Shooting With the EOS 6D in Costa Rica

[bholliman]

...for Canon to leave out the 7D AF or better in a time(2012 not 2009) when nearly every Nikon has a better AF was pretty weak. All the new Nikon updates have at least a 39pt AF while Canon is still offering the same 9pt AF system that was lame when the 5D II came out years ago. For me, it wasn't impressive at all, especially for the launch price.

I don't think there is anything wrong with the 6D AF system.  For those of use who primarily focus with the center point, lock and recompose, not having 39 AF points isn't a big deal.  I prefer the 6D's simplified AF system over the 7D's AF for non-sports shooting.

I waited for the 6D for a while as I have been wanting a lighter FF body for years(I travel a lot,) but when the specs were announced it was way too easy for me to not be interested in the camera, especially for $2100 dollars.

Then good for you.  If you really need better AF, then by all means go for D600.  However if you are only considering a Canon system such as most of us here, 6D or 5D3 is the way to go. 

+1
I'm heavily invested in Canon lenses and am very satisfied with their products, so I don't even consider Nikon.  As Verysimplejason pointed out, the lenses are the long-term investment anyway, not the camera bodies.  The 6D is what it is.  If it meets your needs, buy one.  If not, look at other options.

[Badger]

i find it interesting that the only people in this thread who have a 6D both own 5DIII's and tons of other Canon stuff.
It seems like if you are neck deep in the Canon system and want something cheaper to fool around with from time to time than the 6D is a great choice.
To me, it seems like if you want the most for your money, with the best features, then the D600 would be a better choice.
I haven't heard of many normal people(with maybe one aging aps-c body and one or two lenses) choosing the 6D, only pro's and serious enthusiasts who just want a new Canon toy.
Personally, i was disgusted when the specs for the 6D were released and bought a D700. Even now, you can get the D600 with kit lens for less than the 6D body only.

I went from a Canon 20D and a couple of aging lenses to the 6D. Honestly, didn't consider the Nikon. Guess I'm just comfortable in the Canon camp. By the way, I got some great shots with the 20D, and I'm getting great shots with the 6D also.

[Stickman]

Costa Rica, Vietnam and Laos?  Running this site must be paying off in basket fulls of money! 

Keep doing what you are doing, it is obviously working out well.   

[mingocr83]

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<strong>My vacation camera<br />


</strong>I decided to force myself to put down the familiar and start using a camera and lens I wouldn’t normally pick up. I am down in Jaco, Costa Rica for a couple of weeks with the <a href=\"http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/892349-REG/Canon_8035b002_EOS_6D_Digital_Camera.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296\" target=\"_blank\">EOS 6D</a> and <a href=\"http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/843008-USA/Canon_5175B002_EF_24_70mm_f_2_8L_II.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296\" target=\"_blank\">EF 24-70 f/2.8L II</a>. I plan to do a full review of the 6D in the next couple of months, as I may also be bringing it to Vietnam and Laos at the end of January. For now I will do an update every few days with my feelings about the camera.</p>
<p>So far I have found the combination to be quite nice. The EOS 6D does not feel like a “budget” camera at all. It’s a hefty little thing with great image quality and ergonomics. I do wish I had the new EF 24-70 f/4L IS, as I think it will be far better balanced on the camera. Don’t get me wrong, having an EF 24-70 f/2.8L II attached to the camera is not a bad thing.</p>
<p>I am getting used to it not having a joystick to move focus points like on the EOS 5D Mark III and EOS 1D X, the control pad inside the scrollwheel works quite well.</p>
<p>Below is an image of my son playing in the waves. The 6D got soaked with salt water by mistake and seems to have survived the ordeal unscathed.</p>
<p>The image quality is top notch, the color and dynamic range of the new 20mp sensor is quite good. I plan to head out in the evenings and test out the high ISO performance.</p>
<div id=\"attachment_12405\" class=\"wp-caption aligncenter\" style=\"width: 585px\"><a href=\"http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/IMG_0216.jpg\"><img class=\"size-medium wp-image-12405\" alt=\"EOS 6D & EF 24-70 f/2.8L II - Jaco Beach, Costa Rica\" src=\"http://www.canonrumors.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/IMG_0216-575x383.jpg\" width=\"575\" height=\"383\" /></a><p class=\"wp-caption-text\">EOS 6D & EF 24-70 f/2.8L II – My son in the waves at Jaco Beach, Costa Rica</p></div>
<p><strong>EOS 6D Video</strong>

