The Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II sets a new benchmark for hybrid camera performance. It is a camera designed for action, enabling you to capture motion in thrilling new ways – whether that's powering through 24.2MP full-frame stills at 40fps or shooting 6K RAW video at 60p.
Canon listened to feedback from users of the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 and took that camera's great feature set to the next level. Building on the strengths of its predecessor, the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II introduces more than 70 upgrades, which include an In-Body Image Stabilizer (IBIS) and intelligent subject detection.
Here's your guide to the camera's key features, with insight from Mike Burnhill, Canon Europe Senior Product Marketing Specialist.
PRODUCT NEWS
Master of stills and motion
Blazing shooting speed
Delivering a blistering burst rate of up to 40fps with its silent electronic shutter, the Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II doubles the 20fps burst rate of the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6, with full autofocus and autoexposure capability. The communication speed and data bandwidth of the RF mount allows the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II to adjust the focus at these eye-watering frame rates.
Being able to shoot at 40fps with full AF tracking opens up new creative possibilities, particularly in the world of sports and wildlife photography. Paris-based photographer and videographer Teddy Morellec was one of the first people to put the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II's shooting performance to the test, photographing speed flyers at Lake Montriond in the French Alps.
"I used to be happy with 7fps!" Teddy says. "Even 30fps on the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网3 is mind-blowing. But 40fps was perfect for capturing the speed flyers landing on the lake. Having so many successful shots can make it more challenging to choose the right image, but it's better to have that than miss the perfect shot."
The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II also offers the innovative RAW burst option, introduced in the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网7, which saves a sequence of images captured at 30fps in a single file, from which individual frames can be extracted and saved as full-resolution RAW files later.
One particular benefit of this is its pre-shooting option. Half-press the shutter button, and the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II starts capturing images and buffering them. Then, when you fully press the shutter button, the camera will save the images in the buffer at that moment – up to half a second's worth – to the memory card.
Do you own Canon kit?
This can seem almost magical because, as Mike explains, "sometimes the peak of the action occurs between frames." When shooting extreme sports or sighting rare animals out in the wild, there are times where you don't know exactly what's going to happen until it happens. The pre-shooting option in the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II makes it possible to capture the action half a second before you fully press the shutter button.
"You might be able to anticipate an event, but there will always be a lag between seeing it, pressing the button and the camera's systems being activated," says Mike. "Pre-shooting makes it much easier to capture the decisive moment, whether it's a bird leaving a branch or a crocodile surging out of a river to grab a wildebeest."
More comprehensive AF
For assured autofocus at fast frame rates, the Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II is equipped with the most sophisticated implementation of Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with deep learning.
"We've used a new AI algorithm, so the tracking is more accurate and sticks to the subject better," Mike reveals. "It can also detect more subjects than ever before. So we can now track trains and aircraft, including planes and helicopters. When you're shooting trains or planes you can select Spot detection, which basically tells the camera to focus on the cockpit or cabin rather than the wing of a plane or the nose of a train.
"The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II can recognise a greater variety of animals too. The system can now detect horses and zebras, and the data for birds, cats and dogs has also been refreshed." The camera additionally gains an Auto option for subject detection, which analyses what's in the frame and then selects an appropriate tracking algorithm. "Manually selecting the subject to detect can make the system more responsive," Mike points out, "but for day-to-day shooting you can leave it on Auto.
"You're also able to customise a button to bring up a menu that allows you to select the type of subject you want to track. So, you can quickly go from Auto to Animals or People, for example. You can also turn off the ones that you don't want to use, making the process of jumping between the settings even easier."
Leading image stabilisation (IS)
The Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II inherits its predecessor the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6's class-leading In-Body Image Stabilisation (IBIS). Capable of providing up to 8-stops of image stabilisation, it counteracts the effects of camera shake to produce sharper images. It works in a coordinated way with lenses that have built-in optical IS, and brings the benefits of stabilisation to lenses that don't have optical IS.
The IBIS can help achieve sharper images through improved AF accuracy too. Having a more stable image makes it easier to keep the active AF point locked on the subject – particularly at the high frame rates that the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II hits.
It also makes a difference when shooting video. Using a combination of IBIS, optical IS in the lens and Movie Digital IS, the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II is capable of stabilising the footage when you're walking with the camera, giving gimbal-like smoothness when filming on the move.
