weak points of Canon M6

I am a long time photographer and about a year ago obtained a M6. I am not a photo geek, and place more value in Photoshop than cameras. That said, I appreciate the look of film, not HDR, focus stacking, or over the top edits. Most of the bells and whistles found on digital cameras have little use in my photography. I prefer to tweak an image to my liking in Photoshop, rather than allow the camera make my decisions.

My first complaint is battery life. A day of shooting, often drains the battery even when consciously turning the camera off when not in use. Despite the small battery it takes far longer to charge than batteries from for my 80D (which I never turn off, yet the battery lasts far more than a day) The M6's small battery and slow charger are annoying.

Small cameras like this should have a way to lock out controls to prevent changing settings unintentionally. It is hard to handle this camera without accidentally pressing buttons.

Both focus and exposure should be locked in with partial shutter press, rather that requiring pushing a second button to lock exposure. That way the intended focus and exposure could be set. The framing or composition of the scene could then be altered without changing focus or exposure.

The focus point is easily dragged around the screen, which may be useful, but it should have a function to lock it place to prevent it from being moved accidentally. It is aggravating to find it hiding off in a corner of the screen or viewfinder.

Manual and auto focus is toggled on and off at the quick control dial, and it is annoying to find auto focus often turned off due the fact that it is hard to handle this camera without inadvertently pressing controls.

The optional electronic viewfinder  (DC1) is a necessity for me. The camera's screen is often difficult to use in some situations. The DC1 pivots upward which is great in many situations, but it is often bumped into partially raised positions. In normal use I want the viewfinder aligned with the lens, which makes framing subjects more intuitive. The electronic viewfinder should have a catch or detent to  lock it in place aligned with the lens.

The tripod lug position sucks. Nearly everyone these days, I assume, uses a tripod with a quick release plate, yet those plates, when installed, prevent opening the door for access to the battery, or memory card. Makes me wonder if Canon has their designs tested by actual photographers . . .

Last . . a proper printed manual should be furnished. The PDF manual is great when a computer is available, but I don't care to drag extra gear around when in the boondocks. The printed manual that comes with the camera is tiny, and hard to read.

Also the manual should be written in clear language that can be understood. I find too much of the manual is unclear or apparently inaccurate.

One plus for Canon, they offer pretty good telephone support.

Also . . . .  I am sure similar complaints apply to other cameras of this type. I am not saying the M6 is junk, it is simply not totally to my liking.

Also . . . . I am sure similar complaints apply to other cameras of this type. I am not saying the M6 is junk, it is simply not totally to my liking.

Wasn't impressed either as I stated in my post way back. One really positive thing was the flip screen. No Canon mirrorless has a flipscreen anymore 

fstopx2 wrote:

The focus thing has always annoyed me, that I have to push another button to lock it. My ancient T2I does not do this.

I do know the lens is constantly focusing due to continuous focus.

You do know you can turn that off, don't you?

Alan

MY REVIEW OF YOUR REVIEW:  '1 STAR ' ... which I award only for entertainment purposes during reading this "review".  This was literally the furthest thing from a review I have ever read.  Even the one where one chap didn't even write about the camera but just clicked on a few boxes.

borulom341 wrote:

I am a long time photographer and about a year ago obtained a M6. I am not a photo geek, and place more value in Photoshop than cameras.

<facepalm> I'm just going to play Devil's Advocate here (especially since this is your first post on DPreview and on the Forums... as well as being your first Camera review (which is suspicious as just about anything else I've seen here).  But, as a lecturer in Advanced Photoshop and someone who has been using Photoshop since its inception (literally PS v1.0), I'd say you seem to be picking a poor argument with this opening statement.  You clearly don't see any value in digital cameras since giving up film - if your additional comments are to be accepted...

That said, I appreciate the look of film

Oh my freakin' sweet cheese & crackers...  Since you're obviously a Shoopfan, why don't you download the NIK collection of Pluggin Filters to your Photoshop edition and then just add all the Film Grain you want?  It's so easy!  You can even select which TYPE of film grain characteristics to apply, based on film stock and ISO !

, not HDR, focus stacking, or over the top edits. Most of the bells and whistles found on digital cameras have little use in my photography. I prefer to tweak an image to my liking in Photoshop, rather than allow the camera make my decisions.

Which means you obviously only shoot RAW.  Why not just say that?  And surely being able to shoot RAW with the EOS M cameras means you can then PIXAR the heck out of your images later with your preferential tweaks?

