Canon M50 Mark II vs R6 Mark II

The Canon EOS M50 Mark II and the Canon EOS R6 Mark II are two digital cameras that were announced, respectively, in October 2020 and November 2022. Both the M50 Mark II and the R6 Mark II are mirrorless interchangeable lens cameras that are based on an APS-C (M50 Mark II) 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 M50 Mark II		Canon R6 Mark II
Mirrorless system camera		Mirrorless system camera
Canon EF-M 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)
Electronic viewfinder (2360k dots)		Electronic viewfinder (3690k dots)
3.0" LCD – 1040k dots		3.0" LCD – 1620k dots
Swivel touchscreen		Swivel touchscreen
10 shutter flaps per second		12 shutter flaps per second
Lens stabilization only		In-body stabilization
not weather sealed		Weathersealed body
305 shots per battery charge		450 shots per battery charge
116 x 88 x 59 mm, 387 g		138 x 98 x 88 mm, 670 g

Check M50 Mark II 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 M50 Mark II 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 side-by-side display below illustrates the physical size and weight of the Canon M50 Mark II and the Canon R6 Mark II. 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.

The M50 Mark II can be obtained in two different colors (black, white), while the R6 Mark II is only available in black.

If the front view area (width x height) of the cameras is taken as an aggregate measure of their size, the Canon R6 Mark II is notably larger (32 percent) than the Canon M50 Mark II. Moreover, the R6 Mark II is substantially heavier (73 percent) than the M50 Mark II. It is noteworthy in this context that the R6 Mark II is splash and dust-proof, while the M50 Mark II 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 M50 Mark II gets 305 shots out of its Canon LP-E12 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 following table provides a synthesis of the main physical specifications of the two cameras and other similar ones. In case you want to display and compare another camera duo, you can use the CAM-parator app to select your camera combination among a large number of options.

Body Specifications

		Camera Model	Camera Width	Camera Height	Camera Depth	Camera Weight	Battery Life	Weather Sealing	Camera Launch	Launch Price	Street Price
1.		Canon M50 Mark II	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	387 g	305	n	Oct 2020	US$ 599	ebay.com
2.		Canon R6 Mark II	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	670 g	450	Y	Nov 2022	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
3.		Canon 6D	145 mm	111 mm	71 mm	770 g	1090	Y	Sep 2012	US$ 2 099	ebay.com
4.		Canon M3	111 mm	68 mm	44 mm	366 g	250	n	Feb 2015	US$ 679	ebay.com
5.		Canon M5	116 mm	89 mm	61 mm	427 g	295	n	Sep 2016	US$ 979	ebay.com
6.		Canon M6	112 mm	68 mm	45 mm	390 g	295	n	Feb 2017	US$ 779	ebay.com
7.		Canon M6 Mark II	120 mm	70 mm	49 mm	408 g	305	n	Aug 2019	US$ 849	ebay.com
8.		Canon M50	116 mm	88 mm	59 mm	390 g	235	n	Feb 2018	US$ 779	ebay.com
9.		Canon M100	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	302 g	295	n	Aug 2017	US$ 499	ebay.com
10.		Canon M200	108 mm	67 mm	35 mm	299 g	315	n	Sep 2019	US$ 549	ebay.com
11.		Canon R	139 mm	98 mm	84 mm	660 g	370	Y	Sep 2018	US$ 2 299	ebay.com
12.		Canon R3	150 mm	143 mm	87 mm	1015 g	760	Y	Sep 2021	US$ 5 999	amazon.com
13.		Canon R6	138 mm	98 mm	88 mm	680 g	360	Y	Jul 2020	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
14.		Canon R50	116 mm	86 mm	69 mm	375 g	230	n	Feb 2023	US$ 679	amazon.com
15.		Canon SL2	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	453 g	650	n	Jun 2017	US$ 549	ebay.com
16.		Canon SL3	122 mm	93 mm	70 mm	449 g	1070	n	Apr 2019	US$ 599	amazon.com
17.		Sony A99	147 mm	111 mm	78 mm	812 g	500	Y	Sep 2012	US$ 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 M50 Mark II was launched at a markedly lower price (by 76 percent) than the R6 Mark II, which puts it into a different market segment. Usually, retail prices stay at first close to the launch price, but after several months, discounts become available. 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 sensor inside a digital camera is one of the key determinants 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 tend to be associated with larger, more expensive camera bodies and lenses.

