Canon EOS-6D Mark II Camera Tutorial Series

Canon EOS-6D Mark II camera with BG-E21 grip and EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM lens

Canon officially announced the EOS-6D Mark II camera on July 6, 2017. Below is a series of tutorial videos on the camera from Canon USA. They make rather good viewing for those new to the body and full frame photography.

Canon EOS-6D Mark II Camera Review and HD Videos

Canon EOS-6D Mark II camera with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II lens

Canon announced the EOS-6D Mark II camera on June 29, 2017. It is in stock at most camera stores now. The original EOS-6D was intended as entry level full frame camera for those who cannot affordable the higher end models. The Mark II is no different except it has a few more bells and whistles. 

Key EOS-6D Mark II camera specifications

• New 26MP CMOS full-frame sensor with Dual Pixel AF
• 1080/60p video capture with in-lens + digital stabilization
• 45-point all-cross-type AF system
• Dual Pixel AF for both stills and video capture
• ISO 100-40,000 (expandable to 102,400)
• 6.5 fps continuous shooting (4.5 fps in Live View)
• 3" fully articulating touchscreen
• Wi-Fi w/NFC and Bluetooth
• Built-in GPS

Those who expect too much from it will be disappointed. Those who are realistic and want a good value performer will be pleasantly surprised. DPReview did an extensive review of the EOS-6D Mark II and came up with a balanced view of the camera and I am in agreement with their findings.
Click here to read the full article.

Below is an excerpt from Canon Digital Learning Center on why the EOS-6D Mark II can be very helpful in taking HD videos, like in a wedding or family get together.


The new full-frame Canon EOS 6D Mark II is really a great platform for single-person video operation — whether video is a big part of what you do, or something you’d like to add to your still-image shooting.  Many of the virtues this camera delivers to the still-image shooter are equally appealing for recording HD video, as we’ll discuss in a few moments.

As we get into the EOS 6D Mark II and its particular video features, keep the following points in mind :

This camera records Full HD video (1080p, or 1920 x 1080 pixel resolution).  The only 4K capability is an option to generate in-camera Time Lapse Movies, which it can render as 4K files.
Full HD and HD (720p) video is recorded using the entire horizontal width of the full-frame sensor.  While 16:9 aspect ratio for Full HD or HD defines that some of the top and bottom of the traditional 3:2 sensor be cropped, you do get the full width of the full-frame sensor.

Exposure modes available for video recording are full manual exposure (M on the Mode Dial), or totally automatic Program exposure if the dial is set anywhere else.  Unlike some higher-end EOS models, there is no true Shutter or Aperture Priority operation during video recording.

The Full-frame Sensor

Full-frame is a great platform for DSLR video, especially since it completely opens the door to wide-angle and ultra wide-angle lens options.  As mentioned above, when recording Full HD and HD video, you lose nothing from the full horizontal width of the full-frame image sensor.  This means that lenses like a 16–35mm, a 14mm f/2.8L II, or the incredible EF 11-24mm f/4L lens, deliver the same ultra-wide character for video that they do for stills.  

And, it means excellent low-light sensitivity, with less digital noise at higher ISO settings.  EOS 6D Mark II is a very effective camera for available-light shooting.  Parenthetically, the standard range of ISOs for video recording runs from 100 thru 25,600.

Autofocus — Dual Pixel CMOS AF

This feature alone is arguably enough to make this a spectacular choice for single-operator video recording.  Canon’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF technology has taken what has been the single biggest obstacle to good video recording, and transformed it into a profound strength.

AF speed deliberately slows down when switching from Live View (still images) to video recording, to give AF with smooth transitions as focus is racked from near to far.  In other words, AF is specifically tuned to the common demands of video.

Movie Servo AF (in red shooting menu, when camera is in video mode) allows continuous AF, including ability to follow-focus on moving subjects, and provides user adjustment for two important things :

Movie Servo AF speed (how quickly camera will shift focus as subject distances change)
Tracking Sensitivity (when there’s a sudden change in what camera is following, will it immediately try to re-focus on obstacle or new subject, or alternatively wait and try to hold focus on original subject?).  Turning Movie Servo AF off in the menu returns the camera to One-Shot AF operation, for locking focus on stationary subjects.

