Backup body for an enthusiast 6D user

[mnclayshooter]

to the OP - I also echo this. I too consider myself lucky in that I bring my camera with on pretty aggressive hiking/climbing/biking adventures... carrying two bodies isn't usually preferred due to weight and overall clunkiness, however... having an extra body in the car so that a week-long adventure's photos don't stop after a slip and fall on day 1 of the trip is a great comfort. I have a G1X as a backup which doesn't give me any advantage other than smaller size than the 6D. Having a good small-ish P/S is great for times when you just don't want to carry lenses and the weight of a DSLR, or when simply being able to pocket a camera would be great - either to conceal it from view, to protect it from rain/weather or just to keep your hands free. Not sure what your travel includes as far as that's concerned.

If I had the money, I'd be buying a 7D right now, for all of the reasons Coldhands lists - ESPECIALLY since you can get one very reasonably.

Nominally, my backup is 7D, but in reality it is more of a complimentary body than a backup one. Its strengths are generally in areas where the 6D shows weakness (build/weather sealing, AF, burst rate), and vice versa, creating a very capable two-camera kit.

Regarding whether you actually need a second body, as an enthusiast it depends entirely on how much you personally value the ability to keep shooting when things go wrong. I don't earn anything from my photos, but when a two-week holiday in the southwest US began with a broken lens mount (thanks WestJet!) on my primary body, I was very glad a had a second, since I came away with some of my all-time favourite shots.

Only you can say whether it's truly worth it.

 

[Ruined]

Hey folks,

I'm wondering if it's worth getting a backup for a 6D. I'm an enthusiast; not a professional. I've been on a few trips already w/ one body so far and haven't had any issues (knocking on wood). I'm wondering if I even need a backup or not. I've been using my 6D for almost two years now w/ no issues. I also don't want to have to switch to CF cards. I wanted to get some opinions on second bodies for a 6D user who's an enthusiast. Is it worth having one or should I just save my money? Thanks!

If you are a enthusiast you don't need a backup body.

HOWEVER, buying a 2nd body that does something different/better is not a bad idea. I would go with the 7DII as it will be much better for spots and wildlife than your 6D.

 

[pjn0629]

Fuji x100s... great image quality, and a fun second camera

 

[Marsu42]

I'm wondering if it's worth getting a backup for a 6D. I'm an enthusiast; not a professional.

If you want a backup just in case you can't wait for the camera repair while on a trip get a 60d (or a used one) - same usability, the good ol' decent 18mp crop sensor and it's arguably even better at doing macro than the 6d. In some situations, the 1.6x added crop reach is nice, too.

 

[mackguyver]

I'm wondering if it's worth getting a backup for a 6D. I'm an enthusiast; not a professional.

If you want a backup just in case you can't wait for the camera repair while on a trip get a 60d (or a used one) - same usability, the good ol' decent 18mp crop sensor and it's arguably even better at doing macro than the 6d. In some situations, the 1.6x added crop reach is nice, too.

+1 - the 60D is a great little camera and the prices I see it selling for these days are excellent. As Marsu points out, the articulating screen makes macro work a pleasure.

 

[NancyP]

My back thanks the 60D. 6D and 60D are very similar in layout and hand fit, so it makes a logical pairing. 60D swivel screen makes a good addition to tripod shooting for high positioning, as well. 60D is a bargain right now. A used 60D would make a great camera for all-spectrum conversion.

 

[McSpike]

+2 on a 60D.
I have both, bought the 60D, then got a 6D later. I think they compliment each other very well, and it is easy to switch from one to the other because of control layout and menus.

 

[martti]

I had an EOS SL-1 as a backup but for one whole year, I did not use it once.
Now I have a Sony a6000. It is a nice toy. I think I'll get another 5DIII body before I go to ZA next time.

 

[FTb-n]

Consider another 6D, or a 5D3.

I use two 5D3's. If you're shooting an important event or a paid gig, logic dictates a second body as a backup. But, to be fair, I think it will be extremely rare that you will use the second body because the first one fails in some way. Mine is used for my second lens choice -- usually the 24-70 f2.8L II. Most times, my primary body is for the 70-200 f2.8L II. I don't like changes lenses and when working an event, time can be of the essence. I don't want to lose a moment because I have the wrong lens.

I have only once changed bodies because there was a problem with the body that I was using. I don't remember the specifics, but somehow I screwed up a setting and couldn't resolve it within a few seconds. It was my error, but I didn't want to waste the client's time trying to resolve it, so I switched bodies. It pays to learn every screen in the menu and to be able to troubleshoot an errant setting in a hurry. But, I just drew a blank and couldn't get there quick enough.

It is very helpful to use two of the same body because of the familiarity between the two bodies. Personally, I don't like mixing crop and full frame. I tried using my 7D with my first 5D3, but found that I was switching lenses more often. The temptation to put the preferred lens for a given situation on the FF body was too high to resist, especially in low light situations where noise can be a factor. In these cases, it would have been simpler to carry one body than move lenses between the 7D and the 5D3.

One other note. Shooting sports, I relay on timing that first shot. For kicks, I recently took only my 7D and I found that my timing was off. There seems to be an ever so slight difference between the two bodies that it affected my timing -- another reason why I prefer working with two copies of the same body.

