Canon EOS M3612C021 Silver 2019

The Canon EOS M6 Mark II packs a 32.5MP APS-C sensor and best-in-class autofocus into a tiny 500g body, making it a standout for travel and street photography. The flip-up screen and uncropped 4K video make it a solid vlogging tool too. But the EF-M mount is discontinued, there's no built-in viewfinder or stabilization, and the $1,700 kit price is steep for a dead-end system. Buy it if you want maximum image quality in a minimal package and don't mind the limited lens options.

The headline number here is 32.5 megapixels on an APS-C sensor, which lands in the 98th percentile for this category. That's more resolution than most full-frame cameras had a few years ago, and it means you can crop aggressively and still have plenty of detail left over. For wildlife or travel, where you can't always get close, that's a real advantage. The DIGIC 8 processor keeps things moving, and the ISO range of 100-25600, expandable to 51200, gives you decent flexibility in low light, though you'll want to stay at the lower end if you care about clean files.

Autofocus is where this camera really shines. Canon's Dual Pixel CMOS AF with 5,481 manually selectable points is still best-in-class, sitting at the 100th percentile in our rankings. Eye AF works well for people, and the touch-and-drag AF makes focus point selection feel natural. Burst shooting hits 14fps with the mechanical shutter and 30fps with the electronic shutter, which is strong but not class-leading. The electronic shutter is silent, which is great for recitals or street photography where you don't want to be that person. Video tops out at uncropped 4K 30p, and the 1080p mode goes up to 120fps for slow motion, which is plenty for most creators.

Stacked against the Sony a7R V, the Canon M6 Mark II is obviously outgunned in resolution, stabilization, and lens selection. The Sony is a full-frame monster with a 61MP sensor and best-in-class autofocus, but it's also bigger, heavier, and dramatically more expensive. The Canon's appeal is portability and simplicity. If you want a camera that disappears into a small bag, the M6 Mark II wins that fight easily.

The Fujifilm X-H2 is probably the closest modern competitor in spirit. It has a 40MP APS-C sensor, in-body stabilization, and a thriving lens ecosystem. The Fuji is the smarter long-term buy, but it's also larger and pricier. The Panasonic Lumix S5 II offers full-frame quality with excellent stabilization and video features, but again, it's a bigger camera. The OM System OM-1 is the rugged alternative, with weather sealing and incredible burst speeds, but its Micro Four Thirds sensor can't match the Canon's resolution. Each of these cameras beats the M6 Mark II in some way, but none of them match its combination of size, resolution, and autofocus in such a small package.

Pricing is tricky here because the M6 Mark II is no longer in active production, and the only listing we're tracking shows it at $1,700 USD for the kit with the 18-150mm lens and EVF. That's a lot of money for a discontinued system, and you have to weigh it against what that same budget buys you in the current market. A used Fujifilm X-H2 or a new Panasonic Lumix S5 II both offer more modern features, better stabilization, and lens mounts that aren't dead ends.

But value isn't just about specs on a sheet. If you specifically want a tiny camera with this level of image quality and autofocus, the M6 Mark II delivers something few cameras match. The 32.5MP sensor is still one of the highest-resolution APS-C chips ever made, and the autofocus remains top-tier. The real question is whether you're comfortable investing in a system with no future. If you can find a used body for significantly less than that $1,700 kit price, it becomes a much more compelling proposition.

The Canon EOS M6 Mark II is one of those cameras that makes you a little sad about what could have been. Canon put a genuinely excellent 32.5MP APS-C sensor into a tiny, pocketable body, paired it with autofocus that still embarrasses cameras released years later, and then quietly walked away from the entire EF-M mount. If you can find one, especially the kit with the 18-150mm lens and detachable EVF, you're getting a camera that punches way above its size class.

Who is this for? Travel shooters, street photographers, vloggers, and anyone who wants serious image quality without lugging around a full-frame brick. The flip-up touchscreen makes self-taping easy, and the compact body means you'll actually take it with you instead of leaving it on a shelf. It's also a sneaky good option for product photography, scoring 65.1 out of 100 in our database, thanks to that high-resolution sensor and dependable Dual Pixel autofocus.

The catch is that Canon has moved on to the RF mount, and the native EF-M lens lineup is thin. You can adapt EF and EF-S glass, which opens up a huge catalog, but that adds bulk and cost. Still, for the right person, this is one of the best compact mirrorless cameras ever made, and the fact that it's now a dead-end system is both its biggest weakness and the reason you might find a deal.

If you shoot in rough weather or dusty environments, the M6 Mark II's lack of weather sealing is a real problem. Hikers, adventure photographers, and anyone who shoots near water or sand should look at the OM System OM-1, which is built like a tank and offers excellent stabilization. The Canon's 36th percentile build quality ranking reflects this weakness.

Also skip this if you're buying your first serious camera and want room to grow. The discontinued EF-M mount means you'll eventually hit a ceiling with native lenses, and the $1,700 kit price is hard to justify when a Fujifilm X-H2 or Panasonic Lumix S5 II offers a more complete, future-proof package for similar money. The M6 Mark II is best for people who know exactly what they're getting into and value compactness above all else.

If you're a travel photographer or street shooter who values compactness and image quality above all else, the M6 Mark II is still a fantastic camera. The 32.5MP sensor gives you room to crop, the autofocus is fast enough to catch fleeting moments, and the body is small enough that you'll actually carry it. The flip-up screen makes it a natural fit for vloggers and content creators who need to see themselves while filming.

But if you're buying into a system for the long haul, think carefully. The EF-M mount is discontinued, native lens options are limited, and you'll need an adapter to access Canon's broader EF catalog. For most people spending $1,700, a Fujifilm X-H2 or a used Sony a7R series camera is the more future-proof choice. The M6 Mark II is a brilliant camera that Canon abandoned too soon, and that's both its charm and its curse.