Body for Wedding Photography

[bvphotography]

For a main body for wedding photography, should I take the leap and buy a 5d mark3 or would a 6d be plenty of camera? Why?

 

[Don Haines]

For a main body for wedding photography, should I take the leap and buy a 5d mark3 or would a 6d be plenty of camera? Why?

5D3.

The 6D may be a bit better than the 5D3 on the center focus point, but many times you are focusing on something to the side..... a white dress makes a nasty target for AF.......

 

[bvphotography]

That makes sense. I do like using primes with very wide apertures so focus with centre point and recompose could leave me with too many soft images whereas if I can select a focal point over the eye I should have a much higher keeper rate.

 

[tolusina]

...... I do like using primes with very wide apertures........

6D allows for optional focusing screens. The Eg-S "provides easier manual focusing through your viewfinder on subjects in low light when using lenses with a wide aperture between f/1.8 to f/2.8. "
That might be just the ticket, especially at the reception.



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[mackguyver]

...... I do like using primes with very wide apertures........

6D allows for optional focusing screens. The Eg-S "provides easier manual focusing through your viewfinder on subjects in low light when using lenses with a wide aperture between f/1.8 to f/2.8. "
That might be just the ticket, especially at the reception.

I would agree - when I used to cover a lot of events, mostly in dark theaters or at night outdoors, I used the 5DII with that screen and it made it easy to focus my f/1.4 primes.

 

[bvphotography]

So you would just let the camera auto focus and get close and then you can see if it needs tweaking and if it does then just adjust the focus manually until sharp? Does this only work with the centre point? If so then I don't think it will help much since once I recompose the centre focus point won't necessarily be the area I want in focus, it could be another area of the screen.

 

[mackguyver]

So you would just let the camera auto focus and get close and then you can see if it needs tweaking and if it does then just adjust the focus manually until sharp? Does this only work with the centre point? If so then I don't think it will help much since once I recompose the centre focus point won't necessarily be the area I want in focus, it could be another area of the screen.

I found that center point AF on the 5DII worked pretty well for focus/recompose until the light got really low, then I would do exactly that. I would try the AF and if it failed, I'd manually focus, or as happened most of the time, it would focus, but not accurately, so I'd tweak it manually. The 6D is supposed to have excellent center point AF even in very low light, so it might negate the need to manually focus entirely. The focus screen in the 5DIII is grainy crap in comparison to the Eg-S.

 

[bvphotography]

The problem that I have is not that the 6d doesn't focus accurately, the centre point is very accurate. The problem I have is that when using an aperture of 1.4-1.8 that the depth of field is so shallow that when you recompose, the small change to the focal plane is just enough to cause the eyes to become soft.

 

[bdunbar79]

Best wedding camera on the market right now, hands-down, is the 5D Mark III. Focus and recompose is the worst idea ever and with the 5D3's AF system, you don't need to worry about that crap. The outer AF points are stellar. If I were going to be doing weddings I would have two of them.

 

[mackguyver]

The problem that I have is not that the 6d doesn't focus accurately, the centre point is very accurate. The problem I have is that when using an aperture of 1.4-1.8 that the depth of field is so shallow that when you recompose, the small change to the focal plane is just enough to cause the eyes to become soft.

That is where the Eg-S screen allows you to "touch up" the focus because you can actually see the DOF at f/1.8+ versus ~f/2.8+ for the normal screen. It's not as easy with the 24-28-35-50mm lengths, but with the 85 & 135 it works wonders. Beyond that, it's best to use the outer points for AF.

 

[Khalai]

Best wedding camera on the market right now, hands-down, is the 5D Mark III. Focus and recompose is the worst idea ever and with the 5D3's AF system, you don't need to worry about that crap. The outer AF points are stellar. If I were going to be doing weddings I would have two of them.

Not to doubt about 5D3 AF for a second but people seem to be really underestimating 6D outer AF points. They are actually quite reliable under moderate light, assuming a good contrast edge (but you need edge even with 1Dx AF points anyway). I was able to use my 6D with rather dated 50/1.4 USM with outer points quite well even at low light scenarios (ISO 3200+, 1/50-1/100s and f/1.6-f/2). The centre point is another chapter entirely, that beast locks on anything with some photons on it

 

[Eldar]

Most is said, but a good argument for the 5DIII is the silent mode. I don´t know if the 6D has it.

