Camera

Canon EOS R6 V & RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ

Canon EOS R6 V & RF20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ


Canon has announced its new EOS R6 V, the first full-frame camera in the V-series. Along with the EOS R6 V, Canon also has a new lens, the RF 20-50mm F4 L IS USM PZ.

EOS R6 V Lifestyle 5

The EOS R6 V is designed to sit between the EOS R50 V and the EOS C50. It utilizes the exact same sensor and has a lot of the same recording options as the C50.

02 EOS R6 V FrontSlantLeft BODY

With the popularity of the Nikon ZR and Sony FX3, it makes sense for Canon to enter the super-compact cinema camera market. Yes, there is the EOS C50, but with the success of the Nikon ZR, Canon needed an even more compact solution.

Key features

  • Cinematic Full-Frame Power: Capture rich 7K RAW video up to 60p, oversampled 4K up to 60p, and 4K 120p for stunning slow-motion.
  • Ultra-Stable Handheld Shooting: Up to 7.5-stop 5-axis in-body image stabilization for smooth footage and sharp stills.
  • Intelligent Autofocus: Dual Pixel CMOS AF II with advanced subject tracking and Eye Detection for precise, reliable focus.
  • Optimized for Solo Creators: Compact (688g), intuitive controls, vertical shooting interface, and a front record button for easy self-shooting.
  • Flexible Post-Production: Open Gate recording allows easy reframing for various aspect ratios (horizontal, vertical) from a single clip.
  • Long-Form & Live Ready: Active cooling, 4-channel audio, and 4K 60p UVC streaming via USB-C for high-quality webcams/live streams.
  • Hybrid Performance: High-resolution 32.5MP stills at up to 40 fps (electronic shutter) with a dedicated Photo/Movie Mode switch.

The content creator influencer boom

The compact camera market has seen a big resurgence recently, despite the fears that it would become a dwindling market with the advances in smartphone technology.

With this booming market, Canon (like everyone else) wants a slice of that pie. With content creators and influencers looking for a lightweight, video-centric camera at an affordable price, Canon needed to look into this market and come up with more solutions.

How does it differ from the EOS C50?

Below you can see some of the key differences.

R6 V C50
7K Open Gate
UHD 4K120
In Body Image Stabilization x
R-Series Menu System x
Built-in Small Cooling Fan x
Larger Cooling fan x
7 Assignable Buttons x
14 Assignable Buttons x
C1 / C2 / C3 Custom Shooting Modes x
Top Handle Unit with XLRs x
Cinema Menu System x
Anamorphic Desqueeze
Lens Support
x
Dual-Pixel CMOS AF II
CFexpress Type-B and SD Card Slots
Canon Log 2, Canon Log 3
21-Pin Multi-Function Shoe
Waveform and False Color
Simultaneous Crop Recording x
Frame.io Camera-to-Cloud Integration x

Sensor

The EOS R6 V utilizes the same 3:2, 34.2 Megapixel (7144 x 4790) full-frame sensor that is found in the EOS C50.

The sensor in the R6 V and EOS C50 does not use a Dual Gain Output (DGO) like previous Cinema EOS cameras, nor a back-illuminated stacked CMOS sensor like the EOS C80 and EOS C400. Canon also uses a back-illuminated stacked sensor in its R3.

One of the reasons a lot of companies are now utilizing back-illuminated stacked CMOS sensors is that they allow for better AF performance.

The camera uses the DIGIC X processor that is found in the R6 III, and not the DIGIC DV 7 processor, which is found in the C50, C80, C400, C500 Mark II, and C300 Mark III.

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Canon claims that just like the C50, the R6 V has 15+ stops when sensor mode is Full Frame. Interestingly, the R6 Vs claimed dynamic range when shooting in full frame is 1 stop less than the C80 and C400.

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Just like with the C50, C80, C400, and C500 Mark II, the R6 V uses an oversampling process from the 7K image capture to produce 4K (DCI or UHD). Canon claims that this enhances image sharpness, curtails moire, and produces a lowered visibility of noise at the higher ISO settings. Canon states the image will be sharper with better detail and will resolve color better when shooting in 4K, 2K, and HD.

