R6 Review - From a former Sony Shooter

Initial Concerns -- Megapixels:

The biggest concern I had for the R6 was the 'mere' 20MP sensor. After using 42MP bodies for a while, the thought of dropping down to 'only' 20MP was a tough pill to swallow. This really is the only thing that would have pushed me to either the A7rIV (which I can get for as much as the R6) or the R5 (which is very expensive).

(remember the good old days, when Sony brought out their A900/A850, and 24MP was considered ludicrous?)

Three things to think about that helped me -

1. I really don't print gigantic prints. This means, even with cropping, my photos from a 20MP camera are just fine. A huge majority of my photos are just to Facebook and photo forums (here, FredMiranda.com)
2. I don't have a high-resolution monitor. I'm still rocking a 24" Dell IPS 1920x1200 (yes, 16:10 ratio...love it). This means going to a 1:1 view in Lightroom still has lots of "zoom" compared to say, me using a 5K monitor (where there would be less "zoom" as I view 1:1)
3. I've been using the RX10 IV exclusively for 3 months. It also only has a 20MP sensor and I've been doing fine. Granted, that's with a 24-600mm equiv, so I'm rarely focal length limited.

Initial Concerns -- Cost:

Cost in both a relative sense (I can pick up the A7rIV for the same price with EDU pricing) and absolutely sense ($2500 isn't pocket change to me) was the other factor. Of course, everyone wishes Canon had brought out the R6 at $2000, but as long as they sell for $2500, why not? Canon is a business after all, meant to make profit.

Comparing a 61MP monster like the A7rIV to the 20MP R6, at the same cost, was rough. Comparing it to the A7III, which I can get for $1500 (edu pricing at BH) was even worse.

I was set on the R6, I couldn't stomach paying $2500 body only. I was very blessed to pick up a mint (31 clicks) body with the RF 50/1.8 for $2200 with free overnight shipping from an FM member.

What pushed me over the edge

1. User experience I've never been married to any brand. Sony, Nikon, Pentax, Pany, Olympus, Canon, Fuji -- I've owned multiple systems from each of those vendors. I like and dislike certain things about them.
   Eventually, I've grown tired of Sony's ergonomics. I realize the A7III and A7rIV changed up some things, but Sony's reluctance to advance the usability of their cameras (full touch interface, for example) led me to the Canon. I just wanted to get a more pleasant shooting experience, and the Canon has that in spades.
2. Ergonomics - Lovely. My hand fits nicely, no lost pinky. AF-ON and all buttons fall naturally. Slanted shutter button is very nice. I'd prefer a right-side on/OFF, but that's minor.
3. Lenses - No doubt Sony has a great lens lineup. But I've also been impressed with Canon's RF lineup. I have no plans on getting the monster lenses - I like to hike a lot for landscapes and don't want f/2.8. But the 85/2 is intriguing as well as the 100-500's relative weight and size. Once they come out with an f/4 UWA zoom, I think those are the lenses I'll be buying.
4. Autofocus - Specifically, the way the AF doggedly tracks animal and human eyes. Right now I only have the 50/1.8 to play with, but it's the real deal and works quite well. It's a bit quirky now and again, but I'm adapting.
5. Full LCD articulation - This is a double-edged sword, though I still like it more than just tilt LCD.
   1. The good -- Makes low/high vertical shots a breeze. Makes filming yourself much easier (even if you're not holding it).
   2. The bad -- Makes waist-level shooting more difficult. You can keep the LCD turned toward the body (so it's faster to deploy for waist shots), but then you don't have full access to Canon's excellent touch UI all the time.

Overall -- This is an excellent camera. I've been testing high ISO shots, pulling up big shadows, etc. and it's performing quite nicely. 1080 video is nice and clean with great eye AF (I don't shoot 4K).

Most functions are easy to customize with buttons. Touch menus are excellent. I really wish Canon would let us customize the Q menu because it works so well, so fingers crossed.

Yes, 20MP is mentally a small number, but honestly it's not limiting how I use and display my photos in any way.

Most importantly, though, it's a fun camera to use - Fits my hand like a glove, no odd angles or out-of-place buttons, good performance -- Highly recommended.

Processed from RAW in LR Classic - Extreme shadow raises, very clean.

SOOC JPEG with all corrections disabled - Only downsized to 1600px