Canon 6D real-world review
The following is a fairly brief review of the Canon 6D I’ve had for a few weeks now. It is based on ‘real-world’ usage since I have neither the equipment nor expertise to carry out a technical review. Besides, I don’t know about you, but I much prefer to read unbiased reviews based on actual use. There will be a brief comparison with the Canon 5D Mark III and an even briefer comparison with the Fujifilm XE-1. The pictures later in the review come from a recent wedding and are exported from Lightroom 4 with default settings and no adjustments unless specified.
All the 6D pictures are taken with the Canon 85mm f/1.2 lens which is fantastic, fat and heavy. The focus is sluggish but accurate and it’s character is magical at times. It’s highly recommended for portraits and of course where light is low.
Handling
A big part of buying the 6D as opposed to buying a second 5D Mark III was the size and weight. The 6D is 770g while the 5D III is 950g and the 6D is noticeably smaller but it’s surprisingly deep grip means handling is really good (even with my large hands). The main controls fall to hand very well – there are a couple issues for me: There is no joystick controller for selection of AF point as on the 5D III. Instead the 8 way controller embedded inside the rear controller is used for AF point selection (more difficult to stretch to for quick changes); The image playback button is on the wrong side of the screen – the same is true of some other buttons but image playback is most important to me. These ‘issues’ are when comparing to the 5D III and users coming from the 60D and other models are less likely to have a problem.
Rear of Canon 6D
Autofocus
Much has been said about the 6D’s focus deficiencies in comparison with the 5D III. Of course 61 vs 11 AF points is a substantial difference – as is the fact that the 6D only has 1 cross sensor in the centre while the 5D III has 41 of them. Before using the 6D at a recent wedding I read that the 6D’s centre AF point was particularly sensitive and I can confirm that it definitely is. Whether it is better than the 5D III is debatable but I can say that I had little problem achieving focus in near darkness (12800 iso) with my Canon EF 85mm f/1.2L lens. The keeper rate wasn’t particularly high but that is more to do with subject movement and extremely shallow depth of field – the AF didn’t seem to hunt or fail at all. I also had no problems with the outer AF points in good to lowish light but at the first dance (particularly poorly lit) they can’t be relied on, but I can live with that since I don’t mind using the centre point and then cropping in post for a better composition for reception pictures. The biggest issue with AF compared to the 5D III is servo AF – the lack of AF points and the fact that they are not spread very wide across the viewfinder means that following objects and maintaining correct focus is very hit-and-miss. Definitely an issue for sports photographers but others will have to decide if this is an issue for them. As for wedding photography; I much prefer the 5D III when the bride and groom are walking towards me down the isle, but most of the time people are fairly static and the 6D’s focus does lock on very quickly.
Noise (or lack of it)
Low noise at high iso is very important for my style of photography. I prefer to use flash as little as possible and when I do it’s usually for a bit of fill. Therefore the ability to shoot at 6400 iso and higher is very welcome. The 6D has a very slightly lower pixel count (20.9 vs 22.1 megapixels on the 5D III) and as the difference in megapixels is basically imperceptible so is the difference in noise – at least to my eyes. That being said, having reviewed 2000 plus images I would say that the I’m very comfortable with 6D images at 12800 iso and 5D III images at 6400-10000 iso. Of course metering must be pretty accurate for well controlled noise at these iso settings.
Canon 6D with EF 85mm f/1.2 at f/2 1/125 12800 iso – click for larger
100% crop from above – click for larger
Canon 6D with EF 85mm f/1.2 at f/1.8 1/125 10000 iso – click for larger
100% crop from above – click for larger
The following is a shot taken in the same room under similar light with the 5D Mark III for comparison. Not much noise here as well. I might be imagining slightly less noise with the 6D compared with the 5D III but either way the noise is no problem and very grain-like unlike the 5D Mark II which had pretty bad banding in the shadows.
Canon 5D MK III EF35mm f/1.4L at f2 1/125 12800 iso – click for larger
100% crop from above – click for larger
Colour and White Balance
As with all my Canon cameras to date, colour is generally very good (especially skin tones). Saturation is a little on the high side by default but that’s okay with me and can easily be altered in post. Also in common with previous Canons white balance is often terrible – hooray for raw and the ability to alter white balance with a click or two. The following is a typical (though not extreme) example followed by a couple of clicks in Lightroom to fix the issue – some may argue that my fix is still too ‘warm’ but given the scene I judged it to be correct.