Face Detect AF, which sounds like an amateur-based feature, actually is superb for many video situations where recording human subjects — from interviews and reality-type recording to sports and action.  Combined with the responsiveness of Dual Pixel CMOS AF, you’ll likely see far less focus “drift” if and when subjects move slightly, compared to earlier AF systems.

AF Method allows users to adjust the area used for focus, again in the red shooting menu :
Face Detect + Tracking AF allows focus over 80% of the horizontal & vertical dimensions of the frame
Smooth Zone AF uses a smaller area, but still takes up a good chunk of the finder, and it can be freely moved with the touchscreen LCD monitor
Live 1-point AF gives a single, precise “box” that can be moved around most of the screen area, with the touchscreen interface
Touchscreen AF: 
A huge EOS 6D Mark II feature for video.  Simply touch the screen to change where the camera focuses (even during live recording), and likewise tap the Q-icon onscreen, and make changes to multiple camera settings on the Quick Control Menu — again, all via touching the screen.  It’s quick and silent.

The EF 24–105mm f/3.5–5.6 IS STM Lens

Canon’s stepping-motor (STM) lens technology provides a focus drive that’s especially suited to the needs of video.  While several EF-S lenses (exclusively for cameras with the smaller, APS-C size image sensors) are now available with STM focus technology, the EF 24–105mm f/3.5–5.6 IS STM is a lens for full-frame cameras which delivers similar benefits.  The focus is superbly smooth and responsive, without the jittery response some other lenses may deliver.  It combines beautifully with the camera’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF system, and is worthy of consideration as a “normal” zoom lens if you plan on recording lots of video, and don’t need extremely wide apertures for shooting in very low light levels.

Movie Digital IS

Few things are as distracting to viewers than shaky video, but many shooters want or even need to hand-hold their camera.  Built-in Movie Digital IS provides an added measure of stabilization, and is especially effective when walking, jogging, or working from a moving vehicle to follow a subject.  It combines with any optical Image Stabilization in Canon EF lenses to really make a difference in steadiness.  Since this is digital stabilization, the video imagery is slightly cropped when Movie Digital IS is active, but the LCD monitor continues to show you an accurate view of what your finished video will include.

Vari-angle LCD Monitor

Another huge asset for single-person video recording.  The monitor doesn’t just tilt.  Instead, it swivels and rotates, making it easy to find the right position to clearly view your scene — especially at high and low angles.  And, if you ever want or need to record vertical video, you’ll find this LCD monitor works well there, too.  And remember: this is a touchscreen monitor, with outstanding shooting control during video by simply touching the screen.  It even works for menu selections.

Full HD at up to 60 fps

Full HD remains the most popular video size for online content, and the 6D Mark II provides the option to shoot it at up to 60p (59.94 fps), which gives a very smooth rendering of any subject or even camera movement in a scene.  At Full HD (1080p), users also have a choice of 30p (29.97 fps) and 24p (23.98 actual fps), as well as 50.00 and 25.00 fps if the video operation has been set for the PAL system, commonly used overseas.  

Video can also be recorded at 720p, or “HD” resolution.  Both 1080p and 720p provide compression options of IPB (relatively compact file sizes) and IPB Light (extremely compact file sizes, less than half the size of a typical IPB file).

Two Specialized Video Settings

A pair of creative options broaden what the video shooter can achieve, using the EOS 6D Mark II camera :

HDR Movie 

Achieve High Dynamic Range video results, right in-camera, with no post-processing required.  The camera shoots a Full HD video, at 60 fps, recording every other frame with about 2 stops deliberate under-exposure (nothing for the user to set…this is all done when the Mode Dial is set to “SCN” position when recording video).  Then, the camera processes this recording into a finished file, with the darker frames minimizing highlight brightness.  The finished video is in Full HD size, at 30 frames per second.

Time Lapse Movie 

Create a time lapse video, again right in-camera.  There’s no need to stitch individual still images into a finished video, using computer software.  You define in the red shooting menu the interval between frames (anywhere from one second to nearly 100 hours!), and the number of total frames you want to capture.  The 6D Mark II displays both the time it’ll require to shoot this video at these settings, and how long a finished video will play for at normal playback speeds.

Especially noteworthy is the menu option for the Time Lapse Movie file to be rendered in 4K size, or Full HD.  To be 100% clear, this is the only instance where the EOS 6D Mark II can deliver a 4K-size video file; any video other than Time Lapse Movie cannot exceed 1920 x 1080 in pixel resolution.

