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DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> So, the 5DmkII or the 6D?
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09/18/2012 06:12:51 PM · #1
My wife and I started a side photography business about 4 months ago to finally put my hobby to good use. I'm currently using a 50D and after many portrait sessions and a few weddings, my camera is crying at the things I ask it to do.

I was considering the 7D as an upgrade since it can nearly be bought for less than $1000 if you look hard enough, and it's a major improvement in every way over the 50D. However, I did a little too much thinking about how a full-frame is better for weddings and portraits and will get me better use out of the lenses I have now. Since I cannot see affording the 5DmkIII anytime soon ( it would take a photography miracle ) I'm left choosing between the 5DmkII and the newly announced 6D.

I've done the best comparison I can with the specs available and currently see no reason to choose the 5DmkII over the 6D except for price. Especially since I won't be able to afford either until after the 6Ds release and that will likely drive the price of the 5DmkII down. But the vast wealth of knowledge on this site is certainly worth asking before I plan to purchase either one.

Also, pay no attention to the fact that none of you recognize me. I've been a lurker for years :)
09/18/2012 06:15:48 PM · #2
for your use, i vote 6d for the possibility of better tracking, newer tech, probably better NR .

Message edited by author 2012-09-18 18:16:36.
09/18/2012 06:23:38 PM · #3
I think the jury is really still out. The image quality of the 6D is still an unknown. It's a new sensor, so it is within the realm of possibility that it might have some desirable image quality attributes. As far as AF, I really would not expect it to be significantly better than the 5Dii. The 5Dii is really no slouch, especially if you are mainly doing portraits.
09/18/2012 06:32:06 PM · #4
What kind of lighting do you normally use? If you use strobes the 180/s sync speed on the 6D could really suck.

ETA: nevermind, I just realized how bad the 5DII sync speed is, I guess they are about the same in this regard also.

Message edited by author 2012-09-18 18:35:21.
09/18/2012 06:45:20 PM · #5
I mainly do portraits and weddings and shoot exclusively with available light, which is why ISO performance and noise management are so important to me. In many situations I've had to crank my 50D to 1250 to capture any sort of detail in tiny cramped churches, and almost none of those images every come out at a quality that I can display to future customers.

The 6D has two main AF points over the 5DmkII and a sensitivity to -3EV and the noise management of the digic5+ over the digic4. I am still waiting on some more in depth testing and examples for the 6D, but I'm mainly asking about the comparison to the 5DmkII because I know so many here have taken theirs the extra mile with amazing results.

If I had the money right now the choice might be a lot harder, but since I'm probably looking at a purchase early next year when both cameras will be available, I'm not seeing a lot of advantages from the 5DmkII that the 6D hasn't improved upon.
09/18/2012 07:34:37 PM · #6
What is Canon's thinking with the 650D being able to autofocus during video(?) where the bigger cameras can't?
09/18/2012 08:56:45 PM · #7
5d2

wait about 6months and the 6D will drop to about $1600-1700 USD, which will in trun drive down the 5d2. People have been using the 5d2 for years as the defacto pro camera and all of the sudden if you listen to the gear heads, its sucks.

im buying one and soon. id rather have the faster shutter and faster flash sync over an increase in AF, of course the 6D will have the lighter polycarb body.
09/18/2012 09:03:56 PM · #8
silly question :) is 6D full frame camera? will it accept EF-S even though full frame?
09/18/2012 09:22:24 PM · #9
Originally posted by pgirish007:

silly question :) is 6D full frame camera? will it accept EF-S even though full frame?


yes. no (some may with modification)

Message edited by author 2012-09-18 21:22:55.
09/18/2012 11:36:11 PM · #10
Originally posted by mike_311:

... of course the 6D will have the lighter polycarb body.


*shudder*... icky.
09/19/2012 05:55:42 AM · #11
really? polycarbonate doesn't mean less durable, just lighter, plus i also heard it had to do with the optional wifi gps antenna working correctly.
09/19/2012 05:58:54 AM · #12
6D or 5D mark II mark II
09/19/2012 12:13:29 PM · #13
Only the top plate of the 6D is polycarbonate, the rest of the body is still mag alloy.

It will be interesting to see what the high ISO performance is like. You can crank it two stops higher on the 6D, but that doesn't necessarily mean it looks the same two stops higher :)
09/19/2012 04:54:44 PM · #14
Thanks for all the replies.

