Canon EOS Rebel T6s Review

The greatest Rebel yet. That's a phrase we mutter about once a year. This time, we really mean it, and by a factor of two. The Canon EOS Rebel T6s, as well as its companion, the T6i (known as the 760D and 750D outside of the US) both feature a new 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor (up from 18MP on the T5i / 700D) coupled with a new 7560 pixel RGB + IR metering sensor for more accurate metering. Although both cameras are very simiar there are also distinct differences, so each will get its own review. You can read about the T6i here.
Canon's new Hybrid CMOS AF III uses sensor-based phase detection points for increased focus speed and accuracy in live view. It also permits for Servo AF in live view, which lets you track moving subjects when shooting in live view. Canon claims that the performance of Hybrid CMOS III should be close to that of Dual Pixel AF (found in the EOS 70D and 7D II).
With the mirror down, the Rebels T6s uses the same 19-point phase detection AF as the 70D, which represents a vast improvement over the 9-point AF system in the T5i. The ISO range remains the same as its predecessor, 100-12800, expandable up to 25600.

EOS Rebel T6s (760D) key features

• 24.2MP APS-C CMOS sensor
• 19-point autofocus system
• Hybrid CMOS AF III focus system (live view)
• 7560 pixel RGB + IR metering sensor with skin tone detection
• 3" fully articulating touchscreen LCD
• Eye sensor for use with optical viewfinder
• LCD information display on top plate
• Quick control dial on rear
• 5 fps continuous shooting
• 1080/30p video
• Servo AF in live view
• Wi-Fi with NFC

Other advancements come in the form of built-in Wi-Fi with NFC - a first in the EOS DSLRs range - and Flicker detection, first seen in the Canon EOS 7D Mark II, which also makes its way into both models.
The camera also retains several features from the Rebel T5i, including a fully articulating 3" touchscreen LCD, 5 fps continuous shooting, and 1080/30p video.

Specs compared

While the T6s shares many core features with the T6i, the user experience on the T6s/760D is aimed toward more advanced users. The T6s will cost $100/£50/€60 more than the T6i, and offer users a nice list of features to make that extra money spent worth it. These include a a top LCD screen - the first on any Rebel - a Quick Control dial on the back, and an eye sensor to shut off the LCD panel when you're shooting with the viewfinder. The T6s also offers Servo AF in Live View which allows for continuous AF in burst mode. The final advantage is the T6s' ability to record HDR movies in real time, a potentially nifty feature for budding film makers.
Before we get to those differences in detail, let's see how the the T6s compares with the T6i, as well as the Rebel T5i (700D) that is now the low-end model in Canon's DSLR lineup.

	Canon T5i	Canon T6i	Canon T6s
Effective resolution	18MP	24.2MP
ISO range	100 - 12800 (expandable to 25600)
AF system	Hybrid CMOS AF	Hybrid CMOS AF III
AF points	9	19
Metering sensor	63-zone	7560 pixel RGB+IR
Continuous shooting	5 fps
Info screen on top plate	No		Yes
Quick control dial	No		Yes
Servo AF in live view	No		Yes
Video	1080/30p
Wi-Fi	No	Yes (with NFC)

Probably the biggest difference between the T6s and the T5i is the sensor. It's no secret that Canon has been using the same (or very similar) 18 Megapixel sensor since the Rebel T2i (EOS 550D). The new 24.2MP sensor catches up with the latest DSLRs from Nikon, Pentax, and Sony.
The other major addition is Wi-Fi with 'active' NFC.  If you're using an NFC-equipped phone (iPhone 6's don't count) then you can tap it against the camera to pair. If you don't, it's not terribly difficult. Once that's done you can remotely control the camera from your phone, transfer photos, and then share them with friends and family. If you set up Canon's Image Gateway service you can choose where photos go (and add comments) right on the camera.

The T6s (right) offers several things over the T6i, including an LCD info display, locking mode dial, and quick control dial (not pictured).

Pricing and availability

The Rebel T6s (760D) is priced at $849/£649/€859 body only and $1199 bundled with an 18-135mm STM lens.
Available accessories include a battery grip (BG-E18), numerous viewfinder knick-knacks, and wired and wireless remotes. Both cameras will be available in April.