This will be an unusual review because we will focus on whether the Canon EOS R6 and the new RF lens lineup align with our photography style, our work philosophy, and aesthetics.
Anyone familiar with our photos knows that we like warm colors, soft and unobtrusive aesthetics, and plenty of light in the lens. Flares, softness, blurs, and light reflections are something we desire in our photography. We strive to go beyond the ordinary, the mundane, seeking unconventional meanings and forms of expression. What may be considered imperfections or mistakes by many become intriguing and characteristic “heroes” in our work.
Why Canon, and since when?
Canon has always given us the opportunity to create stunning images. Our journey began almost two decades ago with Canon film cameras (TLb) and our first digital compacts (Power Shot A60). It was a time of learning, experimentation, and searching for our style. We fumbled around, relying mainly on intuition, and Canon seemed to harmonize perfectly with our intuition. We went through most of the non-full-frame models like the 30D or 40D until a beautiful summer when, for a significant sum for us at that time, we bought our first 5D Mark II.
We fell in love with it, absolutely, and we still believe that it’s one of the best sensors Canon has ever created – the best in terms of color and skin tone reproduction. The perfect tandem back then turned out to be the 50mm 1.4, and we’ve remained loyal to that model to this day! Lightweight, reasonably fast, with beautiful aesthetics, characteristic flare, and, let’s not kid ourselves, a fantastic price! Last year, the day before a wedding in Tuscany, we broke our beloved 50mm 1.4, which turned out to be not a problem at all. Why? Because it’s widely available. We went to Siena and, in a tiny shop where we communicated with the owners using gestures and a bit of Italian, we bought the same 50mm, which didn’t break our budget, and we could work as usual. Then came the time for our equally successful 5D Mark III (we still have four of these cameras and don’t plan to sell them) and the 5D Mark IV.
For many years, the 5D Mark III shaped our aesthetics and brand; it was an extension of our hand, and despite its flaws, we learned to use it in a way that nothing else was needed. We didn’t lack anything; sometimes compromises had to be made, but the results were always great. We won’t claim that there weren’t moments of anxiety, regarding the accuracy, AF speed, or its performance in low light, but when it came to the 5D Mark III, we had one motto: ‘Love forgives all.’
Mirrorless cameras are taking over the market, and we…
Mirrorless cameras are taking over the market, and we…
The race of technology and companies to create innovations and outdo each other in megapixels may seem like a marketing trick to sell more. However, at some point, this constant battle of giants brings a lot of good for consumers. Would Canon be as good if it hadn’t competed with Nikon for years? Would Sony have learned to make such excellent cameras in such a short time if it didn’t aim to surpass Canon? Probably not. It’s well known that competition stimulates progress, and from a psychological perspective: frustration + reward = development.
So, we pose the question that’s been on our minds: would Canon have made such a great camera if it weren’t for Sony, which, for a time, outpaced Canon? We answered ourselves, no, and we feel that this competition has worked out for the best for everyone.
We tested all the novelties from Fuji and Sony, delved into this technology because we felt it would enrich our work. We wanted to experiment and find something that Canon didn’t offer. To get that proverbial “something more.” The truth is, the longer we work, the more space and desire for experiments we have to prevent our minds from getting bored. Almost every professional photographer has felt at least once that mirrorless cameras are the future of photography. Nonetheless, Canon stood still, not offering what the competition was providing with new, excellent cameras, and Canon waited, while we wondered if it was stagnation or the calm before the storm.
Game changer – Canon EOS R6 for a wedding photographer
And it turned out that the storm is approaching. The prelude was the EOS R, interesting and tempting but with some limitations. We knew it wouldn’t be Canon’s final word on mirrorless cameras, and finally, it happened: we got the R6 and R5 for testing.
What did this mean for us? We had to test it in action as soon as possible. Everything looks good on paper, but how would it perform in practice? Would we like working with it? Is the color rendition Canon-like, how do the RAWs behave, and what about the old lenses? We only needed an hour at the pre-premiere meeting with the new Rs, and our hearts were stolen. But genuine admiration and affection for this camera developed during the 2020 wedding season, where we had the opportunity to work at several weddings and sessions in very different weather and lighting conditions. We bought the R6 immediately after the Polish premiere, so it has “seen” and proved itself in many situations.
With the R6, we gained everything that we loved about our favorite 5D Mark III and much more.
The new AF system turned out to be unbeatable. We’ve always worked in One Shot mode, and now we finally got a revolutionary change. The SERVO mode flawlessly follows faces, eyes, or objects – it’s incredibly simple and effective. Our rate of missed shots due to inaccurate AF significantly decreased, and the vast majority of shots are sharp where we want them to be.
The results in challenging conditions are astonishing; the camera sees significantly more than the human eye, and the image stabilization system allows for handheld shots with long exposure times. Weak lighting conditions are no longer an issue for us. There’s no such thing as weak light anymore; we have nocturnal vision.
The viewfinder is also a pleasant surprise. The display is smooth, without lag or stuttering. It provides a feeling of working with a DSLR, something we couldn’t find in other mirrorless cameras. Regarding speed, smoothness, and ergonomic similarity to a DSLR, it’s worth mentioning the quick camera start-up. In short, we don’t have to wait for the camera to be ready for work, which is crucial for reportage photography.
A word about the tilting screen – the fact that it’s there allows for a change in perspective and is very convenient for shorter individuals. Kuba, who is 190 cm tall, using the tilting screen, doesn’t need a drone – of course, that’s a joke, but this additional feature is utilized during work.
