Canon 850D vs R6 Mark II

The Canon EOS 850D (called Canon T8i in some regions) and the Canon EOS R6 Mark II are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in February 2020 and November 2022. The 850D is a DSLR, while the R6 Mark II is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on an APS-C (850D) and a full frame (R6 Mark II) sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 24 megapixels.

Below is an overview of the main specs of the two cameras as a starting point for the comparison.

Headline Specifications

Canon 850D		Canon R6 Mark II
Digital single lens reflex		Mirrorless system camera
Canon EF mount lenses		Canon RF mount lenses
24 MP – APS-C sensor		24 MP – Full Frame sensor
4K/24p Video		4k/60p Video
ISO 100-25,600 (100 - 51,200)		ISO 100-102,400 (100 - 204,800)
Optical viewfinder		Electronic viewfinder (3690k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 1620k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Swivel touchscreen
7.5 shutter flaps per second		12 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
800 shots per battery charge		450 shots per battery charge
131 x 103 x 76 mm, 515 g		138 x 98 x 88 mm, 670 g

Check 850D offers at
ebay.com
Check R6 Mark II price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon EOS 850D and the Canon EOS R6 Mark II? Which one should you buy? Read on to find out how these two cameras compare with respect to their body size, their imaging sensors, their shooting features, their input-output connections, and their reception by expert reviewers.

Body comparison

The physical size and weight of the Canon 850D and the Canon R6 Mark II are illustrated in the side-by-side display below. The two cameras are presented according to their relative size. Three consecutive perspectives from the front, the top, and the back are available. All width, height and depth dimensions are rounded to the nearest millimeter.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon 850D and the Canon R6 Mark II are of equal size. However, the R6 Mark II is markedly heavier (30 percent) than the 850D. It is noteworthy in this context that the R6 Mark II is splash and dust-proof, while the 850D does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete since they do not consider the interchangeable lenses that both of these cameras require. Hence, you might want to study and compare the specifications of available lenses in order to get the full picture of the size and weight of the two camera systems.

Concerning battery life, the 850D gets 800 shots out of its Canon LP-E17 battery, while the R6 Mark II can take 450 images on a single charge of its Canon LP-E6NH power pack. The power pack in the R6 Mark II can be charged via the USB port, which can be very convenient when travelling.

The table below summarizes the key physical specs of the two cameras alongside a broader set of comparators. If you would like to visualize and compare a different camera combination, you can navigate to the CAM-parator app and make your selection from a broad list of cameras there.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon 850D	131 mm	103 mm	76 mm	515 g	800	n	Feb 2020	749	ebay.com
2.		Canon R6 Mark II	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	670 g	450	Y	Nov 2022	2,499	amazon.com
3.		Canon 6D	145 mm	111 mm	71 mm	770 g	1090	Y	Sep 2012	2,099	ebay.com
4.		Canon 77D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	540 g	600	n	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
5.		Canon 200D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
6.		Canon 250D	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
7.		Canon 750D	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	555 g	440	n	Feb 2015	749	ebay.com
8.		Canon 760D	132 mm	101 mm	78 mm	565 g	440	n	Feb 2015	649	ebay.com
9.		Canon 800D	131 mm	100 mm	76 mm	532 g	600	n	Feb 2017	749	ebay.com
10.		Canon 2000D	129 mm	101 mm	78 mm	475 g	500	n	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
11.		Canon G5 X Mark II	111 mm	61 mm	46 mm	340 g	230	n	Jul 2019	899	ebay.com
12.		Canon G7 X Mark III	105 mm	61 mm	41 mm	304 g	235	n	Jul 2019	749	amazon.com
13.		Canon R	139 mm	98 mm	84 mm	660 g	370	Y	Sep 2018	2,299	ebay.com
14.		Canon R3	150 mm	143 mm	87 mm	1015 g	760	Y	Sep 2021	5,999	amazon.com
15.		Canon R6	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	680 g	360	Y	Jul 2020	2,499	amazon.com
16.		Canon RP	133 mm	85 mm	70 mm	485 g	250	n	Feb 2019	1,299	amazon.com
17.		Sony A99	147 mm	111 mm	78 mm	812 g	500	Y	Sep 2012	2,799	ebay.com
Note: Measurements and pricing do not include easily detachable parts, such as add-on or interchangeable lenses or optional viewfinders.
Convert to Imperial

Any camera decision will naturally be influenced heavily by the price. The listed launch prices provide an indication of the market segment that the manufacturer of the cameras have been targeting. The 850D was launched at a markedly lower price (by 70 percent) than the R6 Mark II, which puts it into a different market segment. Normally, street prices remain initially close to the MSRP, but after a couple of months, the first discounts appear. Later in the product cycle and, in particular, when the replacement model is about to appear, further discounting and stock clearance sales often push the camera price considerably down. Then, after the new model is out, very good deals can frequently be found on the pre-owned market.