My first complaint is battery life.

Congratulations:  This Battery Life is the best reason to buy the M6.  But you found an issue with that?  (Thank GOD you didn't buy a new M50)...

A day of shooting, often drains the battery even when consciously turning the camera off when not in use. Despite the small battery it takes far longer to charge than batteries from for my 80D (which I never turn off, yet the battery lasts far more than a day) The M6's small battery and slow charger are annoying.

Since I've thrice obtained over 3,000 photographs on a SINGLE battery charge using the EF 100-400mmL II lens on the M6, I am literally stunned by this statement.  You DO KNOW that leaving the camera with Continuous Focus turned on all day results in additional battery drain, right?  And that someone who observed the linked necessity for Exposure and Focus lock controls ought to know this... hmmm?  And that "slow charger" for the batteries?... why didn't you buy a second battery?  I bought two batteried when I picked the camera up and I still haven't needed to use a second battery in a single day.  Curiouser and Curiouser....

Small cameras like this should have a way to lock out controls to prevent changing settings unintentionally. It is hard to handle this camera without accidentally pressing buttons.

A 'child lock' would have solved so much more.

Both focus and exposure should be locked in with partial shutter press, rather that requiring pushing a second button to lock exposure. That way the intended focus and exposure could be set. The framing or composition of the scene could then be altered without changing focus or exposure.

There's only ONE flaw in the interface of the M6 and it relates to the ease of changing the ISO by accident if you don't realize what you're doing.  Which you didn't even mention.  Are you SURE you bought an M6?

The focus point is easily dragged around the screen, which may be useful, but it should have a function to lock it place to prevent it from being moved accidentally. It is aggravating to find it hiding off in a corner of the screen or viewfinder.

Would you like me to wipe your chin when there's soup on it?  That little AF reticule moves ONLY when you choose to move it.  And if it's not in the middle on the screen you only need to touch a single button and PRESTO! It's right back in the middle again.  How long did you say you've been a photographer again?

Manual and auto focus is toggled on and off at the quick control dial, and it is annoying to find auto focus often turned off due the fact that it is hard to handle this camera without inadvertently pressing controls.

I don't have small hands or small fingers... they're not large either. But I'm clumsy and I still don't seem to have this problem.  Wouldn't it have been better not to have bought such a "tiny" camera in the first place if interface and size was likely to be an issue?

The optional electronic viewfinder (DC1) is a necessity for me. The camera's screen is often difficult to use in some situations. The DC1 pivots upward which is great in many situations, but it is often bumped into partially raised positions. In normal use I want the viewfinder aligned with the lens, which makes framing subjects more intuitive. The electronic viewfinder should have a catch or detent to lock it in place aligned with the lens.

Oh my freaking lawd.... Why didn't you buy an M5 or an M50 with a darned EVF BUILT INTO THE CAMERA BODY if it's a necessity?  Was this a continuation of the M6 "review" or an additional rant of the DC1 accessory for M cameras?  I'm going to take out my M6 and just slap the heck out of it for having such a crappy OPTIONAL external viewfinder.  Is there any way I can edit my earlier review of the M6?  I really want to bash that viewfinder now since Canon didn't include one in the box.

The tripod lug position sucks. Nearly everyone these days, I assume, uses a tripod with a quick release plate, yet those plates, when installed, prevent opening the door for access to the battery, or memory card. Makes me wonder if Canon has their designs tested by actual photographers . . .

This isn't a DSLR with a slide-out dual-battery extended grip... this is the same any PowerShot or Compact camera.  The Tripod Mount was place DEAD CENTER in alignment with the sensor and the lens mount.   The flip-open base-plate is the traditional location for Battery and SD card.  You could perhaps mount the SD card slot in a side compartment but the reason it works that way on a DSRL is because there's plenty of real-estate to put it there.  The M6 is a super compact mirrorless APS-C substitute for a DSLR with the same APS-C sensor size.  Canon made the right call here.

Last . . a proper printed manual should be furnished. The PDF manual is great when a computer is available, but I don't care to drag extra gear around when in the boondocks. The printed manual that comes with the camera is tiny, and hard to read.

You picked a camera with WiFi and Bluetooth on it so Canon wanted it to appeal to people that like to upload directly to the internet... which is why they believed you could download the Manual (for FREE) off the internet.  Apparently, you are unaware that Canon stopped supplying printed manuals for all their cameras years ago.  Surprise!

