Hey everyone! I finally pulled the trigger and upgraded to the Canon EOS R6 Mark II after years of shooting on my old DSLR. I’m super excited to get out there and start shooting, but moving to a professional full-frame mirrorless system feels like a whole new world. I want to make sure I’m set up for success right from the start without missing anything crucial.
I’ve already noticed that this thing is quite power-hungry, so I'm looking at getting extra LP-E6NH batteries—are third-party brands worth the risk or should I stick to Canon OEM for the best performance? Also, with that insane 40fps electronic shutter burst rate, I’m worried my old SD cards will bottleneck the buffer. I was looking at V60 versus V90 cards, but the price gap is pretty steep. Is a V90 actually necessary for wildlife and 4K video, or is V60 the 'sweet spot' for this specific body? I'm also debating if the EF-RF Control Ring adapter is worth the extra cost over the standard one for my legacy glass.
I’m mainly focusing on wildlife and some casual event videography with a remaining budget of around $500 for extras. Beyond the basics like a screen protector, what are the absolute 'day-one' essential accessories you’d recommend to someone new to the R6 Mark II system?
sooo congrats on the upgrade!! I've been using mine for a bit now and honestly it’s a game changer for wildlife. I'm still kinda new to mirrorless too, but here's what I've found so far. TL;DR: V60 is okay for video, but V90 is better for 40fps bursts. Stick to Canon batteries for the best speed. **SD Card Comparison**
* Lexar Professional 1800x SDXC UHS-II Gold Series V60 128GB: It's pretty cheap. But if you're shooting raw wildlife at 40fps, you're gonna be waiting on the buffer a lot. * Kingston Canvas React Plus SDXC UHS-II V90 128GB: Best choice imo. It's actually fast enough to keep up with the R6II's speed without breaking the bank. Seriously tho, I'd probably stick with the Canon LP-E6NH Lithium-Ion Battery Pack cuz third-party ones might limit your burst rate. The basic Canon Mount Adapter EF-EOS R is totally enough too. gl!
hey, for that budget, maybe check the Viltrox EF-R2 Mount Adapter as a cheaper alternative to the ones already mentioned. for power, be careful—the Canon LP-E6NH Lithium-Ion Battery is safest cuz third-party packs like Wasabi Power LP-E6NH Battery (2-Pack) often throttle your mechanical drive speed. for cards, the Sony SF-M Series Tough V60 128GB is great value, but SanDisk Extreme PRO SDXC UHS-II V90 128GB is faster for clearing buffers during 40fps bursts. gl!
So, before I give advice, I gotta ask a clarifying question: what kind of wildlife are you actually planning to shoot? If you're out there chasing fast birds-in-flight vs. like, deer in a field, it's gonna change my answer on whether those V90 cards are a MUST or just a "nice to have." I remember when I first jumped from my old DSLR to the mirrorless system, I thought I could just use my old workflow and everything would be fine. WRONG. I was out at a local marsh trying to track some hawks and the buffer literally choked because I was being cheap with my storage. It was SO frustrating losing the shot of the year just cuz of a little blinking red light on the back of the camera. Lesson learned: dont skimp on the data pipeline if you wanna use the high-speed features you paid for. Tbh, I would suggest sticking with the official Canon stuff for power. I've seen too many third-party batteries get weirdly hot or just die at 20% charge, which is a HUGE risk for events. For the cards, I'd say just look at anything from Sony or SanDisk that's rated for high speed. You dont realy need the most expensive model number, but you want that brand reliability. Also, that Control Ring adapter is cool for mapping ISO or exposure, but if youre on a tight budget, you might want to consider just getting a basic one and putting that extra cash toward more power. These mirrorless bodies are thirsty for real!
Just catching up on this thread—ur setup sounds awesome! Quick question tho, are u planning to mostly stick with EF lenses for now or start buying RF glass right away? It makes a big difference for the adapter choice, you know? I'm still learning the ropes myself, but I did a bunch of market research on different brands since I'm also trying to save some cash. Tbh, the big name cards are pricey, but there are other solid options: * ProGrade Digital SDXC UHS-II V60 Gold - These are reallyyy reliable from what I've read and might be that sweet spot u are looking for.
* Angelbird AV PRO SD MK2 V90 - If u decide u absolutely need V90 for those 40fps bursts, these guys are basically pros in the cinema world and their prices are sometimes better than SanDisk.
* SmallRig LP-E6NH USB-C Rechargeable Camera Battery - I saw these recently and they're so cool because u can charge them directly with a USB-C cable. Really helpful for travel, right? Honestly, it's a lot of money to drop at once. Maybe just grab one fast V90 for the birds and use cheaper cards for the events? Hope that helps a bit tho!
Congrats on the new body! It is such a massive jump from a DSLR and yeah the learning curve on the AF system alone is wild. Quick question though, how comfortable are you with doing some DIY work on ur gear or do you prefer everything to be professional-grade and ready to go? I ask because I have always been a big believer in self-servicing what I can to keep costs down especially with these expensive mirrorless systems. When I first switched over I was worried about the weather sealing and the screen durability so instead of sending it out for a professional skin application I just bought some bulk materials and did it myself at my desk. It took a few tries to get the cuts right around the adapter but now my setup is totally protected from the elements and I didnt have to pay a premium for the name-brand kits. I even figured out a way to modify my old tripod plates to work better with the new weight distribution without buying all new mounts and honestly that DIY approach has saved me enough to basically fund my next lens.
Came here to say the same thing lol. Great minds think alike I guess.