Images: Canon

Canon apparently thought that a camera, a lens and a list of accessories weren't enough for one week. The company has also released firmware updates for the EOS R5 II and EOS R1, bringing the first major update to their Action Priority mode, as well as other quality-of-life features and improvements. It also recently announced that it's rolling out a system that will allow news organizations to certify images taken with the camera using the C2PA content authenticity standard.

Action Priority mode, introduced with the two cameras, is designed to recognize key moments in specific sports and ensure that the autofocus tracking follows the correct player. When it launched, it supported football (soccer), basketball and volleyball. Now, the company has added support for American football, which it says will "optimize human subject detection for individuals wearing helmets and shoulder pads."

"Now, the company has added support for American Football"

The release notes for the updates also say that performance is improved for the cameras' Register People Priority mode, which lets you take a picture of a specific person or people that you'd like the camera to pick out first when in human subject detection mode. The company says it should now work better "in challenging conditions-including profile views, blurred or partially obscured faces, small subjects in the frame, and children." This is good news, as when we tested it on the EOS R6 III, we found that it wasn't always the best at recognizing a person if their appearance had changed since you took the reference photo.

Both cameras gain the ability to have the pre-burst shooting mode assigned to a custom button, solving what's been an annoyance since the cameras' launch. There were ways to work around not being able to turn it on or off with a single button press, but there were downsides to those methods, so it's good to see it addressed.

Video updates

The cameras also gain some video improvements, including features introduced with the EOS R6 V, a vlogging-focused camera. These include four custom white balance slots, which you can switch between using a custom button. It also adds the product demo mode as a menu option, letting you tell the camera to override face detection if you're clearly holding something up to the camera.

There are several other quality-of-life improvements for video shooters, too, including the ability to show the electronic level or gridline overlay while recording, and to use the false color overlay to check exposure even when using the Log assist view.

You can see all the other changes coming to the EOS R1 and EOS R5 II at the respective support pages on Canon's website.

Content authenticity

Graphic: Canon

In addition to the firmware updates, Canon announced that it is rolling out its Authenticity Imaging System, which uses the C2PA content authenticity standard. The system provides provenance data showing that images were captured with a supported camera, helping news organizations combat generative AI and image manipulation.

The announcement said that it will initially be available for news organizations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Canon says it partnered with Reuters for initial testing, and the news organization "found that authenticated provenance data could be generated reliably." It will also only be available on supported models for the time being, with Canon specifying the EOS R1 and EOS R5 II.

Image: Sony

In addition to announcing the a7R VI and FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS, Sony has unveiled its latest smartphone, the Xperia 1 VIII. The updated version brings a notable hardware change to the telephoto camera, but much of the focus of the phone is on the new AI Camera Assistant feature.

On the hardware side of things, Sony has moved away from the 85-170mm equivalent telephoto zoom lens used in the Xperia 1 VII, opting instead for a fixed 70mm equivalent lens. While the new telephoto camera loses the previous model’s optical zoom range, it gains a much larger sensor. The new 48MP telephoto camera in the Xperia 1 VIII features a Type 1/1.56 (50 mm²) sensor, a substantial boost over its predecessor's 12MP Type 1/3.5 (12 mm²) sensor.

The telephoto camera is the only one to receive a hardware change in this iteration of Sony’s flagship phone. The main (24mm equiv) and ultrawide (16mm equiv) modules carry over, with the main camera still built around Sony's larger Type 1/1.35 (65 mm²) sensor and both offering 48MP resolution.

There are some software changes for the cameras on the new phone as well. Sony says its Raw multi-frame processing now applies to all three rear cameras, expanding dynamic range for HDR images and promising less noise in low-light conditions.

The bigger focus for Sony, though, is the new AI Camera Assistant. Sony says the new feature, which is powered by Sony's Xperia Intelligence, is meant to "make photography even more enjoyable." When you open the camera, the AI assistant can automatically analyze the scene and subject and suggest various adjustments. For example, it may recommend you use a different lens, or suggest various color filters or different background blur styles (what Sony calls "bokeh expressions").

Image: Sony

Outside of the cameras, the phone has a bit of a redesign, too. Sony has introduced a new "Ore" design, which it says is inspired by the color and textures of raw gemstones. There's a subtle texture on the back of the phone, which is intended to provide a better grip, something that phone photographers will likely appreciate. It keeps the dedicated shutter button and 3.5mm audio jack, a rarity on phones these days, and promises up to two days of battery life.

The Xperia 1 VIII is available for preorder now in black, silver and red for £1,399 / €1,499 for the 256GB model. Preorders come with the Sony WH-1000XM6 headphones. Sony is also selling a 1TB gold version exclusively through its online stores in select countries for £1,849 / €1,999.