No DGO

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Unfortunately, it seems like Canon has ditched DGO sensor technology. I personally thought the sensor in the C70 was one of the best they had made.

With the DGO sensor in the C70, the construction of the red, green, and blue components entailed no algorithmic debayering processes. A parallel readout process within the image sensor separately extracts the four individual components, including the two spatially offset green components (green has twice as many spatial samples as the red and blue components). This approach avoids any of the reconstruction errors inevitably associated with algorithmic debayering.

Screenshot 2020 09 21 at 11 30 23 AM

The DGO sensor produces images optimized for HDR by creating two images. One prioritizes highlights and the other prioritizes shadows and dark areas. Canon states that this sensor is capable of 16+ stops of dynamic range with reduced noise in the shadows and improved low light performance. You probably didn’t notice a massive increase in dynamic range if you are still finishing in SDR. It is with HDR that DGO was noticeable.

01 01 Front

Noise was also greatly reduced because the Dual Gain Output signal was taken directly from the sensor and before any image processing took place.

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The DGO worked across all ISO ranges on the camera. Canon stated that the most dynamic range (16+ stops) was achieved when shooting at 800 ISO in Canon Log 2. If you shoot in Canon Log 3, then the dynamic range drops to 14 stops. If you moved off the camera’s native IS,O the DGO wasn’t as effective when shooting at higher ISO levels. It also appears that the extra dynamic range you are getting on the camera is coming below middle grey. If you look at images from the C300 Mark III, there didn’t seem to be any dynamic range improvement in the highlights if you compare it to the C500 Mark II, and the same was true with the C70.

There was a catch with this Dual gain Output system. It didn’t work when you were shooting in frame rates above 60p in S35 4K. However, it did work when you were shooting in 2K Super 16mm Crop mode up to 180fps. This was not surprising because the amount of processing power to deal with two readouts at high resolutions and high frame rates put a proportionally bigger load on the system.

You shouldn’t confuse Dual Gain Output with Dual Base ISO. Although it’s the same basic idea of having different readout calibrations, Dual Gain Output is much harder to do than Dual Gain ISO because that switches between the two. What ARRI and Canon are doing requires there to be a dual readout on every frame and then processing all of that on every frame.

The DGO also couldn’t be turned on or off.

Canon also included an Auto ISO option in the C70, which made it the first Cinema EOS camera to feature an Auto ISO capability. The Auto ISO could be set to either High or Low in the menu. For certain shooting applications, this was a nice feature to have, especially if you happen to be going from outdoors to indoors in one shot.

No Dual Base ISO

Unlike the EOS C50, which features a dual base ISO of 800 and 6400, the R6 V has a single base ISO of 800.

Open Gate

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This is Canon’s second camera to feature Open Gate recording. Even the flagship C700 didn’t offer Open Gate recording.

The ability to record in Open Gate on the R6 V allows users to frame for 17:9, 16:9, and 9:16, etc. The high resolution also allows you to crop into your image for 4K and HD delivery.

Canon obviously felt the pressure from competing companies such as Panasonic, RED, and Blackmagic Design to offer Open Gate recording. Arguably, one of the biggest selling points of the Panasonic mirrorless hybrids, especially the recent ones, is that they offer Open Gate recording. As they don’t have any digital cinema cameras to protect, they don’t need to worry about segregating features.

It didn’t come as any big shock that Canon added 3:2 open gate recording on the EOS C400. Owners of the C80 may feel a little disappointed that Canon won’t be adding open gate recording to that camera.

Now, there is a slight catch with the R6 V. It doesn’t feature an anamorphic desqueeze options like the EOS C50. This is a bit puzzling, because it makes shooting open gate with anamorphic lenses very difficult unless you use an external monitor.

Recording Capabilities

EOS R6 V zoom while REC

Just like the EOS C50, the R6 V is capable of recording in resolutions up to 7K in Open Gate. It can also record in 4K DCI, UHD, 2K DCI, and HD. It can record in the following codecs:

  • RAW (.CRM)
  • XF-HEVC S YCC 422 10-bit
  • XF-HEVC S YCC 420 10-bit
  • XF-AVC S YCC 422 10-bit
  • XF-AVC S YCC 420 8-bit

4K 60p recording is done by doing approx. 5.9K oversampling. 4K 30p recording is done via approx. 7K oversampling.

