Canon EOS R6 - First Impressions
Canon EOS R6 with the RF 50mm f/1.2L USM
First Impressions of the Canon EOS R6
If you have visited our blog or read my camera reviews in the past you will know that it has been Fujifilm all the way, either the X Series or GFX Series cameras and lenses. That is about to change as I am taking a first look at the Canon R6 this week along with a selection of new and impressive RF lenses.
In my Fujifilm reviews I often make comparisons to Canon cameras I used for a number of years. I sold all my Canon gear when started our travel project in 2015.
The decision to sell my Canon gear was not because I was unhappy with the performance. It was done in a move to downsize and be able to travel with a more lightweight kit. I have been watching Canon slowly making strides in the mirrorless world.
The first entry was the EOS R and while it appeared to be a nice enough camera the reception and reviews were mixed. It’s taken Canon a while but they have certainly made a mark with the latest releases in the shape of the Canon EOS R5 and Canon EOS R6. In this first-look review and will share my first impressions of the Canon EOS R6.
Canon EOS R6 with the RF 50mm f/1.2L USM
Canon EOS R6 - Handling
I had the Canon 6D for a couple of years and used it alongside a Canon 5D Mark III, mainly as a backup but for events, weddings, and various gigs the 6D was used almost as much as the 5D Mark III.
Going into this hands-on review of the Canon EOS R6 I expected it would feel like a mirrorless Canon EOS 6D. My first impression of handling the EOS R6 was that it was a few notches above the EOS 6D. The camera feels very well built with a deep grip and buttons that feel solid.
There is no top LCD on the Canon EOS R6 which may give the impression that it isn’t an upper-range camera but the PSAM dial is handy and give you a quick way to change between shooting modes.
I was surprised to find out the EOS 6D weighs 27.2 oz / 770 g and the EOS R6 is merely 23.4 oz. / 680 g as the EOS R6 feels like a studier camera. I am going from memory and did not have the two cameras side by side.
I had the camera set up in my usual shooting mode, aperture priority and used the rear command dial for exposure compensation.
The rear fully articulating LCD screen and button layout of the Canon EOS R6
Fujifilm's closest competitor to the R6 would be the Fujifilm X-T4 but with the price difference of $800.00, the EOS R6 is the more premium product, namely with its full-frame sensor. Both cameras feel solid in the hand with the EOS R6 being heftier at 27.2 oz. / 770 g vs. 18.5 oz. / 526 g for the Fujifilm X-T4. The build quality of the LCD is better on the Fujifilm X-T4.
Canon EOS R6 In Action
This was a very brief hands-on test. I had the camera for an hour but managed to try out four Canon RF lenses. Yes, there was running involved, and cycling up a very steep hill to get to Queen Elizabeth Park in Vancouver where Canon’s Road Trip event was held.
I am primarily a stills shooter and did not try the video features which otherwise look very promising with the dual pixel AF and in the Canon EOS R6, we finally have an EOS R camera with image stabilization.
The Canon EOS R6 feels like a premium product and I was surprised at how much I enjoyed the autofocus implementation where you focus and reframe your image while the AF system hangs onto your focus point. Clever.
I will break down my impressions based on the lenses I tried out and will share a few sample images.
Canon EOS R6 with the RF 50mm f/1.2L USM
Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM
This was the first and most important lens for me to try. I have been traveling with Fujifilm’s XF 35mm f/1.4 R for long periods of time and have thousands of images taken at this focal length (equivalent to 50mm full-frame).
The Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L looks big on the EOS R6 but feels fantastic and well-balanced. I did not have a live model but instead found a statue that willingly agreed to a couple of frames at f/1.2 and no model release was needed.
This is a very cool lens with a hefty price tag of $2.299.00. Naturally, I would have liked to try it in more settings and the light was not optimal with grey skies.
Update: I have now had a chance to try the RF 50mm f/1.2L USM on the Canon EOS R5 also. You can check my review here:
Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM
The EF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS is another $2,299.00 option and a beautifully crafted lens with a very useful focal length range. Note it takes a standard 82mm filter and does not have a bulging front element as seen with some fast wide-angle zooms, ie. the Fujifilm XF 8-16mm f/2.8 R LM WR.
I have used the Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L and EF 16-35mm f/4L IS lenses in the past and both were bread and butter lenses for me. The f/4L IS version was especially sharp and a joy to use.
Canon EOS R6 with the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM
Canon has taken things a step further with the RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS as the lens now goes as wide as 15mm. I did note some barrel distortion at 15mm and, at this point, I’m not sure how easy it would be to fix. In the short amount of time, I had the lens, I made these images.
Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM
In the EF lens days, I have tried the EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L Mark I and Mark II lenses on a few occasions so it was fun to see this RF lens adding another 100mm on the long end albeit at a slower f-stop of f/7.1 on the long end. The lens felt very light at 48.1 oz. / 1365 g vs. 57.8 oz. / 1640 g for the EF 100-400mm Mark II.
I cannot comment on IQ comparisons from the older lenses vs. this new option but the RF 100-500mm has a striking design, feels fantastic in the hand, and from the few shots, I managed to get it looks okay with perhaps a bit of contrast and pop missing on the long end.
This lens should appeal to wildlife photographers and while I didn’t get a chance to test autofocus tracking the f/7.1 f-stop on the long end would have me slightly worried about using it for this application.
I may be overthinking this. ISO performance is getting better and better and while f/7.1 would give quite a dark viewfinder on a traditional digital SLR with mirrorless and an electronic viewfinder, EVF, this should be less of a problem and perhaps no issue at all.
The IS was okay at shorter focal lengths but was almost erratic at longer focal lengths. I returned to the Canon booth to make sure I had the right settings and they confirmed the IS was on.
I am slightly suspicious I may have done something wrong as the IS really was not impressive. Great service from the Canon team by the way.
Canon RF 28-70mm f/2L USM
Straight out - what a beast! This lens is impressive. A standard zoom at f/2 with a decent focal length range, however slightly less than your typical 24-70mm zoom. I don’t think anything like it has ever been made. A striking lens with an equally striking price tag of $2,999.00.
Canon EOS R6 with the RF 28-70mm f/2L USM
With a filter size of 95mm and weight of 50.4 oz. / 1430 g for a standard zoom, it is surprisingly well balanced on the Canon EOS R6. You could cover an entire wedding or fashion shoot with just this one lens.
But be prepared to lug around a sizeable piece of glass. From the few test shots, I was able to make, this lens does indeed look promising.
Canon EOS R6 Image Quality
With its 20-megapixel full-frame CMOS Sensor the Canon EOS R6 is on the lower spectrum when it comes to sheer megapixel count compared to the competing Nikon Z6 or Sony A7 III with 24-megapixels. Depending on what you mainly shoot this may be important.
I certainly look forward to reviewing the Canon EOS R5 also, which features a 45-megapixel sensor. Megapixels are not everything, far from it, but if you are a landscape shooter the Canon EOS R6 may leave you wanting more.
Having shot Fujifilm for as long as I have I had to update Lightroom to the latest version in order to work with the Canon EOS R6 RAW files. I have been using Capture One Express for a while now so I had to get used to Lightroom again.
No biggie but I felt the EOS R6 files needed more work before they had the vibrant look that I am used to from Fujifilm. This of course is highly subjective and may depend on what you are used to. The Canon files to my eye come out flatter.
Canon EOS R6 and the rear LCD and button layout
Conclusions
As mentioned above this was a short first-look at the Canon EOS R6. I did not fully get under the hood of the many options in this camera but from my limited experience, I have no reasons to believe that the EOS R6 won’t be a solid performer.
Once it is set up to your liking and post-processing has been fine-tuned it should deliver great results. I would need much more time to give it a final verdict.
One observation that is worth mentioning with the setup I tested today is the fact that you pay to play. This is full-frame territory and the entire setup listed here is close to $13,000.00.
I know you wouldn’t necessarily need all the lenses listed here and it is good to know that Canon is planning to release a slew of lenses in late 2020 and 2021.
Some of these lenses will be more budget-minded. According to an article in Canon Rumors, these are the lenses we should expect in 2020 and 2021. Impressive indeed.
Expected Canon RF lenses in 2020
Canon RF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM
Canon RF 50mm f/1.8 STM
Expected Canon RF lenses in 2021
Canon TS-R 14mm f/4L
Canon TS-R 24mm f/3.5L
Canon RF 10-24mm f/4L USM
Canon RF 14-35mm f/4L IS USM
Canon RF 24mm f/1.8 IS STM Macro
Canon RF 35mm f/1.2L USM
Canon RF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM
Canon RF 135mm f/1.4L USM
Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-7.1 IS USM
Canon RF 400mm f/2.8L IS USM
Canon RF 500mm f/4L IS USM
Canon RF 600mm f/4L IS USM
Canon RF 800mm f/5.6L IS USM
Canon RF 1200mm f/8L IS USM
Unfortunately, Canon had to cancel the second day of testing in Vancouver which means I did not get a chance to try out the Canon EOS R5. I saved the EOS R5 for last and hope I will be able to test it at a later date.
Update: I have now had a chance to review the Canon EOS R5 as well and you can find the review here:
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