Canon G5 X Mark II vs R6

The Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II and the Canon EOS R6 are two digital cameras that were officially introduced, respectively, in July 2019 and July 2020. The G5X Mark II is a fixed lens compact, while the R6 is a mirrorless interchangeable lens camera. The cameras are based on an one-inch (G5X Mark II) and a full frame (R6) sensor. Both cameras offer a resolution of 20 megapixels.

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

Headline Specifications

Canon G5 X Mark II		Canon R6
Fixed lens compact camera		Mirrorless system camera
24-120mm f/1.8-2.8		Canon RF mount lenses
20 MP – 1" sensor		20 MP – Full Frame sensor
4K/30p Video		4k/60p Video
ISO 125-12,800 (125 - 25,600)		ISO 100-102,400 (50 - 204,800)
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (3690k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 1620k dots
Tilting touchscreen		Swivel touchscreen
30 shutter flaps per second		12 shutter flaps per second
Lens-based stabilization		In-body stabilization
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
230 shots per battery charge		360 shots per battery charge
111 x 61 x 46 mm, 340 g		138 x 98 x 88 mm, 680 g

Check G5X Mark II offers at
ebay.com
Check R6 price at
amazon.com

Going beyond this snapshot of core features and characteristics, what are the differences between the Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II and the Canon EOS R6? 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 G5 X Mark II and the Canon R6 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 R6 is considerably larger (100 percent) than the Canon G5 X Mark II. It is noteworthy in this context that the R6 is splash and dust-proof, while the G5X Mark II does not feature any corresponding weather-sealing.

The above size and weight comparisons are to some extent incomplete and possibly misleading, as the G5X Mark II has a lens built in, whereas the R6 is an interchangeable lens camera that requires a separate lens. Attaching the latter will add extra weight and bulk to the setup.

Concerning battery life, the G5X Mark II gets 230 shots out of its Canon NB-13L battery, while the R6 can take 360 images on a single charge of its Canon LP-E6NH power pack. The battery packs of both cameras can be charged via USB, 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 G5 X Mark II	111 mm	61 mm	46 mm	340 g	230	n	Jul 2019	899	ebay.com
2.		Canon R6	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	680 g	360	Y	Jul 2020	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 G5 X	112 mm	76 mm	44 mm	353 g	210	n	Oct 2015	799	ebay.com
5.		Canon G7 X Mark II	106 mm	61 mm	42 mm	319 g	265	n	Feb 2016	699	ebay.com
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	105 mm	61 mm	41 mm	304 g	235	n	Jul 2019	749	amazon.com
7.		Canon M50	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	390 g	235	n	Feb 2018	779	ebay.com
8.		Canon R	139 mm	98 mm	84 mm	660 g	370	Y	Sep 2018	2,299	ebay.com
9.		Canon R6 Mark II	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	670 g	450	Y	Nov 2022	2,499	amazon.com
10.		Canon SX740	110 mm	64 mm	40 mm	299 g	265	n	Jul 2018	399	amazon.com
11.		Leica C-LUX	113 mm	67 mm	46 mm	340 g	370	n	Jun 2018	1,049	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic LX100 II	115 mm	66 mm	65 mm	392 g	300	n	Aug 2018	999	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic S1	149 mm	110 mm	97 mm	1017 g	400	Y	Feb 2019	2,499	amazon.com
14.		Panasonic ZS200	111 mm	65 mm	45 mm	340 g	370	n	Feb 2018	799	amazon.com
15.		Sony A9 II	129 mm	96 mm	76 mm	678 g	690	Y	Oct 2019	4,499	amazon.com
16.		Sony RX100 VI	102 mm	58 mm	43 mm	301 g	240	n	Jun 2018	1,199	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-1	105 mm	60 mm	44 mm	294 g	260	n	May 2020	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 G5X Mark II was launched at a lower price than the R6, despite having a lens built in. 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 imaging sensor is at the core of digital cameras and its size is one of the main determining factors of image quality. All other things equal, a large sensor will have larger individual pixel-units that offer better low-light sensitivity, wider dynamic range, and richer color-depth than smaller pixels in a sensor of the same technological generation. Further, a large sensor camera will give the photographer additional creative options when using shallow depth-of-field to isolate a subject from its background. On the downside, larger sensors are more costly to manufacture and tend to lead to bigger and heavier cameras and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon G5 X Mark II features an one-inch sensor and the Canon R6 a full frame sensor. The sensor area in the R6 is 645 percent bigger. As a result of these sensor size differences, the cameras have a format factor of, respectively, 2.7 and 1.0. Both cameras have a native aspect ratio (sensor width to sensor height) of 3:2.

Technology-wise, the R6 uses a more advanced image processing engine (DIGIC X) than the G5X Mark II (DIGIC 8), with benefits for noise reduction, color accuracy, and processing speed.