Also the manual should be written in clear language that can be understood. I find too much of the manual is unclear or apparently inaccurate.

I think I found a flaw in the M50 manual.  And on the M6 manual it's not exactly clear why Canon use certain terminology until you read the whole page of any said section.  Some of it might be a translation issue but I'm yet to seek out a feature in the PDF manual and not be able to find it.

One plus for Canon, they offer pretty good telephone support.

Now I KNOW you are not telling the truth.  Canon shut down all local support and moved it overseas.  As a former Canon licensed dealer, I can assure you that the biggest GRIPE today among existing dealers is how their technical support is now offshore and can't even answer simple questions about their own products (including filter sizes!).  And Canon also shut down local in-house repairs in my country.  Every phone call to Canon for service and support now goes to a third-world nation.

Also . . . . I am sure similar complaints apply to other cameras of this type. I am not saying the M6 is junk, it is simply not totally to my liking.

You just "REVIEWED" the camera <cough> and yet you made no observations on AF speed, build quality, features or image quality.  What the heck did you think was going to happen here when your FIRST and ONLY Post on this forum is to bash a camera that you so clearly have no interest in using?  I also suspect you clicked "Like" on your own post.  Nobody who has used the M6 could agree with your comments.   I'm baffled but suitably entertained... hence the 1 STAR that I award this "review". 
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When you write a negative review about a product, you can't expect people to take it seriously if the "review" doesn't address the actual performance of the product.  You started out by saying you prefer film cameras and dong care for the image-processing features of Digital Cameras because you prefer to "edit them (presumably to death) in Photoshop".  I'm sure my friends over at PIXAR could use you as a poster artist.
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I'm sorry you didn't like the lack of a Printed Manual (which has nothing to do with the camera's performance) and that using a touchscreen irritates you (which is in fact one of the best features of the newer generation of EOS M cameras). But what really bothers me is how you failed to note the difference that Canon's new DPAF sensor makes on a mirrorless camera compared to a DSLR.  Very strange.  I'm certain that your 80D - which has the very same sensor as the M6 - is capable of the very same quality of images and has virtually the same menu options for output.  Which makes me seriously ponder if you actually ponied up the cash for an M6 or not. 
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Thanks for the entertainment and it's just a shame that your unsolicited feelings on the matter have tainted the previous review averages for this camera.  I ought to do this to the Sony forum and see how well it goes down. 

Most of your complaints can be addressed by setting the camera up the right way. Learn how to use the camera first, then review it. The M6 is highly configurable, and can be set to most people's liking. Perhaps, even after learning how to use it, you'll still have complaints. But please, don't waste our time with complaints that it doesn't function the way you want it to right out of the box. As for battery life, that is just the nature of mirrorless. I would say that I trust you don't have to have it explained to you that operating in live view all the time drains the battery quite a bit, but, given your post, I can't assume that even the most obvious things are obvious to you. That said, I have two spare batteries, and have never needed more than one. It's very rare for me to have to change the battery in the middle of the day, but when I do, it takes 10-15 seconds. If you want to whine about that, I guess some people are never satisfied.

So he just opened an account here on DPreview on this day to post a "complaint review". A troll ? Can't tell.

Armando CR5 wrote:

So he just opened an account here on DPreview on this day to post a "complaint review". A troll ? Can't tell.

It's entirely possible that he felt irritated and wanted to vent... I know I'll have to sometimes sign up to be able to leave feedback about some products on other web pages. But as we've noticed, most people open an account here long before they feel comfortable leaving a product review.  They tend to ask questions or make interactions here before taking on a critical assessment of a camera or lens.  I don't think I've ever seen anyone write a review as their first post here... and I've been here since 2004.
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I probably shouldn't reply to posts that I strongly disagree with when it's 4:30am on my side of the world and I'm still awake ...but it's a shame that the OP's comments were tainted by the controversy of a 'first post' and yet contradicted by many of his own words.  Anyone coming from an 80D ought to have an idea of the basic handling of the M series bodies because the menu and interface is so similar (and both are Canon cameras).  Otherwise, there's a lot of very strange inconsistencies in the OP's "review" and it's a shame that it taints the overall (and much higher) reviews of others on this camera.  His experiences seem not to compare with DPreview's M6 review and it differs from my own experiences with the M6.  It were almost as though we've both been using different cameras.
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But a little controversy makes things interesting around here, right?