Canon 6D EF85mm f/1.2 at f2 1/125 5000 iso White Balance as shot – click for larger
Canon 6D EF85mm f/1.2 at f2 1/125 5000 iso White Balance changed in Lightroom – click for larger
Dynamic Range
Canon sensors have lagged behind Sony’s (and therefore Nikon’s) sensors in recent years regarding dynamic range (the limits of luminance range between black and white in an image). This deficiency might be seen as a problem – especially when photographing a bride and groom in their customary colour scheme. However given a correctly metered shot there should be no problem. I rarely find dynamic range an issue but there are occasions when trying to retrieve highlights or shadows from a very ‘dynamic’ image is limited. Nikon cameras generally have an easier time in good light. At higher iso values however, Canon has a slightly higher dynamic range so it goes both ways. Having said all this I rarely think ‘Oh I wish I had another stop of DR’ – I’m far more likely to be checking focus and composition.
The following shows (in my opinion) the excellent colour and dynamic range, of a jpeg from the Fujifilm XE-1 with 18-55mm lens compared to an unaltered Canon 6D image taken at almost the same time. Notice the relatively high iso of the Fuji image and yet the DR is very good (the pavement outside the window). The higher iso with a smaller sensor would normally mean a poorer dynamic range.
Canon 6D EF85mm f/1.2 at f1.4 1/125 250 iso – click for larger
Fujifilm XE-1 18-55mm f2.8-4 at f4 1/125 1250 iso – click for larger
The Fuji XE-1 will take some getting used to at weddings. It’s very discrete and the metering, white balance and colour (even with jpeg) are excellent but the autofocus is slow and a little temperamental. Having said that I do think that given more practice with the CDAF (contrast detection auto-focus) way of working I would be more comfortable. However I doubt I would use it in low light regardless of how much practice I put in. Maybe the next generation of Fuji cameras will improve in this regard.
Video
Not interested in video so no opinion here.
Conclusion
Canon EF85mm f/1.2 at f/3.5 1/160 200 iso – click for larger
In a nutshell – the 6D is a smaller, lighter and cheaper version of the 5D Mark III if you photograph static (or slow moving) subjects. Handling is different (to the 5D III) but mostly fine and easy to get used to especially if coming from a Canon 60D or similar. Image quality is excellent and predictable and noise at high iso is extremely well controlled and film-like. The build quality is very good – it feels solid but not surprisingly a step below the 5D III. WIFI and GPS are useful additions depending on your needs.
Overall my impression is that it is a very capable and compact machine that takes excellent pictures quickly and stays out of my way. Makes a brilliant backup to a 5D Mark III for wedding photographers.
Good
- image quality
- centre AF point very good
- high iso – up to 25600 no problem
- excellent silent shutter (like 5D III)
- size and weight
- ergonomics – mostly
- great grip
- locking mode dial
- good build quality
- good battery life
Not so good
- only one card slot- never had a memory card fail but it’s a possibility
- buttons on the back in wrong place – depending what camera you compare to
- white balance inaccurate – use raw
- AF abilities limited
- 4.5 fps vs 6 fps (with 5D III)
- not as well built or weather sealed as 5D III
- 1/4000th shortest shutter speed
- 97% viewfinder
Thanks for writing this up. One minor correction: the controller within the rear dial is 8-way, not 4-way (right?), just like the 60D’s.
Thanks for the correction. I’ve changed the review.
As for the white balance: I think it’s a matter of taste. For me your fix is rather a bit to cold than to warm (I suppose the illumination of the room was quite warm too). What setting did you use for white balance?
As you say it’s subjective (to a point). Actually I might have made it a little cooler except I think the warmth adds a little to the Christmas wedding. I often tweak white balance settings in Aperture (and now Lightroom instead). However in this case Lightroom’s auto white balance setting did the job.
Excellent review! Nice to see a real World review!
Thanks a lot.
does each AF point have its own led or is the viewfinder translucent and the af points illumination comes from the side like on the 5D3/1DX?
The focus points are superimposed.
thanks!
Michael, as you are a Canon wedding shooter, I’m guessing at some point you had a 5DII as your main camera? How would you say the 6D compares to the 5DII?
Hi. Yes I had a couple of 5D Mark IIs up until last year. They were excellent and produced a lot of fine pictures. It’s still a great camera and I wouldn’t hesitate recommending it to most people. Having said that the 6D is better in most ways: AF (a lot better), image quality (especially high iso), overall speed etc. Some might prefer compact flash (5D) vs SD card (6D) but personally I prefer SD cards since my Macbook Pro has an SD card slot. 5D II build quality is better but the 6D is actually very good and I would imagine the weather sealing is better since the 5D II was pretty poorly sealed. The viewfinder magnification is as good as the same. The 5D II does have 1/8000th shutter speed as opposed to 1/4000th with the 6D – could be an issue in bright light with fast lenses. One big advantage of the 6d for me is it is smaller and lighter than the 5D II. That may not be an issue for you of course. Finally I really like the silent (ish) shutter of the 6D. The 5D II had an awful and loud sound (imo).
