Canon Announces the 6D Mark II and SL2 Cameras

Canon Announces the 6D Mark II and SL2 Cameras

With perhaps one of the most hotly anticipated updates, Canon has announced the 6D Mark II, the second version of their popular budget full-frame camera, which now has some intriguing new features. They've also announced the SL2, the second version of their smallest DSLR. Check out the improvements to each model! 

The Canon 6D was my first full-frame camera, and I was truly bummed to let it go when I finally did. It was light, affordable, and had a fantastic sensor. It's only real weak spot was the AF system, but Canon has provided a massive upgrade to that with the 6D Mark II, along with a first-time feature in a Canon full-frame offering. Check out the pictures and specs:

Canon 6D Mark II

  • 26.2 MP full frame CMOS sensor
  • DIGIC 7 processor
  • Native ISO: 100-40,000 (expandable to 50-102,400)
  • Continuous burst rate: 6.5 fps
  • Fully articulating touchscreen (first in a Canon full-frame camera)
  • Bit depth: 14-bit
  • Single SD card slot
  • 45 cross-type AF points
  • 0.71x viewfinder with 98 percent coverage
  • 1/180 s sync speed
  • 1080p recording at 60 fps with Dual Pixel AF and electronic stabilization
  • 3.5mm mic input
  • Time-lapse and HDR video modes
  • Intervalometer
  • Dust and water resistance
  • Wi-Fi, NFC, Bluetooth, and GPS

Preorder

The 6D Mark II will cost $1,999 for the body only, $2,599 with a 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 lens, or $3,099 with a 24-105mm f/4L IS II lens. You can preorder them at the links below:

Canon SL2

The Canon SL2 is the small DSLR made by the company, and it's a popular option for those who want a cheap, portable option that accepts EF and EF-S lenses.

  • 24 MP APS-C CMOS sensor
  • ISO range: 100-25,600
  • Continuous burst: 6 fps
  • Bit depth: 14-bit
  • Single SD card slot
  • 9 AF points
  • 1080p recording at 60 fps with Dual Pixel AF and electronic stabilization
  • Articulating touchscreen
  • Microphone input
  • Wi-Fi, NFC, and Bluetooth
  • Feature guide for learning camera functions

Preorder

The SL2 will cost $549 for the body only or $699 with a 18-55mm lens. You can preorder them at the links below:

    Alex Cooke's picture

    Alex Cooke is a Cleveland-based portrait, events, and landscape photographer. He holds an M.S. in Applied Mathematics and a doctorate in Music Composition. He is also an avid equestrian.

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    23 Comments

    Hope auto focus will be faster this time.

    Vloggers will love it! Flip screen, dual pixel af... oh wait, no 4k? Forget it

    the 4k in 5dm4 was a joke (marketing trick), so i am not surprised they didn't include 4k here.

    Guys, question for you, cause you mentioned vloggers. Letting aside the fact that i am not a big fan of seeing one's face into the camera, distorted by a wide angle lens, with some crappy background , in 4k( i mean i don't care, it could be 720p for me) , where the hell you CAN watch 4k on youtube with the internet speed and price in US? On your phone? How much data do you have paid for, i pay 80 dollars with Verizon and i have something like 4gb of data. On your computer? Even with one of the best routers out there and a 100mbps plan , i stil struggle to watch smooth 4k video on my computer atvthe second floor if my townhouse. I mean, unless you watch all the videos on the pc, with the ethernet cable plugged in, i don't understand where you can watch 4 k on youtube

    4k video needs somewhere between 15-25 Mb/s to stream, so if you have a 100Mb/s plan and aren't able to stream 4k video I'd diagnose the connection and see what's going wrong. You might have to switch from 5GHz to 2.4GHz if you're far from the router, or vice versa if you're close but there's lots of competing networks. You may also need a network bridge or a better router if that doesn't help. Of course another alternative is that the 100Mb/s plan is deceptive and actually much less than that, but hopefully not.

    Regardless, for video creators (vloggers or otherwise), even if people don't watch it in 4k just yet it's good to have the option - in 5 years 1080p might be as outdated as 720p is today, and it would suck to have to re-shoot all your best videos. The top tier YouTubers are even taking it a step further, shooting at 8k for optimal futureproofing.

    You didn't get my point. There are rural areas in US where you can barely have signal. Most of us watch the videos on our phones, where it doesn't make a damn difference, cause the beautiful displays that we got now make every video pop up from the screen and look shiny. We simply don't have enough data around for streaming all that you want , guys. Casey Neistat may want whatever he wants, 8k, 12k, 16k, He's not gonna change the pace of the technology. The tech is gonna advance in some directions that are not strictly related to the resolution of the videos. We are over polluting this planet, we have global warming, we drew out of the Paris agreement, some of the most advanced nations in the world, like Germany , have crappy internet speed and now are putting emphasis on the recycling everything. The world is not changing according to what some guys on photography and videography want(the rest of the world couldn't care less about our jobs and, frankly, we are not considered like the epitome of success in life, a nurse is ten times more appreciated than us). Apple promises new tech that are going to change everything in our lives, Tesla the same, Google(absolutely fantastic with their new Alexa, maps and the rest) those are dictating the flow of the tech, not Sony, or Canon, or Casey Neistat or Max Yuryev. For where we are right now, for what we achieved, on any display, 1080p LOOKS PERFECTLY FINE FOR MOST PEOPLE. I cannot see any difference between my 4k and 1080p videos on my Galaxy S8. The rest is just a play of second level importance, chair and computer desk competition of the fanboys. Canon 6dii is an amazing camera, like Sony A9 is(and most Sonys), like Olympus is , like Fuji and Panasonic is. Is the moment for humbleness for us, using what we have and creating good quality content. All the companies that we are expecting miracles from, with 8k and 12k sensors, are second grade players in the market of tech, they don't even matter in the Silicon Valley. They are just delivering wonderful products for us, which we forgot how to use and enjoy

