6D should i wait for newer model or buy soon?

[nowayout88]

Hey currently shooting on a 500D, have had it since xmas 2010. Still enjoy it, but I'm currently on a 3rd level course doing photography & was thinking full frame would be best for my 3 years i have left since first year is just over & its all black & white, which I'm loving. Do you think I should wait for the newer model or get while the price is dropping. I'm living in Ireland & the prices of it here with the 24-105mm f4 IS USM is €2599 (I've added a link). It has dropped down about €200 since about November. Great deal both Elements 11 & Lightroom 5. I was thinking of getting it around March-May when my current loan is paid back about €1200 left. Would the price drop by more come that time or is it worth to pay more for a newer one which I think will be more like the current 5D. I'm not one for having the latest & greatest, but coming from where I'm coming from would it be best to have the best at the time of purchase of the current one be a worth while upgrade?. Cheers

http://www.connscameras.ie/p/canon-eos-6d/p-8714574593609

 

[ajfotofilmagem]

Coming from a T1i, you'll notice image quality at ISO 1600 is extremely superior. You did not mention the lenses you have, but I suppose that has only one. Therefore, it is worthwhile to enjoy the fall in the price of 6d with 24-105mm. A new model will have starting price maybe 50% higher than currently 6d. But keep in mind that additional lenses (you might want some) cost more for full frame, compared with equivalent lenses available for APS-C.

 

[Marsu42]

Would the price drop by more come that time or is it worth to pay more for a newer one which I think will be more like the current 5D. I'm not one for having the latest & greatest

You're in luck there, the 6d af isn't the latest & greatest, basically it's a years old 40d design and virtually the same as on the 5d2 :-> ... but the iq is stunning in comparison to crop in the iso1600 - iso6400 range if you want that.

Personally I don't think the 6d will be replaced soon as it's cheap to produce and a cash cow for Canon, if they wanted to compete with Nikon's af systems they wouldn't have released the 6d as it is in the first place. And as it's the cheapest ff in the Canon system, I doubt it'll drop much further in price if you grab a good offer, that's why I bought it a couple of month ago ... at least in Germany it has become more expensive since then.

 

[Deleted member 91053]

I don't know your priorities in a camera but I have tried out the 6D and was very impressed. I was looking at it as primarily a landscape camera (to replace my 5D) so ISO performance/AF performance etc were not relevant to me. I loved it's compact size and light weight compared to my 1 series and the IQ is top notch.
However I did try out the AF and ISO. The center point AF is very good especially in low light - better than my 1D4. The outer AF points are few and far between but give adequate performance in reasonable light. The high ISO performance is superb again better than my 1D4.
Overall I liked the sensor/processor very much but I found that, overall, the flexibility of the 6D is limited. If moving subjects and high frame rates are not on the agenda then I would strongly suggest you have a good long look at the 6D!
Other alternatives that are worth a look would be a used 5D Mk2 or a 1 DS Mk3.
The only reason I didn't buy the 6D was that I found a 1Dx going cheap, so I am going to one body and selling my other 2 bodies to help fund it.

 

[wsmith96]

I recommend you purchase and don't look back. There will always be something new on the horizon and a better deal than the one you got on (x) date. Get it and use the heck out of it!

You might want to consider a refurb from canon and they seem to have sales every quarter.

Good luck!

 

[ashmadux]

I urge caution. Yes, the 6d iso performance is awesome. but that autofocus...it is very, very suspect. Try before you buy.

Rent rent rent before u buy.

im beginning to feel the af deficiencies is not worth it relative to the iso gains compared to 70d/5d3. Also, for portraits, while I can work with the 9 points, its soooo not close to being flexible enough.

my 2/c

 

[Ruined]

Re: ashmadux

IMO the 6D AF is just fine as long as:
A) You are not shooting sports/fast moving targets frequently.
B) You do not use lens faster than f/1.8 frequently.

But, it is a far cry from the 5D3 in AF performance.

Still, I feel its other excellent qualities make it a significantly better buy than the 70D for non-sports usage. If you are shooting a wedding, event, portrait, landscape, etc - the greater detail, lower noise, and low light performance of the 6D blows away the 70D.

It is doubtful Canon will deliver an update to the 6D earlier than Fall 2015. But I could see 5D4 coming out this year.

 

[Marsu42]

IMO the 6D AF is just fine as long as: B) You do not use lens faster than f/1.8 frequently.