Yes, it makes one reaffirm that this is indeed a little gem of a camera, since you know how capable it is in the right hands of people who know in advance what they are getting into. And makes you appreciate real objective reviews and not anger driven ones.

I own an M6 and knew about its pros and cons beforehand, based on that I went for it since it met my needs. Reviews found here at DPreview and from its cummunity  hace helped me a lot.

At least this is my opinion.

fstopx2 wrote:

Alan Sh wrote:

fstopx2 wrote:

The focus thing has always annoyed me, that I have to push another button to lock it. My ancient T2I does not do this.

I do know the lens is constantly focusing due to continuous focus.

You do know you can turn that off, don't you?

Alan

Yes I know. On the original M I left it on because the focus was very slow. I have turned it off in the past when using EF/EFS lenses.

So the question is this - if you turn off the continuous focus does it behave like a DSLR at that point or no?

I honestly don't remember if it does or not.

Short answer: yes.

Longer  answer; continuous focus made the M usable by acquiring focus before you took a shot, largely negating the slow focus issue. All 4 DPAF models focus pretty much instantly, so the disadvantages of continuous focus massively outweigh the advantages under any shooting conditions I've yet found.

2.5 stars? Please tell me you are returning the camera.

Helen wrote:

plantdoc wrote:

M cameras can have shorter battery life because they want to stay on with IS running. Depends on the model and setups but the eye sensor is a frequent culprit. If your body or bag activates the sensor, the battery will drain. Also, the battery is fairly small.

Greg

Whilst all the above is true, I’m always baffled by people like the OP who complain about the battery life of their first mirrorless camera compared to their DSLR, because they overlook the main reason for the difference - the DSLR’s battery life would be much closer to that of the mirrorless if they used the DSLR in its live view mode all the time (which I wouldn’t recommend).

Yes, but even given that, I find the M6 battery life to be the weakest point of the camera. Marco talks of 3000 shots on a battery; I've never got a tenth of that. I find that when I'm shooting all day with the M6, I use 2.5 batteries, pretty much regardless of how many shots I take. That said, I know a fair bit of that is down to how I choose to use the camera; with the EVF-DC1, reviewing a fair few shots over the course of the day (not chimping, but having a proper sit-down review in a cafe, bar, or even a church pew). I don't always turn it off when walking around. I don't have it set up to minimise battery use. I know and understand the issues, and I'm not prepared to compromise on the way I use the camera just to increase battery life. LP-E17s are pretty small, so carrying 2 spares isn't hard, and so is the double USB charger I use along with a power bank to make sure that in the event I go over 3 batteries for the day, I'll have some power. My wife uses an M5, so if we're off together I carry 4 spares, but it's rare she needs more than 1 replacement in a day. I think my M6 is thirstier for juice than her M5, I get typically 150-225 shots per battery. I think it's the biggest issue with the M6, and I still don't think it's a serious problem.
My only other real issue is with the EVF-DC1. I agree with the OP that it tends to get moved out of normal shooting position far too easily, but again, it's not exactly a huge problem - and it's not an issue at all if you buy the DC2 that was launched with the M6 instead. Sure, that can't be bent to different angles, but I've never actually done that in anger anyway on the M6 or M3 before it. Far worse is the fact that it's overly contrasty in bright light, but it was the first EVF I found that I could actually use at all, so I'll forgive it quite a lot - especially for the convenience of being able to remove it for an even smaller package.
The OP's other gripes are all valid, but there are perfectly reasonable workarounds for them in terms of setting the camera up that I would have thought most users would find in their first couple of weeks with the camera.

I really, really like the M6 and the pictures it produces.

And the M50 has a fully rotating vari-angle screen.

borulom341 wrote:

My post was titled "weak points of Canon M6" . Not sure how you would have expected it to be a comprehensive review of the camera.

Yet you gave the camera a middling overall score of 2.5/5. If you were focusing on just the nitpicks you ran into with an otherwise good camera, as you seem to imply with your above statement, I would've expected a score more like 4.5/5 or 4/5.

I'm sorry, but you clearly did not research this camera prior to purchase or learn how to use it before writing this review. If you had, you would've known that battery life is a common weakness among mirrorless cameras, especially with the M series. You would also have known how to properly set your focus point with the rear screen, or how to disable the touch to focus feature entirely.

None of this is meant to be a personal judgement, but it's important to put in the effort to write an informed review, which this one was not.