I have yet to do any testing of the video capabilities of the EOS 6D, as that is not a strength of mine. I may get into it a bit later in the trip.</p>
<p><em><strong>Canon EOS 6D for $2099 at <a href=\"http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/892349-REG/Canon_8035b002_EOS_6D_Digital_Camera.html/bi/2466/kbid/3296\" target=\"_blank\">B&H Photo</a> | <a href=\"http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B009B0MZ8U/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B009B0MZ8U&linkCode=as2&tag=canorumo-20\" target=\"_blank\">Amazon</a> | <a href=\"http://www.normancamera.com/index/page/product/product_id/26833/product_name/Canon+EOS+6D+Digital+Camera+%28Body+Only%29+\" target=\"_blank\">Norman</a> | <a href=\"http://www.adorama.com/ICA6D.html?kbid=64393\" target=\"_blank\">Adorama</a></strong></em></p>
<p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff0000;\">c</span>r</strong></p>

Glad to see you came to visit my country. I hope you and your family enjoy the trip, if you need details on places to visit, shoot me a message.

Regards,
Roberto

[Velo Steve]

I'd love to see some discussion of shooting and traveling with a camera in tropical conditions.  I'll be spending almost a month on ships, boats, and kayaks, and on foot near the water.  I'm pretty happy with my body and lens selection, but it's the moisture I'm worried about.  The top two issues are:
1) How to carry the camera when I won't be using it but I might fall in the water or briefly drop a bag.
2) How to protect the camera and lens while shooting, but in light rain, falling moisture from vegetation, etc.

I have a little D10 for snapshots when it's really wet, but I'm really looking for how to use my 5D III with good results and no damage.

[marinien]

Costa Rica, Vietnam and Laos?  Running this site must be paying off in basket fulls of money! 

Keep doing what you are doing, it is obviously working out well.   

Craig (the CR guy) is running Lens Rentals Canada ;-)

[Area256]

I just spend a week in British Columbia with the Canon 6D, and it performed very well.  I left the GPS on full time and the batter drain seemed minimal.  It rained lightly almost non-stop, and the Camera didn't seem to mind getting a bit wet.  I did a lot of landscape, and the DR proved to be quite good in most cases.

I must say having the GPS is a nice feature; I can now use the map in Lightroom 4 to locate images taken at specific locations. 

The exposure preview in Live View worked very well, which was the reason I got the 6D over the D600.  It made my long exposure landscape photography far easier.

Here is an example:


Morning Light by Area256, on Flickr

[Hobby Shooter]

I'd love to see some discussion of shooting and traveling with a camera in tropical conditions.  I'll be spending almost a month on ships, boats, and kayaks, and on foot near the water.  I'm pretty happy with my body and lens selection, but it's the moisture I'm worried about.  The top two issues are:
1) How to carry the camera when I won't be using it but I might fall in the water or briefly drop a bag.
2) How to protect the camera and lens while shooting, but in light rain, falling moisture from vegetation, etc.

I have a little D10 for snapshots when it's really wet, but I'm really looking for how to use my 5D III with good results and no damage.

Steve. Start up a thread about this. I would also like to learn more, especially about cleaning/drying the equipment. I livr in the tropics since a few years. I take no special precautions I would say. I have Lowepro bags and a cheap knock off Crumpler slingbag. I am usin my 5D3 and previously a 60D. The worst thing so far is that my 24-105 took bad hit while shooting a 6 minute video while walking in thejungle. After keeping it in air conditioned room for 24 hour it had dried up again.  Now working perfect again. 5D3 can take some bad weather in terms of rain, probably more than we think.