Moving to FF Canon vs Nikon - I'm Confused...

[koolman]

I have a canon 550d rebel and was considering the "jump" to FF.

The Canon 6d is in my budget. However the Nikon D800 is available (refurb) for $2,300.

I ask myself - why spend almost the same on the inferior 6d ? Why does canon seem to give less and charge more ?

 

[rwmson]

A lot of us Canon owners have been wondering the same thing.

 

[Canon-F1]

? Why does canon seem to give less and charge more ?

you mean the 6D AF system is not as good as the AF from the D800?
but but..... it has 1 cross point AF.. not?

and it has an SD card slot!!!!
many consumers are puzzled with two memory card slots .. especially when they are CF and SD.

when you are lost in a cave using your -3EV middle AF point and your camera will be rescued 5 years later .. your family will know your last steps.... thanks to GPS.

 

[Axilrod]

I have a canon 550d rebel and was considering the "jump" to FF.

The Canon 6d is in my budget. However the Nikon D800 is available (refurb) for $2,300.

I ask myself - why spend almost the same on the inferior 6d ? Why does canon seem to give less and charge more ?

That's kind of subjective. But I will say if you move to Nikon everything is backwards. Dials, focus ring, even the way the lens screws on is the opposite direction. Changing settings? Opposite direction of Canon. Also it can be difficult to find certain Nikon glass, while pretty much everything Canon makes is plentiful.

And do you really want to shoot RAW on the D800 and use up 1GB for every 4 pictures you take? And what did people say about the D800 vs 5D Mark III? And who won camera of the year?

 

[Canon-F1]

And do you really want to shoot RAW on the D800 and use up 1GB for every 4 pictures you

you could buy plenty of HDD space for the money you save (compared to the 5D MK3).
wasn´t it your voice i heard in all the screams for a big MP camera last year??
or maybe i just mixed up your nick.

take? And what did people say about the D800 vs 5D Mark III? And who won camera of the year?

the D800, if you ask the customers, is liked more ... see DPreview poll.

and when you say "camera of the year" well there are a dozend magazines and institutions who give such a title... you have to say to which you refer.

http://www.eisa.eu/award/27/european-camera-2012-2013.html

 

[RLPhoto]

The 6D is a repackaged 5D2, which is a repackaged 20D w/ a FF sensor.

Save your dough and buy a used 5D2+glass or a 5D3.

 

[MK5GTI]

the 5Dc is a 20D with FF sensor.

the 5D2 is more like a 40D/50D with FF sensor, to be fair....

but like others, i think there are tons of Canon user waiting the 6D to drop to ~1500 mark, or something like the D600 with 24-85 @ $2000.

 

[kubelik]

as of today there is a separate thread titled "Canon has Refurbished 5DIII for $2240": http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=12006.0

I'm assuming this isn't a troll-post, but I'm kind of surprised because the refurb thread is one that is currently active and shows up on the front page.

 

[Canon-F1]

as of today there is a separate thread titled "Canon has Refurbished 5DIII for $2240": http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=12006.0

I'm assuming this isn't a troll-post, but I'm kind of surprised because the refurb thread is one that is currently active and shows up on the front page.

and?
for example, when i come here i go directly to the forum not the frontpage.

and why should it be trolling?
what canons charges is a joke compared to the competition... no need for trolling.

 

[kubelik]

and why should it be trolling?
what canons charges is a joke compared to the competition... no need for trolling.

I stated that I was assuming that the OP was not trolling.

and, if you read his post, he states that the 6D is non-competitive against a refurb D800. the price I pointed out is a refurb 5DIII listed for less than the D800. how is what canon charges "a joke", when it is for an equal camera, at lesser price?

 

[Promature]

as of today there is a separate thread titled "Canon has Refurbished 5DIII for $2240": http://www.canonrumors.com/forum/index.php?topic=12006.0

I'm assuming this isn't a troll-post, but I'm kind of surprised because the refurb thread is one that is currently active and shows up on the front page.

As the author of that thread, it was not a troll post. I use dealsea.com and slickdeals.net and I think both of those sites posted the link, which I reposted in the thread here. However, it is true that the deal is no longer available.

 

[Cfunkexplosion]

If this isn't a troll post, then are you are sincerely asking complete and anonymous strangers to convince you to buy a certain brand of consumer good that you clearly don't want to purchase?

Enjoy the meal.

 

[unfocused]

That is easy, they don't!

Canon have a superb ability to make what people actually want, Nikon make the things they think people want. The difference is subtle but very important...

This is something that I've been trying to explain for months.

The 5DIII was targeted to a very specific audience – wedding and event photographers. That doesn't mean it isn't a fine camera for general use, but rather it was designed and marketed with a specific professional audience in mind. Wedding photographers are about the only large population of professional photographers remaining today and they are in a very competitive market where small differences are critical to gaining a competitive edge. The 5DIII was designed to offer a competitive edge (clean, high ISO).

