188
people found this helpful, as of 2023
ranked #178,631 most helpful
out of 571,544,897 reviews
★★★★☆
A superb camera with a remarkable kit lens.
I received this camera just over a week ago and have shot about 1000 pictures in various conditions with the kit lens and an RF f/4 24 to 105 mm L series lens I got with the Canon R camera I also own. I mostly shoot JPG and use RAW for those difficult pictures that in camera processing may not produce the best results. The R6 was purchased to replace the R.
The good:
1. The camera is a delight to handle and is easy to like.
2. Autofocus is superb with either lens. While taking pictures of our 4 month old standard poodle puppies, who would never keep still, I nailed focus around 85% of the time, compared to 65% for the Sony A7RIV and 50% for the Nikon Z7/Z6 using their equivalent lenses.
3. I compared the JPG output to my Sony A7RIV which is a 60 MP camera and preferred the out of camera JPGs from the R6 in both color and sharpness. The 66% less pixels were not readily apparent on an x2 image on my 2020 27" iMac which was surprising.
4. Quiet shutter with amazing shutter operational speed in electronic and mechanical mode.
5. The supplied kit lens is remarkably good and the JPG output is indistinguishable from the f/4 constant aperture L series RF lens I have (in camera correction is a wonderful thing). It is slow at maximum focal length (105mm, f7.1) but this only affects low light conditions and the R6 has the dynamic range and low enough noise sensor to not mind using high ISOs. The only reason not to use this lens on a regular basis is its lack of weather sealing and variable aperture over the focal length range.
6. Sensor stablisation is superb. I was taking shots at a 1 second shutter speed and getting a great hit rate.
The not so good:
1. The camera feels cheap and plasticky when compared to the Sony A7RIV, Nikon Z7/Z6 and my beautiful Fujifilm X-T3. It is solid enough but does not give that carved from a solid billet of steel that the other 3 manage to do. It does not feel like a nearly $3K camera.
2. The thumb joy stick is too far to the left and I often missed it until I got used to it.
3. The multifunction wheel on the back cannot be used to move the focus point, it is rotational only. I miss the ability to press one side of the wheel to get to a function or move the focus starting point.
4. The 20 MP resolution is fine if you do not crop in to get close ups. You soon run out of decent resolution, though not as soon as you would expect. I often use the ability to crop in on my higher resolution cameras in place of a good zoom.
5. Lack of a decent constant aperture f/4 70 to 200 in the RF range of lenses. I use my old faithful f/2.8 EF 70 to 200 with an adapter, That is one heavy lens!! One equivalent to the RF f/2.8 70 to 200 lens would be wonderful and means I may always take this camera (I do not want to spend the money on the f/2.8 and I want something more compact).
6. Kit lens is without a lens hood or case which, in a $2800 camera kit, seems a little cheap to me. The f/4-7.1 kit lens is not weather sealed.
7. No camera charging cables etc. which are usually included with cameras in this price range.
Summary:
1. I love this camera and have an R5 on order which may address some of the build and resolution issues. I do not use these cameras for video on a regular basis (my iPhone 11 Pro Max is very good and can 'film' for more than 30 minutes without either stopping (EU laws) or over heating). I never hit the overheating problem.
2. The kits lens is much better than it has any right to be at this price point.
3. The camera will make good use of more expensive glass.
4. Resolution is on the low side (for cropping in) but not a killer. Look at the output not the numbers and you will be amazed at just how good this sensor is.
5. This is a great camera and beats the Sony A7III and Nikon Z6 in just about every metric that matters. It is also a competitor to the Sony A7RIV and Nikon Z7 despite its lower resolution.
Recommendation: Buy it. I marked it down 1 star because it is an expensive camera with some obvious cost cutting which takes the edge off the experience.
October 2020 · Electronics · verified purchase