Mark II has remarkable high ISO performance. This was shot at ISO 51,200 using the RF 100-500mm F4.5-7.1 L IS USM at 500mm with an exposure of 1/2000sec at f/8. Image credit: Andy Westlake
Getting sharp focus on static scenes is straightforward for any camera but where the EOS R6 Mark II shows its mettle its ability to deal with fast moving subjects of almost every genre. Its Dual Pixel CMOS II AF, 4897-point system features Canon’s latest deep-learning technology and can successfully detect and track focus on humans, animals including birds and horses and vehicles, from racing cars and motor bikes to aircraft including helicopters.
Couple its AF skills with the camera’s ability to shoot lot of pictures very rapidly and catching the decisive moment has never been easier. The EOS R6 Mark II can race along at 40fps with AE/AF tracking using the electronic shutter and at 12fps with its mechanical shutter. Plus, there’s a 30fps Raw burst mode with the option of a pre-shooting where you can catch the action up to half-a-second before fully depressing the shutter button.
The AF system has incredible sensitivity too, being able to perform accurately in incredibly dim conditions, down to -6EV. For an idea of that means, the light of a half moon is around -5EV, so we are talking very, very gloomy scenes.
In such conditions, normally you would expect to need a tripod for sharp shots, but the EOS R6 Mark II has more tricks up its sleeve. Its in-body image stabilisation system, which works with lens-based optical IS, gives up to 8-stops of benefit.
Combine IBIS with the EOS R6 Mark II’s native ISO range for stills photography which tops out at a remarkable 102,400, it means being able to shoot with a handheld camera in near darkness and still achieve tack-sharp photographs.
High ISO speeds can suffer from excessive digital noise that can severely impact on picture quality but the EOS R6 Mark II’s has Canon’s newest DIGIC X processor to keep noise down to minimal levels and lessen its impact on picture quality.
You get gimbal-like results when shooting video with the ESO R6 Mark II thanks to its advanced image stabilising skills that includes Movie IS. Image credit: Andy Westlake
While the EOS R6 Mark II has exceptional skills in photography, where it stands out above its rivals, though, is that it is equally capable in the video arena, making it truly a hybrid camera of exceptional ability.
The EOS R6 Mark II can shoot full-width 4K footage with no image crop at rates up to 60p with the option of internal 10-bit 4:2:2 recording. Use a compatible Atomos external recorder and it can record ProRes Raw at 6k or 3.7K Raw with a Super35 crop. An enhanced heat dissipation design means it is possible to film beyond 30 minutes without over-heating.
The EOS R6 Mark II has separate microphone and headphone sockets and the Multi-Function Shoe offers more audio options. Image credit: Canon
Of course, the advanced tech of the EOS R6 Mark II used in producing great photographs come into play for video too. So, you can rely in the sensor’s excellent high ISO performance and its great autofocusing skills with the subject/eye-detect AF sticking like glue to in-frame subjects. When needed, a Detect AF only option means focus stays locked when the subject moves out of shot.
The camera’s 8-stop benefit IBIS means hand-held shooting is jar-free even when you’re moving to keep up with the action. For video, the benefit of IBIS and optical IS is enhanced by Movie Digital IS giving gimbal-like results. The results have to be seen to be believed.
Canon EOS R6 Mark II summary
The EOS R6 Mark II is a remarkable and truly versatile camera with a feature set that can satisfy the imagination of discerning content creators shooting video and stills. With its portability, the camera is perfectly suited to location and travel photography and the ever-increasing range of EOS RF lenses means every subject genre can be captured with ease. It is currently on sale at £2779.99 body with a further £200 off with the Canon Winter Cashback scheme.
Another great deal for content creators: the Canon EOS R50
Easy to use, portable and equipped to professional quality stills and videos, the EOS R50 is a powerful camera perfect for creative content creators and sells at a pocket-friendly price too.
For content creators upgrading from a smart phone or those keen to travel light without compromising their creative potential, the Canon EPS R50 is the camera for you. It’s a really compact APS-C format camera that weighs in at 375g body only with battery and card. Add the RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM standard zoom and the package is just 505g, so perfect as a take-everywhere camera.
For video, the EOS R50 can capture UHD 4K at 30p over-sampled from 6K so images are rich in fine detail and resolution and there’s a maximum recording time of one hour, so there is plenty of capacity. The flip out touch LCD monitor makes shooting at a variety of camera viewpoints a breeze and it can face forward too for selfie shooting.
Featuring Canon’s renowned Dual Pixel CMOS Auto Focus II sensor and DIGIC X processor, autofocus is swift, responsive and reliable with the options of subject detect, tracking and touch monitor AF point selection helping to make shooting even easier. If stills are needed from 4K UHD footage a Frame Grab feature enables you can grab 8.3-megapixel JPEG still images.
The simple to use but highly specified EOS R50 is a superb camera for today’s content creator. Image credit: Canon
Speaking of stills, the EOS R50’s 24.2-megapixel CMOS sensor let you capture Raw or JPEG images and files open out to 6000x4000pixels so big enough for all uses including making large prints. Its native ISO range is 100-32,000, so there is no problem when the light is less than perfect and image quality even at high ISOs is impressively clean and crisp.
The EOS R50 with the RF-S 18-45mm F4.5-6.3 IS STM is priced at £899.99 with a Content Creator Kit available at £949.99 which includes body, lens, DM-E100 stereo microphone with windshield, HG-100TRB tripod grip and a 32GB SD card. You can also save a £100 on the EOS R50 via the Canon Winter Cashback Scheme.
Best deal for home printing: the Canon PIXMA PRO-200
One of the joys of digital photography is being able to make large pro-quality prints at home. Canon offers a comprehensive range of printers and one of the very best for enthusiast photographers is the PIXMA PRO-200.
You’ve just got home from a creative photo shoot, memorable family event or a holiday of a lifetime, and the first thing you do – after unpacking! – is check out and start editing your brilliant photographs. This is a great time especially if you have got a load of ‘keepers’ but there is another step that can bring an even deeper joy, and that is to make prints at home.
Obviously, there are online and in-store options for printing and these are worthwhile too, but if you want the ultimate reward invest in a photo quality inkjet print and output at home.
The PIXMA PRO-200 is an 8-colour, wireless printer with three paper paths for a wide range of media including fine art materials. Image credit: Canon
The PIXMA PRO-200 is an exceptional inkjet printer capable of producing prints up to A3+ (that’s 19x13in or 32.9×48.3cm) borderless prints. It’s an 8-colour dye-based unit that can output vibrant colour and rich black & white prints on a wide range of paper types including fine art media, and it’s easy to use too and includes auto skew correction.
With its elegant design and compact footprint, the PIXMA PRO-200 is ideal for home use and give pro-quality prints up to A3+ size. Image credit: Canon
With its sleek design, compact footprint and wireless functionality, the PIXMA PRO-200 will suit most domestic settings. It’s currently priced at £459.99.
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