Canon T6i Performance

Mixed performance for a consumer DSLR.

Powering on and taking a shot was fair for a DSLR, at about 0.9 second. Switching from Play to Record mode and taking a shot was a lot faster, at about 0.1 second.

In terms of the Canon T6i's ability to determine that it's properly focused when shooting the same target multiple times using the optical viewfinder and the 18-55mm IS STM kit lens, its full autofocus shutter response was very fast for a consumer DSLR. We measured only 0.086 second for full AF lag using single point (center) AF, which is close to pro DSLR speeds. Enabling the flash added considerable delay for the pre-flash metering, though, resulting in a capture lag of about 0.35 second.

Shutter lag with manual focus was good at 0.097 second. "Prefocusing" the camera by half-pressing and holding down the shutter button before the final exposure resulted in a lag time of only 0.073 second, also good for a DSLR.

The Canon T6i's prefocused shutter lag time in Live View mode was almost as fast as using the optical viewfinder, measured at 0.114 second, which is very good. Note that we no longer test full AF lag in Live View mode for DSLRs, because the lens used makes such a huge difference that comparing is pointless. We'll try to comment on real-world Live View AF performance in our field tests.

To minimize the effect of different lens' focusing speed, we test AF-active shutter lag with the lens already set to the correct focal distance.

Single-shot cycle times were so fast that they were difficult to accurately measure as they depend on the tester's nimbleness and ability to maintain an optimum rhythm. (Note that we no longer test single-shot mode with just RAW files, as the results are usually somewhere in between JPEG and RAW+JPEG modes.)

Full-resolution continuous mode speeds were fair given the class and resolution, at about 4.8 frames-per-second, no matter the file type. That's about average for a consumer-level 24-megapixel APS-C DSLR.

Buffer depth for best quality JPEGs was excellent at well over 50 frames with no signs of slowing (Canon claims up to 940 Large/Fine JPEGs in a burst with a UHS-I card). When shooting RAW files, however, buffer depths were quite shallow at only 6 frames with or without JPEGs. Shallow buffers when shooting RAW files isn't uncommon for its class, though.

Buffer clearing times were quite good considering the resolution with our fast UHS-I card, ranging from 2 seconds after 50 best quality JPEGs, to 6 seconds after a burst of RAW+JPEG frames.

The Canon T6i's flash took an average of 3.3 seconds to recharge after a full-power discharge, which is good.

Bottom line, the Canon T6i offers mixed performance, ranging from mediocre burst speeds with shallow RAW buffers to excellent single-point AF speed for its class. Overall. though, good performance for an entry-level DSLR.

Battery Life
Below average battery life for consumer DSLR.

The Canon T6i uses a custom LP-E17 rechargeable lithium-ion battery for power, and ships with a dedicated battery charger. Battery life is below average for a DSLR using the optical viewfinder, rated at only 440 shots with 50% using flash, and of course Live View mode draws more power reducing battery life considerably. We recommend you pick up a spare battery and keep it freshly charged and on-hand, or consider purchasing the BG-E18 battery grip which doubles battery life with a second battery installed.

The table above shows the number of shots the Canon T6i is capable of (on a fully-charged rechargeable battery), based on CIPA battery-life and/or manufacturer standard test conditions.

(Interested readers can find an English translation of the CIPA DC-002 standards document here. (180K PDF document))