M6 Review - Faster, Better ! (PICS)
EOS M6 + EF-M 11-22mm lens. [several in-camera HDR images combined into a single HDR image].
The Canon EOS M6 mirrorless camera is a worthwhile successor to the recent line of Canon mirrorless cameras. The responsiveness and greatly improved Autofocus Speed and Accuracy is greatly appreciated. Much of this can be attributed to Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology. The new touchscreen is extremely responsive and the M6 comes with the newer DiG!C7 image processor. The shutter speeds range from 30 seconds (which i was mildly disappointed with) to 1/4000 sec (which is typical of most APS-C DSLRs these days). ISO Speed ranges from ISO 100 to ISO 25600.
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DIFFERENCES:
The speed differences on the new EOS M6 were immediately clear to me when I mounted a new 100-400mmL II lens to the original EOS M camera and waited as it slowly attempted to find and lock focus over several long seconds @ 400mm. Sometimes the subject had moved. Sometimes the camera didn't lock focus and had to start all over again. Mounting the very same lens to the new EOS M6 resulted in an instantaneous AF lock. It was almost as fast with an EF 2x III Extender mounted. The speed between the old and the new is the difference between night and day when it comes to longer zooms, especially with newer or more recent EF lenses.
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The EOS M6 offers considerable performance improvements over the previous models (with the exception of the M5- which a very recent model which offers an EVF but otherwise shares most or all of the M6's traits). Button placement is good, the Menu is relatively well laid out and the image quality is excellent. The M6's DPAF sensor has 24.2 Effective megapixels.
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New technological features include Bluetooth®, Wi-Fi and NFC. This allows for the user to shoot remotely and to transfer images to Smart Devices. Timelapse is also now built into the EOS M cameras Lack of 4K video might annoy film-makers but this is a Still Camera, not a video camera. With full HD Video capability at 60p, most of the needs of the film-maker will still be met and a multi axis image stabilizer for video (Video Only) will ensure smooth video picture quality. The Battery Door on the base of the camera seems thicker than on previous EOS M cameras. The body is rigid and has outer plates made from polycarbonate or composite plastics over an internal alloy frame. This allow for better impact and thermal resistance. I note that the metallic "grey" finish of the Black Body version appears to not show wear or scratching. Overall, the camera is well built and feels robust to handle. The grip is contoured with a rubberized overlay (similar to the grips on Canon DSLRs) and can be held comfortably - assuming you can overlook the slightly protruding shoulder-strap cleat.
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EOS M6 + 11-22mm lens. - 17th Century Bronze & Marble sculpture from Versailles Palace. .
PERFORMANCE:
The EOS M6 is a fast and snappy shooter. Last night I was able to deploy the camera quickly, removing the lens-cap to a lens as I raised it to shoot blindly at a scene as I drove past it at night with just a couple of street signs for illumination. The scene was a car accident that took place 35 minutes after sunset. Few other "compact" cameras would have had as much luck in getting that shot. The shutter on the M6 is MUCH louder than the shutter of prior models and there does not appear to be an option for "silent shutter mode". I was told by a European photographer that his was likely an intentional decision resulting from the issue of "Up-skirt Photography" and voyeurism in Japan at the moment. But with most mobile phones being silent, this seems to be overkill, if true.
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AUTO-FOCUS SPEED:
The AF speed of the EOS M6 is much faster than all of its predecessors, with the exception of the M5 which uses a nearly identical sensor. The fairly recent DPAF sensor was originally patented by Canon for use on the EOS-M mirrorless cameras to increase AF speed and accuracy. It was first tested in DSLRs and is likely to be the way of the future - with an update to the patent being lodged only recently. This is a bit of a game changer for Canon although it appears to bump up the cost of their products when this sensor is included. The increased AF speed is certainly welcome and low-light focus is improved. The AF speed is similar to my 6D Full Frame camera's AF and the accuracy is about the same.
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COLOR:
The color temperature rendering on the M6 appears to departs from the usual "faithful" default color settings of old. I find that out of the box, the M6 may require some experimenting with the preference settings - which are in the touchscreen menu. The images from the camera appear slightly cyan biased, much like early Sony digital cameras. Normally the Canon cameras tend to produce slightly warmer tones. This can be changed in-camera if it isn't to taste.
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Contrast is slightly stronger than I prefer. Again this was easily tweaked via the menu settings. Skin-tones were accurate under neon lighting and in daylight outdoors.
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IMAGE QUALITY:
Image detail and sharpness is very good. Obviously the quality of lens used has an impact on image quality. But the M6 seems to make the most of any fine details squeezed out of whichever lens is mounted.
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ERGONOMICS:
The M6 is comfortable to hold for long periods of time (if you can ignore the silver strap-mounting cleat that extrudes from the side) and it's easy to reach the required buttons as needed. I held the camera in my right hand for 3 hours and found the mounting cleat had pressed into my hand rather deeply. The button placement is slightly different to the recently-released EOS M5, specifically the ON-OFF switch. Access to the features and settings in the Menu is a similar process to using any other Canon camera.
