Canon's new EOS R6 V brings 7K RAW recording, active cooling and full-frame video performance to a $2499 body. No EVF, no mechanical shutter. This is built for video specifically.
Canon has announced the EOS R6 V, a full-frame mirrorless camera built around a 32.5 MP CMOS sensor and aimed at video-first creators. It sits above the EOS R50 V in Canon's V-series lineup and shares its sensor with the EOS R6 Mark III and Cinema EOS C50.
In fact, on paper it sits square in the middle of the two of them with more video ambition than the R6 Mark III but without the pro features (and pricing) of the C50.
Make no mistake, when Canon says the 'V' stands for 'video' it really means it. The lack of EVF and the electronic shutter-only aspects of the EOS R6 V's design signal it as a poor fit for stills work. For that, Canon users have the existing R6 Mark III in this price bracket. So, what does the R6 V add?
The R6 V records internally to 7K RAW at up to 60p, with 7K Open Gate RAW (3:2, full sensor area) at up to 30p. For compressed delivery, 4K DCI and UHD recording is available to 120p, with 4K Fine mode oversampling from 7K at up to 60p.
ProRes RAW output is supported externally via HDMI to compatible Atomos recorders including the Ninja TX, Ninja TX GO and Ninja RAW. Canon Log 2 and Log 3 are supported, along with HEVC and AVC codec options in MP4 format.
Dual card slots, CFexpress Type B and SD, support relay recording, proxy recording and simultaneous RAW-plus-MP4 workflows.
Autofocus uses Dual Pixel CMOS AF with subject detection covering people (with eye detect), animals and vehicles including motorsport cars, motorcycles, aircraft and trains. In-body image stabilization is rated at 7.5 stops when used with the RF24-105mm F2.8 L IS USM lens.
As mentioned, Canon has made some specific choices that prioritise video shooting. There is no mechanical shutter; the R6 V uses an electronic rolling shutter throughout, which rules out flash photography. There is also no EVF; the camera uses a 7.5 cm (3.0 inch) diagonal vari-angle touchscreen LCD with 1.62 million dots.
However, up against what has been taken away you also need to weigh what's been added. Highlight here is a built-in three-speed cooling fan to help manage heat during extended recording sessions. This means that there are no restrictions from over-heating at most recording formats, with a 120 minute (or higher) ceiling only coming into view at RAW 59.94 fps.
The body weighs 688 g (1.52 lb) with battery and card, and measures 141.8 x 83.3 x 79.8 mm (5.58 x 3.28 x 3.14 in). Connectivity includes USB-C at 10 Gbps, full-size HDMI (Type A), 3.5 mm microphone and headphone jacks, a multi-function shoe compatible with Canon digital accessories, and Wi-Fi and Bluetooth.
Power zoom can be operated from the zoom ring itself (which switches between manual and powered modes), via the camera's zoom lever, through the Canon Camera Connect app, or using Canon Bluetooth remotes including the new BR-E2 and the existing BR-E1. The internal zoom design keeps the lens length constant during zooming, which is useful for gimbal users who'll know how much a creeping zoom barrel can throw off balance.
The AD-M1 Macro Lite Adapter Set covers close-up photography with macro and select standard lenses.
New content creator kits are being released as a result that bundle accessories together for ready-made shooting packages. These include the Creator Accessory Kit II (DM-E100 microphone, HG-200TBR grip, BR-E2 remote), the PowerShot V1 Video Creator Kit and the EOS R50 V Video Creator Kit.
The EOS R6 V body is expected to be available in late June and July at $2499. A kit with the RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ is priced at $3699. A very interesting sounding Stop Motion Animation Firmware option is priced at $2599.
The RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ lens is $1399 sold separately, expected late June.
The BR-E2 is $69.99, the HG-200TBR is $159 and the AD-M1 Macro Lite Adapter Set is $179, all expected late June.
The creator kits are expected in early July: Creator Accessory Kit II at $249, PowerShot V1 Video Creator Kit at $1279 and EOS R50 V Video Creator Kit at $1199.