Canon Mirrorless History & Ef-M Collectors — EOS M (2012): Canon's first mirrorless — a historic body that broke new ground with touch-AF and EF-M, but its sluggish contrast-detect system quickly became its Achilles heel.
Portrait & Street — EOS M6 Mark II (2019): The M6 Mark II is the peak of the EF-M system — 32.5MP, 14fps, and Dual Pixel CMOS AF II in a compact rangefinder-style body. No built-in EVF is the main compromise, but the optional EVF-DC2 resolves this. An outstanding used-market buy for photographers who want high resolution and fast AF in a genuinely compact body.
Portraits & Action — EOS R6 Mark II (2022): 40fps burst, 8-stop IBIS, and Canon's best-in-class Dual Pixel AF — exceptional for action, sports, and portrait work.
Who should buy what
EOS M (2012)
EOS M6 Mark II (2019)
EOS R6 Mark II (2022)
Quick take: The eos m6 mark ii has the highest resolution at 32mp; the eos m is the most affordable; only the eos r6 mark ii is weather sealed. Scroll down for the full spec breakdown.
Full specifications
| Specification | EOS M (2012) | EOS M6 Mark II (2019) | EOS R6 Mark II (2022) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Price | £80 | £600 | £2,099 |
| Sensor | 18MP APS-C CMOS | 32.5MP APS-C CMOS (Dual Pixel) | 24.2MP Full-frame BSI CMOS |
| Resolution | 18.0MP | 32.5MP | 24.2MP |
| Video | 1080p 30fps | 4K/30p (1.56× crop), 1080p/120p | 4K/60p 10-bit oversampled, 6K RAW out, FHD/180p |
| Autofocus | Contrast-detect AF only — notoriously slow | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with face and eye detection | Dual Pixel CMOS AF II, 6072 zones, deep-learning subject tracking |
| Stabilisation | — | — | 5-axis IBIS, 8.0 stops (coordinated with IS lenses) |
| Burst Rate | 4fps | 14fps (mechanical and electronic) | 12fps mechanical, 40fps electronic |
| Battery Life | ~230 shots (CIPA) | ~305 shots (CIPA) | ~760 shots (CIPA) |
| Weight | 262g (body only) | 408g (body only) | 670g body only |
| Dimensions | 108.6 × 66.5 × 32.3mm | 119.6 × 70.0 × 49.2mm | 138.4 × 98.4 × 88.4mm |
| Weather Sealed | No | No | Yes |
| Viewfinder | None (optional EVF accessory) | None (optional EVF-DC2 accessory) | EVF, 3.69M dots, 0.76× magnification |
| Screen | 3.0" fixed touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen, 1.04M dots | 3.0" fully articulating touchscreen |
| Mount | Canon EF-M mount | Canon EF-M mount | Canon RF mount (full-frame) |
| Memory Cards | 1× SD/SDHC/SDXC | Single SD UHS-II slot | Dual SD UHS-II slots |
| Connectivity | USB 2.0 | USB, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth | USB-C 3.1, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi |
Suitability by genre
| Genre | EOS M | EOS M6 Mark II | EOS R6 Mark II |
|---|---|---|---|
| Casual | — | ||
| Travel | — | ||
| Street | — | ||
| Portrait | |||
| Vlogging & Video | |||
| Landscape | — | ||
| Wildlife | — | ||
| Sports & Action | — | ||
| Wedding & Events | — | — |
GearScore™ suitability scores are based on aggregated purchaser reviews weighted by photography genre. See how scores are calculated →
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Camera family history