Hands on Field Test of the Canon EOS 6D Mark II

[SecureGSM]

nope, incorrect. I am an existing Canon customer with 2 x 6D bodies. I was contemplating to step up to 6D II but then decided to step up to 5D III and 5D IV bodies instead. I have traded in one of my 6D bodies already for a nice 5D III and now am on look out for a low shutter count, mint 5D IV to replace my second 6D.
The person that purchased my 6D is now looking for a couple brand new FF zoom lenses. More business for Canon.

I guess when Canon put out the 5D mkiv, the camera itself does not have great 4K coverage. So I guess putting 4K into 6dmkii would have an overall negative effect on 5D mk iv. Secondly not sure why they did not upgrade the DR... I would even be willing to pay a little more money for this 6D mkii upgrade.
Sure, there will be people who are willing to try this camera but also now it stands to lose more existing customers who want to upgrade. Also with the review, new customers (within this budget range) will probably shy away from buying it and consequently also not buying the L lenses. Sad ...

 

[freezehead]

I guest 6D1 "eat" too much 5D3's cake that pissed off Canon, that's not a good thing and they decide that will not happen with 6D2 & 5D4 haha

 

[Mikehit]

I guest 6D1 "eat" too much 5D3's cake that pissed off Canon, that's not a good thing and they decide that will not happen with 6D2 & 5D4 haha

I am not one of those who holds too much faith in the 'avoid affecting sales of...'. Canon does have a habit of deciding what is important to the target market and building to that. So with the 5DIV for example they did not put full 4k in the camera because in their view people who shoot video with such a camera will shoot short clips and not aim to do a full hour of documentary. Some will, of course, but not the majority of the market. And I think this is pretty accurate.

But camera acceptability is more than ever drive by internet chatter and I suspect camera design will follow the same path - even for Canon.

I have been going to Fredmiranda recently and comments from those who have received the camera are really pleased with it. It seems that real-world users are finding the images far more acceptable than 'review sites' give it credit for. Which does not surprise me really. Review sites have to report on something to give a people reason to visit their site and the differences they report are becoming ever more esoteric.

 

[andyhewitt]

I am really surprised to see people making excuses for the company that takes their money. Come on! It is 2017! You may not want DR but someone does!

 

[Mikehit]

I am really surprised to see people making excuses for the company that takes their money. Come on! It is 2017! You may not want DR but someone does!

Who is making excuses? Saying you understand why a company makes a decision is not the same as saying you agree with their decision, nor is it the same as saying 'I would complain if they included function X'.

What makes me laugh is the number of people who complain about no dual card slots, no 4K video,poor DR....then end up buying Canon cameras anyway because that tells Canon they made the right design decisions.
The only way they will change is if huge numbers of Canon buyers stop buying their cameras. But they don't...why? Because the good things Canon does outweigh the things Canon are criticised for. It is called design consideration.

If you want to look at compromises: Sony puts lots of (laughingly called) innovative technology into their cameras that have poor interface and even worse after-sales service. Sony make a limited range of high quality lenses that are generally more expensive than the Canon equivalents.And when you adapt Canon lenses the functionality drops significantly
Nikon use the Sony sensor, offer more 'bang for the buck' on the bodies but their lenses are more expensive than Canon.

Which compromise do you want? Do you go on Sony forums and whine about their compromises? Or Nikon?

 

[LonelyBoy]

...

Latest rant noted. No need to repeat. Either you are right or Canon is. We shall find out.

Many of us feel same way and want to rant.

I went Canon when I went SLR because they were innovative.. first to bring video to an SLR, many other features etc. It was a leader.

I loved it and invested into their ecosystem and had hoped to work towards full frame, more pro bodies. But I don't make money from it and I can't afford to keep changing glass on each whim, so it's painful watching luke warm release after luke warm release while you see some really good innovation elsewhere.

Still watching the reviews, but looking more and more like I'll be still waiting.. again.

Yes, today Sony and Nikon are vying for the innovation crown. Recent rumors for the D850 release are pretty heady. 45-46MP, a true ISO 50, improved low and high ISO DR, up to 10 fps continuous (not clear if this will be just in 20MP crop-sensor mode), D5 AF, tilty screen, and XQD card slot, and full-frame 4k video. Now, video AF will still pale compared to Canon's, but if true, most of these rumors are true, this will be an amazing camera. Of course this is a whole different category from the 6DMII. What it means though is that Nikon has created enough room below the D850 that it won't have to "nerf" the D750 replacement to create product differentiation. Nikon can release a (D780?) with a 30MP sensor, 8-10FPS, 4k video, dual-card slots and marginally improved sensor (if at all) and still have a far superior camera campared to the 6DMII.

