Looking or an Fullframe SLR - Your Experience needed

Hi!

As I want to start shooting landscape, I want to buy an FF SLR in the next days for our pre-summer holidays.

As there will be an rumored FF body this year, I do not want to an expersive one (5D Mark 3). I do prefer the 6D.

My questions are:
- Buy the 6D, or wait until the new appears (I know, Guys.... Then I do never buy a new body as there will always be an successor.... But will the new FF body around the corner?)?

- Which Third-party grip to buy? (NOT the original Canon, as it is to expernsive).

- Which card to store (Transcend R95 SDXC 64GB, UHS-I U3 (TS64GSDU3) good choice?) Will an UHS-I U3 work with the 6D?

And: How is it to work with the small AF-Area? The few AF points are quite grouped around the Center AF.

Thanks for all of your replies
Dani
 

unfocused

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I can only respond intelligently (or at least semi-intelligently) to your first question: There will be no full frame camera released in the coming days in time for your pre-summer holidays.

Rumors of any full frame body this year are just that – rumors.

Personally, I would be willing to bet that there will be no full frame body released this year.
 
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What unfocused said.

Plus, while I have a gripped 5d3 and love the grip, why are you needing a grip? Or is it because you want the dual batteries so you don't have to change in the middle of a field somewhere?

As for the 6D, it's a great camera from everything I've heard. The center AF point is very good, although the rest are meh.

As for memory card, from what I recall, 6D supports up to UHS-1. So pick a card that has UHS-1 support, and then pick you're preferred brand & speed.

Last bit, landscapes. You can do them without a tripod, depending on your style, but if you are going to end up being rather serious about them you should definitely consider a good quality tripod, which will run you $500-600 and up. But, if you just sorta have an interest, leave that for another time. Also get a cable release and learn about mirror lockup.
 
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Jul 21, 2010
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Just get the 6D now.

For critical landscape work, the flex between body and grip can be an issue. That's true with Canon OEM grips, I can't imagine it's better with 3rd party offerings. I like using a grip (mine's built-in, now), but you might consider removing it for tripod use.

For landscape use, the clustered AF points aren't an issue, just use live view.

No idea on SD cards, sorry.
 
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dgatwood

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Drizzt321 said:
Last bit, landscapes. You can do them without a tripod, depending on your style, but if you are going to end up being rather serious about them you should definitely consider a good quality tripod, which will run you $500-600 and up. But, if you just sorta have an interest, leave that for another time. Also get a cable release and learn about mirror lockup.

I'm curious why folks spend that kind of money on a tripod for stills. That's almost as much as I paid for my video tripod with dual handles and a nice fluid head, all of which is massive overkill if you don't need smooth pans and tilts while the camera is live. I'm just curious, speaking as someone who has never shot stills with a tripod that costs more than about forty bucks. :)
 
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neuroanatomist said:
Just get the 6D now.

For critical landscape work, the flex between body and grip can be an issue. That's true with Canon OEM grips, I can't imagine it's better with 3rd party offerings. I like using a grip (mine's built-in, now), but you might consider removing it for tripod use.

For landscape use, the clustered AF points aren't an issue, just use live view.

No idea on SD cards, sorry.

Sorry this is a bit off-topic, but doesn't having the L-plate under your palm bother you when using a grip (handholding in portrait mode, I mean)?

OP, I know that for 5DIII, the Kirk L bracket clamps both at the tripod plate and the left strap lug.
If you have a grip, that would be at the grip and at the body, and I would say that makes it more stable.
 
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sagittariansrock said:
Sorry this is a bit off-topic, but doesn't having the L-plate under your palm bother you when using a grip (handholding in portrait mode, I mean)?

Not me, I have RRS L-Plates and they have very smooth edges and don't add much volume to the set, but there is no difference between an L-Plate and a simple bottom plate when hand holding and shooting in portrait mode.
 
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Sporgon

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dgatwood said:
Drizzt321 said:
Last bit, landscapes. You can do them without a tripod, depending on your style, but if you are going to end up being rather serious about them you should definitely consider a good quality tripod, which will run you $500-600 and up. But, if you just sorta have an interest, leave that for another time. Also get a cable release and learn about mirror lockup.
I'm curious why folks spend that kind of money on a tripod for stills. That's almost as much as I paid for my video tripod with dual handles and a nice fluid head, all of which is massive overkill if you don't need smooth pans and tilts while the camera is live. I'm just curious, speaking as someone who has never shot stills with a tripod that costs more than about forty bucks. :)

Weight and stability.
 
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Drizzt321 said:
What unfocused said.

Plus, while I have a gripped 5d3 and love the grip, why are you needing a grip? Or is it because you want the dual batteries so you don't have to change in the middle of a field somewhere?

As for the 6D, it's a great camera from everything I've heard. The center AF point is very good, although the rest are meh.

As for memory card, from what I recall, 6D supports up to UHS-1. So pick a card that has UHS-1 support, and then pick you're preferred brand & speed.

Last bit, landscapes. You can do them without a tripod, depending on your style, but if you are going to end up being rather serious about them you should definitely consider a good quality tripod, which will run you $500-600 and up. But, if you just sorta have an interest, leave that for another time. Also get a cable release and learn about mirror lockup.

