Comparing 6D with 5D3

[bdunbar79]

That makes a huge difference. I don't shoot sports but lots of candid in-motion people. I'm just use to using center point focus on everything I do in low light situations. Now I wonder if I really need all the extra AF points for from the MKIII if the 6D center point is actually that much better and what I'm use to. I never had good enough AF on any of my previous cameras so I just learned to only use center.

I suppose it depends on what you're used to. The 5DII center point AF is spec'd to -0.5 EV (2.5-stops brighter than the -3 EV of the 6D), and with my 5DII, I was able to AF with an f/5.6 lens with netered exposure of 1/80 s at ISO 25,600...so, I'm not sure where I'd need the extra 2.5 stops...

At night when you're taking pictures inside your....................VAN DOWN BY THE RIVER!

 

[CatfishSoupFTW]

id stick with the mrk3. Im hopefully making such a purchase soon, and the 6D is kinda cool spec wise, but I dunno, for me, the better build, the feel, the AF, 100 percent viewfinder and weather sealing is real nice. oh and dual cards is real nice. I would imagine that the video could be better. the extra fps would be real nice too. an extra added punch. as nice as the 6D would be especially from your xsi upgrade (im on a 40D still) then either would initially feel amazing, but id go mrk3. especially because its older brother, mrk2 had such a history.

 

[RC]

Don't forget ergonomics and button layout. Myself coming from a 7D, it would be awkward going to the smaller joystick less 6D. Personally I like the larger body, even the 60D feels a bit small.

Personally I think the joystick is a con. The setup on the 6D is just like the 60D and I loved it. Once I went to my 7D, I was disappointed. You have to constantly switch back and forth between the pad and joystick.

I guess it's whatever you are use to. I was playing with a 60D in a shop trying to simulate what a 6D might feel like. I found the inner Multi-controller inside the Quick Control Dial extremely awkward, but that is because I'm use to the 7D's joystick. It was hard for me to navigate without pressing the Set button. I'm sure with practice and time, either can be efficient although my bias prefers the joystick by a long shot.

 

[Marsu42]

It was hard for me to navigate without pressing the Set button. I'm sure with practice and time, either can be efficient although my bias prefers the joystick by a long shot.

Given the mediocre af system of the 60d/6d there's really no pressing need for a joystick to select af points, and to zoom around the preview imho the multicontroller is ok. So that wouldn't be the reason no to buy the 6d for me, it's simply "too little (features) for too much (money)".

 

[Nishi Drew]

One thing that isn't talked of so much is how much life one can expect from the shutter of a 6D. I expect a cheap build, and the 1/180 sync is telling of a cheaper shutter, so how durable it is will determine the 6D as pro worthy or just an FF rebel.

 

[Canon-F1]

One thing that isn't talked of so much is how much life one can expect from the shutter of a 6D. I expect a cheap build, and the 1/180 sync is telling of a cheaper shutter, so how durable it is will determine the 6D as pro worthy or just an FF rebel.

100000 vs. 150000 shutter accusations in the 5D MK2.

but then... replacing a shutter is not such a big deal.

 

[tomscott]

I would like to see how people actually use the AF in their systems.

Having infinite points is great... but is it needed? or even that useful in terms of accuracy? Recently gone from a 9 point 40D to the 19 point 7D.

Always used single, centre point AF. I decided to have a go with the different zones on the 7D to be open minded and not be stuck in my ways with centre point. Using full auto it focuses on the closest item. I find this very hit and miss, same with all the other modes.

Now tracking subjects the zone modes are very useable but everything else I still use single centre point. Very accurate I get what I want in focus and the centre is more sensitive anyway.

So why is everyone complaining about the 6D. From what I read nearly everyone uses centre point. So why the outcry? I think using full auto isnt suitable it misses most of the time, the zones are specific and single point and recomposing is how most of us have been doing it for years!??

I also find the more points the more time it takes to choose and focus? Therefore more likely to miss the shot?

Thoughts?

 

[Canon-F1]

So why is everyone complaining about the 6D. From what I read nearly everyone uses centre point. So why the outcry? I think using full auto isnt suitable it misses most of the time, the zones are specific and single point and recomposing is how most of us have been doing it for years!??

i don´t know where you have that info from.

but i agree that if your a rebel user it makes not much sense choosing another AF point then the central one.

egg or hen?

with a f1.2 the recomposing is prone to errors.
but then i guess not many rebel owners have such fast glass.

 

[CanonLITA]

AF Center Point: -3 vs. –2 EV = 6D is 33% more sensitive in low light

EV, like stops, is log2. So, not 33% more sensitive, the 6D works in half as much light.

But of the two, I'd still pick the 5DIII.

Thanks for that. This is a great forum, as I learn something new every day.

Great forum indeed, and Neuro makes it greater

 

[Loswr]

I would like to see how people actually use the AF in their systems.

Having infinite points is great... but is it needed? or even that useful in terms of accuracy? Recently gone from a 9 point 40D to the 19 point 7D.

