Owning APS-C and Full Frame

[Sabaki]

Hi all

This post is aimed at those who own both crop and full frame bodies.

Certainly there's a definite reason why both were bought. The all round better IQ of full frame vs the better reach of crop.

But how exactly has your actual experience turned out with both formats in your bag? Are both used as you envisioned or has one become the go-to camera, whilst the other stays in the bag?

Alternatively, is your usage determined by the genre you are shooting?

 

[Loswr]

For some time, I had the 7D and the 5DII. The 7D was used for birds/wildlife (for better AF and frame rate mostly), the 5DII was used for everything else. The 1D X replaced both.

My EOS M2 is used when I need a small camera (fits in coat pocket with 22/2, on a belt with 18-55/11-22, which is exactly why I bought it. The 1D X for everything else, all that changes are the lenses I bring.

 

[raptor3x]

I think APS-C and FF are a bit too close to run both, but YMMV. I've been running FF and m43 for about a year now and I really like the combination. The Olympus f/2.8 Pro lenses make the system feel like a tiny FF body with some extremely high quality f/5.6 zooms; the biggest downside is that your lowest ISO speed is equivalent to shooting ISO 640/800 on FF so there's always a bit of grain in the image unless you can do exposure blending. I wouldn't want to run the smaller format as my only system, but it's been working out really well for me as a hiking/travel kit.

 

[MintChocs]

I'm currently running a 450D crop and a 6D. My usage depends on what lenses I need to use as I have no 24-70/105 zoom for the 6D just primes 28/40/50/85. I also take into account the light, so nighttime would be the FF. If I want to travel light the crop is better unless I just take the 6D and the 40mm pancake! Yeah very confusing but to me it all makes sense. I'm considering moving to micro four thirds as the image quality is comparable to Canon's APS-C sensors but with less bulk and weight. I have thought about the M3 but then I need an adaptor for my EF-s lenses or buy new lenses. Decisions,decisions!

 

[unfocused]

I owned a 7D I then bought a 5DIII. Kept the 7D as a backup. It just sat in the bag.

Fast forward about a year and a half. I needed to learn something about video. Began with the 5DIII. Then, bought a refurbished 70D at a good price. If I need to shoot video, I use the 70D -- flip screen, touch screen follow focus, 18-135mm STM optimized for video.

Now, fast forward another eight months. I needed to start shooting sports for a client. I found a 7DII at a good price. Now, I consistently use the 7DII when shooting sports (or birds, when I'm shooting for myself – which has become a rare occurrence) and the 5D III for everything else.

My opinion, the 5DIII still holds a slight edge in overall quality and the sensor is more forgiving when conditions are less than idea. But, the 7DII significantly narrowed the gap.

So, I'm embarrassed to admit I own three bodies:

5DIII – the all around workhorse. Suitable for 90% of shooting situations. If you need to shoot in low-light this is the preferred option.

7DII -- the budget 1 Dx for sports and birds. Tolerates cropping and pushing significantly better than the original 7D. At higher ISOs the images look "grainy" (like film) not "noisy" (like electronics), which is a much more pleasing look in my opinion.

70D -- budget video option that punches well above its price point. For me personally, I've found video work has not been as much in demand as my stills shooting, so the 70D isn't getting much of a workout.

Bottom line – any DSLR today will produce excellent images under 90% of conditions. It's that other 10% that should drive your purchases. I bought the 7DII because I'm spending 50% or more of my time living in that 10% where I need high frame rate, fast, flexible auto focus and decent high ISO performance. Conversely, I need the 5DIII because probably another 30-40% of my time is spent is conditions where I need to be able to produce publishable images shot in poorly lit rooms, where flash is not an option.

Note that my personal situation is that in the past year I went from shooting 90-95% for myself to now shooting 90-95% for others. If I were just shooting for myself, I would only need the 5DIII. And, if were wealthy, I could buy a 1Dx and longer lenses and not need two bodies.

