Canon EOS M6 review: A fine compact CSC

Canon EOS M6 review: Video mode

Dual Pixel may bring mixed blessings for photos but it really pays off when it comes to video. The EOS M6’s ability to determine in advance what adjustment is required to bring a subject into focus means the lens elements glide smoothly and decisively rather than darting back and forth. I usually disable autofocus when shooting video as this clunky darting effect, known as focus hunting, can completely spoil a shot but the M6 (along with the other Canon cameras with Dual Pixel sensors) are an exception to the rule. The touchscreen makes it easy to define what the camera should focus on, and the tracking mode does a fine job of following moving subjects around the frame.

It’s frustrating, then, that videos are limited to 1080p resolution. 4K video can give a big boost to quality, even when exporting finished projects at 1080p and it’s annoying to have to choose between Canon’s more reliable autofocus and Sony, Panasonic and Fujifilm’s 4K capture.

Canon EOS M6 review: Image quality

Still image quality is perhaps the Canon EOS M6’s greatest strength. Photos display lifelike yet vibrant colours without the slightest hint of noise in bright conditions and noise is managed well in low light, giving respectable snapshots at ISO speeds as high as 6400. The kit lens performed well throughout its zoom range, delivering the sort of sharp focus a 24-megapixel sensor needs.

The only problems with image quality come from the camera’s occasionally less-than-ideal automatic exposure settings, as described above. These were far from disastrous issues but sometimes a bit of manual intervention provided better results.

^ Rich yet natural colours and packed full of detail, with only a slight fall-off of lens focus towards the edges of the frame in this wide-angle shot (1/500s, f/5.6, ISO 100, 24mm equivalent)

^ The telephoto end of the kit lens is impressively sharp throughout the frame (1/160s, f/10, ISO 100, 72mm equivalent)

^ Skin textures are detailed and natural, and the big APS-C sensor delivers a shallow depth of field, throwing the background out of focus (1/250s, f/5, ISO 200, 43mm equivalent)

^ Skin and hair textures are holding together well at ISO 1600. Close inspection reveals some noise and detail smearing but it’s hard to spot at normal viewing sizes (1/60s, f/4, ISO 1600, 37mm equivalent)

^ Crisp detail and not a hint of noise on these friendly-looking fellows (1/640s, f/8, ISO 100, 56mm equivalent)

^ An accidental nudge of the rear command dial has pushed the ISO speed up to 25600, resulting in a slightly overexposed and extremely grainy photo. (1/4000s, f/22, ISO 25600, 29mm equivalent)

^ Shooting in dim artificial light at ISO 4000. Picture quality is decent but the exposure is a little dark for my liking. (1/40s, f/5, ISO 4000, 56mm equivalent)

^ ISO 10000 is looking pretty scruffy but it’s not a write-off. Slower shutter and ISO speeds would have given better results but that requires overriding the automatic settings. (1/40s, f/6.3, ISO 10000, 67mm equivalent)

Canon EOS M6 review: Verdict 

As I said at the top of this review, £839 is a lot for a camera that seems to be geared primarily towards casual users, albeit those who still demand high quality. However, there aren’t many other options that deliver such high quality in this small and light a package. The Panasonic GX80 is broadly similar but includes a high quality viewfinder and costs around £550. Its controls aren’t as elegant and its smaller sensor means it falls behind a little for image quality, but it records 4K video and it has a much larger range of compatible lenses.

The Canon EF-M lens range is relatively small, with just seven models and there’s a notable lack of fast primes. Canon sells a mount adapter for £90 that allows Canon SLR lenses to be used, but these will make the EOS M6 a much bulkier camera. Realistically, I’d imagine most M6 owners will stick with the kit lens, or perhaps add the EF-M 22mm f/2, which costs around £180. For the same money, you could have a Panasonic GX80, 25mm f/1.7 lens and 42.5mm f/1.7 lens, which offers more flexibility and compensate for the Canon’s larger sensor with brighter apertures.

So at current prices and against the existing competition the Canon EOS M6 is a safe bet but doesn’t quite do enough to warrant a recommendation.