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A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer

Started Dec 10, 2020 | User reviews
hexie9 Contributing Member • Posts: 509
A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer
22

Canon EOS M6 Mark II is a powerful mirrorless camera, even better than its DSLR sister 90D.

14FPS continuous shot speed, 30 FPS 18MP electronic shot speed with pre-capture function. Very fast focus speed in continuous shot and single shot mode which is better than 90D.

But its electronic shutter is limited to single shot in 32MP. 14FPS mechanic shutter have some blur problems. Battery life is not very good, and its body is too small.

I bought it to connect with my canon EF 300mm f2.8 IS USM. So I have to bought a cage to make it more comfortable,and two more batteries. Canon 328 is very fast in this body, I really like this combo.

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E-M1 Mark II + 300 Pro

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 hexie9's gear list:hexie9's gear list
Olympus E-M1 II Olympus M.Zuiko 300mm F4 IS Pro Panasonic LX100 Fujifilm X-T3 Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM +3 more
Canon EOS M6 Mark II
33 megapixels • 3 screen • APS-C sensor
Announced: Aug 28, 2019
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Canon EOS M6 Canon EOS M6 II
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R2D2 Forum Pro • Posts: 26,528
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer
1

hexie9 wrote:

Canon EOS M6 Mark II is a powerful mirrorless camera, even better than its DSLR sister 90D.

14FPS continuous shot speed, 30 FPS 18MP electronic shot speed with pre-capture function. Very fast focus speed in continuous shot and single shot mode which is better than 90D.

But its electronic shutter is limited to single shot in 32MP. 14FPS mechanic shutter have some blur problems. Battery life is not very good, and its body is too small.

I bought it to connect with my canon EF 300mm f2.8 IS USM. So I have to bought a cage to make it more comfortable,and two more batteries. Canon 328 is very fast in this body, I really like this combo.

Yup, good to have extra batteries.  I usually get about 2 hours of shooting per battery.

When I have a tele mounted, I keep the sleep timer very short.  In fact, the lens’ IS shuts off entirely after 8 seconds.  I half-press the shutter to wake as I’m bringing the camera up to shoot.

One caution with the cage (or any other device that gets screwed into the tripod socket), is don’t over-tighten the mounting screw, as the bottom plate could crack (if too much force is applied).

Also be sure to check out the tips and tricks thread...

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4433968

Have fun with your new camera!

R2

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Experience comes from bad judgment.
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 R2D2's gear list:R2D2's gear list
Canon EOS M6 Canon EOS M6 II Canon EOS R5 Canon EOS R6 Canon EOS R7 +1 more
m100
m100 Senior Member • Posts: 2,048
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer

Nice shots !

This will fix your battery life is not very good, and its body is too small problem.

https://www.custombatterygrips.com/store/product/canon-eos-m6-mark-ii-battery-grip

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" It's a virus that hitches a ride on our love and our trust for other people. "
Dr. Celine Gounder

 m100's gear list:m100's gear list
Canon EOS M6 II
OP hexie9 Contributing Member • Posts: 509
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer

R2D2 wrote:

Yup, good to have extra batteries. I usually get about 2 hours of shooting per battery.

When I have a tele mounted, I keep the sleep timer very short. In fact, the lens’ IS shuts off entirely after 8 seconds. I half-press the shutter to wake as I’m bringing the camera up to shoot.

One caution with the cage (or any other device that gets screwed into the tripod socket), is don’t over-tighten the mounting screw, as the bottom plate could crack (if too much force is applied).

Also be sure to check out the tips and tricks thread...

https://www.dpreview.com/forums/thread/4433968

Have fun with your new camera!

R2

Thanks for your advice, R2.

It's very useful for saving power.

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E-M1 Mark II + 300 Pro

 hexie9's gear list:hexie9's gear list
Olympus E-M1 II Olympus M.Zuiko 300mm F4 IS Pro Panasonic LX100 Fujifilm X-T3 Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM +3 more
OP hexie9 Contributing Member • Posts: 509
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer

m100 wrote:

Nice shots !

This will fix your battery life is not very good, and its body is too small problem.

https://www.custombatterygrips.com/store/product/canon-eos-m6-mark-ii-battery-grip

It's a huge grip. 

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E-M1 Mark II + 300 Pro

 hexie9's gear list:hexie9's gear list
Olympus E-M1 II Olympus M.Zuiko 300mm F4 IS Pro Panasonic LX100 Fujifilm X-T3 Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM +3 more
palombian Contributing Member • Posts: 637
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer

Of coarse Canon limited this camera, but it has become cheap enough to live with it.

Seems it has been discovered only recently for birding and wildlife :).

IMO power management is much enhanced compared to the original M6, where I had only 1h on average (with the EVF-DC1 having LED instead of OLED and rumored to consume more).

