Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless Camera Review for Canon Mexico

Text and Photography by Sol Tamargo

The Art of Intuition

My name is Sol Tamargo, I am known as one of the creators of the Trash the Dress and Underwater Wedding Photography trend as well as documentary wedding photography. I create art in amazing and extreme locations! It was an honor to be chosen by Canon Mexico to create with the Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless Digital Camera to create material for the official launch.

I have been a Canon shooter since the late ’90s with a film camera. I’ve photographed weddings, trash the dress, portraits, and travel with Canon and developed a huge trust with my equipment. Since the announcement of the 5D full frame in 2005, I’ve used EF L series prime lenses. I upgraded to the 5DMKII and then the 5DMKIII in 2012. In 2019, I started to play with Canon Mirrorless RP and the R and am so happy I made this change. Today I have been blessed to test the Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless for Canon Mexico.

Whatever the camera, I start with my concept, I visualize and feel the images I want to create. My creative vision leads, and the tech in my camera has to keep up! The most amazing part of creating with the Canon EOS R6 was to “See” everything the night before, the concept, the style the storytelling behind the images I was going to create, and then being able to see how the camera responded.

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Mother Nature

The story I decided to create was about Mother Nature “in Romance” with the Four Elements. Mother nature as a bride, marrying wind, fire, earth, and water.

For each element, I had an image in mind; and a technical challenge for the Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless. For the whole shoot, we were in the jungle in one of Mexico’s famous “cenotes”. Over 90 degrees F and well over 80% humidity. It is the opposite of a controlled studio environment. No air con or even cell phone service, but beautiful and diverse environments to test the Canon EOS R6.

One small detail: I received the R6 on the same day as the shoot! Honestly, I was nervous about the expectations and the responsibility to create amazing images only a few hours later with a new camera I don’t know…

The result was MAGIC!

See the Canon EOS R6 Review Field Test Video

WIND

I love to shoot at slow shutter speeds, but I’m also hyperactive, and when I get excited my hands shake like I’m playing the maracas! The Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless has a 5-axis IBIS system + RF lenses with stabilization is rated up to 8 stops of dynamic range of forgiveness. I can shoot at extremely low speeds, even with my shaky hands and still get sharp, stabilized images. AMAZING

Motion and emotion, artistic bridal portraits by mexican Photographer Sol Tamargo

Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L USM 1/10 sec, f/5.6, ISO 50

I am inspired by motion and emotion (and sexy!) For my mother nature bride to marry the element of wind, I slowed my shutter speed to blur her veil so she had winds to fly! To make sure her face and her eyes were seen I used off-camera flash. I love to use this technique at dusk, in the middle of the day in the jungle it took some experimentation to arrive at the result I wanted.

For the element of wind, I used my favorite Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L USM 14 mm lens. The standard EF-EOS R adaptor connects with the older lenses, seamlessly allowing me to get the beauty of an L series lens on this new body. The 14mm is one of my all-time favorite lenses, it is a big investment but it makes me happy every time I put it on the camera. I used the Canon Speedlite 600EX RT + The ST-E3-RT Speedlite Transmitter for off-camera flash illumination. At the end of the set, I used a 100mm lens to show my bride moving the smoke to show the wind, and flare and light to paint the air around her.

Conceptual bridal shoot testing the canon R6 mirrorless camera for Canon mexicana

Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L USM 1/100 sec, f/2.8, ISO 50

pushing the limits of the Canon R6 mirrorless Camera

Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L USM 1/200 sec, f/10, ISO 2.8

Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless field test Sol Tamargo Canon Mexico

Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L USM 1/200 sec, f/10, ISO 125

Freezing motion with off camera flash Canon R6 bridal shoot field test

Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L USM 1/1.7 sec, f/10, ISO 50

Dragging the shutter with off camera flash Canon R6 IBIS field test

Canon EF 14mm f/2.8L USM 1/160 sec, f/10, ISO 50

100mm lens with Canon R6 mirrorless camera

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640

flare jungle beauty photography field test Canon R6

Canon EF 100mm f/2.8L Macro IS USM 1/400 sec, f/2.8, ISO 640

FIRE

The question for the element of fire was how well the Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless would See in the dark. Could it focus on low light? How high can I push the ISO?

We entered a dark cave and, using only candlelight, I got the ambiance and the magical colors I was seeing in my heart. We were lighting my mother nature bride with the candles in front of her, and by holding candles close to her face with an RGB LED for colored backlight. We may have used a lighter at one point!

One of my favorite things is the capacity to raise the ISO and keep spectacular image quality. When I reviewed my images on the computer screen, the quality of the image was impressive, even at ISO as high as 52100! OUTSTANDING!!! Even at that insane ISO the photos look like a painting, pure art, and filled with spirit! The colors are rich and the results are very surprising.

Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless camera low ISO performance

Canon RF 35mm F1.8 IS STM 1/160 sec, f/1.8, ISO 32000

Candle power testing the Canon R6 Mirrorless camera's limits

Canon RF 35mm F1.8 IS STM 1/200 sec, f/1.8, ISO 10000

Canon R6 available light high ISO test review

Canon RF 35mm F1.8 IS STM 1/500 sec, f/1.8, ISO 51200

Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless camera low light high ISO performance

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM 1/80 sec, f/1.8, ISO 4000

Canon RF 35mm F1.8 IS STM 1/400 sec, f/1.8, ISO 10000

EARTH

For the earth, I went to my roots, my old ways. How would the transition to a new camera feel in my spirit? Can I work instinctively and from my heart and trust a camera a just met? YES!