I think noise performance is what's going to do it for me. As a newer business I do a lot of budget weddings, and unless they're outdoors, lighting in cheaper venues is never good for the photographer. I'd love to be able to shoot at 3200 with the full-frame FOV and still feel that the photos will be crisp. I suppose I'll need to wait and see a comparison to the 5DmkII at high ISO once the 6D hits the street.
09/20/2012 09:45:16 AM · #15
if you intend to do heavy lifting and want both the high qualiy parts and iso performance, the 5dmkiii may be a worthy investment -especially considering that you have some revenue incoming.

I use one, I can shoot and recover, with a fair amount of ease at 6400iso. I never go past it, i rarely go above 3200 even in the darker venues, but the camera can do it. Shadow recovery is always useful in those situations too. I shot something for a friend recently thats can be used as an example: link (Notsafeforwork). I haven\'t even set my isos in my new LR yet, but i think i spent less than 5 minutes adjusting noise/sharpnes and making global changes. If it were a commercial client, I would have given a bit more QC, but my buddy just wanted some usable shots. The point is, if you\'re making wedding money in low low light, you may want the mk3. The mk2\'s always been used for wedding stuff too, so i m not kicking it, but the mkiii gives performance closer to the d3s than the mkii does.

I always aim to purchase technology that makes sense at a certain point in time for a specific purpose. I think the mkii wouldve made sense 4 years ago. I tried shooting 60d and knew it wasn\'t going to cut it in low light despite being an excellent camera. Rather than look at it as a \"GOTTA GET THE BEST THERE IS\" vs \"its worked before it ll work now\" tug of war, i strongly suggest walking over to a local camera store, being your own sd/cf card, and shoot some with these cameras. Feel it in your hand, look at the jpeg representations- but also save the raws in your card and come back home to compare them. try to shoot the darkest areas or purposely limit DOF to get that affect, so you can really test the noise/recovery. Its easy for me to say the mkiii is a superior choice, but its meaningless if you don\'t feel it. You may find that the 5dmkii is an excellent option for what you need and the mkiii is excessive, or you may find that the 6D perfectly fits your scenario. Relying on reviews is great and all, but nothing beats first hand experience. The controls, and camera feel matter. the joystick on the back of both the mkii and the mkiii is excellent for quick focus point switch during those quick moments. Get a feel for your autofocus, your menu layout, your options, the speed and silence of your camera clicks.Play with that silent shutter mode, you know? i mean i figure you get the idea, so I\'ll leave it at that

edit: i forgot to mention, i'd look up nikon too if youre willing to make a switch in terms of glass etc. the shadow recovery in nikon cameras is supposed to be superior.

Message edited by author 2012-09-20 10:46:39.
09/20/2012 04:33:21 PM · #16
Based on specs alone, the 5DmkIII is my dream camera. I'm only considering the cheaper alternatives because it would be really difficult to purchase as an investment, and $3800 is going to take a lot more time to save up for than $2100. I can't take my time as our business is still new and every portfolio shot counts. Dragging the 50D around to our next couple of weddings will not pay off as quickly as the shots from a more capable camera.

Though I may be able to talk my wife into the mkIII :)
She's my second shooter for everything and understands the business nature of photography purposes.

And although I'm inclined to say no, I would listen to a good Nikon vs Canon argument if someone is willing to present it. The only "good" lens I own is the Canon EF 85mm f/1.8, so it wouldn't be a major loss.
09/20/2012 04:35:52 PM · #17
in the US the 5dmkiii is sub $3000 rightnow,
09/20/2012 04:44:32 PM · #18
Originally posted by mike_311:

in the US the 5dmkiii is sub $3000 rightnow,


???
Reputable sellers have it at about $3460 right now. There are some conditional rebates (buy with a printer, get a $400 rebate), and there's also the "buy the kit and sell the lens" trick that could yield a final price somewhat lower, but both require an even higher initial investment.
09/20/2012 04:45:58 PM · #19
sorry, i meant to say used...
09/20/2012 04:59:36 PM · #20
Originally posted by mike_311:

sorry, i meant to say used...


Ah. Yes, there are a few out there.
09/20/2012 05:53:22 PM · #21
Hikari, I think you are my long lost twin. I am literally in the EXACT same boat as you. Have the 50D, 85mm f/1.8 best IQ lens, shot budget weddings because I'm newish (I never shot a wedding where they used real flowers), blah, blah blah. I am considering the 7D as an upgrade but would really like to go full frame.

