You can't escape the superlatives surrounding the Canon EOS R6 V. Wherever you look, it feels like everyone and their dog is singing the praises of this camera.
"It might be the best camera Canon has made for creators,” said Think Media.
"Canon’s best-value video camera ever?” posits Anthony Gugliotta.
And of course, his royal highness Peter McKinnon: “I’m gonna go out on a limb and say the R6 V is everything I’ve ever wanted in a Canon camera. It’s all in one, for the first time, truly. For me, it might be the perfect camera."
Calling the Canon EOS R6 V "perfect" is a big claim – but it's perfect for McKinnon. And, apparently, just about every YouTuber and creator. The question is, is it perfect for you?
What makes the Canon EOS R6 V "perfect"
Hyperbole aside, there is a whole lot to love about this camera. Just look at the specs, with no commentary:
- 7K 60p video
- 7K 30p open gate
- 4K 60p live streaming
- 32.5MP stills
- 40fps burst shooting
- 7.5 stops in-body image stabilization
- Active cooling system
- Weather sealing
- Dual Pixel CMOS Autofocus II
- Registered People Priority AF
- Shutter angle
- Vertical tripod mount
- Horizontal / vertical user interface
I could go on, but you get the point. The Canon EOS R6 V is the very definition of a hybrid powerhouse.
You want open gate video for ultimate flexibility in post production? You got it. You want high-resolution, rapid-fire stills for photography? You got it. Crazy-long recording times, all-weather performance, best AF in the business, vertical shooting flexibility, image stabilization… got it.
If I was buying a high-end content creation camera today, the Canon EOS R6 V is the one I would go for – hands-down. Forget the Sony FX3, forget the Nikon ZR, this is where it's at.
More specifically, this sensor is where it's at. I've used it for photographing wildlife, for live streaming, for shooting long-form open gate video – it's an absolute monster for everything.
However, it's not without a few caveats.
What makes the Canon EOS R6 V "imperfect"
Let's start with the obvious ones. First of all, the Canon EOS R6 V has no electronic viewfinder. And for its intended audience, and for 60-90% of what most people will use it for, this is absolutely fine.
This is, after all, a video camera first and foremost. On top of that, I dare say that most people interested in this camera will have been weaned on shooting via the rear screen – they don't want or need a viewfinder. But for this to be "the perfect camera", it absolutely needs an EVF – or at least, the option to add one.
Along similar lines, no mechanical shutter. Again this will only bug photographers, who may experience rolling shutter when shooting fast action at high burst rates. The again, at some point even video-first creators might bump into banding when shooting a thumbnail on location under artifical lighting.
There are some video-related caveats, too, though.
The first one is a miscommunication issue; some people have heard "7K 60p" and "7K open gate" and conflated them to understand that the Canon EOS R6 V can shoot open gate in 7K 60p, for semi slow-motion. But it can only shoot open gate in 7K 30p, which is a deal-breaker for a couple of videographers I've spoken to.
There's no timecode, either, nor support for anamorphic lenses. That's really cinema territory, so it feels unfair to criticize this camera for those omissions when the sister Canon EOS C50 exists for that purpose. Nonetheless, even if we just consider a "perfect camera" for a videographer like Peter McKinnon, this does feel important.
Is the Canon EOS R6 V REALLY "perfect"?
Again, calling any camera "perfect" is an impossible claim. I know; I called the OM System OM-3 the perfect camera for me. So just to be clear, no camera is perfect for everyone.
But you know what? The Canon EOS R6 V comes pretty close. Yes, I'd absolutely prefer this camera to have a viewfinder accessory – but I used it to photograph wildlife and I managed to get some shots. Birds in flight might be a different story, but certainly for casual photography it's more than up to the task.
And when it comes to video, there's almost nothing lacking here. I don't shoot anamorphic and I don't miss timecode; zebras and shutter angle are far more important to me, as is effortless vertical shooting and one-button access to live streaming.
So… perfect? For everything, not quite. For video, specifically? Pretty much, yeah.
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