Even though the R6 has a larger sensor, both cameras offer the same resolution of 20 megapixels. This implies that the R6 has a lower pixel density and larger individual pixels (with a pixel pitch of 6.57μm versus 2.41μm for the G5X Mark II), which gives it a potential advantage in terms of light gathering capacity. In addition, the R6 is a somewhat more recent model (by 1 year) than the G5X Mark II, and its sensor might have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The R6 has on-sensor phase detect pixels, which results in fast and reliable autofocus acquisition even during live view operation.

The Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II has a native sensitivity range from ISO 125 to ISO 12800, which can be extended to ISO 125-25600. The corresponding ISO settings for the Canon EOS R6 are ISO 100 to ISO 102400, with the possibility to increase the ISO range to 50-204800.

In terms of underlying technology, the G5X Mark II is build around a BSI-CMOS sensor, while the R6 uses a CMOS imager. Both cameras use a Bayer filter for capturing RGB colors on a square grid of photosensors. This arrangement is found in most digital cameras.

For many cameras, data on sensor performance has been reported by DXO Mark. This service assesses and scores the color depth ("DXO Portrait"), dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports") of camera sensors, and also publishes an overall camera score. The following table provides an overview of the physical sensor characteristics, as well as the sensor quality measurements for a selection of comparators.

Sensor Characteristics

		Camera Model	Sensor Class	Resolution (MP)	Horiz. Pixels	Vert. Pixels	Video Format	DXO Portrait	DXO Landscape	DXO Sports	DXO Overall
1.		Canon G5 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
2.		Canon R6	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	4k/60p	24.2	14.3	3394	90
3.		Canon 6D	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	1080/30p	23.8	12.1	2340	82
4.		Canon G5 X	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.4	12.3	471	62
5.		Canon G7 X Mark II	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	1080/60p	21.8	11.9	260	62
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.4	583	65
7.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
8.		Canon R	Full Frame	30.1	6720	4480	4K/30p	24.5	13.5	2742	89
9.		Canon R6 Mark II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4k/60p	25.4	14.6	3154	96
10.		Canon SX740	1/2.3	20.2	5184	3888	4K/30p	20.6	12.1	1050	51
11.		Leica C-LUX	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	481	64
12.		Panasonic LX100 II	Four Thirds	16.8	4736	3552	4K/30p	22.8	12.7	979	72
13.		Panasonic S1	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/60p	25.2	14.5	3333	95
14.		Panasonic ZS200	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.0	12.2	449	64
15.		Sony A9 II	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	25.0	14.0	3434	93
16.		Sony RX100 VI	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.1	12.3	478	64
17.		Sony ZV-1	1-inch	20.0	5472	3648	4K/30p	22.2	12.6	669	66
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 are equipped with sensors that have a sufficiently high read-out speed for moving images, but the R6 provides a faster frame rate than the G5X Mark II. It can shoot movie footage at 4k/60p, while the G5X Mark II is limited to 4K/30p.

Feature comparison

Beyond body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a range of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the R6 offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the G5X Mark II (3690k vs 2360k dots). The following table reports on some other key feature differences and similarities of the Canon G5 X Mark II, the Canon R6, and comparable cameras.

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 G5 X Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
2.		Canon R6	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 G5 X	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/2000s	5.9/s	Y	Y
5.		Canon G7 X Mark II	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	8.0/s	Y	Y
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/2000s	30/s	Y	Y
7.		Canon M50	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon R	3690	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	8.0/s	n	n
9.		Canon R6 Mark II	3690	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
10.		Canon SX740	none	n	3.0 / 922	tilting	n	1/3200s	10.0/s	Y	Y
11.		Leica C-LUX	2330	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
12.		Panasonic LX100 II	2764	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/4000s	11.0/s	n	Y
13.		Panasonic S1	5760	Y	3.2 / 2100	full-flex	Y	1/8000s	9.0/s	n	Y
14.		Panasonic ZS200	2330	n	3.0 / 1240	fixed	Y	1/2000s	10.0/s	Y	Y
15.		Sony A9 II	3686	n	3.0 / 1440	tilting	Y	1/8000s	20.0/s	n	Y
16.		Sony RX100 VI	2359	n	3.0 / 1229	tilting	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	Y	Y
17.		Sony ZV-1	none	n	3.0 / 922	swivel	Y	1/2000s	24.0/s	n	n
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 G5X Mark II has one, while the R6 does not. While the built-in flash of the G5X Mark II 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, both cameras under consideration feature an 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 G5 X Mark II and the Canon R6 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 G5X Mark II and the R6 write their files to SDXC cards. The R6 features dual card slots, which can be very useful in case a memory card fails. In contrast, the G5X Mark II only has one slot. The R6 supports UHS-II cards (Ultra High Speed data transfer of up to 312 MB/s), while the G5X Mark II 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 PowerShot G5 X Mark II and Canon EOS R6 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 G5 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
2.		Canon R6	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
3.		Canon 6D	Y	mono / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	-	-
4.		Canon G5 X	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Canon G7 X Mark II	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	-
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	-	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.1	Y	-	Y
7.		Canon M50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Canon R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.1	Y	-	Y
9.		Canon R6 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
10.		Canon SX740	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Leica C-LUX	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	-
12.		Panasonic LX100 II	Y	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
13.		Panasonic S1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	full	3.1	Y	-	Y
14.		Panasonic ZS200	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
15.		Sony A9 II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.1	Y	Y	Y
16.		Sony RX100 VI	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
17.		Sony ZV-1	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y

