Canon EOS R6 vs R6 Mark II: which to buy?

Canon's 2020 enthusiast full-frame body and its 2022 replacement share the same body style, viewfinder, screen, dual SD slots and 8-stop IBIS. The Mark II adds resolution, faster electronic bursts, more subject detection, better video and longer battery life.

A black Canon EOS R6 with an RF 85mm F1.2 L lens on a white background — **Canon EOS R6**20.1MP · launched at $2,499 in 2020Photo: GodeNehler via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Canon EOS R6 Mark II full-frame mirrorless camera with a zoom lens on a dark background — **Canon EOS R6 Mark II**24.2MP · launched at $2,499 in 2022Photo: Henry Söderlund via Flickr, CC BY 2.0 (resized)

Side-by-side specs

	Canon EOS R6	Canon EOS R6 Mark II
Sensor	20.1MP full-frame CMOS (based on the EOS-1D X Mark III sensor)	24.2MP full-frame CMOS
Processor	DIGIC X	DIGIC X
ISO	100–102400 (50–204800 expanded)	100–102400 (50–204800 expanded)
Autofocus	Dual Pixel CMOS AF II; EV -6.5 to 20; people, dogs, cats, birds, racing cars and motorbikes	Dual Pixel CMOS AF II; EV -6.5 to 21; people, animals including horses, and vehicles including aircraft and trains
Stabilization	5-axis in-body, up to 8 stops (CIPA)	Same
Burst	12 fps mechanical, 20 fps electronic	12 fps mechanical, 40 fps electronic; raw burst 30 fps with pre-shooting
Video	4K up to 59.94p (5.1K oversampled, 94% width); Full HD up to 119.88p; Canon Log 3; 10-bit	4K up to 59.94p oversampled from 6K; Full HD up to 180p; Canon Log 3; 6K raw over HDMI
Recording limits	29 min 59 s per clip; 4K/60p about 30 min from a cold start at 23°C (Canon)	Up to 6 hours per clip
Viewfinder	0.5-inch OLED, 3.69M dots, 0.76x	Same
Screen	3.0-inch vari-angle touchscreen, 1.62M dots	Same
Card slots	Two SD (UHS-II)	Same
Wireless	2.4 GHz Wi-Fi; Bluetooth	Wi-Fi 2.4/5 GHz; Bluetooth 5.0
Battery (CIPA)	LP-E6NH; about 380 shots (viewfinder) / 510 (LCD)	LP-E6NH; about 450 shots (viewfinder) / 760 (LCD)
Weight	About 680 g with battery and card	About 670 g with battery and card
Launch price	Jul 9, 2020; $2,499 body-only	Nov 2, 2022; $2,499 body-only

Specs from Canon U.S.A.'s July 9, 2020 EOS R6 announcement, Canon Europe's EOS R6 specifications and recording-time pages, and Canon Europe's EOS R6 Mark II specifications, cross-checked against our R6 Mark II guide; US launch prices from Canon U.S.A. ✓ = advantage; blank = tie or not directly comparable.

Sample photos

Four photos taken with the Canon EOS R6 and four with the Canon EOS R6 Mark II, shared on Wikimedia Commons under open licenses.

Sample photo 1 of 8 taken with the Canon EOS R6 — Taken with the Canon EOS R6. Photo: Kenneth C. Zirkel via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)

Sample photo 2 of 8 taken with the Canon EOS R6 — Taken with the Canon EOS R6. Photo: Masabb via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Sample photo 3 of 8 taken with the Canon EOS R6 — Taken with the Canon EOS R6. Photo: Monica Rondoni via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Sample photo 4 of 8 taken with the Canon EOS R6 — Taken with the Canon EOS R6. Photo: Naokijp via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Sample photo 5 of 8 taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark II — Taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark II. Photo: Crisco 1492 via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Sample photo 6 of 8 taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark II — Taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark II. Photo: Charles J. Sharp via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Sample photo 7 of 8 taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark II — Taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark II. Photo: th_norge via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 4.0 (resized)

Sample photo 8 of 8 taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark II — Taken with the Canon EOS R6 Mark II. Photo: Charles J. Sharp via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (resized)

Who should buy which

Buy the R6 if…

You shoot people, events or low light and 20MP is enough.
You want 8-stop IBIS and Dual Pixel CMOS AF II eye detection, buying used.
You already own LP-E6NH batteries and RF or EF lenses.

Buy the R6 Mark II if…

You shoot sport, wildlife or kids: 40 fps electronic bursts with pre-shooting vs 20 fps.
You crop or print large: 24.2MP vs 20.1MP.
You shoot video: 4K/60p oversampled from 6K, Full HD 180p and clips up to 6 hours.
Battery life matters: about 760 shots per charge (LCD) vs 510.

See our full EOS R6 and R6 Mark II reviews. Related: R6 Mark II vs R6 Mark III and a7 IV vs R6 Mark II.

Where to buy

Canon EOS R6

R6 · body (new)

Canon EOS R6: Launched at $2,499 in 2020 (Canon U.S.A. launch price, July 9, 2020).

Check price
Read the full Canon EOS R6 review

Canon EOS R6 Mark II

R6 Mark II · body (new)

Canon EOS R6 Mark II: Launched at $2,499 in 2022 (Canon U.S.A., November 2, 2022).

Check price
Read the full Canon EOS R6 Mark II review

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