The Sony a7R VI is a high res, high speed full-frame mirrorless camera, built around a 66.8MP Stacked CMOS sensor, able to shoot at up to 30 frames per second.

Key specifications

• 66.8MP Stacked CMOS sensor
• Up to 30fps shooting with e-shutter, 10fps mechanical
• Adjustable pre-capture and Speed Boost options for action shooting
• Up to 8K/30 video with 1.2x crop
• Up to 4K/120p video
• 9.44M dot HDR-capable viewfinder
• Improved stabilization rated 8.5EV correction at the center, 7.0 at the edges
• New, higher capacity 'SA' battery
• Wi-Fi 6E

The a7R VI will be available in June, and will retail for $4499, a $600 increase from the a7R V's launch price, which has since risen to $4199.

Index:

• What's new
• Body & handling
• How it compares
• Image quality
• Video
• In-use
• Sample gallery
• Specifications
• Press release

What's new

New sensor

The heart of the a7R VI is a new, 66.8MP Stacked CMOS sensor. Unlike the sensors in Sony's previous high-end bodies, the second layer of the sensor isn't DRAM memory, to buffer the data coming off the sensor, instead it's described as a processing layer.

Noticeably, this means that the full sensor readout speed is slower than in the likes of the sports-focused a1 II; instead, it's able to combine the output of its two conversion gain modes, using both the low noise and high capacity modes to give wider dynamic range.

The net result is a sensor that's much faster than its predecessor (around 5.6x quicker than the a7R V, according to Sony) but with better dynamic range. This should significantly expand the range of photographic situations the a7R VI can lend itself to, without a negative impact on the areas where the a7R V already performed well.

The faster sensor allows the camera to shoot bursts at up to 30 frames per second, using its electronic shutter. This is a huge step forward from its predecessor, which took around 100ms (1/10th sec) to read its sensor in e-shutter mode.

New processor

The a7R VI is built around a "Bionz XR2" processor, similar to the one in the a7 V (though not necessarily identical). This brings features and AF capabilities, including the Auto subject recognition mode, introduced in cameras such as the a9 III, and the ability to recognize subjects from further away, without the need for a dedicated coprocessor for the AI-derived algorithms.

Action-ready functions

The faster shooting is backed up with all of Sony's latest support tools. For a start, the 30fps shooting is blackout-free, to let you follow the action. The camera also offers an adjustable pre-capture mode that starts buffering images when you half-press the shutter or hold down AF-On, then saves up to 1 second's worth of images from before you fully press the shutter. This can be tuned down to as little as 0.03 seconds (ie: a single pre-capture frame, in 30fps mode), so that you can compensate for your reaction times without filling your cards with preemptive nonsense.

The a7R VI is not, nor is it intended to be, a sports camera

However, despite all of this, the a7R VI is not, nor is it intended to be, a sports camera. Sony talks about the camera being well disposed toward wildlife shooting, but doesn't list sports as one of its target applications. Having used it in a sporting setting, we found a significant real-world difference between the a7R VI and the a1 II, despite the superficial similarities.

Why the a7R VI isn't a rival to the a1 II

New battery

Sony is including a dual charger with the a7R VI to help ease the pain of the new battery not being backwards-compatible with the old one.

The a7R VI becomes the first camera to use a new 'SA'-type battery. It's slightly larger than the existing Z-type batteries and delivers a higher voltage. It has a capacity of 20.9Wh, a 27% increase over the capacity of the batteries in previous high-end Sonys.

The new unit isn't much larger than the FP-Z100, with the locationing rails and contacts more tightly integrated into the body so that approximately 30% more cells can be incorporated into the case without increasing the overall size too much.

Expanded video capabilities

The faster sensor also allows for much improved video, even though that's not immediately obvious from looking at the specs. The 8K mode now stretches to 30p, but still comes with a 1.2x crop, much like its predecessor's. However, while the a7R V needed a 1.22x crop to achieve 4K/60, the a7R VI can do full-width 4K/120, provided you activate "Field of View Priority," which comes at the cost of noise reduction.

Improved white balance

Like the a7R V, the VI has visible light and IR sensors designed to help produce more accurate and consistent exposure and white balance. The company says it has upgraded the algorithms that handle both parameters to better interpret things like shaded subjects and light sources, to reduce exposure or WB errors.

Body and handling

New grip

The new, larger battery, which sits longitudinally down the grip, rather than the transverse arrangement of the previous design, means the camera's grip has been reworked. It's a subtle change, but the lip around the top of the handgrip is slightly more prominent and the recess on the mount side of the grip, where your fingertips rest, has been reshaped.

