What’s up guys in today’s Tech Gear Talk video we’re going to compare the Canon M6, G7 X Mark II and SL2. I recently reviewed all 3 in details and I’ll put links at the bottom to the individual videos in case you want more details and test footage and audio from each of these cameras.
All three of these cameras are around the same price range and are excellent choices for someone who’s looking for a small, portable camera that will do a great job for both photography and video. Also, if you’re creating content for YouTube or social media in general, if you’re vlogging, or shooting video for your small business these are definitely cameras you should consider.
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Alright let’s jump right in and talk about the strengths and weaknesses of these three cameras.
First I want to talk about camera type. The SL2 is a DSLR where the M6 and G7 X Mark II are mirrorless cameras. If you’re not familiar with the difference let me take a minute to explain. The way a DSLR like the SL2 works is that the light passes through the lens and then hits a mirror, it’s then redirected up the camera body where it hits another mirror which then lets us see the image using the viewfinder. So it’s essentially a prism.
When you take a picture, the mirror flips up and out of the way and then the shutter opens and the light hits the sensor. If you’re shooting video, the mirror just locks in the open position and the light continues to hit the sensor. Now in a mirrorless camera, obviously there is no mirror, so the sensor sits directly being the shutter and the lens. The sensor is constantly being exposed to the light and when you go to take a picture, it’s covered then uncovered and covered again by the shutter.
This is the main reason why mirrorless cameras are smaller than DSLRs, because you don’t have mirror in there, the lens can be mounted much closer to the sensor and therefore the body can be much thinner. You also don’t have the whole prism leading up to an optical viewfinder, so the body can also be made much smaller. There are some disadvantages too but I’ll cover this whole topic in more detail in another video.
The SL2 is a DSLR and the M6 and G7 X Mark II are mirrorless cameras. And as I mentioned, you can see that they are smaller and so are the lenses they use.
Let’s move onto the sensor and the processor. The SL2 and the M6 both use a 24MP APS-C sensor which is larger than the 20MP 1” sensor on the G7 X Mark II. A larger sensor offers better picture and video quality because it uses more information to generate a sharper image with better detail and dynamic range.
In this case the edge goes to the SL2 and the M6 with the much larger sensor size. All three of these cameras use the Digic 7 processor which is super nice, it makes all three fast and responsive, and obviously in this case it’s a draw.
Next I want to talk about video resolution and framerates. All three of these cameras can shoot at full HD, or 1080P, at 24, 30 and 60 fps so this is another draw as far as the comparison goes
Alright, let’s move to lens options. This is another area where we start seeing some differences, especially as we compare interchangeable vs built-in lenses. The G7 X Mark II uses a built-in 24-100mm equivalent lens, which is nice and versatile, and covers a good range of wide-angle to short-telephoto. That’s going to cover what most people are going to want out of a small mirrorless camera, and at the same time I want to highlight the fact that you can’t change this lens. So if you decide that you need to go wider than 24mm or you want more telephoto than the 100, you don’t have the option of buying another lens and changing it out.
On the other hand, the SL2 and the M6 both have interchangeable lenses. So that means that even if you start out with a kit lens like the 15-45mm on the M6 or the 18-55mm on the SL2, you can always buy additional lenses that will give you either a wider angle or more telephoto. I go into the lens options for these 2 cameras in more detail on the individual videos so check them out if you want more info.
In this case the edge goes to the SL2 and the M6 with a slight edge to the SL2.
Alright, next, let’s talk about continuous video autofocus. All three of these cameras offer really nice continuous autofocus during video. But, the SL2 and the M6 use Canon’s Dual Pixel autofocus which just take things to the next level. It’s faster and does a better job in low-contrast situation. If you’re going to be shooting a lot of video, continuous autofocus is an important feature and one that I would place a lot of value on.
So for continuous video autofocus I’m going to give the edge to the SL2 and the M6 over the G7 X Mark II
Another major components for those of you who will use these cameras for video is the audio options. All three cameras have built-in microphones which do an adequate job, but the M6 and the SL2 also have a 3.5mm mic input.
That’s an awesome feature because both of those cameras let you use an external mic instead of the onboard one. And that lets you got WAY better audio quality for your video and you can use shotgun mics, or even wireless lavalier mics.
Again, I consider this to be an important feature if you’re shooting video where someone is talking and you want to be able to isolate their voice from the background noise, and just get a more full and rich sound in general. The edge again goes to the SL2 and M6, BUT, only if you’re actually going to use an external mic.
I’m not a fan of paying for features that I’m not going to use. So if you’re going to use it now or in the future, it’s a huge bonus, otherwise, it’s a draw.
Next let’s talk about the size, weight and build quality. All three of these cameras are really nicely built. Canon definitely focused on creating solid camera bodies with good and secure grips. All three of them are extremely light and portable. The SL2, for a DSLR is crazy light, even with the lens it still weighs less than 2 lbs. It’s still heavier and larger than the other 2. This is obviously a strength of mirrorless cameras, they are smaller and lighter. Because the G7 X Mark II has a built-in lens, it actually compacts into practically the thickness of the body so it’s definitely the smallest of the 3.
