Canon EOS R6 Mark II Sample Pictures

It seemed awkward to show up for dinner with a tripod, but I did take a camera. Then the balance of the hotel lights with the blue hour sky called.

Until this point, most of the R6 II photo opportunities involved fast action that stressed its outstanding AF capabilities and high-speed frame rate. This subject was going nowhere, but the light was dim. While the ISO settings could be increased, a clear blue sky makes high ISO noise readily apparent.

Squatted down with a Canon RF 15-35mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens set to 27mm and mounted to the Canon EOS R6 Mark II, The R6 II captured mostly sharp 1-second exposures and a solid number of sharp 2-second exposures (even with ADD kicking in before a second of holding the shutter release down). While a tripod would have been the optimal support for this shot, IBIS did the job remarkably well.

The capabilities of IBIS are extremely valuable, adding versatility to the kit. The value of adding image stabilization to your current non-stabilized lenses (including EF models) is huge.

Note that a preproduction R6 II captured this image.

This day was spent at the Chula Vista Elite Athlete Training Center, a US Olympic & Paralympic training site, and the BMX stunt bikers were delivering incredible stunt after incredible stunt. While it was tempting to just watch the impressive action, images create a longer memory, and I had a job to do.

Fortunately, the Canon EOS R6 Mark II and Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM Lens made capturing peak BMX bike stunt action easy.

The camera position for this image provided a beautiful blue sky background, and the camera angle took full advantage of the circular polarizer filter's effect. Despite the polarizer reducing light, the ultra-wide f/1.8 aperture allowed an action-stopping 1/1250 shutter speed at ISO 100.

With all focus points selected, the R6 II would pick up the stunt rider entering the frame and track them for the extent of the burst. The R6 II's 40 fps continuous shooting rate ensured that the perfect moment of every stunt was on the card.

While it was fun to shoot the stunt riders with wide-angle lenses on the ramp, the mid-telephoto 135mm focal length was ideal for keeping the rider large in the frame at the peak of the stunt, while still showing the ramp for perspective.

Note that a preproduction R6 II camera and RF 135 lens captured this image.

The Canon RF 600mm F4 L IS USM Lens would have been the ideal lens for photographing surfing this afternoon. However, the Canon RF 400mm F2.8 L IS USM Lens was ideal for photographing a previous track and field event, and I couldn't manage both lenses.

Usually, a too-wide focal length is better than a too-long focal length. Cropping is easy. Creating a missing scene is not.

Fortunately, gaining a longer focal length for the surfing action was as easy as mounting a Canon RF 1.4x Extender behind the 400mm lens, creating a 560mm F4 lens.

Everybody loves to see a crash (with no injuries), and the Canon EOS R6 Mark II's 40 fps continuous shooting rate captured the perfect moment of this fast wipe out. The high-speed frame rate adds to the selection challenge, but the key frame is rarely missing from the results.

Let me introduce you to your new favorite event, portrait, and indoor sports lens, the Canon RF 135mm F1.8 L IS USM Lens.

There are several reasons for this prediction.

The first is the focal length. The 135mm angle of view is narrow enough to encourage subject distances that create pleasing portrait perspectives, even for full-frame headshots. This angle of view also keeps the lens out of their personal space, staying distant enough for subjects to remain comfortable.

The ultra-wide aperture is another reason for this lens to be a favorite. The F1.8 aperture combined with high-performing image stabilization keeps shutter speeds up and ISO settings down for sharp, low-noise results. F1.8 combined with the medium telephoto focal length can create a strong background blur that makes the subject stand out from an otherwise distracting background.

If those two reasons are not sufficient for you, the image quality delivered by this lens will be. Even the preproduction lens produced outstanding image quality.

This mariachi band member performing at a low light event was a perfect subject for this lens and the Canon EOS R6 Mark II behind it.