Yes, Nikon has had quality control problems, and yes, Canon's lens portfolio is a bit better. However, between Nikon's offerings and third party lenses, there is nothing that isn't covered from my perspective.

Will this cut into Canon's lead? Probably not. The switching costs are simply too high. But since I'm not invested in Canon stock, their lead in market share does me absolutely no good.

So bye bye Canon. I have a few L lenses in good shape--24-70mm L II, 70-300mm L, 100mm L, 85mm L II, and 100-400mm L II--that are going on the market soon. Selling these lenses should more than cover the purchase of D850 and Nikon 105E lens.

May I assume I'm going to continue seeing you hang out and complain here for the next few years?

 

[tencachon]

:-\
Photography is a hobby for me, I don't make much money from it but I've been following and using Canon for the past 8 years. The best thing about Canon products is the resell value in the aftermarket. I've been able to play and upgrade from Rebel T3 to T3i to T5, T6, 70D, 80D for almost no extra out of pocket money besides the initial camera purchase (thanks to all the Pixma Pro printer rebate) and swapping cheap lenses, etc...

I had a used 1DS Mark 3 to play around for couple months and felt in love with the FF so I sold my 80D and also 1DS 3 to get the 6D Mark II. Here's my 2cents on the 6Dii after 2 days of using it:

PRO:
- Focus is super quick and accurate with L lens, little bit slower on 3rd party lens (typical, Sigma Art and HSM lens).
- Great handling, very typical Canon, touch screen is good and responsive.
- Tilting screen - love this from the 70D/80D days
- Street price program ($100 off, yes at least I am getting it less than the "regular" price).
- 45 focus points, similar to the 80D, but the focus point range is a little bit narrower than the 80D I think.
- Battery is great

CONS:
- Like many other people said, $2000 is a little bit high for one who wants to step up from APS-C, so yes I do expect a bit more on the camera
- Error 70: maybe it's just me, but I can't use liveview with Sigma lens. The moment I take a picture through liveview, Error 70 appears, and the camera went dark with the red light constantly stayed on above the card memory slot. Does this qualify as defective product? I understand it's 3rd party lens, but I didn't run into issues with 70D, 80D buying brand new release before.
- DR is definitely worse than the 80D at low ISO (why????)
- Image quality, I can't really explain this until I take more shots, but it doesn't seem that sharp??

Not sure what I am going to buy after returning this "defective" 6D Mark II (already sold my 80D and 1ds mark III).

 

[tomscott]

Its clear that for what ever reason that it doesn't justify its price.

Hasnt even been out a week and DREV had it for sale for £1595

Its already down to £1489!!!

https://store.digitalrev.com/product/canon-eos-6d-mark-ii/MTEwNTc1Ng_A_A

Good preowned 5DMKIIIs with 20-30k on them are £1400-1500 currently at London Camera Exchange with a 6 month warranty.

The 5D MKIII is still £1649! £160 more expensive and at the minute the only reason to buy a MKIII new is because it has 2 card slots slightly more advanced AF. The sensors seem to produce about the same IQ but the 6DMKII having better high ISO performance and better colour noise and banding control.

Seems like a no brainer... Im a bit tempted since ive been on the fence on what to buy since my 5DMKIII got stolen. My 7DMKII has been really impressing me since and been using the 70D with its flippy screen and its been really handy. Only issue im having is neither cameras nail focus even close to the 5DMKIII they both miss seemingly for not much reason, not like the its front or back focusing but nothing in the frame is in focus... Can be frustrating.

The 5DMKIV seems the best option but will need another £1000 to buy one.

 

[andyhewitt]

I am really surprised to see people making excuses for the company that takes their money. Come on! It is 2017! You may not want DR but someone does!

Who is making excuses? Saying you understand why a company makes a decision is not the same as saying you agree with their decision, nor is it the same as saying 'I would complain if they included function X'.

What makes me laugh is the number of people who complain about no dual card slots, no 4K video,poor DR....then end up buying Canon cameras anyway because that tells Canon they made the right design decisions.
The only way they will change is if huge numbers of Canon buyers stop buying their cameras. But they don't...why? Because the good things Canon does outweigh the things Canon are criticised for. It is called design consideration.

