This is the best camera you didn't know about: the Canon EOS M6 Mark II

The Canon EOS M6 Mark II is a camera that never got its due – and that's a damned shame. Because this is exactly the kind of camera body that's sorely missing from its current mirrorless lineup – and I think it would do monster business if Canon remade it.

So what was the Canon EOS M6 Mark II and why was it so great? It was the last hurrah of the EOS M system – Canon's first line of mirrorless cameras, featuring exclusively APS-C sensors and compellingly small bodies and lenses.

The M series found greatest success with the EOS M50 (precursor to today's EOS R50), a proto-content creation camera for beginners. But the Canon EOS M6 Mark II, launched in 2019, saw the company stuff as much muscle as possible into this pocket-sized powerhouse – and it was absolutely brilliant.

For starters, it had the same 32.5MP sensor that currently features in the Canon EOS R7. And unlike most M series cameras (and most of Canon's APS-C cameras, period), it had dual exposure dials – making it a genuine option for serious manual shooters.

For context, that was more resolution than the full-frame 5D Mark IV had at the time. But while the Canon EOS M6 Mark II was an impressive performer, capable of 4K 60p video and 14fps bursts (30fps, with a crop), it's the form factor that really made it stand out – and Canon is missing a huge trick by not revisiting it.

The M6 Mark II felt fantastic in the hand, with an almost perfect heft and balance, and an immaculately sculpted shoulder and grip. It was a bit like a Sony A6600, just more comfortable – and, crucially, without an electronic viewfinder (EVF).

Just as crucially, however, Canon offered an optional external EVF.

And that, right there, is the trick Canon is missing. Because every other photo-oriented EOS R camera has an EVF, with the big viewfinder bump making the bodies much bulkier. Some folks just want a sleek, small camera like the Sony A6700 or the Nikon Z30 – and the Canon EOS M6 Mark II template makes that possible.

Since sunsetting the EOS M line, Canon has been terrified about launching a mirrorless body without an EVF. In seven years, the only such camera has been the Canon EOS R50 V – and that's only because it's a video camera, not a stills one.

But not everybody wants a viewfinder – and plenty of people do want an A6XXX-shaped camera. Canon can serve both these audiences by bringing back a form factor that it abandoned for far too long – as well as inject fresh excitement into its lookalike EOS R lineup.

The Canon EOS M6 Mark II didn't fail because it was no good, it failed because the M system was a lame duck proposition. But this was a flagship level camera, technologically similar to the mighty EOS 90D – but with the brilliant party trick that you could remove the EVF if you wanted a smaller footprint, maximizing its utility.

I had an absolute blast shooting with the Canon EOS M6 Mark II. I would slap on one of the pint-sized EF-M lenses and shoot off the back screen for everyday snapping. But when I wanted to get serious, I could snap the viewfinder onto the shoe, mount a meaty EF lens, and take advantage of that 32.5MP horsepower.

It's an experience that Canon hasn't matched since – and maybe it never will again. But for my money, that was the most pure fun I've had with a Canon camera in years. If that form factor made a comeback, I'd be first in line.

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