Canon T6 Review

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Basic Specifications
Full model name:	Canon EOS Rebel T6 (EOS 1300D)
Resolution:	18.00 Megapixels
Sensor size:	APS-C (22.3mm x 14.9mm)
Kit Lens:	3.06x zoom 18-55mm (29-88mm eq.)
Viewfinder:	Optical / LCD
Native ISO:	100 - 6400
Extended ISO:	100 - 12,800
Shutter:	1/4000 - 30 sec
Max Aperture:	3.5 (kit lens)
Dimensions:	5.1 x 4.0 x 3.1 in. (129 x 101 x 78 mm)
Weight:	24.6 oz (697 g) includes batteries, kit lens
Availability:	04/2016
Manufacturer:	Canon
Full specs:	Canon T6 specifications

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Kit with 18-55mm Lens

Kit with 18-55mm Lens
Two lens kit with 18-55mm, 75-300mm, shoulder bag

T6 Deals

18.00 Megapixels	Canon EF/EF-S	APS-C size sensor

T6 Summary

Canon's most affordable entry-level DSLR, the Rebel T6 shares much with the earlier T5. It differs, though, in providing the wireless connectivity necessary to get your photos onto your phone (and from there, to Facebook) thanks to in-camera Wi-Fi connectivity. It also sports a noticeably better display. But can super-affordable pricing make up for its now rather long-in-the-tooth imaging pipeline? Find out in our in-depth Canon T6 review!

Pros

Good image quality overall; Good value for money; In-camera Wi-Fi and NFC make light work of image sharing; Decent kit lens; Friendly, approachable design; Good ergonomics; Lots of room to grow in Canon's ecosystem

Cons

Slow burst shooting with very limited raw buffer; Resolution, dynamic range and high ISO performance trail current rivals; Mediocre autofocus performance; Limited feature set; Very basic movie capture features

Price and availability

Available since April 2016, the Canon T6 is sold in a kit with the EF-S 18-55mm f/3.5-5.6 IS II zoom lens. US-market pricing for this bundle is set at around US$550, which is the exact same price point at which the earlier Canon T5 launched some two years earlier.

Imaging Resource rating

3.5 out of 5.0

Canon T6 Review

by Mike Tomkins
Preview originally posted: 03/10/2016
Last updated: 06/07/2016

Updates:
04/19/2016: First Shots posted
04/22/2016: Performance test results posted
08/04/2016: Field Test posted
08/12/2016: Image Quality Comparison and Print Quality Analysis posted
10/04/2016: Conclusion posted

If you're shopping for a camera that will give you much better image quality than your smartphone, but you're on a very tight budget, we have some good news for you. The Canon Rebel T6 is here, and it takes one of the most popular cameras in recent years, then tweaks the design to make it much easier to get your photos onto your phone.

The Canon T6 shares a whole lot with its well-received predecessor. Its smooth, polycarbonate body is nearly identical to that of the Rebel T5, and remains both friendly and approachable. (It's also pretty similar to that of the previous-generation Rebel T3. If you're considering an upgrade from that camera, you'll find yourself almost immediately at home with the T6.)

On the inside, the Canon T6 also sports pretty much exactly the same imaging pipeline as its nearest predecessor. With a resolution of 18 megapixels from a roomy APS-C sized image sensor, the T6 might lag more expensive cameras in terms of resolution, but it arguably provides more than enough for the entry-level shooters at whom this model is aimed. Sensitivity ranges from ISO 100 to 6400 equivalents, and can be expanded to a maximum of ISO 12,800-equivalent, which again should be plenty for the needs of most entry-level shooters (and far beyond what your cameraphone will manage).

If you're planning on shooting sports, kids or other very active subjects, however, you may want to look at a more fully-featured camera instead. With a continuous shooting speed of just three frames per second, the Canon T6's relatively modest burst-capture rate may leave you waiting and missing photo opportunities, especially if you're a raw shooter. You'll manage just five or six raw frames before the T6's buffer fills, although in JPEG mode the new DIGIC 4+ image processor now allows an unlimited burst depth, according to Canon. (This is may well be true for typical scenes, but in the lab with a difficult to compress scene, the Canon T6 slowed down after 15 best quality JPEG frames versus 12 JPEGs for the T5. See our Performance page for more details.)

So what's new compared to the Canon T5? The biggest change in the new Rebel T6 is the inclusion of both Wi-Fi and Near-Field Communications technology. Wi-Fi lets you get your images off the camera and onto your Android or iOS smartphone or tablet with ease. From there, it's just a few taps to get your photos onto social networks like Facebook, Twitter or Instagram so your friends and family can share in the moment while it's still fresh. The NFC radio, meanwhile, makes it even easier for Android users to connect their smart device to the camera. Simply bumping the two devices together is enough to create a connection and start sharing your creations.

Compared to its predecessor, the Canon Rebel T6 now sports a higher-resolution LCD monitor. If you shoot in live view mode, that should prove handy when you want to focus manually, with the crisper display making it easier to tell precisely where the sharpest point in the image is located. And of course, the higher resolution will also make for a more satisfying experience when reviewing the photos you've already captured.