The shutter explosion from a 1DX during the church ceremony may cause a heart attack, whereas the 5DIII silent mode is really silent.

 

[NYCPHOTO]

My main Camera is a 5D3 with a 6D for as my second/backup.

And I have to say....I truly see them that way.

If i had to do a job with just the 6D, it would be fine.
But I truly prefer working with my 5D3 for so many reasons.

One feature I only noticed months after buying the 6D was that it had no pc port, making it impossible to put a flash on top of the camera and also plug a pocket wizard in for room lights. Fortunaly another member of the forum guided me to a TTL hotshoe with a pc port ( thank you Valvebounce )
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/765444-REG/Vello_HSA_PSC_PC_Top_Shoe.html
so now I have one less reason to prefer the 5D.

The one time I always grab the 6D is when I'm going out for fun. It's so much lighter and the images themselves at equal to the 5D3.

So, if you have the extra dollars...I'd to with the 5D3

Arnie

 

[RLPhoto]

5D3

 

[Click]

5D3

 

[sagittariansrock]

The problem that I have is not that the 6d doesn't focus accurately, the centre point is very accurate. The problem I have is that when using an aperture of 1.4-1.8 that the depth of field is so shallow that when you recompose, the small change to the focal plane is just enough to cause the eyes to become soft.

That is where the Eg-S screen allows you to "touch up" the focus because you can actually see the DOF at f/1.8+ versus ~f/2.8+ for the normal screen. It's not as easy with the 24-28-35-50mm lengths, but with the 85 & 135 it works wonders. Beyond that, it's best to use the outer points for AF.

I am not a pro, but I would rather rely on spot-on AF than a good manual focusing screen when on a paid gig, even for a fast prime. Especially considering the AF capabilities of the 5DIII.

 

[Maximilian]

Most is said, but a good argument for the 5DIII is the silent mode. I don´t know if the 6D has it.

The shutter explosion from a 1DX during the church ceremony may cause a heart attack, whereas the 5DIII silent mode is really silent.

Absolutely my opinion. I love the silent mode and use it almost every time except for high speed series.
The silent mode and the more flexible AF system (compared to the 6D) makes the 5DIII THE wedding camera.

 

[Khalai]

Most is said, but a good argument for the 5DIII is the silent mode. I don´t know if the 6D has it.

The shutter explosion from a 1DX during the church ceremony may cause a heart attack, whereas the 5DIII silent mode is really silent.

Absolutely my opinion. I love the silent mode and use it almost every time except for high speed series.
The silent mode and the more flexible AF system (compared to the 6D) makes the 5DIII THE wedding camera.

6D has a silent mode, quite damped sound from my experience. But no doubt about 5D3 AF superiority (but for my uses, the AF difference was not worth the price difference).

 

[Maximilian]

Most is said, but a good argument for the 5DIII is the silent mode. I don´t know if the 6D has it.

The shutter explosion from a 1DX during the church ceremony may cause a heart attack, whereas the 5DIII silent mode is really silent.

Absolutely my opinion. I love the silent mode and use it almost every time except for high speed series.
The silent mode and the more flexible AF system (compared to the 6D) makes the 5DIII THE wedding camera.

6D has a silent mode, quite damped sound from my experience. But no doubt about 5D3 AF superiority (but for my uses, the AF difference was not worth the price difference).

Thank you for this information.
I wasn't sure about this and did some skimming and pdf search through the manual, but couldn't find anything. :-[
Strage! Normally I don't miss such things. :-\

 

[distant.star]

.
My belief is the main design impetus for the 5D3 was event and wedding photography. I think they made a perfect tool for such work. To overlook this would seem foolish to me.

Comparing the possibly slightly better center focus point of a 6D in some situations to the overall capabilities of the 5D3 is like comparing the taste of a single orange to the ownership of an entire orange grove.