Dismal WiFi speeds from R6 Mark II

[TubaOrNotTuba]

I get it, wireless communication has always been a struggle for Canon, but the R6 Mark II reaches a new low.  Despite having both the latest firmware and an 802.11ac chipset capable of connecting at 5Ghz with a single-stream speed of 433Mbps, the R6 Mark II connects to mobile devices using 2.4Ghz 802.11n (notice WiFi 4 in the image below which is 802.11n) and offers devices 1Mbps transmission speeds!  It's no wonder the R6 Mark II is dramatically slower than my 2 6D Mark IIs.  There can simply be no excuse for this.  I've tested this with multiple devices and get the same horrible image download speeds. 

I’ve tested this with a Bluetooth default setup where Canon Connect swaps over to WiFi (which works maybe ½ the time) and with an Advanced Connection setup as WiFi direct between the phone and camera.  Both result in the same unacceptable speeds.

BTW, remote shooting also lags to the point where it’s almost useless.  The same devices connected to either of my 6D Mark IIs do not have this issue so it’s not my mobile devices.

I even had one Canon tech tell me I should be carrying a USB-C cable and using that to download photos from my R6 Mark II.  Simply put, I’m not going to do that nor should I have to.  Also, using a USB-C cable to facilitate remote shutter releases defeats the purpose of a remote shutter release where the camera has nothing that could potentially move it for long-exposure photography.

Anyway, has anyone figured out a way to actually get a decent, reliable connection that comes even close to the specs listed in the spec sheet of the R6 Mark II?  They claim IEEE 802.11ac at up to 433.3Mbps in ART182215, what I’m seeing is 802.11n at speeds 1/10th that of 802.11b.  Thanks…

[Nemo]

I agree. In a word, WiFi transfers suck. A single CRAW frame took over 35 seconds to transfer. It’s a joke. I decided to use WiFi to do three quick product shots for a client. Why bother with tether for the few frames, I thought. My computer has an 802.11ax chip for WiFi. Plenty fast enough. With the technology available, even when this camera was being developed, it’s a joke. I have never been able to do any job with any camera using WiFi over the years. Why even include it if the transfer speed is trash. And, no, I have  no intention of shooting JPEGs. Come on Canon. Get with the program. 

[Stephen]

You should consider contacting support. This doesn't sound normal at all. Support is available Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. (ET) at 800-OK-CANON (800-652-2666).

Outside of the USA, visit https://global.canon/en/support to find support options in your country or region. 

[Nemo]

Thank you. I had planned on calling CPS to see what they had to say, but I can call regular support as well. 

[TubaOrNotTuba]

Seriously, don’t bother, they have no answers other than use a USB-C cable. My solution was to return the R6MII and buy an R5MII. Ironically, the R5MII works fantastic on Wi-Fi and it was shipped with the Canon USB-C cable that R6MII customers have to pay 40+ dollars to buy themselves. 

[TubaOrNotTuba]

I clearly stated that I spoke with Support, in fact several times. When you reply to a customer like that without bothering to read what they said all you do is alienate customers. Please don’t do that, especially when a customer takes the time to write out the details that I did.

Now here’s an interesting twist, the R6 MII was an absolute disaster of a product. I own 2 x 6D MIIs and the move from the DSLR to the R6 MII was not revolutionary nor was it even evolutionary. I found auto focusing on the R6 MII was a disaster and Wi-Fi never worked. I sent it back and replaced it with an R5 MII. Now, here’s where it gets fun… auto focusing is fantastic on the R5 and Wi-Fi works like a champ! Not only can I connect to my internal networks regardless of the encryption key or frequency, transfers with direct Wi-Fi connections the camera to my phones is blazing fast. This shows that Canon can make Wi-Fi work, but you have to pay US$2000 more to get it. I should not have had to do that, no Canon customer should have to do that, Canon should have more self-respect than it clearly does and fix problems when they ship a product with bugs.

Again, do not get me wrong, I have shot Canon since 1983, almost exclusively with a small little stent using a Kodak point and shoot that was also a collaboration with Canon back around the year 2000 or so. I didn’t need the R5, it is not my primary source of income, but I wasn’t going to tolerate the design and implementation defects of the R6MII and no one should. I would recommend people buy any other product from any other manufacturer if all they can afford is an R6MII, especially since you are stuck with Canon glass at this point. The EF to RF adapter works but it’s not Perfect so replacing glass with Nikon or Sony glass where you can also get third-party glass makes sense. Canon loses enough customers this way they’ll change their attitude. 

Anyway, if you’re considering an R6MII and can afford an R5MII, especially if you are a member of CPS, I strongly recommend you opt for the R5.

[SamanthaW]

It looks like Stephen was replying to the other person in this thread, since they do not appear to have contacted support.