Thanks... wil buy an UHS-I.
I own an Manfrotto 055XProb with an good 3 way head and an Sirui N-2204 carbon tripod. My 7D with my 100-400 oder 70-200 2.8 are very stable on thess tripods. I own an wireless shutter release too
 
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Drizzt321 said:
What unfocused said.

Plus, while I have a gripped 5d3 and love the grip, why are you needing a grip? Or is it because you want the dual batteries so you don't have to change in the middle of a field somewhere?

As for the 6D, it's a great camera from everything I've heard. The center AF point is very good, although the rest are meh.

As for memory card, from what I recall, 6D supports up to UHS-1. So pick a card that has UHS-1 support, and then pick you're preferred brand & speed.



Last bit, landscapes. You can do them without a tripod, depending on your style, but if you are going to end up being rather serious about them you should definitely consider a good quality tripod, which will run you $500-600 and up. But, if you just sorta have an interest, leave that for another time. Also get a cable release and learn about mirror lockup.


I was told to buy an grip, because the 6D´s GPS drains the batteries quite much. Better take an exchance battery in my backpack without an grip?
 
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daniela said:
Drizzt321 said:
What unfocused said.

Plus, while I have a gripped 5d3 and love the grip, why are you needing a grip? Or is it because you want the dual batteries so you don't have to change in the middle of a field somewhere?

As for the 6D, it's a great camera from everything I've heard. The center AF point is very good, although the rest are meh.

As for memory card, from what I recall, 6D supports up to UHS-1. So pick a card that has UHS-1 support, and then pick you're preferred brand & speed.



Last bit, landscapes. You can do them without a tripod, depending on your style, but if you are going to end up being rather serious about them you should definitely consider a good quality tripod, which will run you $500-600 and up. But, if you just sorta have an interest, leave that for another time. Also get a cable release and learn about mirror lockup.


I was told to buy an grip, because the 6D´s GPS drains the batteries quite much. Better take an exchance battery in my backpack without an grip?

this is what I would do
but I hate grips and the extra bulk

I use sandisk 45mb/s SD cards in my 5Dmk3 they are cheap and quite fast, I havent bothered buying more expensive SD cards since the 5Dmk3 SD slot is crippled but for the 6D i'd probably have a good look at the 90mb/s cards
 
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Khalai

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6D is a terrific landscape/travel camera. Lightweight, gps, small but with excellent IQ. AF should not be decisive for landscape work, so no need for 61 points all over VF.

Watch out for GPS tho, even with camera switched off, GPS will still drain power like mad. Either turn it on when needed only or pack a small fusion reactor in your backpack :)
 
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the 6D is fantastic, just buy it right now.

I wouldn't worry too much about the GPS depleting batteries, I've used my 6D with one battery on a 12 hour shoot with the GPS turned on accidentally and never needed to change the battery.

I use class 10 UHS-1 Transcend Ultimate cards and they're great, super affordable.

Do you really need AF for landscape? surely live-view and MF is much better?
 
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daniela said:
I was told to buy an grip, because the 6D´s GPS drains the batteries quite much. Better take an exchance battery in my backpack without an grip?

I would think it would be far easier to take one or two spare charged batteries with you than getting a grip. You should get a grip because you want a grip, not for just the extra battery. How long does it take to change a battery on a 6D? Compare that with the full time bulk and weight of a grip.
 
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dgatwood said:
...I'm just curious, speaking as someone who has never shot stills with a tripod that costs more than about forty bucks. :)

You should buy a tripod that is good enough for your syle of photograpy. If a $40 tripod does the job for you, that's the right tripod for your type of photography. There is no best tripod, each has advantages and disadvantages.
 
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I have a 6D with the Canon grip, it doesn't add that much weight or bulk. The 6D makes a brilliant landscape camera, as long as there is decent glass in front of it. The GPS does use power, but not as drastically as some say. No issues shooting all day (even shooting video) with my gripped 6D with GPS on full time. Just don't leave it on overnight or you could loose 5-10% charge.
 
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6D with an extra battery or two is much lighter and compact than the extra grip. If it's a 3rd party grip, you lose the mild weather seal. The GPS battery drain depends on how easy or difficult it is for the camera to acquire signal. When camera is off but gps left on, it will "periodically" try to acquire signal and if you are outdoors, it will acquire quickly and will not affect battery too much through the day but if you're in the house or hotel, it takes much longer to acquire (or not acquire) it during the periodic checks and it will drain the battery more.
Just put the gps function on the quick menu or program it in for a custom function and remember to turn it off or switch back to another shooting function.
 
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AcutancePhotography said:
daniela said:
I was told to buy an grip, because the 6D´s GPS drains the batteries quite much. Better take an exchance battery in my backpack without an grip?

I would think it would be far easier to take one or two spare charged batteries with you than getting a grip. You should get a grip because you want a grip, not for just the extra battery. How long does it take to change a battery on a 6D? Compare that with the full time bulk and weight of a grip.

More to the point, the grip doesn't offer any added power, other than keeping two charged batteries in there at the same time. So just spend your money on extra batteries, keep them charged, and swap out as needed. And deactivate the GPS when you aren't shooting. I've never even turned mine on, although I would for some nice landscapes or travel photography.
 
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