 

[Bennymiata]

I have a 5d3, a 70d and G1x.
I only use the 70d for video and the 5d3 for everything else.

The 70d is a good camera, but it feels cheap in comparison to the 5d3.

 

[PCM-madison]

I currently have a 6D and a 7D mark II. In general, I use the 7D mark II for sports and wildlife and the 6D for everything else. However, if I know I will encounter a wide variety of subjects, I sometimes carry both with different lenses. For example, last year I did extensive hiking at Glacier National Park and carried the 6D with a 24-105 f4L lens and an APS-C camera (then a 60D) with a 70-300mm L lens. I felt that this gave me maximum flexibility for the variety of landscape and wildlife photo opportunities I encountered on the trip.

 

[dcm]

I seem to keep two cameras going at a time. A DSLR for more serious endeavors and a smaller body for lighter duty (hiking, pocket camera, just in case). I use with DSLR when photography is the goal, my smaller body when photography is not the goal, but it would be nice to carry something a bit more serious than a P&S.

My entry DSLR was a T2i which I used for for about 3 years alongside an S95. Upgraded to the 6D when it arrived - I'd been planning to buy a FF body but decided to wait another generation, my glass was all L so it was only a new body. Swapped the S95 for the M when it arrived and picked up the lenses as they became available. Both fit my style of shooting pretty well. I've been quite happy with the combination of a FF DSLR and APS ML.

Upgraded to the M3 in April and I'm happy with it. Traveled through Yellowstone this summer with wide angle (11-24L or 24-70L II) on the 6D and 100-400L II on the M3. Expect to upgrade my 6D around early next year to a 5D? or 1d?. Waiting to see what's announced before I decide, then waiting for price drops. I see a lot of happy 5DSR users so a great year end sale might tempt me sooner.

 

[nc0b]

Initially I started with APS-C due to cost, but later added a used 5D Classic and my perspective changed. My zooms are more useful for what I shoot on FF. 24-105 or 70-200 (both f/4 IS & f/2.8 II IS) For indoor events I always choose the 6D and the 70-200 f/2.8 II. On trips out of the country I found the 6D & 24-105 used 80% of the time, with the 70-200 f/4 on a 60D when I needed more reach. What puzzles me is when shooting raptors in flight, my 6D and 400 f/5.6 runs circles around the same lens on the 60D. My keeper rate is much better on the 6D using the center point focus. Today I shot a golden eagle with the 60D & 400 f/5.6, and only got two keepers out of about 50 shots. (I didn't have the 6D with me for the weekend.) The attached BIF is with the 60D, so it can grab reasonable focus, but just not very often for this usage in my hands. When in Alaska I also brought the 400mm for bald eagles with the 6D.

 

[Sabaki]

Thanks for the feedback everybody

I'm looking to pair a 6D with my 7Dii in the next few weeks but I get the sense the two will work well with each other.

Its rather noteworthy that size and weight and big factors for some when deciding which body to use

 

[Mt Spokane Photography]

I've owned several croppers at the same time as my FF. Finally, I stopped buying them They just were not getting use. The additional reach of a crop body is a bit misleading. Canon recommends a faster shutter speed, but crop bodies usually do not perform well at high ISO's needed to crank up the shutter speeds.

In bright sun, its not a issue, but I've found that few of my long focal length images had the luxury of bright sun.

I still have small sensor cameras, a G1 X and a SX-50HS but they are for different purposes than my FF.

The high ISO capability of the 7D MK II is changing things a little, and I may yet get one. They make a good low cost backup to my FF body in any event.

I'm waiting for a 5D MK III replacement before I buy another camera.

 

[AlanF]

Much of the above is model-specific for discussion of crop. The 7DII is in a class of its own among the crops. Its AF system is at least as good as the 5DIII's and far, far better than that of the 7D or 60D. It produces significantly sharper images than from the 60D and the 7D. The 7DII does resolve better than the 5DIII and give better "reach" than the 5DIII. The 5DIII and 7DII feel and handle very similarly. My 5DIII with a big white does give better images than the 7DII with a 100-400II but the difference is so small I prefer the lighter package for hiking etc.