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POP-UP FLASH:
The Pop-Up Flash can be tilted with your fingers, enabling the user to bounce the flash off a wall or ceiling but has (logically) only one axis of movement - from [forward] to [up], not side-to-side (of course!). Just be sure to avoid pressing your skin against the flash aperture to avoid overheating the flash. It's great to know that if you need a flash, there's on inside the camera should you need it. Professional results can be obtained by mounting an external flash and since some people use larger lenses with their EOS M camera, it should be noted that although the pop-up flash sits forward, it can still cast a shadow over part of the subject if there's a large lens hood (or oversized lens) on the camera. This is to be expected. The built-in flash also has adjustable output via the menu.
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The small size of the EOS M series means you can pack a lot of major photographic features into a small product. It's more easily carried in places where a larger bodied camera would attract unwanted attention. I conducted a very brief Night Shot (see sample below) test whilst driving between cities last night and mounted the camera to a tripod to shoot the Milky Way overhead. At this time of the year the darker portion of the Milky Way is visible and I literally only had 5 minutes to get the sample shots I needed. The tripod I was using didn't allow the camera to tilt straight up and nearby street lights hampered where I could point the camera... and a stranger approaching me in the dark to strike up conversation hindered my concentration. Ideally I'd have turned the aperture down to f/2.4 etc But the results were good, the sensor was sensitive and I look forward to more controlled photography with the M6 in future when the weather clears.
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SELF TIMER:
The self timer is turned OFF and deactivated whenever the camera is turned off. This means the Self Timer will not come on again until it is re-selected in the Menu the next time you turn the camera back on. I've not experience this before on other Canon cameras and I see no means of changing this setting in the menu. *Using Custom settings (eg C1/C2) will remember the Self Timer when selected.
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ASSIGNING BUTTONS:
The user can assign different settings and camera functions to the external buttons by literally reprogramming them for different purposes. I probably won't use this feature but other owners have found it quite handy. C1 and C2 custom settings are also available as usual.
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FLIP LCD SCREEN:
The LCD screen is similar to those featured on several other EOS-M cameras (eg M3/M5 etc). The images and colors are richly detailed and the screens seem impervious to scratching. I wouldn't use a clear protector on these screens since they might distort the fine details or hamper the touch-screen functions but some users will apply them. Unlike the recent M5, the M6 LCD screen also flips straight up 180 degrees to allow for selfies and still allow for tripod mounting. Plenty of DSLRs and Compact have no flexible LCD displays.... but for those who haven't used a Flip Screen before, it can allow the user to shoot over crowds and also allows for creative angles. I often shoot Macros so I found it handy to flip the LCD and then lean over plants to shoot a spider at arm's length (see sample). The screen on the M6 is sharp, bright and lively. The refresh rate is excellent. The screen does black out for a FRACTION of a second as the shutter button is depressed but it's so fast it won't interfere with or distract a user.
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EOS M6 + 11-22mm lens.
EOS M6 + 11-22mm lens.
EOS M6 + 11-22mm lens. - Making use of the Flip-LCD screen.
EOS M6 + 22mm f/2 Lens. - It turns out that Avocado Chips are a thing... that shouldn't exist.
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EOS M6 - using different lenses...
[Using the EOS M6 with EF-M lenses]
I had three lenses to experiment with on the new EOS M6. As per the original EOS-M, the EF-M 22mm f/2 STM lens is a very inexpensive and versatile lens on this camera. It's fast, bright and light... producing soft backgrounds and sharp subjects when used wide open. The image quality from this lens on the M6 was very appealing. The EF-M 28mm f/3.5 Macro IS STM lens was sharp and reliable for both Macro shots and for wider shots of Buildings etc. The EF-M 11-22mm f/4-5.6 IS STM wide-angle lens was certainly very responsive on the M6. The most versatile lens would have to be the 28mm Macro but the 22mm f/2 was excellent as well and produces even stronger bokeh and subject separation. All three lenses were fun to use on the M6. When I went to the National Gallery to view the Treasures of Versailles exhibition, the location was so dark that I regretted my decision to use the 11-22mm lens because f/4 was simply to slow/dark. I should have used the 22mm f/2 lens for this. A couple of shots (see one example above) came out quite well but this was the result of ideal lighting on those gallery exhibits.
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[Using the EOS M6 with EF lenses]
One of the first EF lenses I used on the M6 was the large and heavy EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. With the EOS M6 body mounted via the EF-EF-M adapter, the lens was perfectly balanced. You could literally spin the entire setup on the tripod-ring foot that is fitted to the lens. This is a fast and responsive lens by itself but adding 1.4x and (especially) 2x III Extenders will slow a DSLR right down. Not so with the M6. The M6 handled with lens and even the 2x Extenders with ease. AF was fast and reliable. The same speed and reliability were produced with other EF lenses on the M6.