Thanks for both the original comparison and this mini-comparison. Both were immensely helpful.
Cheers!
I’m thinking of going to full frame from a 60D, so thanks for this review and also this comparison to the 5D II – it has helped me rule out the Mk II. I’m thinking more favourably about the 6D now, rather than just lamenting about the cost of the 5D III.
I have a 60D and use the center AF point 95% of the time. I am very keen on buying a 6D. I take very few pictures with moving ‘target’. How will you rate the 6D AF compared to the 60D AF? Equal, better, much better, …. TIA
I’ve only used the 60D briefly so I can’t really comment on that but if you rarely use the outer AF points then I’m sure you will be happy with the 6D. As far as the centre AF point goes I would judge it to be at least as good as the 5D Mark III and a little better in low light. I was also surprised that the outer points worked quite well in good to fairly dim light – even with my 85mm f/1.2. The issues are unreliable servo focus and the outer points in low light.
Thank you for this great review. You made my day! Before I was not sure, if the new 6d will be what I’m looking for.
Really useful review. I’ve been contemplating the purchase of a 5D-2 or 6D. Seems the advancements in AF are worth consideration of the 6D.
One question though, what if any, was your experience with battery life when using wifi?
Sorry I’ve only used WIFI briefly so I don’t know. Suffice to say though that if you use WIFI and/or GPS a lot the BG-E13 battery grip would be advisable.
I actually like the magnifying glass on the right hand side like it is on the 5D mark II, on my 5D mark III, I set it on the “set” button, so that I can use the zoom with my right hand while manually focusing (a TS lens) with my left.
I’ve done the same with the set button on my 5D III so that it’s more like the 6D. Problem is I don’t always want to zoom – I often want to see the whole image.
Only a question,
about DR comparing the 6D with the Fuji XE-1 your conclusion is that “The higher iso with a smaller sensor would normally mean a poorer dynamic range” but if you “convert” the aperture/speed/ISO settings of the Canon you get “f1.4 1/125 250iso = f2 1/125 500iso = f2.8 1/125 1000iso = f4 1/125 2000iso” so, if you consider constant 1/125 and 3stops lower light, f4 instead of f1.4, yuo get an ISO higher on the Canon vs. the Fujifilm…
Sorry I wasn’t very clear. I was referring to most smaller sensors having lower DR regardless of aperture – higher iso generally reduced DR as well. What’s impressive with the Fuji is that even at a higher iso and with it’s smaller sensor it keeps up with full-frame sensors really well.
Super review!!!
Hi, I own 5D Mark II since Dec.’08 and thought of upgrading to the New 6D… Is this a good idea? Thanks in advance!
The 6D is a little better in most ways but not significantly. It depends on your usage. If the smaller size/weight and extremely high iso is important then it’s a good upgrade but the ‘real’ upgrade from a 5D II is the 5D III if you can afford it.
Got It~ Many Thanks!!!
Thanks for the review, especially the high ISO comparison with 5D3 which I was looking for. Have you tested the HDR feature ?
I wouldn’t use the 6D for HDR since the implementation is poor. I’ve tried it on the 5d III which is much better for in-camera HDR but I’d much rather spend the time and do it myself.
Thanks for your quick reply and feedback.
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I\’m sorry but the noise level at high-10000 ISO setting is quite large. To the extent it\’s unusable for most of the professional engagements. Customers won\’t accept this much level of noise on their photos, whether shoot at high-ISO setting or not. I have 5D III on which the ISO \’sweet-spot\’ is around 1600, with 6400 mark being an absolute maximum for acceptable noise-free photographs. The 6D seem to be a little worse in this department, though. I personatelly wouldn\’t be pushing it beyong 3200-6400 ISO mark.
The 100% crops are not representative of print quality. The rule-of-thumb is that to gauge print quality you should look at an image at 50% at which the noise is of course less obvious. Remember also that those images are essentially untouched so applying a little noise reduction would remove some of the noise.
As for ‘unusable’ – I have to disagree. At standard image sizes i.e. the books I create for clients, the noise at 6400-12800 iso is fine. I’ve never had a client complain. In fact some noise can add character to an image and given my style it works fine. I used to shoot film and noise (grain) was much more of an issue then so now I’m a lot less worried about it now. If the noise is unacceptable to you then that’s your choice but I don’t have a problem and neither do my clients.
Finally I see less noise with the 6D than with the 5D III. The difference is tiny but I’ve looked at a lot recently so I’m pretty confident in saying that. The great thing is that the noise with both cameras is uniform and fairly grain-like – none of the banding as with the 5D II yet.
I’ll have to agree on noise level observation from genotypewriter. I do know noise is not always bad and certainly adds a nice effect to some photograps but in most situations that level of noise as shown here even if straight from the camera unedited, is simply too much for most of the applications today.