On the other hand, I have been unable to identify any professional market for the D800. Again, it's a fine camera, but what competitive advantage does it offer? I suppose if you are in the business of producing wall- or billboard-sized prints the extra resolution of the D800 offers an advantage. But the market is miniscule compared to the wedding and event market. And, for many professionals the high resolution and resultant files sizes can actually be a disadvantage, given that the end-use of the majority of images today is the web and not "art" prints.

Canon was able to charge a premium for the 5DIII because they knew the professional market they were targeting would pay the premium in order to secure a competitive advantage. As "private" says, Canon made a product that people actually wanted.

For products like the 6D and the D600 the differences are less significant because both are targeted to consumers, not professionals, so they are sharing and competing for essentially the same customers. Canon did their market research and determined what features and price point they were comfortable with. Nikon did the same.

If someone feels that Nikon better fits their needs than Canon, have at it. No manufacturer is ever going to produce a product that meets the needs of 100% of the market 100% of the time.

 

[robbymack]

Depends what you are into. If low light af, high iso performance, wifi, and GPS are important to you then the 6d is clearly not inferior. If you care about low iso dr and mega "pickles" then the Nikon is clearly not inferior. Pick your tool and start shooting with it. Both options are very capable and this nonsense over which is "better" is a subjective exercise.

 

[Loswr]

I ask myself - why spend almost the same on the inferior 6d ? Why does canon seem to give less and charge more ?

Are you considering the whole package, including the price and quality of the lens(es) you'd use on the D800? The Canon 24-105L is an excellent kit lens...neither the Nikkor 24-85 nor 24-120 are as good (unless you like CA and mushy corners on your FF images). If you're going to get a 14-24/2.8 and shoot mostly landscapes, the D800 makes a lot of sense. For general use, IMO, Canon offers better choices.

 

[Albi86]

I have a canon 550d rebel and was considering the "jump" to FF.

The Canon 6d is in my budget. However the Nikon D800 is available (refurb) for $2,300.

I ask myself - why spend almost the same on the inferior 6d ? Why does canon seem to give less and charge more ?

If you don't plan to spend several grands on those few lenses which have no Nikon or 3rd party alternative, then buy a Nikon.

 

[Sony]

Better lenses give better images. What do you want in photography? Good pics or what? I switched from Nikon to Canon just because of better images. It cost me but Im happy now with my tough decision. Nikon's lenses arent as good as Canon's. If I were you I would stay with Canon's lenses and move up. It's reality.

 

[bdunbar79]

What practical or business advantage does the D800 offer over the 6D? I can't think of any if you already have Canon lenses. And vice versa if you already had Nikon system.

 

[cliffwang]

I have a canon 550d rebel and was considering the "jump" to FF.

The Canon 6d is in my budget. However the Nikon D800 is available (refurb) for $2,300.

I ask myself - why spend almost the same on the inferior 6d ? Why does canon seem to give less and charge more ?

If you don't have any EF lens, switching to Nikon may work for you. Nowadays, third party lenses are amazing. If you think the following lenses are you going to use, you could switch to to Nikon.

14-24(Nikon)
24-70(Tamron)
70-200(Tamron)
35mm(Sigma)
50mm(Sigma)
85mm(Sigma)

If you need other lenses, you have to consider Canon.

 

[RustyTheGeek]

The 6D is a repackaged 5D2, which is a repackaged 20D w/ a FF sensor.

Save your dough and buy a used 5D2+glass or a 5D3.

I keep seeing this same post by RLPhoto in response to the 6D over and over. I consider RLPhoto a solid and talented photographer who consistently offers great advice here, no offense is intended by my comment but... his response to the 6D is out of character for him because it indicates an assumption opinion apparently based on specs that isn't backed up by first hand experience. And the repeated posting of it seems to indicate a desire to prevent others from making a mistake in purchasing the 6D.

I've shot about 4000+ images so far with the 6D I've owned for about a month. I also own the 5D3, 60D, 40D, 30D and original 5D. I've shot the 5D2 as well. The 5D3 and 6D are the first NIB bodies I've purchased. I normally purchase most of my equipment used. I agree that the current Canon prices are ridiculous. I purchased the 6D because I find the 5D3 low light performance and AF to be lacking. In another month or two I will likely sell either the 5D3 or the 6D. If Canon somehow magically fixes the 5D3 AF I would be inclined to possibly keep it but as things stand now, unless I do a lot of sports shooting (which I don't), the 6D will easily win this decision.

I can assure you that IMHO (based on actual use) the 6D is not a repackaged 5D2, 20D or whatever is being assumed. The 6D IQ is comparable to the 5D3 IQ and the 6D is superior to all other cameras in low light. The 6D simply works great as an entry level (or even mid level) FF camera. Everything I have read from actual 6D hands-on use and reviews is positive. My knee-jerk reaction to the 6D spec sheet several months ago was also negative. But I gave it a chance and I'm glad I did.