Canon EOS M6 preview

15th February 2017

Written by Gordon Laing

Canon’s EOS M6 is a mid-range mirrorless camera, featuring a 24 Megapixel APS-C sensor with Dual Pixel CMOS AF, Wifi, Bluetooth and a tilting touchscreen. Announced in February 2017, it’s Canon’s sixth mirrorless interchangeable lens camera and positioned between the higher-end M5 and entry-level M10 in the current line-up.

Like the EOS M5 before it, the M6 features a 24 Megapixel APS-C sensor with Dual Pixel CMOS AF although Canon, as always, describes it as a new sensor. Dual Pixel CMOS AF allows 80% of the sensor area to double-up as phase-detect AF points, supporting smooth and confident continuous AF for stills and movies. Like the M5 it has a DIGIC 7 processor, shoots at 7fps with AF or 9fps with focus-locked, and films video up to 1080 / 60p with optional five-axis digital stabilisation (only for movies).

Composition is with a 3in / 3:2 shaped / 1040k dot touch-screen which can angle down by 45 degrees or up by 180 degrees to face the subject; the ability to face the subject, coupled with confident phase-detect AF and a microphone input will make the M6 a popular choice with v-loggers, although there’s sadly no 4k video. There’s also no built-in viewfinder, but you can slide the new EVF-DC2 electronic viewfinder accessory onto the hotshoe and enjoy a 2.3 million dot OLED with 120fps refresh. The M6 also features finger and thumb dials, as well as Canon’s excellent touch-screen interface and complements the built-in Wifi with Bluetooth for easier connectivity and a more responsive remote smartphone shutter app; strangely the EOS M6 isn’t yet compatible with the new Bluetooth remote release accessory though. The EOS M6 is available in silver or black in April 2017 at a body price of 729 GBP / 989 EUR, or in an EF-M 15-45mm kit for 839 GBP / 1139 EUR, or with the EF-M 18-150mm for 1079 GBP / 1449 EUR. I went hands-on with the EOS M6 at a Canon event and put together a video of the main features below.