I have 3 batteries and recharge with an USB charger on a powerbank in my backpack, faster than with the Canon mains charger, no worries.

 palombian's gear list:palombian's gear list
Canon EOS 7D Canon EOS M6 Canon EOS M100 Canon EOS M6 II Canon EOS R5 +25 more
m100
m100 Senior Member • Posts: 2,048
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer
2

hexie9 wrote:

m100 wrote:

Nice shots !

This will fix your battery life is not very good, and its body is too small problem.

https://www.custombatterygrips.com/store/product/canon-eos-m6-mark-ii-battery-grip

It's a huge grip.

It has to hold two 18650 battery cells.

I am a big fan of the 18650 battery cells so am thrilled to be able to use them in my camera.

I used to break open laptop battery packs to get the 18650 cells to build electric bicycle battery packs and drove to work for years using my 18650 powered bicycle.

I like Panasonic 18650 cells the best.

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Dr. Celine Gounder

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Canon EOS M6 II
OP hexie9 Contributing Member • Posts: 509
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer
1

m100 wrote:

It has to hold two 18650 battery cells.

I am a big fan of the 18650 battery cells so am thrilled to be able to use them in my camera.

I used to break open laptop battery packs to get the 18650 cells to build electric bicycle battery packs and drove to work for years using my 18650 powered bicycle.

I like Panasonic 18650 cells the best.

Elon Musk is also a big fan of 18650 battery.   --:-D

E-M1 Mark II + 300 Pro

 hexie9's gear list:hexie9's gear list
Olympus E-M1 II Olympus M.Zuiko 300mm F4 IS Pro Panasonic LX100 Fujifilm X-T3 Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM +3 more
OP hexie9 Contributing Member • Posts: 509
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer

It's very fast and accurate for birding photograph.

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E-M1 Mark II + 300 Pro

 hexie9's gear list:hexie9's gear list
Olympus E-M1 II Olympus M.Zuiko 300mm F4 IS Pro Panasonic LX100 Fujifilm X-T3 Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS II USM +3 more
PhotosByHall Contributing Member • Posts: 600
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer

palombian wrote:

I have 3 batteries and recharge with an USB charger on a powerbank in my backpack, faster than with the Canon mains charger, no worries.

Yep - same here. Bought a cheap USB charger with a Duracell 3rd party battery. Now I can charge mains or powerbank on USB with a spare while one recharges in my bag.

Makes my kit lighter, and I will never run out of power in the field ever again.

Why Canon is still shipping chargers with kettle leads I do not know.

 PhotosByHall's gear list:PhotosByHall's gear list
Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Canon EOS M50 Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM +4 more
R2D2 Forum Pro • Posts: 26,528
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer
1

PhotosByHall wrote:

palombian wrote:

I have 3 batteries and recharge with an USB charger on a powerbank in my backpack, faster than with the Canon mains charger, no worries.

Yep - same here. Bought a cheap USB charger with a Duracell 3rd party battery. Now I can charge mains or powerbank on USB with a spare while one recharges in my bag.

Makes my kit lighter, and I will never run out of power in the field ever again.

Why Canon is still shipping chargers with kettle leads I do not know.

+1 It’s about time Canon moves on from plug-in A/C chargers to USB (minimum Micro USB-B if not USB-C PD).   At least offers them as an option.  They’re just so darn versatile (I own threee).

R2

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Canon EOS M6 Canon EOS M6 II Canon EOS R5 Canon EOS R6 Canon EOS R7 +1 more
m100
m100 Senior Member • Posts: 2,048
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer

R2D2 wrote:

PhotosByHall wrote:

palombian wrote:

I have 3 batteries and recharge with an USB charger on a powerbank in my backpack, faster than with the Canon mains charger, no worries.

Yep - same here. Bought a cheap USB charger with a Duracell 3rd party battery. Now I can charge mains or powerbank on USB with a spare while one recharges in my bag.

Makes my kit lighter, and I will never run out of power in the field ever again.

Why Canon is still shipping chargers with kettle leads I do not know.

+1 It’s about time Canon moves on from plug-in A/C chargers to USB (minimum Micro USB-B if not USB-C PD). At least offers them as an option. They’re just so darn versatile (I own threee).

R2

Then the next step would be to make the battery built into the camera ?

Like the phone cameras ?

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Dr. Celine Gounder

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Canon EOS M6 II
PhotosByHall Contributing Member • Posts: 600
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer

m100 wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

PhotosByHall wrote:

palombian wrote:

I have 3 batteries and recharge with an USB charger on a powerbank in my backpack, faster than with the Canon mains charger, no worries.

Yep - same here. Bought a cheap USB charger with a Duracell 3rd party battery. Now I can charge mains or powerbank on USB with a spare while one recharges in my bag.

Makes my kit lighter, and I will never run out of power in the field ever again.