It depends on the application. For documentary style photography grain/noise is less of an issue for most people. If I were a portrait or landscape photographer I would very likely have much more control over light in a studio or using a tripod and so I’d be able to use much lower iso values. What matters at a wedding is capturing moments and noise rarely bothers me or my clients. The alternative would be to use artificial lighting which for some works but for me it ‘kills’ the atmosphere. Also as I pointed out previously a 100% is not representative of a printed image so the noise is less apparent in reality. The 6D is one of the best cameras I’ve come across (apart from the Nikon D3s) for noise. It is almost totally luminance noise which looks like fairly uniform grain and can easily be reduced if required.
I’ve been using the 6D for about 4 weeks and I’m loving the low noise. I agree with you that it’s all about the application. I guess if you want to put a landscape on the side of a bus or something you’d care much more about noise, but for much of my print work I happily work at 1600, (assuming the light’s good to begin with). On side note, I did quite a lot of work on film years ago and I’m often surprised when photographers in the current digital era complain about noise. By comparison, film is filthy! Many of the truly classic shots of the past would be technically unacceptable these days. What this shows is that, for the most part, the content of the image is king.
Agreed. I used to shoot film and could never have imagined the possibilities afforded by current technology, and of course it’s all about the content.
Thanks for your review,it helps me alot as I am seriously considering getting a backup camera for my 5Dmark III
The different controls with both cameras is a little disconcerting at first – especially choosing AF points – it soon gets easy.
Loved the “Not interested in video so no opinion here.” quote. Sure, many would want to know about that option, but I enjoyed the short comment.
I have the 6D and will be picking up a lens soon. I shoot mostly street photography, so I’m leaning on the 50mm or the 40mm pancake.
Good Read.
I’ve had the 50mm f/1.8 and f/1.2 versions and also the 40mm pancake. The 40mm is a bit slow for a prime but is nice and sharp and of course tiny – would be nice on the 6D and its a very good focal length for street photography. You can’t go wrong with the 50mm f/1.8 as well. If I didn’t have the 85mm f/1.2 I’d get another 50mm f/1.2 since its character is magical.
thanks for the review! quick question: how does the 6D’s AF compare to the 60D? sure, it’s 11 (1 cross) vs 9 (all cross) but the 6D’s center AF is more sensitive in the dark. what about when they’re both in good lighting? are the outer points on the 6D as quick/responsive as the 60D in one shot/ai focus mode? thanks very much!
I’ve only used the 60d very briefly and it’s AF seemed quick and accurate but I couldn’t do an accurate comparison. Having said that the 6D’s AF is excellent in good light. It is fast and accurate and even the outer points are usable. Servo works with relatively slow subjects but it can’t really be relied on.
Did you test any of the video features of the 6d? How does it handle audio with the AGC? Can you monitor the audio inputs? Same file formats as the 5d3?
Sorry I don’t have an opinion on video. I’ve seen a couple of articles suggesting that the 6D is not a good choice for video due to moire issues but I won’t be using its video features anytime soon.
Very nice write up ! I received my 6D last week and am just amazed (had a 5D2). The low light focus is so much improved (i only use the center point), my f4 zoom lens focused with no issue in near darkness and noise is a non issue at 3200. The near silent mode is a wonderful feature that actually works really well. The reduction of weight may not seem important, but on 5-10 hour days those few grams are a big deal. If you don’t need flip book frames per second or water-proofing, this is probably the best deal for the money of any full frame camera.
Agreed – the silent shutter is one of favourite features. Another very important aspect of the 6D is weight. As you say carrying a heavy camera all day is painful. I can’t wait for the day when small unobtrusive cameras can match the speed and quality of DSLRs.
I just upgraded from a 7D to the 6D. I’m thrilled with the 6D in general and the high ISO quality and WiFi/GPS specifically. I agree that the AF seems a touch more sluggish, although it will lock in very low light. My only frustration that is taking time to get used to is the loss of the joy stick and loss of the +/- magnification buttons on playback. Now you have to press: PLAY, MAG, , three different buttons to zoom into an image to check focus. I liked PLAY, MAG, MAG, MAG on the 7D. Just two buttons to mess with. Great camera. And thanks for the first “real-world usage” review I’ve read. Everybody else is comparing individual pixels, not using the camera.
The playback ‘issue’ is the same on the 5D III. I’ve started to get used to it having previously used 5D II.
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Thanks for the review
I\’ve been wondering whether to upgrade my 5d2 as a backup for the 5d3 and focus improvement / consistency and high ISO noise levels tell me that its likely a worthwhile spend 
Thanks for a great review, easily the most useful I’ve read so far. I also really appreciate the effort you’ve gone to in answering the comments so comprehensively (as I’m sure many others are). Personally, I’m a casual 60D user thinking about making the upgrade once the price settles a bit lower (perhaps in 6-12 months). Thanks again!
