CCC Forum

I'm looking to buy a new camera soon and the 6D is top of my list. I've been hoovering up every bit of info I can find online about it and ideally wanted to find some anecdotal stories about things that only become apparent after owning the camera for some time - for instance, it was revealed that the 5d3 has light leaks and that kind of fault takes time to surface.

I had found this review - http://www.canonrumors.com/2014/01/revi ... on-eos-6d/ - but it's really not very good. It only really compares specs with other cameras and lists it's features which you don't have to own the camera for a year to realise, they are available on any review. The only nugget of useful info regarded the battery performance with GPS.

Does anyone have any tips/advice/stories, good or bad, about their 6D or even 5D3 they can share?

davidc wrote:...... it was revealed that the 5d3 has light leaks and that kind of fault takes time to surface.

The 5D MkIII light leak problem was discovered very soon after launch and quickly rectified, courtesy of liberal application of black, sticky backed tape - I kid you not. It is a mystery how these things escape the testers and only emerge after the camera gets into the hands of paying customers. It is not confined to Canon, either, as both Nikon and Leica have managed to release camera with serious faults.

http://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/05/the-fix-is-in

The moral is that such design faults are usually quickly discovered, so it is usually safe to buy a camera that has been around for a while provided the manufacturer has owned up to the problem. This is where Canon usually scores over Nikon, a company which is especially loathe to admit to mistakes.

Whilst not owning either camera, if I were in the market for one I would tend to sway towards the 5D Mk III, which has a scroll wheel on the back where the 6D has just buttons. It is a feature which I find very useful on my 7D for things such as setting exposure compensation and reviewing images. (Whether it is worth the several hundred pounds extra is an individual choice, although the camera does also have better AF and build quality.) I was not intending to link to this video, but Scott Kelby is in agreement with me about the scroll wheel.

http://scottkelby.com/2014/why-i-switched-to-canon/

I don't know whether Kelby received a discount from Canon, but this video has received a lot of publicity and would have repaid anything Canon gave him many times over.

Last we talked about it, at winkworth, I thought you said you were contemplating the 6d?

I saw that video, it smacked massively of a significant sponsorship deal and payoff Despite repeated opportunities for Canon (or Nikon) to offer me the same I must assume they are very busy and can't offer me something similar yet.

I've looked at the 5d3 as well and although you are correct about the AF and parts of the build quality, I don't feel like the extra features on the 5d3 are useful enough to me personally to warrant the extra cost. I very much doubt I will miss the expanded AF which is the single biggest difference in my book. Looking at the wheel vs buttons, I can't see it impacting my decision either. Having never used it, I won't feel like I'm missing out on anything and if anything the buttons are similar in config to the 550d so adapting might be quicker? Also, the wheel on the 6d contains a directional pad in the centre whereas the 5d3 only has a wheel. Regardless, I expect usability of the camera to be of low concern

The other bits and pieces that are different have been considered too -

1/4000 vs 1/8000, I've never even used 1/4000 once in the last two and a bit years, let alone 1/8000!
Viewfinder size - the 6D is bigger than the 550D and while it's not 100%, it's essentially the same as the 5d2 and I *like* the 5d2 viewfinder
1/180th vs 1/200th sync speed - this is the most annoying difference
5ish vs 6ish fps - both are an increase on what I have and are much the same
1 SD slot vs 1 CF, 1SD - not having a CF slot is a benefit as it means I can reuse all my existing cards.
GPS/wifi vs no GPS at all - very useful for cataloguing images and search engine optimisation on my website
770g vs 950g - though I'm quite large so don't think 200g will bother me. It means I can carry 4 additional mars bars in my bag though

What is less frequently compared are the low light focusing performance - 3ev for the 6D and "only" 2ev for the 5d3, something I've witness in real life and it was impressive. Not to mention the superior high iso noise performance on the 6D and also the slightly higher DLA caused from the lower MP count.

I've left the biggest difference until the end. I can get a 6D + 24-105 lens for £1500 and the 5D3 body on it's own is £2000. All things considered, the additional features in the 5D3 are not worth an extra £500, I'd rather spend that on a lens that I will likely be able to use on the eventual 6D replacement.

So far it seems like the biggest niggle the 6D has is that if you leave the GPS on constantly it will drain your battery. Which is pretty good if that's the only flaw

edit - one final, minor 5d3 drawback is that the viewfinder is partially electronic and needs to be powered on for an accurate view. Whether this is a real world issue is debatable but it made comparing them hard in the airport when they refused to power on either model, it really does the 5d3 a disservice.

davidc wrote:Last we talked about it, at winkworth, I thought you said you were contemplating the 6d?