Sony stressed that it's not the same as the a1 II/a9 III design (the shutter button isn't at nearly so steep an angle, for a start), but it seems more comfortable than even the recent a7 V's shape.

Another a9 III feature that's absent from the a7R VI is the C5 function button on the front plate of the camera. This is a shame, as we found it worked well for operating the Speed Boost function that the a7R VI has gained. It's a function we used most often in combination with using AF-On for back-button focus, so the absence of a front button makes it more awkward to find a control point that can be readily used while also using AF-On and the shutter button.

High-brightness viewfinder

While the a7R VI's viewfinder resolution remains the same as its predecessor's, the underlying OLED panel is different. It can go much brighter and offers a wider color gamut than before, making it the first camera we've encountered with a viewfinder bright enough to preview HDR imagery. Sony also says it can achieve this brightness even when you're using both its 120fps refresh and highest quality modes.

Illuminated buttons

Many of the buttons on the back of the a7R VI light up if you press the new illumination button on the top plate. Brightness can be set to low, mid or high, and they can be set to remain lit up.

Another brilliant addition (in the sense of light being emitted) is the provision of back-illuminated buttons. This is a first for Sony and makes a lot of sense for what is its leading landscape camera. A small button on the top plate lights most of the camera's buttons up, though you'll need to learn to locate it by touch, as it's not itself illuminated. This button can be reconfigured if you need, and illumination can be set to always-on, if you prefer this to battery endurance.

The camera uses the same pair of combined CFexpress Type A / UHS II SD slots, letting you choose between fast, warm storage or the better-established, slower, less rugged format.

Fast/slow USB-C

The a7R VI moves to a dual USB-C arrangement, with the upper one offering fast data transfer and the lower one Power Delivery for charging or powering the camera.

The a7R VI's main USB port is a 10Gbps USB-C socket that can be used for data or power. Just below it is a second USB-C port. Despite the new shape, it's essentially a continuation of the USB 2.0 (480Mbps) port used for connecting accessories on previous models. The second port is compliant with the USB Power Delivery standard, though, and utilizes high enough power options that it can be used to charge or power the camera.

Every time you connect a USB cable to the camera, it'll ask you which function you want (eg: Live Steaming, MSC Image Transfer, MTP Image Transfer, etc), and remind you of the data rates of each port, and which port you're connecting to, though you can set the default behavior if you always want a specific mode.

The downside of this change is that any external accessories you have that used the Micro-B 'Multi-interface' socket won't now work, even though the second socket is still a USB 2.0 port at heart.

Battery

The new NP-SA100 has a capacity of 20.9Wh, a 27% increase over its predecessor. This powers the camera to a CIPA-rated endurance of 600 shots per charge if you use the viewfinder and 710 if you use the rear LCD.

Even when you bear in mind that CIPA ratings tend to significantly underestimate most people's real-world experiences – double the rated value isn't unusual, more if you shoot a lot of bursts – these are numbers that are likely to push into the realms of 'beyond needing to worry about it,' for a lot of users, with perhaps only wedding shooters having to make use of the two-battery charger that comes with the camera.

That said, it's worth noting that the charge level will diminish over time if you're just offloading data over the fast USB port: you'll want the PD port connected too for prolonged tethered shooting.

How it compares

The a7R V was a high-resolution studio and landscape camera, but the VI's Stacked CMOS sensor expands its range of capabilities to something much closer to those of Nikon's Z8 and Canon's EOS R5 II, which offer both resolution and speed.

Not included on this chart, but still in the conversation, is the Panasonic S1RII. It targets a similar market of hybrid shooters, with a similar set of stills features and the most complete set of video features. It's not as fast as these rivals but accepts the more widely supported L mount.

We've also left off the Sony a1 II. On paper, it seems very similar to the a7R VI, raising the question of whether Sony has just obsoleted its top-tier sports/action camera. However, the actual shooting experience is quite different on the two cameras, in ways we've covered in more depth in a separate article.

As for autofocus and handling, the differences between the a7R VI, Z8 and EOS R5 II will all come down to your preferences and use cases (eg, whether you like a top-panel display, need illuminated buttons or both). All three cameras will outperform each other in different scenarios, and some people will prefer one camera's way of doing things over the others.

Autofocus was the main area where we found the S1RII fell behind this extremely capable competition, especially in terms of tracking reliability, but it offers a less expensive route to resolution if action isn't a regular feature of your photography.