Remote Control Options for Video

EOS 6D Mark II offers several possible options for video recording, where you may want or need to set the camera up on a tripod (or other stable platform), and remotely start and stop video recording. 

The available options are :

Remote triggering with the wired, N3-type Canon remote controllers 

Either the traditional wired remote control RC-80N3, or the Timer Remote Controller TC-80N3, can plug into the camera’s remote control socket, and be used to start and stop video recording.  One important caveat for this — you must go into the red shooting menu, with the camera set for video, and change the default shutter button operation for video to enable video start/stop at the shutter button.  With that set, the remote control socket can now start and stop video recording.

Infrared remote control, with the super-compact Canon RC-6 remote controller 

This tiny optional remote controller, when set to its 2-second delay setting, can instantly start and stop video recording.  The only disadvantage is that it needs to be positioned more or less in front of the camera to have its signals hit the camera’s IR sensor, on the front of the body.  Be aware that for technical reasons, if using this or any previous compact Canon infrared remote controller, the 6D Mark II’s built-in Bluetooth must be turned OFF.

The Bluetooth Canon BL-E1 remote controller 

Leveraging the EOS 6D Mark II’s built-in Wi-Fi® technology, this Bluetooth-enabled, optional accessory allows the camera to be remotely fired from distances up to about 50 feet (15m), and from any direction, not just facing the front of the camera.  Like the infrared remotes, the BL-E1 can control the camera from distances up to about 16.5 feet away (roughly 5m).

Wi-Fi operation, using your smartphone or tablet 

On compatible iOS and Android devices, install the free Canon Camera Connect app, pair it with the EOS 6D Mark II, and use your smartphone or other device as a wireless remote controller for video.  The beauty of this is that it works up to about 50 feet (15m) from the camera, and if you already own a compatible phone or tablet, there’s no additional cost — the Canon Camera Connect app for iOS and Android is free.

A Few Final Points

The EOS 6D Mark II continues to bring tremendous value to Canon customers, and its new video features underscore that.  It offers great “bang for the buck” to both still image and video shooters, largely because of its full-frame image quality, and the features and performance included with it. For video users, this will be a very compelling camera for single-operator video recording.

Summary

We repeat: The combination of full-frame image sensor, the wide-angle lens opportunities that opens up, the low-light performance, and the superb Dual Pixel CMOS AF, along with the fully articulated, touchscreen LCD monitor, creates a very potent multi-media tool for still and particularly video shooting.  The EOS 6D Mark II is a great entry into effective video recording with a full-frame camera, especially for single-person operators, who may need to take advantage of the camera’s relatively light weight, excellent responsiveness and focus performance, and Full HD video quality. 

Whether you’re primarily a stills or video user — or both — think about how the EOS 6D Mark II can expand your visual potential.

Canon EOS-6D Mark II Full Frame Camera Review

Canon EOS-6D Mark II camera with EF EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II lens

Canon announced the EOS-6D Mark II camera on June 29, 2017. It is in stock at most camera stores now. The original EOS-6D was intended as entry level full frame camera for those who cannot affordable the higher end models. The Mark II is no different except it has a few more bells and whistles. 

Key EOS-6D Mark II camera specifications

• New 26MP CMOS full-frame sensor with Dual Pixel AF
• 1080/60p video capture with in-lens + digital stabilization
• 45-point all-cross-type AF system
• Dual Pixel AF for both stills and video capture
• ISO 100-40,000 (expandable to 102,400)
• 6.5 fps continuous shooting (4.5 fps in Live View)
• 3" fully articulating touchscreen
• Wi-Fi w/NFC and Bluetooth
• Built-in GPS

Those who expect too much from it will be disappointed. Those who are realistic and want a good value performer will be pleasantly surprised. DPReview did an extensive review of the EOS-6D Mark II and came up with a balanced view of the camera and I am in agreement with their findings.

Below is an excerpt from their review. Click here to read the full article.

"Canon is the world's largest camera manufacturer, and that hasn't happened by accident. Through careful research and, yes, some market segmentation, it's found a way to sell a lot of cameras that make a lot of people happy. The risk it's been running lately, though, is one of perceived stagnation; despite their continually impressive high-end offerings, many competing manufacturers are moving more quickly to bring to market products that some consumers may perceive as more 'exciting' in some form or other.

