Big test
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PERFORMANCE: ISO
Final word
ISO 100
ISO 800
Verdict
ISO 1600
ISO 3200
Canon’sAPS-Cmirrorless system was launched in 2012, but since then I sensed that Canon’s commitment to its EOSM systemwas not total. The EOSM cameras that came out weren’t especially innovative or even interesting and the lens system was nothing to get the pulse racing. However, with the EOSM6Mark II and its 32.5-megapixel sensor, I sense a sea change andmore enthusiasm from the camera giant. On the lens front, we're gettingmore interesting optics like the a EF-M 32mm f/1.4 STMand independent makers are getting involved, too. The Canon EOSM6Mark II is a fine camera with a rich set of features. Itsmirrorless flagship is an attractive, more than competent camera that sells at a competitive price.
ISO 6400
ISO 12,800
800, although picture quality is still very high. Indeed, image quality is still very decent at ISO 1600, with fine detail recorded nicely, but grain is visible in the midtones as well as shadows. For me, ISO 2500 is the highest speed for critical images and beyond this point noise levels are high, and there’s a significant impact on detail and colour saturation. Overall, noise performance
With the EOS M6 Mark II and its 15-45mm zoom fixed to a Benro carbon-fibre tripod, I took a set of full-size Raws at every ISO setting from ISO 100 to its expansion setting of ISO 51,200. The exposure for the low-light scene at ISO 100 was 0.6sec at f/11. All in-camera noise reduction was turned off. The resulting Raws were processed in Canon Digital Photo Professional v4.11.1.0 with no noise reduction applied. Checked at 100% on screen, images at ISO 100 and 200 were very clean, although you can see low levels of noise in the shadows at the latter speed. This becomes more evident at ISO 400 and ISO
ISO 25,600
ISO 51,200
was good, but not as good as the leading cameras in this market segment, but performance was still very decent considering the sensor’s high resolution.
FEATURES The 32.5-megapixel sensor and small
23 /25
high-resolutionmonitor certainly helps in checking you have accurate focus, as does the focus peaking, which is very sensitive. Focus peaking is available when using the EVF, but themagnifier needs to be selected first by touching themonitor’s virtual magnifier icon before raising the camera up to the eye. Themechanical shutter fires with a low-pitch sound that is not obvious amid general street noise, but for total discretion use the electronic shutter, which is silent but (handily) a white outline shows around the edge of themonitor image to indicate you havemade an exposure. The electronic shutter also comes into play when Raw burst/pre-shooting mode is selected. Raw burst shooting gives 30fps with AF tracking, but there is an image crop and 75% of the sensor is used to give an 18-megapixel image. In terms of pixel dimensions, the camera’s usual 6960x4640 pixels drops to 5220x3480 pixels in this mode. If Raw burst mode appeals, you need to bear inmind that the CR3 Raw files have the CSI prefix and you either have to extract a Raw or JPEG in camera or, LEFT The EOSM6 Mark II offers 4K video shooting and works together with Dual Pixel CMOSAF, which gives a goodAF performance. There are two electronic stabilisation settings, enabled and enhanced, both giving an image crop but more stable footage. Image quality in the stronger Enhanced setting suffers with a loss of fine detail
size are big advantages.
because there’s no third-party support (at the time of writing), you have to use Canon’s free Digital Photo Professional software. DPP has its fans, although I’m not one of them, and extracting usable files from the CSI file is slow. Moving away from the Raw burst mode, the EOSM6Mark II can shoot up to 14fps at High Speed Continuous. In my test, using a Lexar 2000X 300MB/s SD card, I got 24 frames at 13fps before slowing down, and the buffer took just over five seconds to clear. InHigh Speed Continuous, I got 27 frames at 7fps, while in Low Speed Continuous, I got 4fps and the camera continued shooting without any buffering Use the EOSM6Mark II in Raw, and there are two save options, full-size Raw and CRaw or compressed Raw. Both Raw save options give CR3 files and these do have third-party support –most of my processing for this test was done in Lightroom. See the panel on the previous page for more on these Raw settings I enjoyed testing the Canon EOSM6 Mark II once I got used to amonitor-only camera. I did have the EVF in the bag, too, so it was available, but its small viewing image and extra size didn’t appeal. The camera’s exposure systemproved very good, the AFmore than capable and I liked the articulatingmonitor, too. The 15-45mm lens supplied for test used at mid apertures gave a decent performance, but I think if I bought this camera, I’d look at the prime options that wouldmakemore of the sensor. WC
No stabilisation
22 /25
HANDLING Touchscreen is good to use and overall control layout is sensible. PERFORMANCE Exposure system very good, AF could be hit and miss in low light. VALUE FOR MONEY So many megapixels in a decent handling and high-performing camera at this price is tempting.
23 /25
Enabled stabilisation
24 /25
92 /100
OVERALL It’s the best EOS M camera we’ve seen to date.
ENHANCED stabilisation
PROS High resolution, monitor, dual function feature CONS Optional EVF, cropped 4K video when image stabiliser used
34 Photography News | Issue 74
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