Of the two cameras under consideration, the Canon M50 Mark II 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 M50 Mark II (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 M50 Mark II), 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) than the M50 Mark II, and its sensor will have benefitted from technological advances during this time.

The Canon EOS M50 Mark II 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.

Since 2007, DXO Mark has published sensor performance measurements that have been derived using a consistent methodology. This service is based on lab testing and assigns an overall score to each camera sensor, as well as ratings for dynamic range ("DXO Landscape"), color depth ("DXO Portrait"), and low-light sensitivity ("DXO Sports"). 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 M50 Mark II	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	24.0	13.6	1939	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 M3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/30p	22.8	11.8	1169	72
5.		Canon M5	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.4	1262	77
6.		Canon M6	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.4	12.6	1317	78
7.		Canon M6 Mark II	APS-C	32.3	6960	4640	4K/30p	24.0	13.5	1848	83
8.		Canon M50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/24p	23.8	13.3	1684	81
9.		Canon M100	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.5	12.9	1272	78
10.		Canon M200	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4k/25p	24.0	13.5	1836	82
11.		Canon R	Full Frame	30.1	6720	4480	4K/30p	24.5	13.5	2742	89
12.		Canon R3	Full Frame	24.0	6000	4000	6K/60p	25.0	14.7	4086	96
13.		Canon R6	Full Frame	20.0	5472	3648	4k/60p	24.2	14.3	3394	90
14.		Canon R50	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/30p	24.1	13.9	2168	84
15.		Canon SL2	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	1080/60p	23.6	13.4	1041	79
16.		Canon SL3	APS-C	24.0	6000	4000	4K/25p	23.9	13.4	1791	82
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 also of capturing video footage. 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 M50 Mark II. It can shoot movie footage at 4k/60p, while the M50 Mark II is limited to 4K/24p.

Feature comparison

Apart from body and sensor, cameras can and do differ across a variety of features. The two cameras under review are similar with respect to both having an electronic viewfinder. However, the one in the R6 Mark II offers a substantially higher resolution than the one in the M50 Mark II (3690k vs 2360k dots). The adjacent table lists some of the other core features of the Canon M50 Mark II 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 M50 Mark II	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/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 M3	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	4.2/s	Y	n
5.		Canon M5	2360	n	3.2 / 1620	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
6.		Canon M6	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	9.0/s	Y	n
7.		Canon M6 Mark II	optional	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	14.0/s	Y	n
8.		Canon M50	2360	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	10.0/s	Y	n
9.		Canon M100	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
10.		Canon M200	none	n	3.0 / 1040	tilting	Y	1/4000s	6.1/s	Y	n
11.		Canon R	3690	Y	3.2 / 2100	swivel	Y	1/8000s	8.0/s	n	n
12.		Canon R3	5760	Y	3.2 / 4150	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
13.		Canon R6	3690	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/8000s	12.0/s	n	Y
14.		Canon R50	2360	n	3.0 / 1620	swivel	Y	1/4000s	12.0/s	Y	n
15.		Canon SL2	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	n
16.		Canon SL3	optical	n	3.0 / 1040	swivel	Y	1/4000s	5.0/s	Y	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 M50 Mark II has one, while the R6 Mark II does not. While the built-in flash of the M50 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 M50 Mark II 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 M50 Mark II 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 M50 Mark II 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 M50 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 EOS M50 Mark II 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 M50 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	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 M3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	-
5.		Canon M5	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
6.		Canon M6	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
7.		Canon M6 Mark II	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
8.		Canon M50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
9.		Canon M100	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	Y	Y
10.		Canon M200	-	stereo / mono	-	-	micro	2.0	Y	-	Y
11.		Canon R	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	mini	3.1	Y	-	Y
12.		Canon R3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
13.		Canon R6	Y	mono / mono	Y	Y	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
14.		Canon R50	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	micro	3.2	Y	-	Y
15.		Canon SL2	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	2.0	Y	Y	Y
16.		Canon SL3	Y	stereo / mono	Y	-	mini	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 M50 Mark II 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 M50 Mark II has been discontinued (but can be found pre-owned on ebay). There has not been a direct replacement model for the M50 Mark II from Canon. Further information on the features and operation of the M50 Mark II and R6 Mark II can be found, respectively, in the Canon M50 Mark II Manual (free pdf) or the online Canon R6 Mark II Manual.