Always used single, centre point AF. I decided to have a go with the different zones on the 7D to be open minded and not be stuck in my ways with centre point. Using full auto it focuses on the closest item. I find this very hit and miss, same with all the other modes.

Now tracking subjects the zone modes are very useable but everything else I still use single centre point. Very accurate I get what I want in focus and the centre is more sensitive anyway.

So why is everyone complaining about the 6D. From what I read nearly everyone uses centre point.

Who's this mythical 'everyone', and does it include anyone besides you? I suppose the 'everyone' would include those users who just shoot every photo with their main subject smack in the middle of the frame. To heck with pleasing composition...

For tracking moving subjects, the more points the better - better tracking data drives better motion prediction, more densely spaced points means smoother handoffs from one point to the next.

Zone AF and full Auto have their uses, but yes, you need to be aware of their limitation - they select the closest subject under an AF point in the active group. Personally, I don't use automatic AF point selection (although I do use the 61-pt auto mode with the 1D X in AI Servo, since you manually select the starting point, then the camera face-tracks the subject all the way through the frame using all available points).

As Canon-F1 correctly points out, using the center point and recomposing is fine if you're shooting with a slow lens (f/4 or f/5.6) and/or with a distant subject, because in those cases the deep DoF will mask the focus error. But focus-recompose with a fast prime shot wide open results in back focus - that's geometry, plain and simple. The closer you can get an AF point to your subject, the better. That's one reason why the AF point spread on the 5D/5DII was unliked (it didn't help that the outer points weren't very accurate, either).

Note that bodies with lots of AF points (not the 7D, but 1-series bodies and the 5DIII) allow you to limit the number of user selectable points, which speeds up the process of moving the AF point around.

 

[blaow]

I'm interested in picking a 5dmkiii or a 6D for astrophotography. Out of the two, which one points to have a higher signal to noise ratio?

 

[RC]

It was hard for me to navigate without pressing the Set button. I'm sure with practice and time, either can be efficient although my bias prefers the joystick by a long shot.

Given the mediocre af system of the 60d/6d there's really no pressing need for a joystick to select af points, and to zoom around the preview imho the multicontroller is ok. So that wouldn't be the reason no to buy the 6d for me, it's simply "too little (features) for too much (money)".

That's true, but I do like to use the joystick with the Q menu settings. As someone else pointed out in an earlier post, the rear button layout seems to be arranged as if there was going to be a flip screen.

For me its just one more negative of the 6D. Going back and forth between my 7D and a 6D would be more awkward than between a 7D and 5D

 

[Sharper100]

Sry, its a bit off topic but WHY THE HELL does it say "AE Bracketing +/- 3 EV) in almost every report I read? You can bracket up to 7 shots +/- over 8 EV, thats a lot! I was confused when I read that the 5D III had only +/-3 beacuse I thought its not better vor HDR than my 7D, but +/- 8 stops is a lot. Although I had the 6D in my handy on tuesday, I didn't check if its the same with the 6D. But it's not ok to write "AE Bracketing +/- 3EV", because it would mean its the same as for example the 7D where you can only take 3 shots up to +/- 3EV, thats it. With the 5D III its the same if you want to take 3 shots, but you shouldn't leave out that you can get a whole more EV range when you push up the shots. Whats your opinion on that?

According to the 5D3 manual (page 170), the camera brackets the exposure up to +3 stops. This can be done with 2, 3, 5, or 7 shots. So, regardless of the number of shots, the AEB is still within +3 stops.

It then says you can set Exposure Compensation (which is another + or -5 stops) in combination with the AEB. I am not sure if the Exposure Compensation can be bracketed (on the + and -) similar to AEB, or is it set only in one direction (darker or brighter). Perhaps those who have tried it can verify this.

In either case, the specs for 6D and 5D3 seem to be similar on this feature.

Despite all the other differences (minor or major as noted by others); for me, the biggest question is how 6D's new AF system will perform. For this, I will wait until 6D is released, tested, and reviewed....Unless 5D3 price gets closer to my budget :-\

 

[pz-photography]

Sry, its a bit off topic but WHY THE HELL does it say "AE Bracketing +/- 3 EV) in almost every report I read? You can bracket up to 7 shots +/- over 8 EV, thats a lot! I was confused when I read that the 5D III had only +/-3 beacuse I thought its not better for HDR than my 7D, but +/- 8 stops is a lot. Although I had the 6D in my handy on tuesday, I didn't check if its the same with the 6D. But it's not ok to write "AE Bracketing +/- 3EV", because it would mean its the same as for example the 7D where you can only take 3 shots up to +/- 3EV, thats it. With the 5D III its the same if you want to take 3 shots, but you shouldn't leave out that you can get a whole more EV range when you push up the shots. Whats your opinion on that?

According to the 5D3 manual (page 170), the camera brackets the exposure up to +3 stops. This can be done with 2, 3, 5, or 7 shots. So, regardless of the number of shots, the AEB is still within +3 stops.

