So I’ve been rockin my old 5D Mark IV for way too long now and honestly the mirror slap is starting to drive me crazy during quiet ceremonies lol. I finally decided it is time to move over to the mirrorless side of things and the R6 Mark II is basically calling my name because of that insane AF tracking and the IBIS. My logic was that since it has been out for a bit now we might start seeing some decent price drops or maybe some refurb units hitting the Canon site but man they sell out so fast it is like a joke.
I checked B&H and Adorama and it is just the standard $2499 everywhere which is slightly over what I told my wife I would spend. I am based in Chicago and I have got three weddings booked for late July so I really need to get my hands on it soon to get the muscle memory down. I was thinking about the R8 since it has the same sensor but I just cant deal with the single card slot for professional work, its too risky if a card fails.
Has anyone seen any hidden promo codes or maybe some EDU discounts that are actually working right now? Or maybe a reputable gray market seller that isnt gonna scam me? I am trying to stay around the $2100 or $2200 mark if possible...
To add to the point above: if you are tired of waiting for those refurb drops, you gotta try the Canon Loyalty Program! It is seriously amazing and saved me a ton of money last year. You just call their sales line and give them the serial number from your old Canon EOS 5D Mark IV DSLR Camera and they usually hook you up with a fat discount on a brand new Canon EOS R6 Mark II Mirrorless Camera Body. It puts you right in that $2200 sweet spot!
- Check B&H with a .edu email. The EDU discount is usually fantastic but you wont see it until you log in.
- Call local Chicago shops like Helix. Sometimes they have open box units they cant list online for a steal. Seriously, just call Canon sales tomorrow, it is the best secret in the biz lol! Good luck with the weddings, you are gonna love that AF tracking!
> I just cant deal with the single card slot for professional work In my experience, you're 100% right to skip the Canon EOS R8 24.2MP Mirrorless for pro gigs. Over the years I've seen cards fail at the worst moments. Honestly, just wait for a Canon Refurbished EOS R6 Mark II restock. I've tried many refurbished bodies from Canon and they're super reliable. Stay away from gray market Canon EOS R6 Mark II Body Only deals... too risky for weddings.
To add to the point above: since you are in Chicago, that sales tax is gonna absolutely kill your $2200 budget! Honestly, if you are worried about reliability for those July weddings, you should look into the B&H Payboo Credit Card. It basically wipes out the sales tax instantly which is like a 10% discount right there, bringing that $2499 way closer to your target price. Also, if you want guaranteed reliability without the brand-new price tag, look at used units from dedicated photography resellers instead of just waiting for the Canon site to restock. I love these specialized sites because:
- They do crazy 50-point inspections so you know the sensor and shutter are pristine.
- You usually get a 6-month or 1-year warranty which is fantastic for peace of mind during a busy wedding season.
- They actually grade the cosmetic condition accurately so there are no surprises. Just keep searching for a used Canon EOS R6 Mark II Body on those reputable sites. One thing to remember tho... moving from a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV means you will definitely want an extra Canon LP-E6NH Lithium-Ion Battery or two. The mirrorless EVF eats power way faster than your old optical finder did, and you dont want to go dark right during the first dance!
If youre firm on that $2200 cap and want a brand new unit, you gotta check out Greentoe. Tbh it is like a cheat code for gear. You basically put in a blind bid and authorized dealers can accept it if they want to move stock without breaking MAP pricing. Ive bought my last two lenses through them and I have been super satisfied with the process. You still get the full US warranty because it comes from a legit shop. I bet if you throw a bid of $2150 or $2200 for the Canon EOS R6 Mark II 24.2MP Mirrorless Camera right now, someone will bite. Technically, the R6 II is a massive upgrade over your 5D IV. The 24.2MP sensor has much faster readout speeds than the older mirrorless models, which means way less rolling shutter when youre using that 40fps electronic shutter mode. It is basically the same AF system as the R3, so it sticks to eyes like glue. If you find the Mark II is still too pricey even with a bid, the original Canon EOS R6 20.1MP Mirrorless Camera is still a beast for wedding work. You lose a few megapixels, but the IBIS and dual UHS-II slots are identical. I have used the gen 1 for dozens of low light receptions and it works well without any complaints about noise. But for those long summer ceremonies you mentioned, the Mark II has much better thermal management so you wont have to worry about overheating during 4K recording.
Finding a good price on that gear is such a struggle and it totally reminds me of when my cousin was debating between sticking with Canon or jumping over to a different brand last summer! He was so hyped about the mirrorless revolution and spent every waking hour watching comparison videos online.
- He was convinced the other brands eye-tracking was basically magic.
- But then he realized he loved his current lenses way too much to actually leave.
- He ended up in this weird limbo where he had half of each system for a while and his gear bag was a total disaster! It was honestly such a mess but also kind of amazing to see him try to balance both worlds. I love seeing how much people care about their kits tho, it is seriously such a fun world to be in! You are gonna have a blast with the new setup once you finally get it all sorted out for those July weddings!