The one major callout for the a7R VI is its rolling shutter speeds in its e-shutter modes; while it uses a Stacked sensor like the Z8 and EOS R5 II, it's the slowest of the kind we've seen. This means rolling shutter will put an upper limit on how fast the action it can follow is.

Image quality

Our test scene is designed to simulate a variety of textures, colors, and detail types you'll encounter in the real world. It also has two illumination modes, full even light and low directional light, to see the effect of different lighting conditions.

We're only able to publish the JPEGs of the test scene at the moment, but hope to be able to follow them up with the converted Raw images very soon. But even if we only look at the JPEGs, we can see that the higher resolution sensor is resolving detail that its predecessor couldn't, putting more of a gap between it and the Canon and Nikon.

The a7R VI's image quality is truly impressive. 66MP offers the best resolution this side of medium format and is backed up by very high dynamic range. In mechanical shutter mode, the camera appears to be combining the low and high-gain readout modes of its dual conversion gain sensor, something that's made explicit as an option in 4K video mode.

The s7R VI's autofocus system is able to consistently deliver 66.7MP's worth of detail. Sony a7R VI w/ FE 85mm F1.4 GM II | F2.0 | 1/320 sec | ISO 100 Photo: Richard Butler

Sony says the camera captures 14-bit Raws, even at its fastest shooting modes, but doesn't make clear whether the equivalent of the 'Dual Gain Shooting' video function is being applied to e-shutter stills. Our measurements show that electronic shutter images have slightly higher noise levels in the shadows, and a sensor readout rate that's consistent with the 8K video mode (in which the "Dual Gain Shooting" option is not available), suggesting it's not.

The real-world impact of the difference is extremely subtle, though, with the differences really only visible in direct side-by-side comparison. And in charts of DR numbers.

Video

The faster sensor in the a7R VI not only allows it to shoot stills much faster than its predecessor, it also allows much more extensive video capabilities. As usual for Alpha-series cameras, all the options are in the 16:9 aspect ratio, and there are also no options for Raw capture. You can output a Raw stream to an external recorder, if you wish.

The most obvious difference is the much-improved rolling shutter rates, but the a7R VI also gains a mode, comparable to Panasonic's DR Boost mode, that combines the low and high gain output of the sensor to deliver much wider dynamic range. As with the Panasonic S1II, this feature is optional, can only be maintained at slower frame rates and approximately doubles the readout times.

The 8K footage, taken from an 8.2K region of the sensor, is comfortably the most detailed. All the 4K footage is taken from the full width of the sensor and derived from 5.0K capture, according to Sony. Given the sensor is essentially 10,000 pixels wide, that would neatly correspond to 2:1 sub-sampling, which would certainly explain the significant increase in aliasing.

The rolling shutter numbers for 4K capture are very close to being twice as fast as 8K mode, which would also be consistent with 2:1 subsampling. This number then roughly doubles when Dual Gain Shooting is activated, but the sampling method and detail capture stay the same.

Audio

Like other recent Sony cameras, the a7R VI can record up to four channels of audio, if you connect a mic into the multi interface connectors at the front of the hotshoe.

It can also record, via an optional (and, at $780, quite costly) XLR adapter, 96kHz, 32-bit float audio. This is still relatively rare on hybrid cameras, but the dual analog-to-digital converters needed to exploit the much wider value range of the 32-bit Float notation live in the XLR adapter, so the capability is not built into the camera body.

Even so, the faster rolling shutter rates and the Panasonic-like option to opt for greater dynamic range at the cost of readout speed make the a7R VI a much more credible video camera than its predecessor, again boosting its utility for modern wedding and events shooting.

In-use

The a7R VI is both the most polished camera yet in its series, while also very much being a camera of its series. So the familiar lag when the camera boots up, checks in with the lens, has a bit of a think and then lights up the screen is still present.

Some of the a7R VI's menus and messages feel like the would have benefited from another round of regionalization.

Similarly, the menus, while much more sensibly arranged and easier to navigate, are still creaking under the weight of the complexity of the camera, and aren't helped by overly condensed titles and occasional messages that feel like they've been literally translated from another language, rather than being regionalized into comprehensible phrasing.

This sense is reinforced by little details such as pre-capture, which is one of the default options in the Fn menu, but doesn't work until you first switch from mechanical to electronic shutter mode, then engage continuous shooting. Similarly, the camera offers three multi-shot modes that combine Raw files, two of them have menu settings to select which type of Raw file you want, the third simply defers to the camera's main file type setting. It all feels like it's become too large of a task to ever finish or refine.