 

[Rahul]

I have the 7D II in addition to the 5D3 and the 6D. I bought it only for "reach" and 10fps. It's been married to the 100-400 II for some considerable period of time now.

Make no mistake, the 7D II is an awesome camera if you are shooting fast action in decent light - that what it is built for anyway. That being said, even the high ISO images are quite good ( much better than the 7D).

 

[StudentOfLight]

Unfocused if you're embarrassed to own three bodies then I'm drowning in tears of shame. I currently own four bodies. (6D, 60D, 1Ds-III and 5D-III)

I don't often carry both APS-C and full frame at the same time. If I were travelling more then maybe I would, APS-C for outdoor/daytime and full frame for indoors/nightlife.

After getting the 5D-III and 6D I started to shoot a lot more low light stuff so those cameras with their high ISO capabilities got a lot more use. The 5D-III, with its excellent all-round performance rose to the occasion and became my go-to camera for paid work. It is the complete package and gets the job done.

That's not to say that I don't use my other cameras. The 60D and 6D are my go-to cameras for casual shooting. The 60D has all cross-type AF-points but weaker high-ISO performance, while the 6D has amazing high-ISO performance and an excellent central AF-point. If I'm shooting portraits then I favor the 6D for background blur, but if I'm shooting with more depth of field in mind and if high-ISO is not needed then the 60D is a good option. I also love the 60D's articulating LCD.

 

[StudentOfLight]

I'm waiting for a 5D MK III replacement before I buy another camera.

I'm in the same boat as you. And my 1Ds Mark-III is on the chopping block. (Either to be replaced by a 5Ds or 5D Mark-IV, whichever one looks more appealing)

 

[Rams_eos]

I started with a EOS 600D. I was extremely happy and I acquired a few lens.
I them moved to 6D and kept the 600D.
I also purchased an EOS M.

So finally I nearly never use the EOS M. It's too big to fit in a pocket and no viewfinder is really bad for me.
I use the 600D sometimes with the 100-400 II for static far objects (moon) or in risky situations as a (good enough) camera that I don't care if it is broken. I consider upgrading with EOS 760D.

The 6D is my usual camera as it is a great allrounder. It is great indoor, at night, outside. But of course a bit heavier to bring it everytime with me.
So to conclude, it is likely I will keep an APS-C and a full frame.

Right now, I am not sure I would move to 5D3 for weight reasons.

 

[alexturton]

After I bought my 5d3 my 60d gathered dust for a year until I sold it.

Use an update rx100m4 as a second camera if I need 2 focal lengths

 

[FTb-n]

I upgraded to the 5D3 and 1Dx, but kept the 60D and 7D. The 7D got occasional use at my kid's baseball and soccer games with the 70-200. But, after adding the 1Dx and, later, the 100-400 II, I have little use for it. I'm hanging on to it for my daughter.

The 60D is the general purpose snapshot camera for my wife and the one that I bring in the boat when fishing.

I thought that the 60D or the 7D would become grab shot or "travel light" cameras, but I hate to be without the ISO advantage of full frame. After using the 1Dx for a while, the 5D3 seems rather compact. If it weren't for two kids and a wife who can use the crop bodies, it would have been wise to get rid of them.

 

[DennyF]

Had owned a 6D, 70D, and a SL1 along with 10 lenses. Far too much gear for me to carry around. I would tailor my gear to the genre I expected to shoot. Eventually decided that my skills didn't demand the full frame body and my L glass. So I sold them. Then I sold the SL1 and all lenses except an EF-S 17-55/2.8 IS, a 55-250 STM, and a 50/f1.8. I seem to be doing just fine with this simpler and lighter kit.

 

[candc]

The setup I have settled into is a 7dii + 400doii (mostly with 1.4xiii) and 6d + 16-35 f/4. My main interest is shooting wildlife and landscapes. I like having them both handy and ready to shoot.

Everything else I have has become more specialty situational.