A few words about why the Canon M6 is the best camera for travel
Before getting too much into why I think the Canon M6 is the best camera for travel, I will give you a resume of what this post will be.
If you’re looking for an excellent camera for low light photos and videos yet portable, you found it. If you’re looking for the best camera for travel that won’t break your budget into tiny micro pieces, you found it.
I have to warn you, just because the Canon M6 is the best camera for travel, it doesn’t mean it is perfect. The autofocus could be better but overall is a great buy. Although I will add that for amateurs will be more suitable than for professional photographers.
I say this because of the lack of all the freedom it gave me. My Canon 5D gives me way more (of course!). The Canon M6 made me a bit uneasy. The photo quality is excellent, but still, something was missing, but for videos was great. I explain more in the video below. And even give you a few examples of how is the image quality in the best way possible: by showing it examples instead of just writing.
Some of the points I enjoy about the Canon M6 and why I think it is the best camera for travel
I can name how portable this camera is and how well-built it is. I can also go on and on about how outstanding its image results are and how quick the wifi worked on my smartphone. I will also add to the PRO list that the touchscreen is fantastic and work in any angle. The battery life is outstanding.
The points of the CONS list range from the autofocus problem I mention, the lack of 4k. And of course, the price being a bit high even though offers nothing more than the competition. But not as high as you might think, I’m talking about just a few euros more. Nothing that can make you give up on the Canon M6 if you can afford it, but if your budget is too tight, consider lowering a bit your choices. I read that even though under my view the competition loses, they still put up a great fight.
Real and lengthy review of the Canon M6 for the professionals out there
And the real explanation on why I named this camera the best camera for travel in Fotostrasse’s opinion. Besides this, I will leave the links to the kit (camera + my favorite lens) and the body only version on Amazon. If you want to buy this camera, I would love if you can do it through this link since with it, we get a share of your purchase. Will cost you nothing more and will give us fuel to continue to produce content for you.
The M-series of Canon is no stranger to us on Fotostrasse. A while ago we reviewed the lovely Canon M3, and we loved.
The M6 has surprised us a lot in comparison. Especially with our most significant issue with the Canon M3 that, if you read our review, you will see that it was the speed of it all. And with this speed issue fix, the M6 won the position of best camera for travel that the M3 never had.
The Canon M6 is fast, lightweight, portable, fantastic image stabilization, works great in low light and has outstanding battery life. I tested this Canon M6 way more than I tested the previous M3 and I can say the M6 gets our seal of approvement.
We still feel that, if you’re a professional travel photographer, it might not deliver exactly what you need. But if you’re looking just to upgrade the quality of your travel photos without worrying about potential clients, you found your camera.
In simple words: the Canon M6 is great for your personal use, but maybe you should carry a full DLSR for commissioned travel photos. In the other hand, the quality of video (vlogs) this little guy delivers is fantastic. You can check many examples on our youtube channel.
A problem that the Canon M6 faces, just like its predecessor, is that the feeling of relying too much on its brand name. If you compare to cameras like Panasonic Lumix GX80 and Fujifilm X-T20, you’ll see that they offer a better deal for the same price range.
Like I said in the video above, I never tested any other mirrorless camera besides Canon. So there’s also the chance of this Lumix, and Fuji examples turn out to be inferior to the Canon M6 in some aspects. Have you tried any of those other brands? If you want to share your experience, I heartily invite you to join me on Fotostrasse’s Facebook Group to share your views. You can also just use the hashtag #Fotostrasse on Instagram and Twitter giving your opinions.
In conclusion, the looks of the Canon M6 is to die for. Especially if you choose the silver+black version. I personally love this old-meets-new design some brands are doing. We got the all-black model, and we felt good, but the silver won our hearts when we saw it for the first time.
The quality of its body is also worth mention. With a way less plasticky looks and feel, you are sure you’re getting quality. And it can take the roughness of travel with mastery. The camera performance under the stress of traveling with a travel blogger is exceptional. And even though I’m a Canon girl, I hear from friends and acquaintances in the industry their opinions about other brands. My Canon(s) never left me unloved, if I can put in these words.