If you want to look at compromises: Sony puts lots of (laughingly called) innovative technology into their cameras that have poor interface and even worse after-sales service. Sony make a limited range of high quality lenses that are generally more expensive than the Canon equivalents.And when you adapt Canon lenses the functionality drops significantly
Nikon use the Sony sensor, offer more 'bang for the buck' on the bodies but their lenses are more expensive than Canon.

Which compromise do you want? Do you go on Sony forums and whine about their compromises? Or Nikon?

I think plenty of people whining about their products on Sony and Nikon forum, which I think is the right thing to do. At least the company knows what aspects they need to improve. Yes, 6D II may sell well and many people don't care or don't know about DR. But as a consumer, we don't want compromises. Especially knowing that Canon has that tech and still refuse to implement it into a product that releases 4 years after its predecessor.

 

[Mikehit]

Its clear that for what ever reason that it doesn't justify its price.

Hasnt even been out a week and DREV had it for sale for £1595

Its already down to £1489!!!

https://store.digitalrev.com/product/canon-eos-6d-mark-ii/MTEwNTc1Ng_A_A

Good preowned 5DMKIIIs with 20-30k on them are £1400-1500 currently at London Camera Exchange with a 6 month warranty.

The 5D MKIII is still £1649! £160 more expensive and at the minute the only reason to buy a MKIII new is because it has 2 card slots slightly more advanced AF. The sensors seem to produce about the same IQ but the 6DMKII having better high ISO performance and better colour noise and banding control.

Seems like a no brainer... Im a bit tempted since ive been on the fence on what to buy since my 5DMKIII got stolen. My 7DMKII has been really impressing me since and been using the 70D with its flippy screen and its been really handy. Only issue im having is neither cameras nail focus even close to the 5DMKIII they both miss seemingly for not much reason, not like the its front or back focusing but nothing in the frame is in focus... Can be frustrating.

The 5DMKIV seems the best option but will need another £1000 to buy one.

DREV prices are grey imports at tax free cost. You simply cannot take that as a marker of genuine market price.
The 5D4 on DREV is 2,400 - still a 1,000 difference to the 6D2.

 

[Mikehit]

But as a consumer, we don't want compromises.

What a ridiculous statement. All products by all manufacturers at all price levels (yes, even...GASP!....Sony) compromise on features vs cost. If they did not every camera manufacturer would have only one model.
Sony compromise by lower build quality and crap after sales service and less efficient focus tracking. And imagine the incompetence of Sony in not being able to design an efficient interface. That is probably the easiest bit in camera design and they still get it wrong!

 

[awinphoto]

The sky is falling the sky is falling... It doesn't have "MORE" DR than other cameras that are out, gasp... How much DR did the 10D have? like 5? Seriously now. He talks about shooting proper exposures like it is a bad thing and being able to push your images 5 stops like it is the holy grail. Who the heck shoots like that on a consistent basis in which this would even be a nuisance, other than a simple mistake shot where you forgot to properly account for the exposure? Exposure used to be photo 101 stuff, not just shoot something and hope to fix it in post! Lastly, he's griping there's no 4k video... really? And if there was 4k, he would gripe it wasn't red quality... pass... stop complaining, pick up your camera and just freaking shoot!

 

[BillB]

I guest 6D1 "eat" too much 5D3's cake that pissed off Canon, that's not a good thing and they decide that will not happen with 6D2 & 5D4 haha

I am not one of those who holds too much faith in the 'avoid affecting sales of...'. Canon does have a habit of deciding what is important to the target market and building to that. So with the 5DIV for example they did not put full 4k in the camera because in their view people who shoot video with such a camera will shoot short clips and not aim to do a full hour of documentary. Some will, of course, but not the majority of the market. And I think this is pretty accurate.

But camera acceptability is more than ever drive by internet chatter and I suspect camera design will follow the same path - even for Canon.

I have been going to Fredmiranda recently and comments from those who have received the camera are really pleased with it. It seems that real-world users are finding the images far more acceptable than 'review sites' give it credit for. Which does not surprise me really. Review sites have to report on something to give a people reason to visit their site and the differences they report are becoming ever more esoteric.

Word of mouth from 6DII owners will kick in, and that may quickly counterbalance all the Internet craziness. Tilty flippy screens and touchscreen focussing may sell themselves as soon as people learn about them. The toughest sell may be convincing people to pay more for the 6DII when the 80D is an alternative. Of course, Canon long ago reconciled itself to writing off the DPR disciples, at least as far as the 6DII is concerned. I do wonder about Canon's choice for the 6DII sensor though. Cost management, I guess.