    To be fair, the same can be said of 26MP, and DSLRs in general. Canon's a niche player relative to Apple and Google, and 45 AF points certainly won't stop global warming - doesn't mean we can't enjoy those features and hope for other features that make our jobs easier.

    @adrian Pocea My brother lives in France and there the internet outside of the big cities is also appalling. I live in the Netherlands and fast internet is widely available and affordable. I have an average speed subscription and a speed of 150Mbps.
    There are faster connection available and also relatively affordable. The Netherlands is at the seventh place worldwide as far as the distribution of fast internet is concerned while the usa is at the 29th place which is rather poor for one of the richest countries in the world.

    On my phone, my subscription will be renewed next week. I will pay 26€ (30$) for unlimited phone calls and unlimited data in 4G.

    https://www.tele2.nl/mobiel/sim-only/

    Unless you have lots of Canon lenses and are a huge Canon fan, how can this camera still appeal to people in view of the huge competition that exceeds just about everything on this camera?
    I don't get it.
    While no 4k may not be an issue, the DR is worse as the 5dmk4 which still didn't quite catch up with the competition. And DR should be a concern to everybody.

    Where did you see reports on the dynamic range?

    dpreview. Here is the quote. The 5dmk4 has just about caught up with the competition (meaning it is still not as good(. This new camera has worse DR according to dpreview which means it is behind the generally much older competition.

    Quote from dpreview
    According to Canon representatives, the 6D Mark II should outperform the original 6D (which it very evidently does) but may not offer the same kind of dynamic range and absolute resolution of the EOS 5D Mark IV.

    I'm a canon user, so it pains me to say this, but with every new model, Canon seems to be losing ground. Where is the innovation that Canon were once known for?

    Agree with you Jonathan, I hope that this camera will have at least excellent high ISO performance (which I doubt) or an appealing low price.

    $1999 body only.

    Really? Losing ground to who, Nikon, Fuji, Sony? I think Canon is holding their own. Seems a lot of people want every possible feature in one camera body and then want it at a low cost. R&D cost money and these guys, like every other manufacturer is out to make $$$. So it doesn't have 4K and shoot 16 FPS and bullet proof and only cost $500.

    Yes, all 3 competitors, but mostly Sony. I've used the Canon system for 12 years. Last year I went from the 5D Mark III to the Sony A7RII. The jump in quality was what I expected from the Canon 5D Mark IV. This year, I'm using the IDX Mark II, which is inferior in every way to the Sony A7R2 with the exception of autofocus and FPS.

    Canon used to do make big jumps with their models - the 5D was the first affordable full frame camera, the 5D Mark II, the first SLR to offer decent video, the 5D Mark III - was slightly less of a jump forward, but still a big improvement over the Mark III.

    The Canon 5D Mark IV is barely an upgrade. Slightly more resolution, slightly better dynamic range and unusable 4K video.

    As I said, losing ground.

    It will likely need price cuts to compete with the D750. The D750 is a better pro camera (two card slots, likely better AF, full viewfinder coverage, quite likely better DR), and currently the D750 is selling from anywhere from $200-$500 less than the 6DII. If the 6DII hits a price point of $1500 it'll be a solid choice, but at the moment the D750 is a big draw to Nikon for wedding and event photographers who can't afford a 5D.

    Still, exciting to see an update to the 6D, and for those with big investments in Canon glass it's a much better option than the original.

    And how old is the D750 now? That's right... Even after all this time Canon is not able to produce a better product. And I shoot Canon and am relatively happy with it, most of the time. But seeing other brands release products that are constantly superior is a bitter pill to swallow, imo.

    Awesome stills camera, would go well with my 7d2 perfectly. Also means the 7d Mark iii is next to be updated :).

    I'm hopeful Canon quickly follows up with an announcement for their more exciting models, even if they don't get released until 2018. I think we're due for a 7D mk3 with 15 FPS & 150 point dual-pixel AF, or a 5Ds R mk2 with 120MP and dual-pixel RAW.

    45 af points, single SD slot, 1080p, $2000. lol

    I work as photographer and I use Canon. I always have the latest camera, but not this time: 1Dx2, 5D4 and even this 6d2 are not worth the investment. I'll stay with 5d3 and 1Dx!

    Welcome to 2014!