Thanks for the comment.
Thanks for your very interesting and helpful review.
One question: you wrote “not as well built or weather sealed as 5D III” but refered to the specs of canon both cameras have the same weather sealing (like the EOS-1N) Do you have any further information about the weather resistance?
That’s one of the disadvantages of specs. Actually using both cameras illustrates the fact that, while the 6D feels nice and solid, it’s not as solid feeling as the 5D III. Could also be the plastic top on the 6D – for wifi and GPS to function properly. However I wouldn’t worry about using either camera in light rain. I’d be more concerned about lenses.
Great real world review. Enjoyed reading. Am also impressed with the lack of fanboy comments. Makes a for refreshing change.
Great hands-on review from real life experience. Thanks a lot !
One question if I may, from your ISO reading, you do not use flash at all ???
Thanks for the comment. Actually I do occasionally use flash but only as fill.
Thank you for your review, as a 60D user looking to go FF soon you really encouraged me. Particularly in the low light area where i shoot occasional charity indoor events. Thank you again, Stuart.
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Enjoyed reading this great review.I will be upgrading from my fantastic 5D II to the 5D III.
I loved your review. I purchased a 6D last month and am really enjoying the camera. It is good to see that others are too.
On the 6D you can set the starting magnification of the zoom button to 1x, so you start with the whole image and can zoom in using the top dial. Don’t know if you can do this on the 5DIII.
True – very useful. It can be done with the 5D III as well.
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Thanks for this helpful review! I have to upgrade from 5d mark II. I\’ve read many reviews about these two cameras. Sadly I have to realize slowly I should stay on the way to buy a mark III instead of buying a 6d. As they are \’walking towards me down the isle\’. This is my biggest issue with the mark II now and the dance of course… These cases I use the center AF, but I\’d like to compose when I take the pics if it\’s possible… And I have a question. Do you think an xe-1 could be enough as a backup camera in case of some problem happens with the main equipment. So just for emergency and for every day use… My shoulder isn\’t like I carry my mark II all the time…
(I like grainy style either
Thank you!
And sorry for my poor english!
Gábor
I think the 5D III as your main camera is the best idea. The XE-1 could potentially be a good backup and there are other wedding photographers that do that and even a few that use it (or X-Pro 1) as their primary camera. Personally there are too many compromises with the XE-1 (mainly AF) that means I would rather not rely on it. If the manual focus on the Fuji was better I would be a bit more confident using it in low light. The AF is not actually bad in low light providing there is enough contrast but it’s slow and difficult to predict sometimes. It’s a great travel/every day camera.
Your English is fine – a lot better than me trying to write in your language.
Thank you for your helpful answer! God Bless You! Szép napot!
With regards to AF performance, do you think changing some of the custom function settings would help? It sounds like you can use these to change the responsiveness of the autofocus. But I’m not sure what the trade-off would be.
Thanks for a great review, it’s been the best I’ve seen yet for my questions about the 6D.
I have AF custom settings set to the default – Tracking sensitivity 0 for normal moving subjects and acceleration/deceleration tracking 0 for subjects moving at a steady pace. The 5D III has similar (but more) settings and these work best for me but it’s worth experimenting. I don’t think there will be a change in responsiveness – instead you might be able to improve reliability of servo focus in different situations.
Great Review thank you !! I am now in a dilemma though – I have two 5d2s for weddings and one is now a little old so want to replace it and use it as another body with a lens on for speed. My partner uses the other 5d2.
So i could buy another 5d2 for £1200 brand new , or a 6d for £1700 and change to SD and use the 6d as the main camera , i have never had any issues with weather sealing and have tortured the 5d2 so presume the 6d will be fine , and also if the 6d and 5d3 are the same quality iso what is the advantage of the 5d3 for a wedding shooter ? cant say I ever need fps , weather sealing should be fine on both and the 1/4000 – 1/8000 isnt much of an issue either in real life ?? Confusing line up !!
Advantages of 5D III over 6D: longer shutter life, slightly higher shutter sync and faster shutter speed (neither are big differences), a little better build, better control layout (if coming from 5D II), AF of course, 100% viewfinder, slightly larger LCD, slightly less shutter lag, 2 memory card slots. For a wedding shooter the main features in my opinion are the 2 memory card slots and the AF. If you’re okay with using the centre points in low light and you are happy with 1 memory card slot then the 6D is fine as a primary camera. Having said that the 5D III can be found for around £400-500 more than the 6D and for that I think the 5D III is worth the extra money. If you’re only carrying one camera at a time then the weight advantage of the 6D is less important.