  • 6960 x 4640 (3:2) open gate RAW recording up to 29.97 fps
  • 6960 x 3672 (17:9) DCI RAW Light recording up to 59.94 fps
  • 4096 x 2160 (17:9) and 3840 x 2160 (16:9) oversampled video up to 59.94 fps
  • 4096 x 2160 (17:9) and 3840 x 2160 (16:9) video up to 120 fps
  • 2048 x 1080 (17:9) and 1920 x 1080 (16:9) video up to 180 fps with 1.13x crop
  • 12-bit RAW, 10-bit XF-HEVC S/H.265, and 8/10-bit XF-AVC S/H.264 formats

Raw 12-Bit (Standard RAW; Light RAW)
6960 x 4640 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97 fps
6960 x 3672 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/50/59.94 fps

H.264/MP4/XF-AVC S 4:2:2/4:2:0 8/10-Bit
6912 x 4608 up to 29.97 fps
4096 x 2160 up to 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/50/59.94/100/120 fps
3840 x 2160 up to 23.98/25/29.97/50/59.94/100/120 fps
2048 x 1080 up to 23.98/24.00/29.97/50/59.94/100/120/150/180 fps
1920 x 1080 up to 23.98/29.97/50/59.94/100/120/150/180 fps

H.265/MP4/XF-HEVC S 4:2:2/4:2:0 10-Bit
6912 x 4608 up to 29.97 fps
4096 x 2160 up to 23.98/24.00/25/29.97/50/59.94/100/120 fps
3840 x 2160 up to 23.98/25/29.97/50/59.94/100/120 fps
2048 x 1080 up to 23.98/24.00/29.97/50/59.94/100/120/150/180 fps
1920 x 1080 up to 23.98/29.97/50/59.94/100/120/150/180 fps

The R6 V offers a variety of options in terms of onboard recording. You can record in Canon Cinema RAW Lite, XF-AVC, XF-HEVC S (H.265), or XF-AVC S (H.264).

The R6 V can record 7K Open Gate (6960 x 4640 at 23.98/24.00/25/29.97 fps
at up to 30p in Canon RAW Lite and in XF-HEVC S (H.265) or XF-AVC S (H.264). It can also record up to 4K 120p in XF-AVC, XF-HEVC S (H.265), or XF-AVC S (H.264).

You can only shoot 7K Open Gate at up to 30p in Canon RAW Lite. The max resolution in XF-HEVC S (H.265) and XF-AVC S (H.264) is 4K.

Screenshot 2025 09 09 at 22 26 37

The camera can also shoot in 2K or HD at up to 180fps. In 2K 180p mode, there is a small crop as the angle of view becomes approximately 12% narrower.

When shooting 4K 120p, there is no crop.

During slow-motion recording, simultaneous recording may not be possible depending on the shooting frame rate.

XF-AVC 4:2:2 10-Bit
XF-AVC S 4:2:2 10-Bit
XF-HEVC S 4:2:2 10-Bit
4K (4096 x 2160) 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94
S&F Mode: 61-120fps
UHD (3840 x 2160) 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94
S&F Mode: 61-120fps
2K (2048×1080) 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94
S&F Mode: 113 – 180fps
HD (1920×1080) 23.98/24/25/29.97/50/59.94
S&F Mode: 113 – 180fps

Having Canon’s Cinema RAW Lite in the R6 V is no real surprise. First introduced in the EOS C200 and then implemented in other Canon cameras, Cinema RAW Lite is a proprietary Canon RAW format. The good news is that most NLEs can read it with plugins.

Canon added three new Cinema RAW Light formats in a firmware update that came out for the C500 Mark II, and one of those options is in the R6 V, C50, C80, and C400. This allows you to record in 12-bit at all frame rates. One of the advantages the C400 has over the C50 and R6 V is that it can record in Cinema RAW Light LT, ST, and HQ formats, giving you the choice of four different RAW recording options, instead of just one.