Which is odd, because the camera has some lovely details, such as the fact that the e-shutter sound changes with your shutter speed. Rather than it being the exact same sound whether you're shooting at 1/8000 sec or 1/8 sec, it'll simulate changes in pitch, and even the sound of a shutter opening and closing, so that you have an audible cue about exposure time, even when in e-shutter mode.

We found the a7R VI more comfortable to hold than the a7 V.

The camera's grip feels like an improvement over its predecessor, but still isn't as well optimized as Sony's pro-targeting a1 II and a9 III models. For instance, they both have a custom button on the front, which is ideal for engaging the Speed Boost function that raises or lowers the burst rate when held. Without this extra button, the a7R VI has few choices that are easy to hold if you're already using AF-On for back-button focus and have another finger on the shutter.

Pre-capture mode brings a distinct lag and jerkiness to the viewfinder, presumably held back by the camera having to operate in its slower, full-resolution mode while it's buffering images. This is a shame, because the viewfinder is otherwise very good, combining both high resolution and a good refresh rate at most other times.

It's a little disappointing that the first camera to offer an HDR-capable viewfinder is also the only mainstream brand to shoot HDR HEIF images but force you to turn off Raw capture to do so (you can shoot HEIF files with the HLG response curve and Raw, but it you want the camera to include the necessary metadata to display the images as HDR, then it's Raw only).

The first thing that hits you is the camera's seriously impressive image quality, backed up by excellent autofocus

All of which sounds like we disliked the camera, when that's really not the case. There are aspects that we felt would benefit from a little more polish, but the fact that it takes so many words to describe them doesn't mean they're the main things we took away from the experience of shooting with the a7R VI.

Instead, the first thing that hits you is the camera's seriously impressive image quality and the degree to which it's backed up by excellent autofocus. It only takes a single sentence to write it, but that's the thing that matters most.

The a7R V wasn't lacking in resolution, but the VI adds even more. Sony a7R VI | Sigma 24-70mm F2.8 DG DN II | 41mm | F8 | 1/250 sec | ISO 100

The a7R VI isn't as quick in practice as the Nikon Z8 or Canon EOS R5 II, but instead it offers higher resolution, excellent DR, a very customizable, multi-dial interface and by far the best battery life in class. There are plenty of people for whom that will (and should) matter a whole lot more than some of the menu phrasing needing another round of localization.

Anyone hoping for a cut-price a1 II will find themselves disappointed: you can definitely feel the limitations as you push towards the outer edge of what the camera promises to do. But, then again, it promises to do an awful lot, and it brings its image quality excellence to a much broader range of applications than previous a7R models could.

Impressions Video

Sample gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing (in conjunction with this review); we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

Product photos: Mitchell Clark

Sony has announced the FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS, a full-frame telephoto lens that acts as a spiritual successor to the 100-400mm F4.5-5.6 GM OSS from 2017. Of course, there are a few differences; it now features a constant maximum aperture, as well as an internally zooming design, though both things come with a cost (and not just a monetary one).

The 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS is made up of 28 elements in 20 groups, using a mix of Sony's advanced optics. That includes two "Super ED" and three ED elements to reduce chromatic aberration, an "XA" aspheric lens and an "ED XA" (extra-low dispersion extreme aspherical) lens to suppress aberrations and reduce onion ringing in bokeh. It has an 11-bladed aperture, and a minimum focusing distance of 0.64m (2'1") at the wide end, and 1.5m (4'11") at the long end.

It uses four of Sony's "XD" linear autofocus motors, which the company says will provide responsive tracking even when using the a9 III's 120fps burst mode. It speaks to the ambition of making a lens that's perfectly capable of shooting sports and wildlife. To that end, it can also be fitted with a teleconverter for extra reach.

There are a lot of controls on this lens (plus an extra one on the other side of the foot, hidden by a door).

The 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS has all the other bells and whistles you'd expect from this grade of lens, too. A bank of switches along the side let you control things like autofocus / manual focus, Sony's "Full Time DMF" feature, applying a focus limiter, turning optical stabilization on and off, and choosing which mode it's in. It also features four customizable buttons; they're all assigned to the same function, but give you quick access no matter how you're holding the lens. Behind them is a toggle function ring, and then the zoom ring, which has adjustable tension, and only requires a quarter turn to go from 100 to 400.

The rotating tripod foot – which is quite comfortable to hold thanks to its dual-texture design – has detents at 90° intervals, which you can set to be clicked or click-less. Finally, Sony has a solution for anyone who balks at buying 95mm filters for this lens: near the mount is a drop-in filter holder, which can accommodate (much cheaper) 40.5mm glass. The lens is sealed for dust and moisture, and has a fluorine coating on the front element to repel oils, dirt and water.