 

[TeT]

Something that you will actually use in places where you would not take the 6D

I cart around an SL1 when I am on class field trips etc...

 

[Marsu42]

Consider another 6D, or a 5D3.

Respecting your opinion and advice: Did you read the op?

He's wondering if it's a clever idea to get a backup at all, or to *save* the money. Getting a similar 6d backup for an enthusiast who's not dual-shooting with two lenses is hardly necessary. Same for 5d3 which is a "pro" camera at its eol, doesn't have better iq, but different usability. There are smarter ways to spend $2000+.

 

[FTb-n]

Consider another 6D, or a 5D3.

Respecting your opinion and advice: Did you read the op?

He's wondering if it's a clever idea to get a backup at all, or to *save* the money. Getting a similar 6d backup for an enthusiast who's not dual-shooting with two lenses is hardly necessary. Same for 5d3 which is a "pro" camera at its eol, doesn't have better iq, but different usability. There are smarter ways to spend $2000+.

Yes, I did read the original post and I didn't see any reference to the number of lenses or shooting style. So I filled this void with some assumptions and tried to offer enough detail in my reasoning with the hopes that the OP can determine how much of it fits his/her need.

To reiterate, I don't think there's a need for a second body as a "backup" should the first fail. I think it would be quite rare for a body like the 6D to fail. If it were to freeze up in some fashion, removing the battery for a few seconds would most likely clear it up. (This has happened to me a few times in the past decade or so, and with different bodies.)

The big advantage of a second body is when two ore more lenses are being used to avoid changing lenses and losing shots. In THIS case, I'd recommend another full frame. If action isn't a frequent subject, then I'd recommend another 6D because I find it handy to use two copies of the same body.

It would help to know what lenses the OP is using and how they fit his need. I might advise putting the money towards another lens -- or simply saving it for another purpose.

 

[bereninga]

I think there are various perspectives on this topic. Some people think that the "backup" should be equal, complementary, or a lower-tier camera.

To clear things up, I was curious to others' reasons for a backup camera and I think there's a great amount of various opinions here that I can choose to agree with, and I thank the community for this! Anyway, I do agree that the 6D is a solid camera and that with my style of shooting, I have very low risk of damaging my camera (wow, I'm really jinxing myself here). I've had the camera for a while now and so far no issues so I may just ditch the backup idea and opt to just keep saving for the 5DmkIII or 6DmkII or maybe a body after those. I think that it's interesting to see that some folks have bought a backup only to barely/never use it.

I think if anything, the backup body that I most agree with is the point-and-shoot that is more portable and one that I can bring when the 6D is just overkill. Too bad the M3 isn't coming to the U.S.! Thanks everyone for your input!

 

[Hannes]

I can see a couple of options depending on whether you want it to do something your 6D can't. The EOS M would be a good option for portability. Canon 70D would be interesting if you want to shoot more video on it in an easier way. 60D if you want something similar to the 6D but cheap. 7D or a 1D III would be a good option if it is frame rates and AF you are after. For me personally a EOS M with a 22mm pancake would be the main candidate for me personally as it would be small enough to fit in a coat pocket when not wanting to lug a bigger camera around.

 

[FTb-n]

"Backup" does carry different meanings. For a "travel light" camera, I purchased the S100. But, I was disappointed with low light performance. Then, I got the G16. So far, I'm impressed with it. The G16 handles the situations where the S100 struggled (unless I only shot in wide angle). Plus, it has great video. My video needs are minimal and this may not be saying much, but I love this camera as my main video camera.

Still, I find that I most often grab a 5D3 with the 40 pancake for "travel lite" grab shots. It's far easier for me to use the 5D3 than the G16. Part of it is familiarity with the camera, the other part is that I prefer the viewfinder and the no-lag performance of the DSLR.

Even though I still have the 60D and the 7D, I most often grab the 5D3. I've toyed with the idea of getting the new 24 mm EF-S pancake for the lighter 60D, but this package really isn't that much smaller than the 5D3. Plus, the grab shots that I anticipate would be in light challenged situations where I would prefer the FF body over the crop. I have also considered an SL1 with the 24 mm pancake and would prefer this over the EOS-M. But, I can't justify the cost. This is a neat little camera, but I suspect it will sit in the drawer after the novelty wears off.

So, I'm back to the G16. I carry this when I need video or want a camera with me, but don't really expect to use it. (To be fair, I should spend more time getting familiar with this little gem.) If I plan to use the camera, then I take the 5D3 with the 40mm.

 

[martti]

You are taking pictures of your friends having a couple of beers and somebody spills his drink on your camera.
Or wipes it off the table while showing how big a fish he nearly caught last summer. Or whatever.
You do not have a backup. It might be you get some pictures before the thing goes dead and that's it.
Cameras do not only 'fail' but they also are prone to all possible kinds of accidents.
If you think it is important that you cover the event, you have a backup.
You drink less that the others as well and keep out of fights.
An insurance policy is good but it does not take pictures.
(says Captain Obvious and flies away)

 

[lux]

I use a 70D as a backup/alternative to the 6D. relatively inexpensive (there have been some good deals recently) and it has some extra reach (for birds) and better video. It can also serve as a backup if needed. I also thought I would use it for sports...and I do but the photos with the 6D are better despite the less effective autofocus