While the file sizes and recording times may seem overwhelming to someone who isn’t used to shooting RAW, they are actually pretty small compared to most other digital cinema camera RAW formats. The original Cinema RAW Light files were about a 1/3 to 1/5 the size of Canon’s Cinema RAW format, which had to be recorded externally from the EOS C300 Mark II and EOS C700. The benefit of having these smaller RAW files is that they can be recorded internally to SD cards.

Canon’s Cinema RAW Light isn’t uncompressed, but the files still contain more than enough information to give you very clean images, good color accuracy, and a smaller chance of seeing any image artifacts. Unlike traditional RAW recording, Cinema RAW Light does not record in a frame-by-frame file structure. Instead, the RAW information is compiled into a single Canon RAW Movie file (.CRM).

The integrity of the RAW signal is protected by eliminating video processes like the Linear Matrix that selects the color gamut, and employing a special RAW OETF that optimizes the digital coding over the entire transfer curve for all ISO settings

When you are recording in RAW to the CFexpress cards, you can also record proxy files to an SD card.

The maximum continuous recording time is 6 hours when shooting in frame rates below 59.94p.

No Simultaneous Crop Recording

Unlike its bigger brother, the C50, the R6 V cannot do Simultaneous Crop Recording. With the C50, when you are recording 4K (DCI/UHD) to the CF Express Type B card, you can simultaneously do a sub recording in a cropped mode to the SD card. When shooting in simultaneous crop mode, the three format options include: 9:17, 9:16, or 1:1

Gamma, color sampling, & bit depth

Below you can see what combination of gamma, color sampling, and bit depth is available in the various codecs.

H.264

GAMMA Color sampling Bit Depth Codec
Standard (SDR) 4:2:0 8-bit H.264
Standard (SDR) 4:2:2 10-bit H.264
Canon 709 4:2:0 8-bit H.264
Canon 709 4:2:2 10-bit H.264
BT 709 Standard 4:2:0 8-bit H.264
BT 709 Standard 4:2:2 10-bit H.264
HDR PQ 4:2:0 8-bit H.264
HDR PQ 4:2:2 10-bit H.264
Canon Log 2
Canon Log 3
4:2:0 8-bit H.264
Canon Log 2
Canon Log 3
4:2:2 10-bit H.264
PQ
HLG
4:2:0 8-bit H.264
PQ
HLG
4:2:2 10-bit H.264

H.265

GAMMA Color sampling Bit Depth Codec
Standard (SDR) 4:2:0 10-bit H.265
Standard (SDR) 4:2:2 10-bit H.265
Canon 709 4:2:0 10-bit H.265
Canon 709 4:2:2 10-bit H.265
BT 709 Standard 4:2:0 10-bit H.265
BT 709 Standard 4:2:2 10-bit H.265
HDR PQ 4:2:0 10-bit H.265
HDR PQ 4:2:2 10-bit H.265
Canon Log 2
Canon Log 3
4:2:0 10-bit H.265
Canon Log 2
Canon Log 3
4:2:2 10-bit H.265
PQ
HLG
4:2:0 10-bit H.265
PQ
HLG
4:2:2 10-bit H.265

Easy-to-manage folder structure

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With XF-HEVC S / XF-AVC S, the folder structure has been changed from the conventional MP4 format, and video files can be saved in a folder with the same structure as Cinema RAW Light and XF-AVC. This means that the folder structure will be the same regardless of which video format is used, making video file management more efficient during shooting and editing.

No Anamorphic De-Squeeze Options

As I mentioned earlier, the R6 V doesn’t feature any anamorphic de-squeeze options like the EOS C50. It does have 2 aspect markers you can choose from.

Canon Log 3 / Cinema Gamut

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To create some type of consistency with the Cinema EOS cameras, Canon has tried to standardize the GAMMA/COLOR SPACE settings across its range.

Just like the EOS C50, the R6 V has the ability to record in Canon Log 3 / Cinema Gamut and Canon Log 2, so it is easier to match and use alongside Cinema EOS cameras and the EOS R series.

What does it record to?