Sensor comparison

The size of the imaging sensor is a crucial determinant of image quality. A large sensor will generally have larger individual pixels that offer better low-light sensitivity, provide wider dynamic range, and have richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Furthermore, a large sensor camera will give the photographer more possibilities to use shallow depth-of-field in order to isolate a subject from the background. On the downside, larger sensors tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon 850D features an APS-C sensor and the Canon R6 Mark II a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the R6 Mark II is 158 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 1.6 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Technology-wise, the R6 Mark II uses a more advanced image processing engine (DIGIC X) than the 850D (DIGIC 8), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

Even though the R6 Mark II has a larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 24 megapixels. This implies that the R6 Mark II has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 5.98μm versus 3.72μm for the 850D), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. In addition, the R6 Mark II is much more recent (by 2 years and 8 months) than the 850D, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The Canon EOS 850D has a native sensitivity range from ISO 100 to ISO 25600, which can be extended to ISO 100-51200. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS R6 Mark II are ISO 100 to ISO 102400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 100-204800.

Technology-wise, both cameras are equipped with CMOS (Complementary Metal–Oxide–Semiconductor) sensors. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

Consistent information on actual sensor performance is available from DXO Mark for many cameras. This service determines an overall sensor rating, as well as sub-scores for low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and color depth ("DXO Portrait"). The adjacent table reports on the physical sensor characteristics and the outcomes of the DXO sensor quality tests for a sample of comparator-cameras.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon 850D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.5	1873	83
2.		Canon R6 Mark II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4k/60p	25.4	14.6	3154	96
3.		Canon 6D	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	23.8	12.1	2340	82
4.		Canon 77D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.3	971	78
5.		Canon 200D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
6.		Canon 250D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
7.		Canon 750D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.7	12.0	919	71
8.		Canon 760D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	12.0	915	70
9.		Canon 800D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.7	13.1	1586	80
10.		Canon 2000D	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.6	11.9	1009	71
11.		Canon G5 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
12.		Canon G7 X Mark III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
13.		Canon R	Full Frame	30.1	6720	4480	4K/30p	24.5	13.5	2742	89
14.		Canon R3	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/60p	25.0	14.7	4086	96
15.		Canon R6	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	4k/60p	24.2	14.3	3394	90
16.		Canon RP	Full Frame	26.0	6240	4160	4K/30p	24.3	11.9	2977	85
17.		Sony A99	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	25.0	14.0	1555	89
Note: DXO values in italics represent estimates based on sensor size and age.

Many modern cameras are not only capable of taking still images, but can also record movies. Both cameras under consideration have a sensor with sufficiently fast read-out times for moving pictures, but the R6 Mark II provides a faster frame rate than the 850D. It can shoot movie footage at 4k/60p, while the 850D is limited to 4K/24p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. For example, the R6 Mark II has an electronic viewfinder (3690k dots), while the 850D has an optical one. Both systems have their advantages, with the electronic viewfinder making it possible to project supplementary shooting information into the framing view, whereas the optical viewfinder offers lag-free viewing and a very clear framing image. The viewfinder in the R6 Mark II offers a wider field of view (100%) than the one in the 850D (95%), so that a larger proportion of the captured image is visible in the finder. In addition, the viewfinder of the R6 Mark II has a higher magnification (0.76x vs 0.51x), so that the size of the image transmitted appears closer to the size seen with the naked human eye. The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon 850D and Canon R6 Mark II along with similar information for a selection of comparators.