It is notable that the R6 has a microphone port, which can help to improve the quality of audio recordings by attaching an external microphone. The G5X Mark II does not feature such a mic input.

The R6 is a recent model that features in the current product line-up of Canon. In contrast, the G5X Mark II has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). There has not been a direct replacement model for the G5X Mark II from Canon. Further information on the features and operation of the G5X Mark II and R6 can be found, respectively, in the Canon G5 X Mark II Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon R6 Manual.

Review summary

So what is the bottom line? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon G5 X Mark II and the Canon R6? Which camera is better? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Reasons to prefer the Canon PowerShot G5 X Mark II:

• Faster burst: Shoots at higher frequency (30 vs 12 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Ready to shoot: Has a lens built-in, whereas the R6 requires a separate lens.
• More compact: Is smaller (111x61mm vs 138x98mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter even though it comes with a built-in lens (unlike the R6).
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• More affordable: Was introduced at a lower price, despite coming with a built-in lens.
• More heavily discounted: Has been on the market for longer (launched in July 2019).

Arguments in favor of the Canon EOS R6:

• 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/30p).
• Better live-view autofocus: Features on-sensor phase-detection for more confident autofocus.
• Better sound: Can connect to an external microphone for higher quality sound recording.
• Better sound control: Has a headphone port that enables audio monitoring while recording.
• More detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (3690k vs 2360k dots).
• More detailed LCD: Has a higher resolution rear screen (1620k vs 1040k dots).
• More flexible LCD: Has a swivel screen for odd-angle shots in portrait or landscape orientation.
• Faster shutter: Has higher mechanical shutter speed (1/8000s vs 1/2000s) to freeze action.
• More flexible: Takes interchangeable lenses and can thus be used with specialty optics.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (360 versus 230) out of a single battery charge.
• Better sealing: Is splash and dust sealed for shooting in inclement weather conditions.
• Better lighting: Features a hotshoe and can thus hold and trigger an external flash gun.
• Faster data transfer: Supports a more advanced USB protocol (3.2 vs 3.1).
• 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: Was introduced somewhat (1 year) more recently.

If the count of relative strengths (bullet points above) is taken as a measure, the R6 is the clear winner of the contest (21 : 7 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 G5 X Mark II and the Canon R6 place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Travel-Zoom 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 the spec-sheets of cameras can offer a general idea of their imaging potential, it remains partial and cannot reveal, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance when actually working with the G5X Mark II or the R6. 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 where reviews by experts come in. The adjacent summary-table relays the overall verdicts of several of the most popular 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 G5 X Mark II	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	..	4/5	Jul 2019	899	ebay.com
2.		Canon R6	5/5	+ +	4/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2020	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 G5 X	5/5	+ +	..	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Oct 2015	799	ebay.com
5.		Canon G7 X Mark II	4.5/5	+ +	..	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2016	699	ebay.com
6.		Canon G7 X Mark III	..	+ +	4/5	81/100	4/5	..	Jul 2019	749	amazon.com
7.		Canon M50	..	+	4/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	Feb 2018	779	ebay.com
8.		Canon R	4/5	o	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2018	2,299	ebay.com
9.		Canon R6 Mark II	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2022	2,499	amazon.com
10.		Canon SX740	..	+	3.5/5	..	4/5	4/5	Jul 2018	399	amazon.com
11.		Leica C-LUX	..	..	3.5/5	..	4.5/5	4/5	Jun 2018	1,049	ebay.com
12.		Panasonic LX100 II	4.5/5	+	4.2/5	82/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Aug 2018	999	ebay.com
13.		Panasonic S1	4.5/5	+ +	4.5/5	88/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2019	2,499	amazon.com
14.		Panasonic ZS200	..	+ +	4.5/5	81/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Feb 2018	799	amazon.com
15.		Sony A9 II	..	..	5/5	90/100	5/5	5/5	Oct 2019	4,499	amazon.com
16.		Sony RX100 VI	4.5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4/5	4.5/5	Jun 2018	1,199	ebay.com
17.		Sony ZV-1	4/5	+	4/5	85/100	4/5	4.5/5	May 2020	799	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings are only valid when referring to cameras in the same category and of the same age. 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

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