With all of that in mind, the EOS 6D Mark II is a classic Canon DSLR. Is it particularly exciting? No, but really, neither was the original 6D aside from its fairly accessible price point. What the 6D Mark II is, though, is a solid, well-built camera that is capable of producing great images while improving upon its predecessor in almost every measurable way."

Canon EOS 6D Mark II Camera Dynamic Range and Sample Images

Canon EOS-6D Mark II with EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II lens

Canon announced the long awaited EOS-6D Mark II camera on June 29. This is a great value for wedding, portrait and landscape photographers who want to get into full frame photography without breaking the bank. Shipping on the new body should commence early August.

You will not find any pre-order links on my Blog because I do not accept commissioned links from any camera stores. My review, analysis and recommendation are completely unbiased. You can easily Google your favorite store's website and place your order with them.

If you want to take a look at the Owner Manual first and peruse all the features and functions, download it here. You can also see official Canon photos taken with the EOS-6D Mark II camera and a preliminary review here.

You can see additional photos taken with the camera from DPReview and Imaging Resources.

Canon EOS-6D Mark II Camera Review and Owner Manual

Canon announced the long awaited EOS-6D Mark II camera on June 29. This is a great value for wedding, portrait and landscape photographers who want to get into full frame photography without breaking the bank.

If you want to take a look at the Owner Manual first and peruse all the features and functions, download it here. You can also see official Canon photos taken with the EOS-6D Mark II camera here. Below is a partial announcement from Canon. Click on the link above to get the entire communication.


MELVILLE, N.Y., June 29, 2017 – In celebration of the innovation behind today’s generation of high-quality digital SLR cameras on National Camera Day, Canon U.S.A. Inc., a leader in digital imaging solutions, is excited to announce the new EOS 6D Mark II and EOS Rebel SL2 DSLR cameras designed for advanced-amateur and entry-level photographers, respectively.

The EOS 6D Mark II camera is ideal for budding photographers looking to take their creative DSLR photography skills to the next level by shooting with a Full-frame CMOS sensor DSLR camera to capture beautiful high-quality portraits and striking landscapes, even in low-light situations. The EOS Rebel SL2 is a small, light, and compact camera with high-performance capability that allows users to get creative when capturing their special family moments or travel experiences.

“It seems fitting that today, a day set aside to commemorate the invention of a tool that forever changed how we view the world, we introduce two new DSLR cameras to the Canon family,” said Yuichi Ishizuka, president and COO, Canon U.S.A. “In an industry where choices are abundant, providing consumers with the photographic tools that match their developing skill levels as they continue to embrace their passion for photography is a long-standing goal of Canon and stands at the core of our research and development.

The new EOS 6D Mark II and EOS Rebel SL2 DSLR cameras are the result of Canon’s dedication to providing a wide range of camera choices for photographers of all skill levels, whether it’s someone taking their first picture or video with a DSLR camera or those looking to make the jump to a Full-Frame sensor camera.”

“After just one day in Yellowstone National Park with the EOS 6D Mark II DSLR Camera, it was clear that the camera is greatly improved over its predecessor,” said acclaimed nature photographer and Canon Explorer of Light Adam Jones. “ Landscape and nature photographers will be very happy. The new and improved autofocus is way ahead of the previous generation and performed extremely well, even in very low-light situations.”

EOS 6D Mark II DSLR Camera

Designed with enthusiast photographers in mind, Canon’s popular and versatile EOS 6D DSLR camera historically served to bridge the gap between Canon’s higher-end APS-C DLSRs and Full-Frame DSLR cameras. The EOS 6D Mark II DSLR camera features several enhancements over its predecessor model, and its benefits include:

• 26.2 Megapixel Full-frame CMOS Sensor
• Optical Viewfinder with a 45-point All Cross-type AF System1
• Dual Pixel CMOS AF with Phase-detection & Full HD 60p
• DIGIC 7 Image Processor, ISO 100-40000
• Vari-angle Touch Screen, 3.0-inch LCD
• Built-in Wi-Fi®2, NFC3, Bluetooth®4 and GPS technology
• High-speed Continuous Shooting at up to 6.5 fps
• Dust and Water-resistant