Core Features

		Camera Model	Viewfinder (Type or 000 dots)	Control Panel (yes/no)	LCD Specifications (inch/000 dots)	LCD Attach- ment	Touch Screen (yes/no)	Max Shutter Speed *	Max Shutter Flaps *	Built-in Flash (yes/no)	Built-in Image Stab
1.		Canon 850D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	7.5/s	Y	n
2.		Canon R6 Mark II	3690	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
3.		Canon 6D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	fixed	n	1/4000s	4.5/s	n	n
4.		Canon 77D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
5.		Canon 200D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon 250D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon 750D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon 760D	optical	Y	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon 800D	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	6.0/s	Y	n
10.		Canon 2000D	optical	n	3.0 / 920	fixed	n	1/4000s	3.0/s	Y	n
11.		Canon G5 X Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
12.		Canon G7 X Mark III	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
13.		Canon R	3690	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	8.0/s	n	n
14.		Canon R3	5760	Y	3.2 / 4150	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
15.		Canon R6	3690	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
16.		Canon RP	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	n	n
17.		Sony A99	2359	Y	3.0 / 1229	full-flex	n	1/8000s	6.0/s	n	Y
Note: *) Information refers to the mechanical shutter, unless the camera only has an electronic one.

One difference between the cameras concerns the presence of an on-board flash. The 850D has one, while the R6 Mark II does not. While the built-in flash of the 850D is not very powerful, it can at times be useful as a fill-in light.

The reported shutter speed information refers to the use of the mechanical shutter. Yet, some cameras only have an electronic shutter, while others have an electronic shutter in addition to a mechanical one. In fact, the R6 Mark II is one of those camera that have an additional electronic shutter, which makes completely silent shooting possible. However, this mode is less suitable for photographing moving objects (risk of rolling shutter) or shooting under artificial light sources (risk of flickering).

The Canon 850D and the Canon R6 Mark II both have an intervalometer built-in. This enables the photographer to capture time lapse sequences, such as flower blooming, a sunset or moon rise, without purchasing an external camera trigger and related software.

Concerning the storage of imaging data, both the 850D and the R6 Mark II write their files to SDXC cards. The R6 Mark II features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the 850D only has one slot. The R6 Mark II supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the 850D can use UHS-I cards (up to 104 MB/s).

Connectivity comparison

For some imaging applications, the extent to which a camera can communicate with its environment can be an important aspect in the camera decision process. The table below provides an overview of the connectivity of the Canon EOS 850D and Canon EOS R6 Mark II and, in particular, the interfaces the cameras (and selected comparators) provide for accessory control and data transfer.

Input-Output Connections

		Camera Model	Hotshoe Port	Internal Mic / Speaker	Microphone Port	Headphone Port	HDMI Port	USB Port	WiFi Support	NFC Support	Bluetooth Support
1.		Canon 850D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
2.		Canon R6 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
3.		Canon 6D	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Canon 77D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
5.		Canon 200D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Canon 250D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	Y
7.		Canon 750D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
8.		Canon 760D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
9.		Canon 800D	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Canon 2000D	Y	mono / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
11.		Canon G5 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
12.		Canon G7 X Mark III	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
13.		Canon R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.1	Y	-	Y
14.		Canon R3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
15.		Canon R6	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
16.		Canon RP	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
17.		Sony A99	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	2.0	-	-	-

It is notable that the R6 Mark II has a headphone jack, which makes it possible to attach external headphones and monitor the quality of sound during the recording process. The 850D lacks such a headphone port.

The R6 Mark II is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Canon. In contrast, the 850D has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). There has not been a direct replacement model for the 850D from Canon. Further information on the features and operation of the 850D and R6 Mark II can be found, respectively, in the Canon 850D Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon R6 Mark II Manual.

Review summary

So what conclusions can be drawn? Is the Canon 850D better than the Canon R6 Mark II or vice versa? The listing below highlights the relative strengths of the two models.

Advantages of the Canon EOS 850D:

• Brighter framing: Features an optical viewfinder for clear, lag-free composition.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 155g or 23 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Longer lasting: Can take more shots (800 versus 450) on a single battery charge.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (70 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in February 2020).