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Just like the EOS C50, the R6 V has one CFexpress Type B card and one SD UHS-II card slot. The media card slots are located on the right-hand side of the camera, behind where you would grip it.

If you are going to record 7K Open Gate, then you need to use the CFexpress Type B card.

Screenshot 2025 09 09 at 22 25 59

By having dual slots, the R6 V can simultaneously record some of the same resolution and frame rates to two cards at once, or you can simultaneously record different formats at once, or you can do relay recording. As the camera can also record proxies, you could choose to record your main footage to one card and proxies to the other.

Main / Sub Recording

  • Card 1 (Main movie) RAW or Light RAW only
  • Card 2 (Sub movie) 4K DCI Fine (automatically set), user-selectable Sub movie format and compression available

Proxy Movie Recording

  • Card 1 (Main movie) RAW; 4K MP4 (DCI or UHD); 2K, or Full HD
  • Card 2 (Proxy file) 2K DCI (when Main movie set to DCI) or Full HD / UHD (when Main movie set to UHD aspect ratio) available when Main movie set to 7K recording

What can it output over HDMI?

The R6 V can output 4:2:2/ProResRAW via HDMI 6960 x 3672 at 25/29.97 fps.

LCD MONITOR HDMI OUT
Peaking/
False Color/
Zebra/
Waveform/
B&W Image
Yes Yes*
Anamorphic/
Magnification/
Marker
Yes Yes
Color Bar Yes Yes
Test Tone/
Rec Command
No Yes
Audio No Yes
Timecode No Yes
View Assist Yes Yes

* Not displayed when [OSD Output: HDMI] is set to [Off (Clean)] or [Off] (however, B&W image display is possible).

No Built-In ND

This doesn’t come as any huge surprise, but the R6 V doesn’t feature any built-in ND. Just like the competing Nikon ZR, Sony FX3, etc., you will have to use external ND filters. This is where cameras like the EOS C70 and C80 still have an edge.

Canon
Canon PowerShot V

Putting ND into a small-sized full-frame camera is difficult. Canon’s lower entry PowerShot V1 features an in-built ND filter that allows you to add 3 stops (0.8 ND). However, 3 stops isn’t a lot, and it won’t be enough if you are shooting outdoors on a sunny day and want to adhere to the 180-degree shutter rule. You also can’t adjust the level of ND. It is only 3 stops. There is an Auto ND setting that will automatically add the 3 stops; however, that isn’t available when shooting in some modes.

Could Canon have put something similar into the R6 V? Perhaps. Any ND is better than no ND. No company has yet worked out how to put built-in ND into a small-sized full-frame camera.

What about the heat?

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Just like the Canon EOS C50, the R6 V features an in-built fan. The heat generated inside the camera, including the processing engine and sensor, is dissipated using the fan, which enables continuous shooting for long periods of time, even at higher resolutions and frame rates.

EOS R6 V Lifestyle 10

Canon claims that with this new design, the R6 V can record for over 60 minutes continuously, even in 7K Open Gate.

Overheating shutdown times at any cooling fan speed (at 73°F / 23°C, internal and external temperatures):

  • RAW 59.94 FPS / Light RAW + 2K Proxy Std. LGOP 120 min. +
  • 4K DCI 119.9 FPS, Std. LGOP no restrictions
  • 4K DCI Fine 59.94 FPS, Std. LGOP 120 min. or longer
  • 4K DCI 59.94 FPS, Std. LGOP no restrictions
  • 4K DCI Fine 29.97 FPS, Std. LGOP no restrictions
  • 2K DCI 179.8 FPS, Std. LGOP no restrictions
  • Open Gate (MP4) 29.97 FPS, Std. LGOP no restrictions

There is a thermometer icon and a 10-stage analog scale to indicate rising temps.

Dual Pixel CMOS AF II

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The R6 V utilizes the same Dual Pixel CMOS AF II (DAF) Technology that is found in cameras like the C50, C80, R3, and C400.

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How does DPAF work? Two independent image signals can then be detected at each photosite. By implementing phase-difference AF, smooth focusing is accomplished with much higher speed and accuracy than was possible with previous technologies.





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