It then says you can set Exposure Compensation (which is another + or -5 stops) in combination with the AEB. I am not sure if the Exposure Compensation can be bracketed (on the + and -) similar to AEB, or is it set only in one direction (darker or brighter). Perhaps those who have tried it can verify this.

In either case, the specs for 6D and 5D3 seem to be similar on this feature.

Despite all the other differences (minor or major as noted by others); for me, the biggest question is how 6D's new AF system will perform. For this, I will wait until 6D is released, tested, and reviewed....Unless 5D3 price gets closer to my budget :-\

If its that way in the manual (I didn't check myself yet) then its wrong. The bracketing range depends on the number of shots. At least on my 5D III, if you change the "Number of bracketed shots" in C.Fn1 e.g. to "7", go to "Q" then to "Exp. com/AEB setting" and then turn die upper dial clockwise I can take 7 pictures with the 1st to be over 8 stops under and the last one over 8 stops overexposed. I really don't know why this shouldn't be in the manual and why nobody cares....

 

[Marsu42]

With the 5D III its the same if you want to take 3 shots, but you shouldn't leave out that you can get a whole more EV range when you push up the shots. Whats your opinion on that?

Canon expects you to use Magic Lantern which features unlimited and automatic(!) bracketing :so they don't bother with their own firmware anymore :->

 

[Philco]

I think the mythical 'everyone' are people like me who used to make a living with a pair of the original 5D's, where center point was the only point worth using, and that method of working carried over to the 5DmkII, partly out of habit, but mostly out of necessity still. Having used the 85L+35L for 90% of my portrait work in that time, I've always able to nail focus where I want it in more than enough shots to get what I needed by focusing and recomposing. Granted, I am talking about portrait and wedding work, mostly. It only takes a little practice and finesse to figure out what works, but it's not like I ever have a bunch of back-focused shots in any given take, and it's not a problem to finding pleasing compositions at wide apertures.

Now that we are onto the 5DIII, I find myself actually changing focus points all the time, and it's been it's own small learning curve, and I focus and recompose less. That being said, my keeper rate is higher overall, regardless of focusing technique, with the 5DIII because it really is just so much better overall and I'm learning to actually trust my camera, which says a lot. (finally canon, thanks).

 

[emag]

I'm interested in picking a 5dmkiii or a 6D for astrophotography. Out of the two, which one points to have a higher signal to noise ratio?

Astro is one of my prime interests also; I've gone film-300D-40D(modded)-60D and was interested in the high ISO capabilities of both the 6D and 5D3. One thing I'd miss with both of those would be the EOS Clip filters I use. I think if you're considering plunking down the bucks for either one, it might be worth renting each one first before locking yourself in. I would at least wait until others (with deeper pockets than mine) have put both cameras through their astrophotography paces and posted reviews/results. Just when you decide......the 7DMkII will come along.

 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

Don't forget ergonomics and button layout. Myself coming from a 7D, it would be awkward going to the smaller joystick less 6D. Personally I like the larger body, even the 60D feels a bit small.

Personally I think the joystick is a con. The setup on the 6D is just like the 60D and I loved it. Once I went to my 7D, I was disappointed. You have to constantly switch back and forth between the pad and joystick.

The wheel sounds like it would be very awkward to quickly change focus points around precisely.

 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

One thing no one has mentioned so far, but might be relevant for some users. The 5DIII does not have a user-replaceable focus screen, but the 6D does - and it's compatible with the Eg-S super precision screen (whereas even the 1D X is not metering compatible with the corresponding Ec-S).

This is not true. Adapted screens can be fitted to the 5D Mark III by simply removing two small screws. There are a limited number of suppliers for the screens that, while not as easy to replace as in the 1Dx, or in fact the consumer APS-C devices, take no more than ten minutes to swap.

Yeah but the metering gets messed up then and there is no menu item to compensate.

 

[LetTheRightLensIn]

Am I reading it wrong? The 6D performs better in half the light of MKIII is able to do??? What does that mean exactly? Focusing in low light?

Yes, AF (with the center point and an f/2.8 or faster lens) is possible in half as much light with the 6D as with the 5DIII/1D X. In theory, based on specs - whether that holds true in practice remains to be seen.

That makes a huge difference. I don't shoot sports but lots of candid in-motion people. I'm just use to using center point focus on everything I do in low light situations. Now I wonder if I really need all the extra AF points for from the MKIII if the 6D center point is actually that much better and what I'm use to. I never had good enough AF on any of my previous cameras so I just learned to only use center.

Hard to say, also just because it can focus in lower light doesn't mean that it will focus as precisely or quickly when there is enough light for either camera to handle. Maybe under bright light it will even get a bit blinded. Who knows. Nothing below 5D2/7D has been much reliable for one shot AF from Canon and even those two, especially the 7D, miss often enough. The pro 1 series and especially new 5D3/1DX are better.