The strange thing is that when I started building up my DSLR kit, I always assumed that I would end up going full frame. The closest I got was in 2010, when I had the choice of a 5D Mk II or 7D. Somehow, the 7D seemed to be the more sophisticated camera in terms of build and functions, so I ended up going with that. Just before I bought it, AP had undertaken a joint review of the two cameras and reckoned there was very little in it in terms of IQ, so that was another factor in my decision. The 100% viewfinder (which is more like 99.5%) was also an attraction. It would have been a no brainer if the 5D Mk III had around at the time, but Canon introduced it a couple of years too late.

I did briefly consider the 6D, but in the end I did not think that it would be that much of a step up. In some ways, with controls closer to the entry models, it would have been a step backwards. Had I been coming from my 400D, it might have been different. As you know I think that DSLR technology has a limited lifespan and the future is mirrorless. At least, in terms of weight, that certainly what my back hopes. I have already strayed into m4/3 territory, when I bought a camera and a couple of lenses for their compactness, mistakenly thinking that would be it.

EVFs are getting better all the time and I am watching developments by the major players. The lenses are not really there yet, but the introduction of a tilt and shift mirrorless optic could be what it takes. Until then, I am reluctant to make a significant investment in any system. What I have at present will do me very well and, besides, for me the camera is the least important factor when making an image.

davidc wrote:I saw that video, it smacked massively of a significant sponsorship deal and payoff Despite repeated opportunities for Canon (or Nikon) to offer me the same I must assume they are very busy and can't offer me something similar yet.

Only a matter of time, surely?

davidc wrote:I expect usability of the camera to be of low concern

A very important consideration for me is that the camera should not get in the way of obtaining a shot. I rate Canon's controls very highly in that regard across its entire range.

davidc wrote:I can get a 6D + 24-105 lens for £1500 and the 5D3 body on it's own is £2000. All things considered, the additional features in the 5D3 are not worth an extra £500, I'd rather spend that on a lens that I will likely be able to use on the eventual 6D replacement.

Shortly after the 6D was introduced, I was in York Cameras when a customer was collecting one of the first cameras in the country, trading in his 5D Mk III to do so as he wanted something lighter and more compact. Ultimately it all comes down to personal preference and I agree that price will always be a significant consideration. The great thing is that you have a wider choice today than a few years ago when I was making my buying decisions.

Hi David,
I own a Canon 6D. I chose this mainly because of the weight and size. It is my first DSLR so have nothing to compare it with.
Yes the GPS does drain the battery but you can turn it off.
Would you like me to bring it tonight?
Tina

Mike Farley wrote:I did briefly consider the 6D, but in the end I did not think that it would be that much of a step up. In some ways, with controls closer to the entry models, it would have been a step backwards.

Not sure what you mean by this, I'm not sure what controls the 6D is lacking that would make such a difference in real terms? Having never used anything beyond a 550D (for any serious length of time) what controls are on the 7D/5D3 bodies that I'm missing out on? Never considered this angle before.

They are not really there yet, but the introduction of a tilt and shift mirrorless optic could be what it takes. Until then, I am reluctant to make a significant investment in any system. What I have at present will do me very well and, besides, for me the camera is the least important factor when making an image.

That's rather interesting, do you have a tilt shift lens now? If so, is it just size/weight that means you're not enjoying using it? Until such a time have you considered the lensbabies?

http://store.lensbaby.com/products/Comp ... et-35.html

Then again, given some of the mirrorless systems support old film camera lenses, might it be worth looking into an older TS?

Only a matter of time, surely?

Flattery will get you far, please continue!

I've definitely given some serious thought to dropping Canon and going with a smaller format but the physicist part of me just thinks it's wrong - the smaller your sensor, the less light and therefore detail you can acquire. It's why you don't see people trying to make tiny telescopes... more light = better. Going smaller always means a compromise on quality and though the results from CSCs are pretty good, the larger sensors *are* better. For instance, I've still yet to see bokeh I like from an m43 system and the tiny sensors mean the diffraction limit is much lower. Also the much touted weight/size saving really doesn't bother me.

In all, the 6D is looking like my runaway favourite so far. The A7 series did pique my curiosity but it falls over on it's lack of lenses and proven support. Anyway, rambling a bit now

Tina wrote:Hi David,
I own a Canon 6D. I chose this mainly because of the weight and size. It is my first DSLR so have nothing to compare it with.
Yes the GPS does drain the battery but you can turn it off.
Would you like me to bring it tonight?
Tina

Not this week, sadly I don't think I can stay for the duration, but for the next one yes please