As far as portability goes, I give the advantage of the G7 X Mark II followed by the M6 and then finally the SL2.
Now let’s talk about the LCD screens. All three of these cameras have flip screens. The M6 and G7 X Mark II and the M6 have a screen that can be tilted down at a 45 degree angle so that it can be used for overhead shots. The screen then flips 180 degrees up to where it can face the front. This is a great feature for when you’re in front of the camera and you want to be able to see what the camera is seeing. You can see that you’re framed exactly how you want and that the autofocus is tracking you.
The SL2 has a fully articulating screen that’s a little more versatile. If can be flipped and then locked into position on the back on the camera to be used or liveview, or flipped again for protection and storage when it’s not in use. Then it can be flipped out to the side to face front, up or down. This is really nice when you’re using the camera at waist level, for overhead shots or on a slider.
One thing I want to mention is that if you plan on using an external mic and have the screen face the front with the M6 and the SL2, you can’t mount the mic on the hot shoe of the M56 because it will block the screen. It’s not a huge deal, you can get an adapter that will let you mount the mic to the side of the M6, but with the SL2, because the screen flips to the side, you can mount the mic directly to the camera.
I want to point this out because in my reviews I like to include as much real-life experience as possible. I would give a slight advantage to the SL2 here because of the additional orientations of the screen and the fact that it’s never blocked by the mic but at the same time the flip out screen creates a much wider footprint so you have to decide what’s more important to you and how do you plan on using these cameras.
Next let’s talk about connectivity and remote control options. And there is a HUGE difference here. All three of these cameras come with WIFI and Bluetooth options that work with the Canon Camera Connect app. The app lets you connect a mobile device wirelessly to all of these cameras and then transfer images of videos so that you can quickly share them. Also, all three of these can use the app to remotely control the camera for pictures. So you can have the camera set up, use your phone as a remote screen, change settings and focus and take a picture.
BUT, and this is huge for me. At this time, only the SL2 lets you use the remote control feature for video. So with the M6 and the G7 X Mark II, you can only take pictures, even if you’re in video mode. And actually, once you connect a mobile device, video is completely disabled on the cameras.
The SL2 on the other hand, lets you frame your scene, change settings and then remotely start and stop recording!! That is such a cool feature and is so convenient. There is no more walking back and forth to the camera to start and stop, I can sit down, move myself or the camera until I get the shot exactly how I want to be, then start and stop the video right from my phone or tablet.
I’m giving a huge advantage to the SL2 in this case, with the disclaimer that it’s hugely beneficial to how I use this camera and if you don’t plan on ever need a remote monitor or control, then this wouldn’t really matter to you.
Overall this is pretty much a draw for me but I could see how someone who is just starting out may like the simplicity of the mirrorless camera over the SL2.
Again, for beginners, it’s nice to have those presets, and at the same time, I think once you do a few timelapse videos, you’ll easily get the hang of using the custom feature. I’ll probably end up shooting a quick tutorial about this and posting it later.
Another feature to discuss, especially if you’re using this for vlogging and you’re moving around a lot, or shooting hand-held, is image stabilization. Both the M6 and the G7 X Mark II offer in-body and lens-based image stabilization systems to try to reduce some of the shakiness you see from hand-held video footage. The SL2 doesn’t have in-body image stabilization and will only offer some of that if you use lenses with built-in IS.
The edge here probably goes to the M6 and G7 X Mark II, and at the same time if you really plan on moving a lot, I would probably recommend thinking about a 3 axis gimbal for super smooth footage.
For some people getting a small camera, not having to worry about which lens you’re going to take, and just having the simplicity of an all in one, is going to be the priority.
For other users, having a full-featured DSLR with tons of interchangeable lens options a more versatile flip screen, an optical viewfinder and remote control during video are going to sound like the best fit.
And then for another group of users, the best combination of features is going to be somewhere in the middle.
You can’t have everything in every camera so it comes down to preference. They are all fairly similarly priced and I’ll put links in the description to all three cameras as well as some popular kits. There are always holiday specials and discounts so the links will be updated with the lowest pricing.
I also have links below to the more detailed video about each camera if you want a more in-depth review.
Canon EOS M6: https://www.techgeartalk.com/canon-eos-m6-mirrorless-camera-ultimate-review/
Canon SL2: https://www.techgeartalk.com/canon-eos-rebel-sl2-camera-review-and-sample-footage/
Canon G7 X Mark II: https://www.techgeartalk.com/canon-g7-x-mark-ii-camera-review-test-footage/
I really hope this video gave you a good overview of the Canon M6, G7 X Mark II and the SL2 and that it helps you choose which one of these is right for you. If it was, please let me know by giving it a thumbs up, tweet it, share it, and if you haven’t yet, hit that subscribe and notification buttons.
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Good luck and see you soon.