Why Canon is still shipping chargers with kettle leads I do not know.

+1 It’s about time Canon moves on from plug-in A/C chargers to USB (minimum Micro USB-B if not USB-C PD). At least offers them as an option. They’re just so darn versatile (I own threee).

R2

Then the next step would be to make the battery built into the camera ?

Like the phone cameras ?

It wouldn't hurt to be able to recharge the battery in the camera, just another option.

This is what I use though. If only Canon would design their chargers like this.

(my version is duracell branded, hopefully that counts for less of a fire risk!)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Powerextra-Replacment-Battery-Compatible-Mirrorless/dp/B07FLJV5K4/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=CANON+M+USB+CHARGER&qid=1607694071&sr=8-3

 PhotosByHall's gear list:PhotosByHall's gear list
Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Canon EOS M50 Canon EF 50mm F1.8 II Canon EF 17-40mm f/4.0L USM +4 more
R2D2 Forum Pro • Posts: 26,528
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer
5

m100 wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

PhotosByHall wrote:

palombian wrote:

I have 3 batteries and recharge with an USB charger on a powerbank in my backpack, faster than with the Canon mains charger, no worries.

Yep - same here. Bought a cheap USB charger with a Duracell 3rd party battery. Now I can charge mains or powerbank on USB with a spare while one recharges in my bag.

Makes my kit lighter, and I will never run out of power in the field ever again.

Why Canon is still shipping chargers with kettle leads I do not know.

+1 It’s about time Canon moves on from plug-in A/C chargers to USB (minimum Micro USB-B if not USB-C PD). At least offers them as an option. They’re just so darn versatile (I own threee).

R2

Then the next step would be to make the battery built into the camera ?

Like the phone cameras ?

Egad no.  Not unless technology increases battery power density at least ten-fold.  And even then I could never abide by having my camera down if I forgot to charge (or risked running with a partial battery) and subsequently ran out.  That’s moving in the wrong direction.

R2

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Canon EOS M6 Canon EOS M6 II Canon EOS R5 Canon EOS R6 Canon EOS R7 +1 more
m100
m100 Senior Member • Posts: 2,048
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer

R2D2 wrote:

m100 wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

PhotosByHall wrote:

palombian wrote:

I have 3 batteries and recharge with an USB charger on a powerbank in my backpack, faster than with the Canon mains charger, no worries.

Yep - same here. Bought a cheap USB charger with a Duracell 3rd party battery. Now I can charge mains or powerbank on USB with a spare while one recharges in my bag.

Makes my kit lighter, and I will never run out of power in the field ever again.

Why Canon is still shipping chargers with kettle leads I do not know.

+1 It’s about time Canon moves on from plug-in A/C chargers to USB (minimum Micro USB-B if not USB-C PD). At least offers them as an option. They’re just so darn versatile (I own threee).

R2

Then the next step would be to make the battery built into the camera ?

Like the phone cameras ?

Egad no. Not unless technology increases battery power density at least ten-fold. And even then I could never abide by having my camera down if I forgot to charge (or risked running with a partial battery) and subsequently ran out. That’s moving in the wrong direction.

R2

I really do run out of shooting power before the two Panasonic 18650 cells in my battery grip do.

There is plenty of room to put a little BMS in my battery grip and to mount a USB port.

I have the parts but have not done it yet.

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Dr. Celine Gounder

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Canon EOS M6 II
m100
m100 Senior Member • Posts: 2,048
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer

PhotosByHall wrote:

m100 wrote:

R2D2 wrote:

PhotosByHall wrote:

palombian wrote:

I have 3 batteries and recharge with an USB charger on a powerbank in my backpack, faster than with the Canon mains charger, no worries.

Yep - same here. Bought a cheap USB charger with a Duracell 3rd party battery. Now I can charge mains or powerbank on USB with a spare while one recharges in my bag.

Makes my kit lighter, and I will never run out of power in the field ever again.

Why Canon is still shipping chargers with kettle leads I do not know.

+1 It’s about time Canon moves on from plug-in A/C chargers to USB (minimum Micro USB-B if not USB-C PD). At least offers them as an option. They’re just so darn versatile (I own threee).

R2

Then the next step would be to make the battery built into the camera ?

Like the phone cameras ?

It wouldn't hurt to be able to recharge the battery in the camera, just another option.

This is what I use though. If only Canon would design their chargers like this.

(my version is duracell branded, hopefully that counts for less of a fire risk!)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Powerextra-Replacment-Battery-Compatible-Mirrorless/dp/B07FLJV5K4/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=CANON+M+USB+CHARGER&qid=1607694071&sr=8-3

For sure.      I like name brand battery stuff too.

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Dr. Celine Gounder

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Canon EOS M6 II
palombian Contributing Member • Posts: 637
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer

PhotosByHall wrote:Like the phone cameras ?