I’m an extremely intuitive artist. I move with my heart and with my eyes closed! I need to trust my equipment, and work instinctively so that my photos have soul and spirit and magic that characterizes me and my work. The Canon EOS R6 menus are intuitive for me. I’m a Canon shooter since the ’90s and using Canon cameras is part of my brain and muscle memory! It’s wonderful that the buttons on the R6 are practically in the same place as my other cameras. I don’t have to learn everything all over again: where are the menus, where do I have to put my fingers… I won’t lose moments because I forgot which button to press! There is always the fear with a new camera that something has moved, or will feel ‘off,’ but the ergonomics of the R6 body fits in my hand like it’s one of my old cameras.

Canon Mexicana EOS R6 Mirrorless Camera launch Sol Tamargo

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM, 1/200 sec, f/2, ISO 200

I really enjoyed testing the limits of the tech and finding the most challenging conditions I could. Slow shutter speeds (balancing on rocks in the water!) Strong backlight without lens hoods to embrace the flare. I am normally a prime lens shooter but I tried the Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 USM for the first time. It’s a HUGE lens and an even bigger investment. I’m usually a prime lens shooter, but when I’m balancing on a rock or up to my waist in water it’s nice not to have to change lenses!

The RF 50mm F1.2 USM weighs in at 950 grams (2.09 lb. I was ASTONISHED that I could handhold the camera and the lens, at 1/50th of a second at F2 and get amazing sharp and beautiful results, thanks to the EOS R6’s in-body image stabilization *IBIS*, a feature that is a first for Canon Mirrorless R5 and R6! This is a game-changer and for this reason alone, I wouldn’t recommend any other camera system.

The older LPE6 batteries work great however I’m excited to see the new LP-E6NH battery, the new high-capacity lithium-ion battery rated for 14% better performance than the predecessor by Canon for the R5 and R6.

Canon R6 Dynamic range field test mexico

Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 USM at 28 mm, 1/250 sec, f/2, ISO 320

Real life field test of Canon EOS R6 five-axis In Body Image Stabilizer IBIS

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM, 1/60 sec, f/2, ISO 125

next-generation High Efficiency Image Format (HEIF) files Canon EOS R6

Canon RF 28-70mm f/2 USM at 28 mm, 1/250 sec, f/2, ISO 320

Canon R6 performance in the field backlit portraits

Canon RF 50mm f/1.2L USM, 1/50 sec, f/2, ISO 2500

Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless Camera Review artistic portrait session in the Mexico jungle

Canon RF 28-70mm USM f/2 at 70 mm, 1/200 sec, f/2, ISO 200

WATER

It’s very important to me who you are. I want to see the soul of the person I am photographing. To get someone to open up and give me their heart, I need to establish intimacy. I can only do that with silence. The Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless silent mode is a tool to help achieve connection. It allows the camera to disappear. The person in front of me connects with me and doesn’t worry about the technology between us, it’s magic!

Testing the new Canon R6 Mirrorless in extreme conditions fine art photography in the jungle

Canon RF 28-70mm USM f/2 at 70 mm, 1/400 sec, f/2, ISO 5000

Water was the last element I photographed. The light was fading, my model was tired and I asked her to lie down in the cold cenote water wearing nothing but a veil and a headpiece. Everything was very still, just the soft sound of the water moving as she moved. No camera clicks to disconnect from the experience of nature, that moment in time.

I move in difficult conditions. Shooting “water” I was in the water, balancing on small, muddy and slippy rocks, hanging on tree roots. I can be in awkward angles, the lightness of the Canon R6 and the articulated LCD screen gives me the flexibility to create, to break old boundaries, to go beyond limits that existed in the past. I can “feel” and shoot. I AM IN LOVE!

Canon R6 low light hight ISO field text boudoir portraits Sol Tamargo

Canon RF 28-70mm USM f/2 at 70 mm, 1/100 sec, f/2, ISO 16000

Canon EOS R6 mirrorless camera field tests and data in extreme conditions

Canon RF 28-70mm USM f/2 at 41 mm, 1/100 sec, f/2, ISO 5000

Canon RF 28-70mm USM f/2 at 28 mm, 1/250 sec, f/2, ISO 3200

Canon RF 28-70mm USM f/2 at 28 mm, 1/80 sec, f/2, ISO 500

Canon RF 28-70mm USM f/2 at 28 mm, 1/125 sec, f/2, ISO 16000

low light high ISO performance Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless

Canon RF 35mm F1.8 IS STM, 1/60 sec, f/2, ISO 32000

Final Impressions of the Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless

The most amazing feeling about testing the Canon EOS R6 Mirrorless was creating on the spot and realizing “I can work from the heart.” Being a very intuitive artist I knew everything would work, however, the mind gets in the way and YES I was stressing about working in the field, in extreme conditions with a brand new camera.

Special gratitude to my bride: Mother Nature Jane Hallaron and to Polly Dawson for styling. You made my images – GRACIAS!
Gracias to Matt Adcock for his support and Tommy Plesky for creating the video to showcase this work.
Biggest Gratitude ever goes to MOTHER NATURE AND THE AMAZING CATHEDRALS where we work.
And finally GRACIAS Canon Mexicana for trusting my creative skills and inviting me to be a part of this experience.

Jewelry: Chelsea Bond Jewelry

Photographs and text by Sol Tamargo