Thank you for the advice and we are now the proud owners of the 5D3 !
How would you compare image quality between the x-e1 and the 6d, ive been planning to buy either of the two for some time now. I wanna know if the x-e1 dynamic range is as good or better than the 6d.
It’s difficult to compare the 2 with regard to image quality. They have quite a different colour signature. However since Lightroom’s raw processing for the Fuji is not very good I’ve only shot in jpeg so it’s dynamic range and colour are ‘baked in’. The dynamic range setting on the Fuji does a very good job of retaining highlights and good shadow detail at the price of higher iso. Overall I think that the Fuji makes it easier to produce pictures with high DR and good colour quickly. Raw files from the 6D are potentially better but require more work. I’d say the DR is similar with both with the 6D slightly better at 1600 iso and above. One thing to note is the the Fuji’s amazing white balance accuracy in almost all conditions which makes jpeg a viable option.
Thanks man, that helped!
im planning to buy the x-e1 with a 35mm till i can save enough money for the 6d plus all its gears.
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How do you set that ???
Have you ever shot with a T2i (550D)? When I changed it for a 60D, the first thing I noticed as an advantage were the outer cross-type AF sensors. I used to find the keep rate very low, when shooting with the outer points on the T2i. Are you able to compare these 3 cameras? I mean: in terms of outer points precision would it be 60D > 6D > T2i? Or 60D > 6D = T2i? Or something else… Thanks a lot!
I briefly used the 600D and found the AF frustrating to say the the least. The 60D is obviously a lot better. I can’t say that it is better or worse than the 6D though since I didn’t play with the 60D for long. Sorry I can’t be of much help.
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Thanks for taking the time to write this interesting review. I’m not a pro but probably do a couple of weddings a year for friends and family, and I also love that 85 1.2, it has magical qualities for sure. I had a 5Dmkii (and before that a mk1) and was pretty annoyed at the price increase to the mkiii.
I bought a mkiii for a wedding this fall, and so I wouldn’t just have a single body, I was going to use the mkii as backup and with a 2nd lens. After getting the mkiii, I realized the control layouts are so different it would make me nuts in the middle of a wedding.
So I’m surprised you didn’t spend the extra money for a 2nd mkiii, rather than carrying around two completely different bodies. Maybe you’re more dexterous than me.
I would agree with you that those high ISO photos were fine. You wouldn’t print them at 20×24″, but in an album, at the size you showed, they are more than serviceable.
The interfaces are different and at first it was a little confusing switching between them but after a couple of hours I was fine. They feel quite different so I guess it was always obvious which I was holding based on weight, lens mounted and which side of me they were hanging from. I’m not sure if that’s it but I found it easier than I thought I would. I was also using a Fuji XE-1 which of course is entirely different and again I had no problem.
Agreed about the high iso. Also they do clean up very well if needed.
Hi Michael, have you any chance of using the Canon EOS 7D, I much prefer the controls/buttons on the 7D to the ones on the 6D. Imho, it feels better! The AF array on the 7D seems, on paper, to be better specified as well. I would think it might have been easier for Canon to maybe adapt those on the 7D to go on the 6D. What’s your take on that? On the whole, a very good review. Thanks for taking the time to write and reply too! much appreciated!
The 7D is closer to the 5D III in spec than the 6D but the image quality (especially at high iso) is way better with the 6D. That’s my main criteria. As a bonus the AF (at least the centre point) beats the 7D and even the 5D III. The outer points though are not as sensitive as those on either the 7D or 5D III. Clearly Canon are doing what they always do – creating cameras with easily definable levels of spec, so leaving room for future models to slot into their relevant level. The, probably soon to be announced, 7D II would be difficult to justify without 6D beating AF – especially since its price would likely be similar to the 6D. As would the 5D III to an extent.
I personally wanted a smaller/lighter camera to accompany my 5D III and though the 6D has compromises none of them are deal breakers for me.
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Wonderful review really insightful and great comparisons to mk iii.. As an ammature photographer starting out in wedding photography I’m looking at what kit to get and with 5D mk ii running out in stores fast I’ve been looking at the 6D, as a photographer shooting weddings would the 6D be your recommendation? Bearing in mind I’m looking to purchase a good set of high quality lenses or I’d be getting the mk iii no question! I’d really appreciate the advice, also what lenses would you recommend? I’ve been looking at 70-200 IS 2.8, already own a 50mm.
Thank you! Nia.