At 328mm (12.9"), the lens is a fair bit larger than the previous 100-400, which had an extending design and was 205 mm (8.1″) long at its shortest. It's also heavier, weighing 1840g (64.9oz), versus 1495g (52.7oz). While that's certainly not nothing, in my experience, it actually feels shockingly light given its size and specs. I was able to carry it around a wildlife area for two hours, often pointing it into the sky to take pictures of birds, without wearing my arms out. It's also not immensely difficult to carry in a backpack, though it still physically takes up a fair amount of space.

Unlike Sony's previous-gen 100-400, you can shoot at F4.5, even at 400mm. Sony a7R VI | Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS | 400mm | F4.5 | 1/400 sec | ISO 320 Out of camera JPEG Photo: Mitchell Clark

This lens is a more ambitious offering than its nine-year-old predecessor, both in terms of its aperture and its optical performance. It's clear Sony is targeting professionals and enthusiasts who are shooting sporting events (like the upcoming World Cup) and wildlife, but who want the versatility of a zoom and don't want to step all the way up to its highest-end telephoto primes. Those users will likely be willing to put up with the fact that the lens is larger and heavier for its speed at the long end, image quality and faster AF.

However, the lens is also coming in at a substantially higher price point than its predecessor, retailing for $4300, while the 4.5-5.6 will run you $2800. Still, for those who need the performance, Sony has clearly built a very capable option. It'll be available starting in June, alongside the newly announced a7R VI.

Sample Gallery

Please do not reproduce any of these images on a website or any newsletter/magazine without prior permission (see our copyright page). We make the originals available for private users to download to their own machines for personal examination or printing; we do so in good faith, so please don't abuse it.

While we typically process images for a lens sample gallery using Capture One, we used the Sony a7R VI to test the lens, which isn't currently supported by that program. The images are out-of-camera JPEGs, and will therefore have corrections applied. We'll look to replace them with processed Raws when we can.

Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5 GM OSS specifications:

The Canon EOS R6 V, with its kit lens, the newly-introduced RF 20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ. Images: Canon

The Canon EOS R6 V is a video camera designed for "advanced creatives," built around the same 32MP full-frame sensor and processor as the company's hybrid mirrorless EOS R6 III. It has a boxier design, having lopped off the EVF (and mechanical shutter), and added a fan to help prevent overheating when using its more ambitious recording modes.

Key specifications:

• 32MP full-frame CMOS sensor
• Built-in fan
• 7K recording up to 60p (Canon Cinema Raw Lite)
• Full-width oversampled 4K ≤60p, subsampled 4K 120p
• 3:2 Open Gate recording up to 30p
• Built-in image stabilization rated to 8.5EV
• 3.0", 1.62M dot fully-articulating screen
• Dual tripod mounts for horizontal/landscape shooting

A new design

While the EOS R6 V's capabilities are very similar to the EOS R6 III's, its design and controls are centered around video. Its flat top plate will play well with gimbals, and it has top-plate and front-plate record buttons, with the former also having a zoom lever around it. There are several customizable buttons, with one set up by default to bring you to the Color menu, where you can change from shooting in the standard color mode into C-Log 2 or 3 recording, the recently-added HLG HDR mode (which joins the existing PQ HDR mode), and more.

Like the EOS R50 V, the EOS R6 V features a side-mounted tripod socket for vertical shooting.

The EOS R6 V has the customary 1/4-20" tripod mount on its bottom plate, but it also has an additional one on the side of the grip, next to the card door that hides the CFexpress type B and UHS-II SD slots. This lets you easily mount the camera vertically when shooting for social media, though the cards would then be hard to access. On the other side of the camera are most of the ports you'd expect for an enthusiast video option: full-size HDMI, headphone and microphone ports, 10Gbps USB-C and a remote terminal (If you want timecode, you'll have to step up to the cinema line.)

Keeping cool

The EOS R6 V largely shares the EOS R6 III's selection of ports, but this side also shows the large exhaust for the fan.

Perhaps the biggest performance differentiator between the EOS R6 V and R6 III is that the new camera has a fan, which Canon says will allow it to record heavy formats for much longer, even under warm conditions. When the EOS R6 III launched, Canon said it could only record 20 to 30 minutes of oversampled 4K/60 or open gate 7K before overheating. With the Canon EOS R6 V, though, the company is promising two hours or more in those modes, even in ambient temperatures of 30°C (86°F), as long as you have the fan and overheat limits set to high, and the camera on a tripod.

Canon says the fan in the EOS R6 V is smaller than the one found in the EOS C50; while the more consumer-oriented version should perform well under most circumstances, the pro-grade camera is designed to essentially never overheat, no matter how long you're shooting for, and how hot it is.