And something we couldn’t find in other mirrorless cameras from different manufacturers: the aesthetics and overall color reproduction. Greens, reds, and most importantly, skin tones – almost like in the old, good Canon. Warm tones and beautiful flares – these are definitely our favorite and distinctive elements in photography. It turned out that in the R6, we can achieve that sought-after “something more.”
When we open our material in Lightroom, we’re not terrified; on the contrary, we feel like we’re coloristically looking at our old, reliable 5D Mark III. Working with several different cameras isn’t as painful because you can easily match the colors of all the sensors in a way that the material remains coherent. The post-processing, which we’ve refined over the years, didn’t have to be drastically changed; the new R6 fits well with our style coloristically.
Among the obvious features worth mentioning are the 2 SD card slots, which provide data security (something lacking in the original R), and a high-performance battery that allows for approximately 1300-1500 shots. Two batteries are more than sufficient for a full day of reportage.
The pleasure of working has significantly increased, the possibility of simultaneous work with a mirrorless camera and a DSLR provides significant variety during photography. We can capture scenes in many ways, and each method helps us see something different. Working with harsh sunlight is more comfortable with the DSLR, while the mirrorless camera excels in handling shadows and lazy light, especially when it pours through a window, and the complicated, color-laden scenes can be best tamed by switching the viewfinder mode to black and white.
A word about analog lenses, which we really like (we have: Carl Zeiss Jena 1.8/50, Helios 1.5/85, Nokton 1.4/40, Samyang T-S 3.5/24)
And it would be hard for us to imagine work without them. We wondered how to reconcile this with the R6, and to our immense joy, it turned out that working with analog lenses became much more enjoyable and straightforward. Digital magnification and peaking allow for faster and easier focusing than with a traditional DSLR.
There’s one more important aspect – working with flash units. During reportage, we only start using flashes when it gets darker, and the dance floor comes alive. The Canon R6 handles multiple flash units exceptionally well. We even wrote a separate article about it; if you’re curious about how we set up our flash units, be sure to check this link -> WORKING WITH MULTIPLE FLASH UNITS
We’ll definitely be hybrid photographers, making use of the advantages of good old DSLRs and modern technology in the R6..
The lenses
The camera is essential, but a camera without glass doesn’t exist. We thank Canon Polska for providing the lenses for testing.
Canon RF 50mm 1.2L – this is a lens we highly appreciate; this focal length is the most important for us. We have several 50mm lenses, but this RF version is undoubtedly the most refined. Extremely sharp from a wider aperture, rendering beautiful bokeh. Excellent color rendition. It draws with warmth and pleasant contrast, captures delicate flares, which is a significant plus. Here’s a small discord because we won’t part with our 50 1.4; its flare and compact size are “stars” in our work, especially during sessions. The RF lens will play the lead role during reportage.
Canon RF 85mm 1.2L – it’s fantastic, absolutely phenomenal glass, the bokeh is “creamy,” intriguing, and delicate. Unfortunately, considering our dynamic work style, the size disqualifies this lens for us. It’s great for studio work, but we can’t imagine carrying such a beast on our backs for 12 hours. Unfortunately, it’s not a reportage lens, especially when working with two cameras on harnesses. Perhaps for a separate session another day, but we don’t do those very often, so this lens won’t find a place in our bag.
Canon RF 28-70mm 2.0L – this is, without a doubt, the most surprising one for us. We never focused on zoom lenses; we had many, and we quickly sold them because they lacked the aesthetics that prime lenses provide. The situation is completely different here. We’re dealing with three primes in one lens, which is a big surprise for us. We’re not too keen on 28mm, as our widest lens is 35mm, but that was unnecessary worry. The 28mm focal length is good; the lens’s geometry positively surprises us, all lines are beautifully straight, and subjects at the edges of the frame don’t appear unnaturally stretched. The only significant drawback of this lens is its size and weight. It’s probably too much for us to handle; we’d have to work with one body throughout the reportage to avoid being overwhelmed by the kilograms. This, in turn, would require a complete change in our work style, which we don’t want. During many hours of reportage, every 100g makes a difference, and it’s really worth considering carefully when working with two bodies. Will this lens find a place in our bag? Certainly not in Kasia’s. Kuba has a great passion and doesn’t rule it out; time will tell. However, we can genuinely recommend this lens to all photographers working with a single body; it will be an excellent choice, and even zoom opponents will be pleasantly surprised.
Malachite-Meadow x Canon R6 from michalsikora.com on Vimeo.
10 years of work as wedding photographers
As we approach the conclusion, in over 10 years of our work as wedding photographers, we’ve always been guided by one principle: a slow but consistent evolution of our style and equipment. In the case of the R6, this means incorporating it into our reportage gear while maintaining the DSLRs, as we mentioned earlier, we’re opting for a hybrid solution. We don’t plan to put all five of our DSLRs and lenses on an online marketplace and close the chapter on that era forever. On the contrary, the fact that we still use aging equipment and analog lenses is, after all, our distinctive feature. We’re simply expanding our arsenal with the latest technology from Canon, namely the R6, and selected lenses from the RF lineup. We know that it will be intensively used equipment, fulfilling its task, capturing practically any situation, and not failing us in extreme, challenging conditions.
We believe that only the combination of what’s old and new is satisfying for us and yields the best results. Eclecticism is our characteristic in photography as well as in the choice of equipment and development paths. So, we remain hybrid photographers, holding a DSLR in one hand and the new R6 in the other.
That’s our path in this full-of-surprises year, 2021.”
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