Thanks. The 5D II is still an excellent camera and it’s pretty easy to find used but if I were starting wedding photography now I would go for the 6D for the better noise performance and overall speed including AF. Lenses are of course the most important consideration so I agree with you there. However there are advantages to the 5D III for weddings such as the 2 memory card slots, the longer life shutter and better AF. Since I have the 5D III already the fact that the 6D is lower specced is not such an issue but because I use primes the focus-compose method required by the 6D in low light (due to not-so-good outer AF points) is problematic at very wide apertures. Having said that the 6D’s AF is better than the 5D II in every way and I used 2 of those for a couple of years at weddings with no major issues. I guess I’m a bit spoilt by the 5D III now.
I’m about to buy the 24-70mm f/2.8L II to replace the 24-105mm f/4. I used to have the old 24-70mm but didn’t really like it – the new one looks a lot better and is lighter which is important to me – it’s a very useful range for weddings. I prefer primes but there are times when a zoom is very handy. I did have the 70-200m f/2.8L II until recently but I found I was rarely using it – it’s a fantastic lens but very heavy and I find that my pictures improve when I get closer so now I rarely use anything longer than 85mm. That being said there are times when a priest insists that I stand at the back of the church so I bought the very light and still good quality 70-200mm f/4L for those rare occasions. A 50mm is a good choice – it’s a standard prime for a lot of people – my preferred ‘standard’ prime is 35mm which has become my favourite field of view. If I weren’t buying the 24-70mm I would get the 24mm f/1.4L II as well for tight hotel rooms although I will probably get that anyway later on.
Michael: Thanks for an extremely helpful and well-written review – my 6D arrives today. And thanks for the beautiful (and inspiring) work displayed on your website!
Many thanks for the kind comments. I hope you like you’re new 6D.
thanks for your extremely well written real life review , I wished I ‘d read it before I sold amost all my Canon L lenses in last June.
now, I am a Nikon user with a couple of D800 bodies but to be very honest I am not very happy with the Nikon cameras because the D800 is not an easy camera to use in any mean.
I mean since I got it in last June , I have had to renew my hard drives 5 times already and I almost always have to carry a tripod.
Plus, the Nikon body is less comfortable to hold and is a bit heavier than my 5D2 was.
I also think AWB of the D800 really bad , and I’ve found its high ISO specifically ISO1600 and on almost useless in real low light(actually in a studio it is usable up to ISO3200).
So, I think I will sell the D800 and get either the 6D kit with the 24-70f2.8LISMK2USM or the 5D3 with the 24-70f4LISUM.
I would like to know which of these 2 kits above you’d recommend.
Thanks.
Thanks for the comment.
I used to use D700s and they were great but changed to Canon for the prime lenses (35mm f/1.4 and 85mm f/1.2). I know the Nikon versions are better than they were so choosing Canon now would be less likely just because of the lenses. However the very high number of pixels on the D800 and not quite as good high iso performance meant I wasn’t interested in returning to Nikon for my wedding photography – besides I personally prefer the ergonomics on Canon cameras. If you decide to stick to Nikon the D600 might be a good choice and will certainly save hard drive space – it’s high iso is said to be excellent and AF is better than the 6D for tracking – not as good centre point in low light though.
As for AWB; My experience is that both Canon and Nikon are pretty bad in a lot of situations but since I’ve always shot raw it’s no problem to fix in post.
As for a recommendation; Lenses are always more important than camera bodies so I’m tempted to recommend the 6D with 24-7mm f/2.8L II. However it depends on usage. If you are likely to want good high iso performance with moving subjects the f/2.8 version would be a better choice as the image stabilisation of the f/4 wouldn’t help to prevent subject movement blur – I rarely use my zoom in low light since it is f/4 with IS and it’s not much good at dark receptions. If moving subjects in low light is less important to you then the f/4 version is supposed to be excellent.
If you are only buying one camera the 5D III would be my choice for its slightly better overall specification – the 6D is excellent but the 5D III is (in my opinion) currently the best DSLR that money can buy – at least for weddings anyway. My recommendation would be the 5D III with 24-70mm f/2.8L II – if that’s out of range you might want to look at the Tamron version which is said to be excellent and has built in IS as well. Much cheaper and nearly as good as the Canon version.
sir, thank you very much for your detailed reply and it really helps.
I really hate Nikon D800 skin tone and Iguess I will try out the 5D3 with the 24-70LMK2(I like the fact this lens is much smaller than the Nikon 24-70DED ,which I currently have).
Thank you for yoru time.
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Michael – Your reviews are awesome….love your detail explanations.
Question for you: I’m shooting mostly landscapes with a Canon T2i (550D) and looking to upgrade to FF sensor. I have a Conon lens 24-105L4.0 and a Sigma 10-14. I’m looking to upgrade to FF for two reasons: 1) better utilization of my L, and; 2) maybe get a little bit better IQ. Do you think the 5D Mii and/or 6D will deliver on my improved IQ? I’m mostly shooting at ISO100, but there are times that I’ll push the ISO up a bit but not much.