More menu options

The camera also gains several video-focused features. It has a product-focused "Close-up demos" mode that temporarily overrides facial recognition when you're holding up something to the camera. Unlike on previous Canon cameras, including the EOS R6 III, where it was a scene mode that severely limited your control over exposure and audio settings, it's now just an AF option that you can enable across video modes.

The EOS R6 V also offers granular control over white balance, letting you customize how quickly its auto system will adjust when, say, moving from an indoor to outdoor setting. You can also assign a custom button to lock white balance, and to switch between up to four pre-selected kelvin settings.

The EOS R6 V uses the same menu system from Canon's other consumer-focused EOS cameras

It uses the same menu system from Canon's other consumer-focused EOS cameras, rather than borrowing the production-focused UI of Canon's cinema line, as you'll find on the EOS C50, a highed-end camera that uses the same sensor. While this undoubtedly makes the camera simpler for a beginner to pick up, it also means more advanced users won't have the ability to set shutter angle, rather than speed, or to get a desqueezed preview when using anamorphic lenses.

Video-first

The EOS R6 V's sensor is quite quick for video, but won't be so fun to use for stills.

In terms of stills, the EOS R6 V has similar capabilities to the EOS R6 III, in that it can shoot 32MP images in burst rates of up to 40fps. However, if you're shooting fast-moving subjects, you'll have to be aware of rolling shutter, since the camera doesn't have a mechanical shutter. This also limits its capabilities for flash shooting; in fact, the ability to even use a flash at all won't be added until after the camera launches, via a firmware update. Even after it arrives, though, we wouldn't expect it to sync above 1/60th of a second, given the EOS R6 III's 13.5ms e-shutter readout rate.

Even more competition

Up until now, Canon's V-series cameras have mainly been lower-end options aimed towards more casual creators. With the EOS R6 V, though, the company is competing with the likes of Sony's ZV-E1 and Nikon's ZR, providing an option between the entry-level vlogging cameras and its pro-grade ones designed to be operated by a team.

Canon is providing an option between the entry-level vlogging cameras and its pro-grade ones

It's an especially interesting competitor to the recent ZR, as they're similar in several ways: both use the full-frame sensors found in the companies' enthusiast-tier hybrid cameras, and both focus on letting you up your production value by shooting in Raw. There are pros and cons to each; the ZR has internal 32-bit float audio and a 4" display, compared to the EOS R6 V's 3" monitor, but Canon allows for full sensor height "open gate" recording, and has full-size HDMI and SD card slots, versus the ZR's micro-variants. But both clearly target the same market.

The EOS R6 V will be available starting at the end of June, and will retail for $2499, $300 less than the EOS R6 III. There's also a version with special firmware features for recording stop motion, available for $100 more. The camera is launching alongside the RF 20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ, a video-focused power zoom lens that will act as its kit option, and which you can read more about here. The kit will cost $3699, $200 less than if you bought the camera body and lens separately.

Canon EOS R6 V specifications:

Image: Canon

Canon has announced a new full-frame power zoom lens: the RF 20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ. As it's launching alongside the company's new video-focused camera, it's no surprise that the primary audience for this lens is videographers, though it has a clever trick that makes it an interesting choice for photography as well.

The RF 20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ has 13 elements in 11 groups, with 2 glass molded aspheric lenses and ultra-low dispersion elements. It has a minimum focusing distance of 0.24m (9.4"), providing up to 0.14x magnification at its widest setting and 0.33x at its long end.

The lens's trick is how you change your focal length. Canon says this is its first switchable power zoom. That means that you can control it by jogging the zoom ring, like with its other RF power zoom lens, or by rotating the zoom ring between set points, as with most stills zooms. The first bit of the lens's zoom ring is its power zoom setting, letting you rotate it left or right to have the motors zoom it in or out, but flip a switch, and you can get to the more traditional, mechanically limited zoom ring.

The lens' zoom ring has two ranges: one for power zoom, the other for a more traditional zoom experience. Photo: Canon

In power zoom mode, its zoom can also be controlled by the camera body, and you can configure its speed. Canon also says you can control the zoom using its Camera Connect app, or with a Bluetooth remote connected to your camera.

The power zoom is driven by two of Canon's "Nano UltraSonic Motors" – one for each of its zoom groups – while another Nano USM handles focusing. The company says that focus breathing, where the field of view changes with the focus, is minimized. It's also an internally zooming design, so its center of gravity shouldn't change substantially as you change your focal length, making it suitable for gimbal use.