Review summary

So how do things add up? Is there a clear favorite between the Canon M50 Mark II and the Canon R6 Mark II? Which camera is better? Below is a summary of the relative strengths of each of the two contestants.

Advantages of the Canon EOS M50 Mark II:

• More compact: Is smaller (116x88mm vs 138x98mm) and thus needs less room in the bag.
• Less heavy: Is lighter (by 283g or 42 percent) and hence easier to carry around.
• Easier fill-in: Is equipped with a small onboard flash to brighten deep shadow areas.
• More affordable: Was introduced into a lower priced category (76 percent cheaper at launch).
• More heavily discounted: Has been available for much longer (launched in October 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 detailed viewfinder: Has higher resolution electronic viewfinder (3690k vs 2360k dots).
• 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 10 flaps/sec) to capture the decisive moment.
• Longer lasting: Gets more shots (450 versus 305) out of a single battery charge.
• 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.
• 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 of technical progress since the M50 Mark II launch.

If the count of individual advantages (bullet points above) is taken as a guide, the R6 Mark II is the clear winner of the contest (19 : 5 points). However, the relative importance of the various individual camera aspects will vary according to personal preferences and needs, so that you might like to apply corresponding weights to the particular features before making a decision on a new camera. A professional wildlife photographer will view the differences between cameras in a way that diverges from the perspective of a family photog, and a person interested in architecture has distinct needs from a sports 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 M50 Mark II and the Canon R6 Mark II place the cameras among the top in their class? Find out in the latest Best Mirrorless Interchangeable Lens Camera listing 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 says little about, for example, the shooting experience and imaging performance of the M50 Mark II and the R6 Mark II in practical situations. At times, user reviews, such as those published at amazon, address these issues in a useful manner, but such feedback is on many occasions incomplete, inconsistent, and unreliable.

Expert reviews

This is why hands-on reviews by experts are important. 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	Street Price
1.		Canon M50 Mark II	4/5	..	4/5	..	4.5/5	3.5/5	Oct 2020	US$ 599	ebay.com
2.		Canon R6 Mark II	5/5	+ +	4.5/5	91/100	4.5/5	5/5	Nov 2022	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
3.		Canon 6D	5/5	+ +	..	83/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	US$ 2 099	ebay.com
4.		Canon M3	4/5	o	..	75/100	4.5/5	4/5	Feb 2015	US$ 679	ebay.com
5.		Canon M5	4/5	+	4/5	82/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2016	US$ 979	ebay.com
6.		Canon M6	..	..	..	80/100	4/5	4/5	Feb 2017	US$ 779	ebay.com
7.		Canon M6 Mark II	..	+	4.5/5	85/100	4/5	4/5	Aug 2019	US$ 849	ebay.com
8.		Canon M50	..	+	4/5	79/100	..	3.5/5	Feb 2018	US$ 779	ebay.com
9.		Canon M100	3/5	+	..	..	4/5	3.5/5	Aug 2017	US$ 499	ebay.com
10.		Canon M200	..	+	3/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Sep 2019	US$ 549	ebay.com
11.		Canon R	4/5	o	4/5	79/100	4.5/5	4/5	Sep 2018	US$ 2 299	ebay.com
12.		Canon R3	5/5	o	4.5/5	..	5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2021	US$ 5 999	amazon.com
13.		Canon R6	5/5	+ +	4/5	90/100	4.5/5	5/5	Jul 2020	US$ 2 499	amazon.com
14.		Canon R50	4/5	+ +	4.5/5	84/100	..	4.5/5	Feb 2023	US$ 679	amazon.com
15.		Canon SL2	4/5	+ +	4/5	78/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Jun 2017	US$ 549	ebay.com
16.		Canon SL3	4/5	o	4.5/5	79/100	4/5	4/5	Apr 2019	US$ 599	amazon.com
17.		Sony A99	5/5	..	..	84/100	4.5/5	4.5/5	Sep 2012	US$ 2 799	ebay.com
Note: (+ +) highly recommended; (+) recommended; (o) reviewed; (..) not available.

The above review scores should be interpreted with care, though. The ratings were established in reference to similarly priced cameras that were available in the market at the time of the review. Thus, a score needs to be put into the context of the launch date and the launch price of the camera, 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? In case you are interested in seeing how other cameras pair up, just make a corresponding selection in the search boxes below. Alternatively, you can follow any of the listed hyperlinks for comparisons that others found interesting.

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