I find myself bidding like a fool on ebay right now trying to snag a great deal, but I feel like anymore ebay is more of a game to people where they want to "win" even if they're not getting a good deal. I bid on 7D's, on 5D2's, and even on some original 5D's.

I highly doubt I'll purchase the 6D. I'd rather get the 5D2. I have a feeling (although this could be totally off base) that the 6D is going to be cheap feeling. I never owned a Rebel because I always thought they felt like junk, and I just have a feeling the 6D will have that feeling. Even if it is strong and sturdy, if it doesn't FEEL strong and sturdy, I won't be able to stand it. Plus, I have absolutely no use for the GPS. I highly doubt I'd use the wifi either.

And, like you, I'm also considering switching camp if I need to and going to Nikon. I don't WANT to do that, but I'm not ruling it out if it means getting the gear that's right for me. I just don't want to go through the hassle of selling my Canon stuff.
09/20/2012 06:57:39 PM · #22
If you truly are my twin, then you probably just did some reading on the Nikon D800 vs the 5DmkIII.

From what I can discern, the D800 wins in IQ under the right conditions (but otherwise the two are always comparable) and completely blows the 5D3 out of the water when you look at comparisons of shadow recovery.

BUT, for my applications (weddings, candid family/single/couple portraits, pets) I feel that the better ISO performance at higher levels in the 5D3 and slightly faster AF system is more suited to my needs.

I'm still reading every review that I can and am more than willing for someone to sway me with their personal experience.

Also, lilysmom, I would recommend against the 7D if you shoot the same budget weddings that I keep finding myself at. The 85mm will be far more usable indoors at an equivalent range of 52mm on the crop sensor, and anything else will give you that much more reach to actually see the head and shoes of the bride and groom when you're crammed up at the front. Or get the 7D and love everything about this lens: //www.amazon.com/Sigma-30mm-Canon-Digital-Cameras/dp/B0007U0GZM/ref=sr_1_1?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1348181789&sr=1-1&keywords=sigma+30mm+1.4+canon
09/20/2012 08:04:38 PM · #23
exactly as you said, according to most reviewers, they're comparable. The d800 being superior in shadow recovery, the 5dmkiii having superior speed/autofocus. The d800 also has the higher resolution, but you notice that when they blow the 5dmkiii shots up to 36mpix(according to fred/miranda).Personally i've starting using the joystick and manually pick the AF points every shot so i get fewer "focuses in areas i dont want" and skip the re composition step all together in most cases. The quiet mode is excellent for those "quiet" moments and the controls are quite nice. The d800 is excellent as well i m sure, i just don't have any real experience with it. There is a complaint of green tint to some lcd screens, so shop carefully if you decide to go that way. ITS ALSO supposed to be $500 cheaper, which may be important to you. (files size also matters so be sure to include that into your decision). As for the 85mm 1.8, my copy of the lens showed some of that oof chromatic abberation at 1.8. I preferred to use it at 2.8. I've since replaced it with a 70-200 and that works quite well and allows for more reach (ps the 85mm has a faster still af imo)

I still say go play with a couple of these options at the store. Someone put it quite well once(i think it was a creative live video), if you think your equipment is expensive, talk to one of the owners of those Mom n Pop Pizza places with their quarter million dollar ovens. Not to say you should go buy the most expensive gear you can, but you should determine investment vs returns before you make a purchase for a business.

PS: i m quite excited about your success, post some pics for us online!

Message edited by author 2012-09-20 20:05:53.
09/21/2012 05:48:24 AM · #24
I guess I can stop being anonymous photographically :)

//www.tesarphoto.com/

And I think I will go to a camera store before I decide to make a purchase. Saving $500 with the D800 is nice, but not if spending more means I'll have a camera that can more readily tackle the changing situations of every wedding. The best review in a nutshell I've read so far was some guy at Canonrumors saying that the D800 excels at landscape and studio photography where the environments can be controlled, but the 5DIII is still an excellent camera for EVERY situation and extremely versatile. Without my own experience, I think that still keeps the 5DIII as my best choice.

Assuming I can afford it...
If not the fight is between the 5DII, 6D, and 600D.
09/21/2012 10:41:36 AM · #25
That is a neat site. I likes it. Great pictures, and super-competetive on the pricing (i don't know how you do it). And its clean! i m kinda jealous, and sending you a pm for advice -.

Message edited by author 2012-09-21 10:42:08.
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