 

[andyhewitt]

What a ridiculous statement. All products by all manufacturers at all price levels (yes, even...GASP!....Sony) compromise on features vs cost. If they did not every camera manufacturer would have only one model.
Sony compromise by lower build quality and crap after sales service and less efficient focus tracking. And imagine the incompetence of Sony in not being able to design an efficient interface. That is probably the easiest bit in camera design and they still get it wrong!

Compromise on features vs cost that is manufacturer's consideration. I am not saying you pay little and get a camera that is better in every aspect. So maybe that is the best Canon can offer.

 

[Takingshots]

:-\
Photography is a hobby for me, I don't make much money from it but I've been following and using Canon for the past 8 years. The best thing about Canon products is the resell value in the aftermarket. I've been able to play and upgrade from Rebel T3 to T3i to T5, T6, 70D, 80D for almost no extra out of pocket money besides the initial camera purchase (thanks to all the Pixma Pro printer rebate) and swapping cheap lenses, etc...

I had a used 1DS Mark 3 to play around for couple months and felt in love with the FF so I sold my 80D and also 1DS 3 to get the 6D Mark II. Here's my 2cents on the 6Dii after 2 days of using it:

PRO:
- Focus is super quick and accurate with L lens, little bit slower on 3rd party lens (typical, Sigma Art and HSM lens).
- Great handling, very typical Canon, touch screen is good and responsive.
- Tilting screen - love this from the 70D/80D days
- Street price program ($100 off, yes at least I am getting it less than the "regular" price).
- 45 focus points, similar to the 80D, but the focus point range is a little bit narrower than the 80D I think.
- Battery is great

CONS:
- Like many other people said, $2000 is a little bit high for one who wants to step up from APS-C, so yes I do expect a bit more on the camera
- Error 70: maybe it's just me, but I can't use liveview with Sigma lens. The moment I take a picture through liveview, Error 70 appears, and the camera went dark with the red light constantly stayed on above the card memory slot. Does this qualify as defective product? I understand it's 3rd party lens, but I didn't run into issues with 70D, 80D buying brand new release before.
- DR is definitely worse than the 80D at low ISO (why? ??? )
- Image quality, I can't really explain this until I take more shots,but it doesn't seem that sharp??

Not sure what I am going to buy after returning this "defective" 6D Mark II (already sold my 80D and 1ds mark III).

That really disappointing based on the test shots. Wonder if it has to do with the sensor since its 6D mk ii sensor is not identical to 80D. Until more field tests with different lens are done we will never know....

 

[tomscott]

Its clear that for what ever reason that it doesn't justify its price.

Hasnt even been out a week and DREV had it for sale for £1595

Its already down to £1489!!!

https://store.digitalrev.com/product/canon-eos-6d-mark-ii/MTEwNTc1Ng_A_A

Good preowned 5DMKIIIs with 20-30k on them are £1400-1500 currently at London Camera Exchange with a 6 month warranty.

The 5D MKIII is still £1649! £160 more expensive and at the minute the only reason to buy a MKIII new is because it has 2 card slots slightly more advanced AF. The sensors seem to produce about the same IQ but the 6DMKII having better high ISO performance and better colour noise and banding control.

Seems like a no brainer... Im a bit tempted since ive been on the fence on what to buy since my 5DMKIII got stolen. My 7DMKII has been really impressing me since and been using the 70D with its flippy screen and its been really handy. Only issue im having is neither cameras nail focus even close to the 5DMKIII they both miss seemingly for not much reason, not like the its front or back focusing but nothing in the frame is in focus... Can be frustrating.

The 5DMKIV seems the best option but will need another £1000 to buy one.

DREV prices are grey imports at tax free cost. You simply cannot take that as a marker of genuine market price.
The 5D4 on DREV is 2,400 - still a 1,000 difference to the 6D2.

In the UK you would be mad to do otherwise. There is at least a £500 increase and you still get the same warranty in the UK with the same products they even have a UK office. I have always bought from them and had issues and repairs sent to CPS no problems.

My 7DMKII had an issue that the dioptre seized after about 11 months... Sent to CPS fixed under warranty. 70-200mm MKII arrived with a spec of dust in the lens was sent to CPS and cleaned. Even all postage was paid for.

In my experience I dont really care where I get it from as long as I get a good service. I dont know why I would spend an extra 1/3rd which it is, its more than the added tax in the UK.