Teddy took advantage of the IBIS in the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II when flying in tandem with a speed flyer. "I wanted to film during the flight, but obviously I couldn't use the camera on a gimbal in that situation," he says. "The IBIS helped a lot here, making it easier to frame the image."
Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II vs 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 vs EOS 6D Mark II
Upgraded video capabilities
At first glance, the Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II and 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 have similar video capabilities. Both can record at up to 4K 60p, for instance, and they offer Canon Log and HDR PQ to capture more dynamic range. Dive a bit deeper, however, and it's clear the new camera's video recording options are significantly upgraded.
In contrast to the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6, the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II uses the full width of the full-frame sensor to record 4K 60p, which is oversampled from the sensor's 6K output to give superb clarity and reduced noise compared with native 4K. You're also able to record 6K 60p ProRes RAW on an Atomos Ninja V+ via HDMI and, should you need to go faster, you can capture Full HD at 180fps for 6x slow-motion playback.
"We’ve improved the Dual Pixel CMOS AF II focusing for video, so it reproduces more closely what a professional focus puller would do," Mike points out. "The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II introduces a new 'Detect only' AF option, which allows you to select the subject to focus on. The camera will then only track that object and won't suddenly refocus on the background if the subject leaves the frame.
"Electronic focus-breathing correction makes it even easier to achieve professional-looking results," he continues. "Typically, when you change the focus, the magnification changes as the optics move inside the lens. This creates a distracting 'pulsing' effect, where the background appears to change size. But with the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II, we're able to correct that electronically. It means that you can use the cheapest zoom lens and make it look as if you shot with a high-end Cine Prime."
Filmmakers will also be pleased to see that false colour warnings are available on the Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II. This technology will be familiar to users of Canon's Cinema EOS cameras. It provides an easy way to gauge exposure while recording video, with six colours indicating different luminance levels being overlaid on the image. "An 18% midtone will be indicated by green," says Mike, "so as long as your most important skin tones are green, you're good to go."
Small changes, big improvements
Beyond the key shooting functions, the Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II has a vast range of small but significant improvements.
Although 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 users will feel instantly at home with the new camera, handling has been streamlined. The on/off switch is now next to the shutter button, so it's easier to activate the camera single-handed. For added convenience, the photo and video mode selector has been moved to the left side of the camera, similar to its position on the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网5 C.
"This means the mode dial can be used when shooting video," explains Mike. "So, you now get a choice of Manual, Av, Tv, Program and three custom modes when you're filming as well as taking photos.
"One of my favourite features is the way that you can connect the camera to a phone via a USB cable. The latest version of the Canon Camera Connect app introduces USB remote control with iOS and Android alongside Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. Using a cable means that you get very little lag, so you can smoothly switch between stills and video, adjust the camera settings and play back files.
"The 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II also has faster Wi-Fi and the latest version of Bluetooth for a better connection over longer distances. We've made the interface easier for networking as well, splitting off the FTP options into a separate menu. If you're a pro, you don't have to deal with the everyday network settings such as connecting to your phone or computer, you can go straight to the professional menu."
Mike believes this combination of big and small changes will make a huge difference to camera users. "As well as all the headline performance improvements – with the frame rate, the focusing and the great video," he says, "we've taken the opportunity to add these little touches that will make a real difference to how Canon 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6 Mark II users are going to use the camera day in, day out."
Teddy enthusiastically agrees. "What is great is that with all the functionality in both photo and video, all you have to worry about is having a good story to tell. The camera will handle 99% of the situation. You just need to go out and create."
Related articles
-
TECHNOLOGY
How Canon's intelligent autofocus system works
Find out how advanced subject detection and tracking powered by deep learning AI "makes it practically impossible to miss a shot".
-
ARTICLE
Dancing lights and lava flows captured on the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网6
From the auroras in Finland to an Icelandic volcano, find out how Canon's full-frame mirrorless camera coped with the world's natural wonders.
-
FASHION
Shooting video as well as stills: 5 myths busted
Canon Ambassador Javier Cortés reveals why shooting video as well as stills is easier than you think, and shares beginner filmmaking tips.
-
FILMMAKING
Big air, small camera: adventure sports with the 澳门现金网_申博信用网-官网5 C
How the smallest Cinema EOS camera helped Keith Ladzinski to film mountain biking and paragliding in thrilling new ways.