It wouldn't hurt to be able to recharge the battery in the camera, just another option.

This is what I use though. If only Canon would design their chargers like this.

(my version is duracell branded, hopefully that counts for less of a fire risk!)

https://www.amazon.co.uk/Powerextra-Replacment-Battery-Compatible-Mirrorless/dp/B07FLJV5K4/ref=sr_1_3?dchild=1&keywords=CANON+M+USB+CHARGER&qid=1607694071&sr=8-3

This is a luxury version with display but still very affordable.

I have a cheapo from AliExpress but it charges fast enough for this small battery.

To charge in the camera the USB power source must be PD (Power Delivery) capable.

I bought a car charger claiming this standard but no avail.

https://nl.aliexpress.com/item/4000084440552.html?spm=a2g0s.9042311.0.0.64464c4dg2X79J

Charges my phone very fast though.

PS: wait a minute, PD 3.0 seems only available on the USB-C port, my phone cable is on the regular USB port, this one does Samsung protocols as proved.

Will try another cable and report...

 palombian's gear list:palombian's gear list
Canon EOS 7D Canon EOS M6 Canon EOS M100 Canon EOS M6 II Canon EOS R5 +25 more
nnowak Veteran Member • Posts: 9,075
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer

PhotosByHall wrote:

palombian wrote:

I have 3 batteries and recharge with an USB charger on a powerbank in my backpack, faster than with the Canon mains charger, no worries.

Yep - same here. Bought a cheap USB charger with a Duracell 3rd party battery. Now I can charge mains or powerbank on USB with a spare while one recharges in my bag.

While I understand the convenience of USB charging, I would not recommend charging a battery while inside your bag.  At a minimum, the battery will get hotter than normal due to the lack of air circulation.  Heat is the enemy of lithium batteries.  Worst case, the battery fails and starts a fire inside your bag.

Before someone brings up charging in a camera, cameras typically have features inside the battery compartment to dissipate heat.  Of course, the camera can only dissipate heat if it is out in the open.

Makes my kit lighter, and I will never run out of power in the field ever again.

Why Canon is still shipping chargers with kettle leads I do not know.

palombian Contributing Member • Posts: 637
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer

nnowak wrote:

PhotosByHall wrote:

palombian wrote:

I have 3 batteries and recharge with an USB charger on a powerbank in my backpack, faster than with the Canon mains charger, no worries.

Yep - same here. Bought a cheap USB charger with a Duracell 3rd party battery. Now I can charge mains or powerbank on USB with a spare while one recharges in my bag.

While I understand the convenience of USB charging, I would not recommend charging a battery while inside your bag. At a minimum, the battery will get hotter than normal due to the lack of air circulation. Heat is the enemy of lithium batteries. Worst case, the battery fails and starts a fire inside your bag.

Before someone brings up charging in a camera, cameras typically have features inside the battery compartment to dissipate heat. Of course, the camera can only dissipate heat if it is out in the open.

Makes my kit lighter, and I will never run out of power in the field ever again.

Why Canon is still shipping chargers with kettle leads I do not know.

I am aware of the heat risk and checked the temperature regularly.

It shouldn't be difficult to strap a small heatsink over the battery. I already have to secure it with a rubber band.

 palombian's gear list:palombian's gear list
Canon EOS 7D Canon EOS M6 Canon EOS M100 Canon EOS M6 II Canon EOS R5 +25 more
nnowak Veteran Member • Posts: 9,075
Re: A powerful mirrorless camera limited by its producer
4

palombian wrote:

nnowak wrote:

PhotosByHall wrote:

palombian wrote:

I have 3 batteries and recharge with an USB charger on a powerbank in my backpack, faster than with the Canon mains charger, no worries.

Yep - same here. Bought a cheap USB charger with a Duracell 3rd party battery. Now I can charge mains or powerbank on USB with a spare while one recharges in my bag.

While I understand the convenience of USB charging, I would not recommend charging a battery while inside your bag. At a minimum, the battery will get hotter than normal due to the lack of air circulation. Heat is the enemy of lithium batteries. Worst case, the battery fails and starts a fire inside your bag.

Before someone brings up charging in a camera, cameras typically have features inside the battery compartment to dissipate heat. Of course, the camera can only dissipate heat if it is out in the open.

Makes my kit lighter, and I will never run out of power in the field ever again.

Why Canon is still shipping chargers with kettle leads I do not know.

I am aware of the heat risk and checked the temperature regularly.

It shouldn't be difficult to strap a small heatsink over the battery. I already have to secure it with a rubber band.

So, inside your camera bag, you have a power bank, a USB cable, a USB powered battery charger, your camera battery plugged into the charger, and a rubber band strapping it all together.  It seems like a couple extra camera batteries would be simpler, smaller, lighter, and safer.

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