As you might hope for a lens that you may hold at arm's length to film yourself, it's not particularly heavy at 420g (14.8oz). It's 98mm (3.9") long and is threaded to accept 67mm filters.

Canon says the lens' optical stabilization is good for 6EV at the center

Since it is a video-focused lens, it's also not a surprise that it features optical stabilization, which Canon says is rated for 6EV at the center on its own, and up to 8EV at both the center and corners when coordinating with a camera's IBIS system.

The lens' controls, as well as the switch to toggle between power zoom and manual zoom mode. Image: Canon

Beyond the fancy zoom ring, it has the controls we've come to expect from an L-series RF mount lens: there's a programmable function button, switches to control stabilization, power zoom mode and focus mode, and a customizable control ring. The company also says the lens is sealed against dust and moisture, and that it has a fluorine coating on the front element to repel oil and water. It includes a lens hood and a fabric carrying case.

This lens is an interesting addition to Canon's lineup, and will likely be an especially welcome one for content creators. It's Canon's first full frame lens for RF that has power zoom via internal motors, rather than via an external attachment, making it much friendlier to use. The zoom range is also a reasonable choice for vloggers, as, on a full frame camera, it'll be wide enough to comfortably film yourself without totally excluding your surroundings.

In that way, it's a very close analog to the APS-C 14-30mm F4-6.3 IS STM PZ that Canon launched alongside the EOS R50 V, though the constant aperture is a welcome addition, especially given the RF 20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ's price. It will retail for $1399 standalone, and is also available as a kit with the EOS R6 V for $3699 (a $1200 premium over the camera's body-only price). It's slated to start shipping at the end of June.

Image: Canon

Canon wasn't content to just launch a new camera and lens today. Arriving alongside them is a collection of accessories. Some of them are clearly tied to the EOS R6 V, while others seem to have just been ready at the same time.

Starting with the one that'll excite every user of Canon's RF mirrorless system: a new rear cap for lenses. While that might not sound game-changing at first blush, it could be a big quality-of-life improvement. With the first-gen cap, there was only one correct way to attach it, making lens changes difficult if you were trying to move fast, or were in low-light conditions. Worse still, it was easy to leave it only partially attached, since you could somewhat fit it on in a different position. The new model fixes this, letting you attach it at three different points, like the old EF cap.

Image: Canon

You can buy new caps for $9 each, and Canon says that eventually its lenses will come with the updated ones out of the box, though it obviously has to sell through the existing stock first.

Image: Canon

Canon has also updated its bluetooth remote. It now features two customizable buttons, a shutter release (which allows for half-pressing to focus) and video record button, and a jog lever which can be used to control a power zoom lens or exposure compensation. Canon also says the new model, called the BR-E2, will be able to switch between different cameras without having to go through the pairing process.

The new tripod grip, with the remote attached. It's included in the "creator kits" that Canon introduced today, which pair the PowerShot V1 and EOS R50 V with video-focused accessories. Image: Canon

The remote can slot into the HG-200TBR, a tripod grip that gives you an ergonomic way to hold your camera, as well as a way to mount your microphone in the proper orientation if you're recording vertical video. At $160 it isn't cheap, though it comes with the remote.

Image: Canon

Finally, Canon is announcing the AD-M1 Macro Lite Adapter Set, which lets you attach the company's (sold separately) Macro Lit flashes to "macro lenses and select standard lenses." There's some irony in it launching alongside a camera that literally can't do flash photography at launch, but for macro enthusiasts using other Canon cameras, it could be useful. It will retail for $180.

The company says the products will launch in "late June."

Image: Westend61 / Westend61 via Getty Images

Welcome back to our Question of the Week series! This reader-focused series aims to get our photographic community to share thoughts on all sorts of photography-related topics in our forums. We pose questions about gear, favorite camera stores, advice, problem-solving and more, and you share your thoughts and opinions.

This week, we’re leaning into the holiday spirit! The season of giving (and occasionally re-gifting) is upon us, and that means it’s time to unwrap some memories – both heartwarming and hilarious.

What are the best (and worst) photography-related gifts you've received?

What’s the best photography-related gift you’ve ever received? Maybe it was a dream lens that caused you to take on an adventure deep in the mountains, or a handmade camera strap that’s now an essential part of your kit. And what about the worst? Perhaps someone thought you needed yet another "World’s Best Photographer" mug, or that odd lens filter set that turned every photo a shade of green.

In this edition of our Question of the Week series, we want to hear your gift stories: the memorable, the useful and the truly baffling. Share your favorites (and flops) in the forum link below. Photos of the gifts (or what you created with them) are also more than welcome! We'll highlight some of your most entertaining and heartfelt responses in next week's roundup.

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