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS R6 Mark II:

• Better image quality: Is equipped with a larger and more technologically advanced sensor.
• Richer colors: The sensor size advantage translates into images with better, more accurate colors.
• More dynamic range: Larger sensor captures a wider spectrum of light and dark details.
• Better low-light sensitivity: Larger sensor produces good images even in poorly lit environments.
• Better jpgs: Has a more modern image processing engine (DIGIC X vs DIGIC 8).
• Better video: Provides higher movie framerates (4k/60p versus 4K/24p).
• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• More framing info: Has an electronic viewfinder that displays shooting data.
• More complete view: Has a viewfinder with a larger field of view (100% vs 95%).
• Larger viewfinder image: Features a viewfinder with a higher magnification (0.76x vs 0.51x).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1620k vs 1040k dots).
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/4000s) to freeze action.
• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (12 vs 7.5 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Less disturbing: Has an electronic shutter option for completely silent shooting.
• Easier travel charging: Can be conveniently charged via its USB port.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• Sharper images: Has stabilization technology built-in to reduce the impact of hand-shake.
• More legacy lens friendly: Can use many non-native lenses via adapters.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.2 vs 2.0).
• Greater peace of mind: Features a second card slot as a backup in case of memory card failure.
• Faster buffer clearing: Supports a more advanced SD data transfer standard (UHS-II vs UHS-I).
• More modern: Reflects 2 years and 8 months of technical progress since the 850D launch.

If the number of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the R6 Mark II is the clear winner of the contest (22 : 6 points). However, the pertinence of the various camera strengths will differ across photographers, so that you might want to weigh individual camera traits according to their importance for your own imaging needs before making a camera decision. A professional wedding photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a travel photog, and a person interested in cityscapes has distinct needs from a macro shooter. Hence, the decision which camera is best and worth buying is often a very personal one.

How about other alternatives? Do the specifications of the Canon 850D and the Canon R6 Mark II place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best DSLR Camera and Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listings whether the two cameras rank among the cream of the crop.

In any case, while the comparison of technical specifications can provide a useful overview of the capabilities of different cameras, it remains incomplete and does no justice, for example, to the way the 850D or the R6 Mark II perform in practice. User reviews that are available, for instance, at amazon can sometimes shed light on these issues, but such feedback is all too often partial, inconsistent, and inaccurate.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. The following table reports the overall ratings of the cameras as published by some of the major camera review sites (amateurphotographer [AP], cameralabs [CL], digitalcameraworld [DCW], dpreview [DPR], ephotozine [EPZ], photographyblog [PB]). As can be seen, the professional reviewers agree in many cases on the quality of different cameras, but sometimes their assessments diverge, reinforcing the earlier point that a camera decision is often a very personal choice.

Expert Camera Reviews

		Camera   Model	AP   score	CL   score	DCW   score	DPR   score	EPZ   score	PB   score	Camera Launch	Launch Price (USD)	Street Price
1.		Canon 850D	4/5	+	3/5	80/100	4/5	3.5/5	Feb 2020	749	ebay.com
2.		Canon R6 Mark II	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2022	2,499	amazon.com
3.		Canon 6D	5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	2,099	ebay.com
4.		Canon 77D	4.5/5	..	4/5	82/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	899	ebay.com
5.		Canon 200D	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	549	ebay.com
6.		Canon 250D	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	599	amazon.com
7.		Canon 750D	5/5	..	..	75/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	749	ebay.com
8.		Canon 760D	5/5	+	..	77/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2015	649	ebay.com
9.		Canon 800D	4.5/5	..	3.5/5	80/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2017	749	ebay.com
10.		Canon 2000D	3/5	o	3.5/5	..	3.5/5	3.5/5	Feb 2018	449	amazon.com
11.		Canon G5 X Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	..	4/5	Jul 2019	899	ebay.com
12.		Canon G7 X Mark III	..	+ +	4/5	81/100	4/5	..	Jul 2019	749	amazon.com
13.		Canon R	4/5	o	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2018	2,299	ebay.com
14.		Canon R3	5/5	o	4.5/5	..	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2021	5,999	amazon.com
15.		Canon R6	5/5	+ +	4/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2020	2,499	amazon.com
16.		Canon RP	4/5	+	4/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2019	1,299	amazon.com
17.		Sony A99	5/5	..	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	2,799	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The review scores listed above should be treated with care, though. The assessments were made in relation to similar cameras of the same technological generation. Hence, a score should always be seen in the context of the camera's market launch date and its price, and comparing ratings of very distinct cameras or ones that are far apart in terms of their release date have little meaning. Also, kindly note that some of the listed sites have over time developped their review approaches and their reporting style.

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Other camera comparisons

Did this review help to inform your camera decision process? If you would like to see a different side-by-side camera review, just use the search menu below. There is also a set of direct links to comparison reviews that other users of the CAM-parator app explored.

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