In other respects, the Canon T6 is a whole lot like its predecessor, although some minor tweaks can be found if you look more closely. For example, the Rebel T6 now offers a Food scene mode among the Basic Zone options on the mode dial, helping foodies to share their favorite culinary creations without needing to understand the subtleties of shutter speeds, apertures, white balance options and so forth. There's also a new "white priority" setting for the T6's auto white balance mode, which aims to better neutralize the warm color casts typical under incandescent lighting.

• • •

Best Lenses for the Canon T6

What lens should you buy?

*Portrait:*
Standard: Canon EF 50mm f/1.8 STM	Upgrade: Canon EF 50mm f/1.4 USM
*Landscape:*
Canon EF-S 10-18mm f/4.5-5.6 IS STM
*Wildlife:*
Standard: Canon EF-S 55-250mm f/4-5.6 IS STM	Upgrade: Canon EF 70-300mm f/4-5.6 IS II USM

• • •

Canon T6 Field Test

It's priced to sell, but can the entry-level Rebel beat its rivals?

by Mike Tomkins | 08/04/2016

Two years ago, we reviewed the Canon T5, the company's most affordably-priced DSLR. Although not surprisingly it lacked bells and whistles of more fully-featured (and more expensive) cameras -- especially in terms of burst performance -- we nevertheless found a lot to like in Canon's entry-level DSLR. And with a pricetag just under $500 with kit lens, it was certainly priced affordably, putting it within easy reach of those looking to trade up from a smartphone or point-and-shoot camera.

The combination of low cost and great image quality ensured that the T5 took home our Dave's Pick award, recommending it as a good choice for photographers on a tight budget. Now, we're two years further down the road and the Canon T6 has landed on my desk for a review. By and large, it retains its predecessor's feature set almost intact, with upgrades in just a couple of key areas.

Read our real-world Canon T6 Field Test

Canon T6 Technical Info

Take a closer look at Canon's new entry-level Rebel

by Mike Tomkins | 03/10/2016

Sensor. The Canon Rebel T6 is based around an 18-megapixel, APS-C sized CMOS image sensor with a Bayer color filter array and dimensions of 22.3 x 14.9mm. Likely the same chip as that in the Rebel T5, it has a 4.3µm pixel pitch and a total resolution of 18.7 megapixels.

A low-pass filter is included, helping to prevent moiré and false color artifacts at the expense of a little per-pixel sharpness. There is, however, no built-in sensor cleaning mechanism. You can opt instead to have the camera simply detect the locations of dust particles on the sensor and then fill these in with data from surrounding pixels, or to clean the sensor manually.

Click to read Canon T6 Tech Info!

Canon T6 Image Quality Comparison

Compare the T6's image quality to leading competitors

by Mike Tomkins | 08/12/2016

Here we present crops from our laboratory Still Life target comparing the Canon T6's single-shot image quality to its predecessor, the Canon T5, as well as to its nearest entry-level DSLR rivals, the Nikon D3300 and Pentax K-S2. By way of comparison to a more expensive model, we've also included the Canon T6i in the comparison, while the Canon EOS M3 joins the group as an example of a mirrorless camera at the same APS-C sensor size.

NOTE: These images are from best quality JPEGs straight out of the camera, at default settings including noise reduction and using the camera's actual base ISO (not extended ISO settings). All cameras in this comparison were shot with our very sharp reference lenses. Clicking any crop will take you to a carrier page where you can click once again to access the full resolution image as delivered straight from the camera. For those interested in working with the RAW files involved: click these links to visit each camera's respective sample image thumbnail page...

See our Image Quality Comparison!

Canon T6 Print Quality

But how does it look on paper?

by Dave Pardue | 08/12/2016

Print quality and image quality are similar but not identical, because what you see on a print isn't always the same as what you see on the screen. Our print quality analysis answers the important question: "Just how big can I print my photos at higher ISOs?"

For its affordable price tag, the Canon T6 certainly holds its own in the print quality department. Producing nice 24 x 36-inch images at the lowest two sensitivities and yet still delivering a good 16 x 20-inch print at ISO 800 is a nice feat at this price. Not surprisingly, the print sizes were similar to the sizes attained by the predecessor model Canon T5, which shares the same imaging pipeline as this latest entry-level Rebel. If 8 x 10-inch prints and under are what you are generally printing, we advise keeping your sensitivity to under either ISO 3200 or 1600-equivalents, depending on your subject matter and overall tastes.

Read our Canon T6 Print Quality Analysis

Canon T6 Conclusion

A modest upgrade at a steal of a price

by Mike Tomkins | 10/04/2016

Like the Rebel T5 before it, not to mention its nearest rivals from Nikon and Pentax, the Canon T6 is a DSLR camera which has clearly been aimed at the entry-level photographer. But unlike those cameras, both of which were quite significant upgrades, the T6 is nearly identical to its predecessor. It brings improvements to the table in only two main areas: Easier sharing with smartphones and tablets thanks to built-in Wi-Fi connectivity, and a crisper, higher-resolution LCD monitor. (Sure, there are some other tweaks here and there, but they're very minor.)

If you're looking for a DSLR camera which shoots better photos than your smartphone or small-sensor compact camera can offer, and you're on a very tight budget, well... you're not likely to find a more affordable DSLR than the Canon T6. At least, not without taking a trip down memory lane to buy an older model. And that older camera likely won't play nicely with your smartphone, making it harder than it needs to be to put your photos online for friends and family to see, so it's probably smarter to stick with current offerings.

Read our Canon T6 Conclusion