IMO its a pretty good early indicator.

 

[Mikehit]

In the UK you would be mad to do otherwise. There is at least a £500 increase and you still get the same warranty in the UK with the same products they even have a UK office. I have always bought from them and had issues and repairs sent to CPS no problems.

That is fair enough. But to use a site that avoids duty as a guide to the correct street price is misleading (to put it politely).

 

[Talys]

- Error 70: maybe it's just me, but I can't use liveview with Sigma lens. The moment I take a picture through liveview, Error 70 appears, and the camera went dark with the red light constantly stayed on above the card memory slot. Does this qualify as defective product? I understand it's 3rd party lens, but I didn't run into issues with 70D, 80D buying brand new release before.
- DR is definitely worse than the 80D at low ISO (why????)
- Image quality, I can't really explain this until I take more shots, but it doesn't seem that sharp??

Not sure what I am going to buy after returning this "defective" 6D Mark II (already sold my 80D and 1ds mark III).

1. The only Sigma lens that I have now is 150-600. Live view and DPAF seem to work great. No error 70. Maybe so that others can be forewarned, which were you using?

2-3. I couldn't observe any DR or sharpness difference with 80D at ISO 100. Frankly, studio shots taken from a tripod and with excellent lighting were indistinguishable to me, both in terms of image quality when zoomed out to fit a Surface Studio's excellent 4k screen, and when zoomed in to 100% for sharpness. By indistinguishable, I mean that if I took 20 ISO 100 keepers and mixed them all up, I'd never be able to tell which was taken with which camera.

Now, I'm not saying that there isn't a DR difference with 80D, but it's not like photos from one appear to pop and photos from the other look flat (to me). For sharpness, using 50mm 1.8, 100mm L macro, and 24-70L/4, both 80d and 6D2 were awesomely sharp.

 

[Talys]

I think plenty of people whining about their products on Sony and Nikon forum, which I think is the right thing to do. At least the company knows what aspects they need to improve. Yes, 6D II may sell well and many people don't care or don't know about DR. But as a consumer, we don't want compromises. Especially knowing that Canon has that tech and still refuse to implement it into a product that releases 4 years after its predecessor.

I think people should spend less time whining about their Canon, Sony or Nikon cameras and more time shooting photos

As a consumer, YES, I want compromises. Not just with cameras, with everything. I can't afford stuff that doesn't have any compromises, and I don't want to wait forever for products to be perfected. I want the right product for me, at the right price and the right time. I don't want the unicorn that I can't have today; I'm willing to buy something that I can afford to make me happy today, and buy something in a few years that makes me happy then.


It's like finding a relationship with no compromises -- this is a great way to stay single for the rest of your life

 

[tencachon]

- Error 70: maybe it's just me, but I can't use liveview with Sigma lens. The moment I take a picture through liveview, Error 70 appears, and the camera went dark with the red light constantly stayed on above the card memory slot. Does this qualify as defective product? I understand it's 3rd party lens, but I didn't run into issues with 70D, 80D buying brand new release before.
- DR is definitely worse than the 80D at low ISO (why????)
- Image quality, I can't really explain this until I take more shots, but it doesn't seem that sharp??

Not sure what I am going to buy after returning this "defective" 6D Mark II (already sold my 80D and 1ds mark III).

1. The only Sigma lens that I have now is 150-600. Live view and DPAF seem to work great. No error 70. Maybe so that others can be forewarned, which were you using?

2-3. I couldn't observe any DR or sharpness difference with 80D at ISO 100. Frankly, studio shots taken from a tripod and with excellent lighting were indistinguishable to me, both in terms of image quality when zoomed out to fit a Surface Studio's excellent 4k screen, and when zoomed in to 100% for sharpness. By indistinguishable, I mean that if I took 20 ISO 100 keepers and mixed them all up, I'd never be able to tell which was taken with which camera.

Now, I'm not saying that there isn't a DR difference with 80D, but it's not like photos from one appear to pop and photos from the other look flat (to me). For sharpness, using 50mm 1.8, 100mm L macro, and 24-70L/4, both 80d and 6D2 were awesomely sharp.

Thanks for helping me to confirm on the error message.
I tried it on the Sigma art 35mm F1.4 and 85mm F1.4, and also the 50mm f1.4 HSM lens, all gives me the Error 70 message. No issue with the native canon EF lens. I'll try it again tonight and repost with a picture or maybe a short youtube video clips.