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NOTE: An earlier test with this lens (100-400mmL II) accidentally made use of an inexpensive [disposable] filter which appears to have produced a strange artifact involving angular line in the bokeh in the out-of-focus areas of the sample images. After removing this filter, I've been generally unable to reproduce the effect. The filter appears to be the likely suspect here, not the camera or lens.
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EOS M6 + 22mm f/2 lens - The "Coalsack Nebula" is one of the darkest regions of the Milky Way. This image was taken on a Tripod with the Self Timer using the Tungsten setting using M-Mode..
EOS M6 LIKES:
There's a lot to like about the EOS M6. It's a nice looking camera with a practical design and it has a very small profile, making it an ideal backup to other cameras and equipment.
- The new On-Off button is now a recessed lever, similar to those on Canon's DSLRs. This makes it easier to tell if your camera is on or off by using touch alone.
- The Pop-Up flash isn't exactly new on the EOS M6 but it's tiltable and strong enough to slight a scene in the even that an External Flash isn't available. A built-in hotshoe offers excellent flexibility with External flashes and wireless triggers.
- Auto Focus speed is greatly improved over older models. It's also more accurate.
- AF reticule is smaller and adjustable.
- Camera is fairly fully featured. Much like a modern DSLR.
- New outboard control dials (similar to the M5) make access to features simpler.
- The Flip-out LCD Touchscreen is responsive and sturdy. Details and Image reproduction is superb. It's fairly impervious to scratching.
- Focus Peaking is quite effective and useful. But not with using STARS in the night sky as a subject. It's almost indispensable when using Macro.
- The Hi-Speed / Burst mode offers 9 fps - which is great fun.
- The LP-E17 battery is VERY effective. Without the use of a flash I was able to capture 1,000+ images on a single charge before the LCD icon suggested a power-drop. Yesterday I took 500 images without any noted loss of power on the LCD icon (on the camera). This included time spent reviewing images and changing settings as well as using Image Stabilized lenses.
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EOS M6 DISLIKES:
There's not too much to dislike about the EOS M6. But there's room for a few improvements in the basic design that Canon ought to have enabled or allowed user modification. Most users won't be bothered by these minor shortcomings but this is what irked me...
- The M6 Manual (in PDF format) is not as intuitive to navigate, nor are the word-search links fluent. For example: The term "Burst" (as in Burst-Mode) appears in the PDF manual but is not searchable in order to find it. Not all words are "Hotlinked".
- You can turn the AF Beep on/off but there's no control of the volume.
You can turn the operation button sounds on/off.
But you can't turn the volume up or down. It's either LOUD or silent.
- The new Color settings aren't as simple as they used to be. For example, we now have Sharpness broken down into [STRENGTH] + [FINENESS] + [THRESHOLD]. Working out ideal "Picture Style" isn't as straightforward or as intuitive as it once was.
- Tracking Servo will track a person, face or object that is moving and the camera will adjust focus. I had mixed results with this. It worked better with people than with bikes and cars approaching me.
- The longest exposure is 30 seconds.
The original EOSM offered 60 seconds.
- The ISO button (by default) is the easiest turning button, closest to the thumb-rest. It can be accidentally bumped when the camera is carried.
- The shoulder-strap anchor cleat on the right hand side of the camera sticks out just far enough to press into your upper palm when holding the camera. Not really a concern unless you're clutching your camera on a long trip.
- The in-Camera HDR setting didn't appear to be especially effective for me. I chose to take three lots of 3x HDR shots (9 shots in total composed from 3 separate shots each made of 3-shot bursts), to produce my own HDR shots using Photoshop (see sample above).
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CONCLUSION:
The EOS M6 is an a fully-featured mirrorless camera that is worth your consideration. The camera is well-built, reliable and responsive. The new DPAF was 99% reliable for the 2,000 shots taken during my first week with the camera. For people upgrading from an earlier EOS M model, it might take a short period time to adjust to some of the differences ...but the benefits of faster and more accurate AF makes the jump worthwhile. For users wanting a practical alternative to larger and heavier DSLRs (with larger, heavier and more expensive lenses), this camera is a logical substitute. It's also a terrific stand-alone camera for serious photographers as well as beginners. The EOS M6 is a fun camera to use and it's generally an easy camera to use. It has an appealing design and it's small enough without compromising IQ.
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*I did not use this camera in Auto mode (other than a brief cursory test) .
* On the Review breakdown chart, I'm rating the "Flash Photography (social)" on the use of an External Flash, not the built-in Flash.
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EOS M6 + EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. [taken at 400mm = 640mm on APS-C]
EOS M6 + 28mm Macro lens.
EOS M6 + 28mm Macro lens