Make that f2.8 - I sometimes get micro-misses with my 100L that I can pin to the non-crosspoint af of the 6d with faster lenses, meaning it falls back to only f5.6 precision. I don't know this phenomenon from the 60d with a real crosspoint.

Just today I had a couple of these (maybe 5% of the shots) - it's not the lens, it's not me, it's the af system. The good news: it's only visible at 100% crop, but the bottom line is that I have to take two exposures of every important scene if I want to be sure the af has got it :-\

 

[Ruined]

IMO the 6D AF is just fine as long as: B) You do not use lens faster than f/1.8 frequently.

Make that f2.8 - I sometimes get micro-misses with my 100L that I can pin to the non-crosspoint af of the 6d with faster lenses, meaning it falls back to only f5.6 precision. I don't know this phenomenon from the 60d with a real crosspoint.

Just today I had a couple of these (maybe 5% of the shots) - it's not the lens, it's not me, it's the af system. The good news: it's only visible at 100% crop, but the bottom line is that I have to take two exposures of every important scene if I want to be sure the af has got it :-\

One flaw I noticed with the 6D AF on fast lenses which was also present in the 5D2 is that if you have continuous shooting off and lock twice on the same target when taking multiple shots, often the second lock will put the lens slightly out of focus for some reason. The first lock always seems most accurate.

But, lets face it alternatives are a much more expensive 5D3, or the slightly less expensive 70D that isn't even capable of such slim DOF due to its crop nature. Unless you have the budget for the 5D3, neither is ideal. The 6D isn't ideal either, but if you can't afford the 5D3 and arent doing sports it is a much better choice than the 70D IMO.

 

[Marsu42]

One flaw I noticed with the 6D AF on fast lenses which was also present in the 5D2 is that if you have continuous shooting off and lock twice on the same target when taking multiple shots, often the second lock will put the lens slightly out of focus for some reason. The first lock always seems most accurate.

Known issue, lensrentals found it: The af is more precise when focusing from completely elsewhere, it's the same with my 60d... you can test for this by re-focusing on the exact same spot, the camera often chooses a slightly different af. Since I know this I often first focus in the distant background and only then where I want.

But, lets face it alternatives are a much more expensive 5D3, or the slightly less expensive 70D that isn't even capable of such slim DOF due to its crop nature. Unless you have the budget for the 5D3, neither is ideal. The 6D isn't ideal either, but if you can't afford the 5D3 and arent doing sports it is a much better choice than the 70D IMO.

Absolutely, that's why I bought it, and I certainly don't regret it (though the 70d is a very, very nice camera, even though it doesn't run Magic Lantern). I still find nearly €3000 for a camera body outrageous in comparison to the subjective "value" of lenses for that price, I just want to relay my experiences with the 6d af @f2.8 so other people can make an educated decision.

 

[Sella174]

...

Buy whatever you want to buy, because you're anyway going to be spending a lot of dinero in finding that one camera and two lenses that ultimately fits (and defines) your style of photography.

That said, if you're going with Canon, then full-frame is the only sensible choice. However, since you're a student, I'd say rather go for a secondhand 5D or 5DII and spend the balance on good lenses. If chosen with care, the lenses will serve you faithfully well into your professional career, whereas cameras come and go.

 

[Albi86]

Hey currently shooting on a 500D, have had it since xmas 2010. Still enjoy it, but I'm currently on a 3rd level course doing photography & was thinking full frame would be best for my 3 years i have left since first year is just over & its all black & white, which I'm loving. Do you think I should wait for the newer model or get while the price is dropping. I'm living in Ireland & the prices of it here with the 24-105mm f4 IS USM is €2599 (I've added a link). It has dropped down about €200 since about November. Great deal both Elements 11 & Lightroom 5. I was thinking of getting it around March-May when my current loan is paid back about €1200 left. Would the price drop by more come that time or is it worth to pay more for a newer one which I think will be more like the current 5D. I'm not one for having the latest & greatest, but coming from where I'm coming from would it be best to have the best at the time of purchase of the current one be a worth while upgrade?. Cheers

http://www.connscameras.ie/p/canon-eos-6d/p-8714574593609

According to the last data from Japan, the 6D seems to be selling quite well and this means Canon is probably in no hurry to replace it. Also, it's not sure the replacement will leave you that much more satisfied.