Now let’s talk about technical stuff for real
One of the points I mention early was how unhappy the autofocus of the Canon M6 made me feel sometimes. Even though it is a better version than what Canon’s M-Series early models have, it is still not 100% perfect. With a 45-point Dual Pixel AF setup, the Canon M6 delivers a great but not an excellent job. I encountered some problems during videos where the focus simply wasn’t there anymore for no reason at all. Nothing that means that this camera is not the best camera for travel in my opinion, ok? Let me get this clear from the start.
I don’t wanna be unfair with you so, even though the moments where the autofocus failed on me were rare, they existed. It works very well; it is just not fail-proof. But maybe I’m too used to my 5D that has a way better system.
And one thing that never failed me and I think it deserves its spotlight is the image stabilization that the Canon M6 delivers!
As I told you before, I used a lot for vlog-like videos and the way it compensates the shakiness of my walk … breathtaking #fangirltalk
The Canon M6’s image stabilization delivered an excellent job when I filmed walking on the streets as well as walking over 30-40cm of snow. In some stages, I felt like I was shooting with a gimbal of something.
The Canon M6 offered to us by Canon itself came with two lenses, and the image stabilization in this camera is lens-based. We got the 15-45mm and the 55-200mm this time. Both were amazing but the 55-200mm lens I barely touched. If you have to choose one for ordinary travel, get the 15-45mm. You can see the full technical side such as focal length and aperture by clicking on the links. I see no reason to discuss it right now since I’m reviewing the camera. But of course, you’re more than welcome to drop any question on the comments here or our video. I will do my best to answer you.
All I will add about the 15-45mm is that performed very well in dark/low light situations. Even though it wasn’t the clearest lenses of all time, the image stabilization I loved so much together with the large sensor inside the Canon M6 will make your video and photos look great.
And when it comes to the viewfinder, the Canon M6 gives me nothing to complain.
It tilts upward, so it is perfect for using with a gorilla pod, for vlogs and such. Its menu is very easy to navigate and very user-friendly. Even my mom would be able to master this camera’s functions without my help. Besides this, the touch-sensitivity is perfection with this one. No more over-pressing the screen to get something done. Canon delivers a seamless experience with the M6. And, if you miss the rougher size of like, you can adjust the responsiveness to your preferences. Which is something I know the competition is still not doing. I can compare my experience with the Canon M6’s touchscreen to my smartphone.
But all those functions are nothing if the image quality is not on point, right? With a 24.2MP sensor and a Digic 7 processor, the Canon M6 delivers one of the best image quality for a camera this size.
One of the reasons why I chose Canon to be my camera back in 1999/2000 was how amazing the photos looked when shot with a Canon Camera. And almost 20 years later, I’m still amazed at the high standards they have when it comes to it.
My humble opinion is that the video and photo quality of the M6 is the main reason to invest in it. Even though I never tested its competitors, just a quick google search will tell you that you can’t get it better. The sharpness and colors are incomparable.
When shooting in ISO 100, you’ll get crisp, colorful and bright images. The higher the ISO goes, of course, the more noise you’ll get. But a comparison of the same low light situation shot taken by my Canon M6 and any 2017’s smartphone will prove that this camera can win your heart. And all this because Canon uses a larger sensor than most of its mirrorless competition and smartphones.
The final conclusion of this Canon M6 review
To conclude with all, it was said here, and in my video, the Canon M6 is a great buy. It has its flaws, but I’m sure that if you know you’re getting the best camera you can get for what it is intendant, you won’t be disappointed. For its size and what it delivers, it is without a doubt the best camera for travel.
Maybe I was a little bit because I was expecting a substitute for my very heavy and bulky Canon 5D, but if you don’t commit the same mistake, you’ll be happier than ever.
I want to thank Canon Deutschland for another great product to review, and if you read this review all the way to here, please let us know what else you want us to examine. Can be from Canon, can be from another brand. We’ll always try to deliver the best content we can and with your help, we will.
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