M6 Shipping Tomorrow?

May 4, 2011
1,175
251
Wow, nearly a month later and crickets...

Anyway, just picked up one (locally) - traded in my M10. I was also weighing the M5, but at the end of the day, it came down to size and the M6 can still squeeze into a Dashpoint 30 bag (the M5 requires a "Mirrorless Mover" or equivalent size larger bag). May be the first M I actually enjoy shooting with. The buttons and dials make it feel much more like a serious camera, and you even get 2 custom modes to boot! More time is needed with it for a full "first impressions" type of post, but upon unboxing, I like what I see so far. I will say this - Canon for some reason went really bare-bones with the body-only package. All you get is the body + strap, a "getting started" guide, a battery and the charger (plus warranty card) - that's it. No cables, no CD, etc. Not even a USB cable - and EOS Utility can't even connect to the M6 via it's Wifi. I did have a spare cable, but just note.

More to come later.
 
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May 4, 2011
1,175
251
Shot my first event with it last weekend. I used it with the 18-150mm lens, which is a bit softer IQ-wise than what I'm used to, but still decent enough especially when the equivalent FF setup would just be impractical.


But onto the camera. Coming from the M10 (and original M), the physical buttons and dials on the unit are a godsend. A bit tight for someone like me with bigger hands, but beats fiddling through the menu or touching the screen for everything. Still learning the customization options, but in manual mode, for example, you can set the dial around the shutter button for shutter speed, the dial on the back for aperture, and the dial on the upper right (under the exp comp wheel) to change drive mode, ISO speed, etc. This makes a big difference in control and therefore ease of use.

The extra resolution (from 18MP to 24 MP) is definitely welcomed, especially now that I've started printing my photos. Allows me to crop just that little bit more and still get that 8x12...or get 12x18 at 300 PPI using full 24MP resolution.

I find the RAW files from the M6 to be surprisingly flexible for a crop-sensor camera. Definitely a noted increase in editing latitude over the M10 and M. The color rendition seems to be a bit more natural too - I found myself making little to no adjustment on colors (only contrast, but that's more on the 18-150mm lens which struggles in that regard). And like all of Canon's newest cameras, OOC files need sharpening, sometimes a lot of it, to look crisp.

The AF is further improved over the previous M cameras, but I still missed several shots due to focus hunting and failure to lock on. But keep in mind a) I had a lens with a big range attached and b) I'm still learning the camera. I don't think I had servo turned on, but don't know if it would have made much difference. I can say with confidence though that a DSLR - even the most basic model - is still far superior if AF speed is critical.

I do like the ability to pick a smaller "area" for the AF. One of my biggest complaints over previous Ms was the large AF area which made it hard to focus on small subjects or get accurate AF on them. In fact, I left the smaller box on by default when I went out to shoot.

FPS - this camera has got the speed (for short durations) to stop action if needed. The 7 FPS is noticeably faster than anything I had from the M10 or M. I didn't stress the AF much but based on my experience I would still stick to a DSLR for sports. That said, it's still quick enough to capture a series of facial expressions or body movements.

In summary, what I like:

- Dedicated exp comp wheel, mode dial and customizable dials
- Comfortable hand grip, if a bit small compared to DSLR grips
- On/off is now a switch instead of a button you must hold down - makes a difference in time needed to get camera ready!
- Improved AF and speed
- Files more flexible in post-processing workflow
- Custom modes, 2 of them to boot
- Smaller AF window makes it easier to focus on smaller subjects
- Screen tilts down slightly for shooting over crowds
- Camera and 18-150mm lens is at the physical limit of what will squeeze into a Dashpoint 30 bag (lugs stick out, require some maneuvering w/zipper but with some effort, the bag WILL zip)

What I didn't care for:

- AF can still hunt sometimes, even in good light
- Buffer could be improved, particularly given the speed of this camera
- Images are softer out of camera and need PP work if good sharpness is desired
 
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Re godox. not yet Ive tried everything to get godox to work with m5 but it doesn't , not even the latest mini flash designed for mirrorless works , godox say a firm update is due but they said 1 month that was 4 months ago so not hold my breath , I've tried all the godox triggers and receivers and directly mounted flash some fire but don't sync correctly


JP4DESIGNZ said:
Act444 said:
Wow, nearly a month later and crickets...

Anyway, just picked up one (locally) - traded in my M10. I was also weighing the M5, but at the end of the day, it came down to size and the M6 can still squeeze into a Dashpoint 30 bag (the M5 requires a "Mirrorless Mover" or equivalent size larger bag). May be the first M I actually enjoy shooting with. The buttons and dials make it feel much more like a serious camera, and you even get 2 custom modes to boot! More time is needed with it for a full "first impressions" type of post, but upon unboxing, I like what I see so far. I will say this - Canon for some reason went really bare-bones with the body-only package. All you get is the body + strap, a "getting started" guide, a battery and the charger (plus warranty card) - that's it. No cables, no CD, etc. Not even a USB cable - and EOS Utility can't even connect to the M6 via it's Wifi. I did have a spare cable, but just note.

More to come later.

Let me know what your thoughts are with the M6. I'll eventually trade my M3 in for the M6 since I like how the flip screen flips up instead of down for real estate photography. Does anyone use Flashpoint (Godox) gear by any chance? I want to know if my XT32C triggers will continue to work with the M6 and M5.
 
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Rockskipper

Somewhere skipping rocks and taking photos
Apr 20, 2017
68
15
Act444 said:
What I didn't care for:

- AF can still hunt sometimes, even in good light
- Buffer could be improved, particularly given the speed of this camera
- Images are softer out of camera and need PP work if good sharpness is desired

I just got an M5 and I can say it has the exact same shortcomings. I definitely prefer a DSLR for focus/speed, but the size is really nice. I missed a lot of action shots, but the ones I did get were nice.
 
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Haydn1971

UK based, hobbyist
Nov 7, 2010
593
1
52
Sheffield, UK
www.flickr.com
Had my M6 a few weeks now, used it a fair bit this last week on holiday in Majorca, a definite thumbs up from me in terms of usability, access of regular functions, handling, power use, the AF is excellent in use and in chrome, it looks damn fine especially with the 22mm prime fitted. Like some nice little touches too, like the ease of in camera raw to jpeg conversion, access of filters for play shots and the dials - All EOS-M cameras need dials from here onwards.

Downsides ? Come on Canon, the app support is rubbish, it's 2017 and this kinda stuff should work perfect from launch of product.
 
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