In other words: buy it now

 

[MichaelHodges]

The 6D's IQ is far, far superior to any Canon crop camera. Get it if you can afford it.

 

[sparkie]

If you decide on the 6D and 24-105 kit then it may be worth checking out Amazon Germany. Their products aren't grey imports (as long as you buy from Amazon themselves and not their "market place" traders) and come with a Canon European warranty. You should also get "Free Super Saver Delivery" to anywhere in Europe. It's worth checking all of Amazon's European sites (France, Spain, Italy, UK, Germany) for the best price as the delivery is usually free (they're all shipped from Luxembourg regardless AFAIK)
Amazon's return policy is great if you are dissatisfied with your purchase.
The 6D with 24-105 is 2215 Euro at Amazon Germany

 

[Mr_Canuck]

Based on Canon full-frame product cycles, I wouldn't wait for it to be replaced any time soon. Maybe a year or so from now? If you're a creative shooter (not so much events or sports where speed is of concern) then the 6D AF (which seems to be the ONLY concern about it) will be just fine. Everything else about the camera is fantastic for the price.

 

[bholliman]

IMO the 6D AF is just fine as long as: B) You do not use lens faster than f/1.8 frequently.

Make that f2.8 - I sometimes get micro-misses with my 100L that I can pin to the non-crosspoint af of the 6d with faster lenses, meaning it falls back to only f5.6 precision. I don't know this phenomenon from the 60d with a real crosspoint.

Just today I had a couple of these (maybe 5% of the shots) - it's not the lens, it's not me, it's the af system. The good news: it's only visible at 100% crop, but the bottom line is that I have to take two exposures of every important scene if I want to be sure the af has got it :-\

All my lenses are f/2.8 or faster and my 6D auto focuses just fine! I just shot a Boy Scout event last weekend, mostly with my 70-200 and 135mm, the majority at 2.8 or faster and only 3 out of focus shots out of 140+, nailed all the 135L shots at f/2 to 2.4. Maybe there is something wrong with your camera?

 

[nowayout88]

thanks for all the feedback. I'm not one for sports photography only covered it once & only recently. I much prefer street portraits like at protests, which have been happening a lot more now than in previous years, prior to our bailout. I prefer the landscape & portrait styles. If there's an AF blip with the camera I'll keep that in mind & photograph on MF when it's important works & if its a wedding I'll pay extra care of that. Does the 6D need CF cards like other FF cameras or is it SD cards that it takes. Really can't wait to get one only a few more weeks to go now.

 

[Marsu42]

All my lenses are f/2.8 or faster and my 6D auto focuses just fine! I just shot a Boy Scout event last weekend, mostly with my 70-200 and 135mm, the majority at 2.8 or faster and only 3 out of focus shots out of 140+, nailed all the 135L shots at f/2 to 2.4.

It's great to hear that your 6d is working fine, but imho unless your 6d has another sensor array this simply means you're lucky (or didn't look @100% crops) - with wider apertures, the 6d af is f2.8 non-cross and falls back to f5.6.

This means if you focus on a high-contrast target, you'll be fine, but you'll get some micro-misses on low-contrast surfaces, it might not occur often mind you. That being said, I cannot exclude the possibility that the 135L for some reason or another works better as the 100L is known to hunt a bit anyway, at least in low light (but that wasn't the case here).

Maybe there is something wrong with your camera?

I doubt it, but of course cannot exclude the possibility of a lens/camera problem w/o proper testing w/ another set. However looking at the amount of problematic experiences with the 5d2/6d af, the lens is afma'd and given the high af hit rate I suppose correctly so.

Here are two samples, f2.8 @ 1/4000s - in one shot there is a tiny mis-focus, i.e. another part of the shot is in focus. This is a live object and handheld so I cannot exclude the possibility of me slightly moving, but my 60d seems to be more reliable with this setup - which is to be expected since the dof is deeper on crop, but I also suspect the 6d af as a source of the problem because the misses are more often on low contrast surfaces.

 

[sb in ak]

I wouldn't wait. If you need it now, get it now. There is no indication that they'll release a Mark II anytime soon, but who knows. I'd think 2-3 years for something like this camera. The 6D is a great camera, though its AF system is a little on the weak side.

 

[tron]

Get the 6D now! If you like to always have the latest and greatest you can sell it when 6DII is on sale...