Thanks. Most cameras with medium to large sensors will have great IQ at 100 iso. At 1600 iso and lower I can’t see any difference between the 5D II and the 6D. The slightly better AF with 6D is unlikely to be important for your use so if I were in your position I would get the 5D II for it’s better ergonomics.
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Hi Michael,
I\’ve read your real live review couple weeks ago and decide to buy 6D from 550D and I found out all your opinion is accurate.
The only thing I dont like from 6D is the play + zoom button is changes..
Thnak you for your review..
Ferry
Jakarta-Indonesia
Thanks. I too prefer the old way of zooming into an image but since I also have the 5D III I’m glad that both use the same system, even if it takes some getting used to.
Thanks for posting such a detailed review. I’ve got a 5D3 and a 5D2 for my wedding work. Was thinking of selling both and picking up 2 6d bodies. The 5D3 is great, but always use the center point and the more sensitive center point the 6D seams to offer is a great selling point.
Curious as to how much battery drain the the GPS uses. I could see that being helpful after shooting for a few years with the camera. Image a future client asks you, have you ever shot at park xyz? now it’s pain trying to remember.
Thanks for the comments. If you only use the centre AF point then 2 6Ds might be a good way to go. However I would think about the single memory card slot in the 6D versus 2 in the 5D III. This might not be an issue. After all I have never had a memory card fail – yet, and the 5D II has only one slot of course. Personally I feel a little more secure that my primary camera (5D III) has 2 slots.
By my estimation battery life is reduced by maybe 30% or so when GPS is on full-time. It’s hard to be sure since the camera is ‘asleep’ some of the time. I use my 6D for maybe 20% or so of the pictures from a wedding so I rarely have to replace the battery – though it’s good that it uses the same battery as the the 5D III (and 5dII).
Great, thanks for the info. 30% is not that bad. I was expecting worse.
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Excellent information here! Im a wedding photographer and I have a 5dmk3 (24-70mm mounted) and contemplating the 6d as my 2nd camera to use the 85mm 1.2 and 70-200 f4. The burning question for me is – Is the 1/4000 too slow for for F1.2 on a bright sunny day (UK) Do you have experience here. I was thinking I could use a cpl to cut 1.5 stops but would even that be enough? I can shuffle the bodies and lenses but need speed and simplification is good for my style. I’m aware I could use ND filters but during a wedding there is no time to faff about! Any thoughts appreciated thanks
Yes 1/4000 is too slow for f/1.2 on a very bright day. Then again 1/8000 is often too slow in that situation too. However I would very rarely use such a large aperture in situations where light is that plentiful i.e. formals. I agree that using nd filters is too much hassle – I would rather compromise and reduce the aperture to get the shot.
I love the review, it definitely clears up the differences between the 5DIII vs 6D. I have been pondering on which camera to get, been using a 60D for 3 years and have become good at full manual mode. I have read plenty of reviews which state that the 6D will not focus so well when taking action shots, by this I don’t mean sporting events. I do take more pictures of family kids playing and sometimes with the 60D don’t capture all the actions without the occasional blur. Would the 5DIII focus better when you’re trying to capture images of kids running around compared to the 6D (5DIII def has more focus points)? I am sure for portrait shots the 6D will suffice for all projects. Appreciate your input.
Thanks for the comments. The 6D is fine in most circumstances – just not fast moving subjects. With practice the 6D can be used for quite fast movement – it’s a matter of getting used to how it works and maybe sticking to using the centre point.
Thank you for such a great review. Sometimes when you read too many technical reviews on an item before purchasing, it only makes it more confusing.
Yours was very straight forward and informative.
Before reading your review, I was just about to order the 6D, however after reading your review, I believe I am better off with 5Dmkiii.
The reason being, is that I do mostly portraits and family kid shots, but also really enjoy shooting sports w/ my 70-200mm is 2.8L series lense.
Do you think with practice the AF and fps would be acceptable for what I would be using it for?
Thank you for any help you may be able to offer.
Thanks for the comment. The 5D III will always be a better choice for moving subjects. With practice the 6D would be fine but it would be a compromise. Having used both for a while I use the 6D almost exclusively for portraits with a 85mm lens, and the 5DIII for everything else.
Thank you so much. I had been leaning towards the 5D originally until the 6D came out and so many people were raving about it. Which I’m sure is a great camera, but I am going to order the 5D Mk3 w/ the 24-105mm lens tomorrow. I can’t wait to make the upgrade from my 40D, which has served me well for many years now.
Thanks again, and all the best to you!!!!!
Hi ! thank you for writing such an excellent review! i have had my eye on either the 6D or 5Dmarkiii for some time now.
i would like some help though from anyone who reads this as i am quite out of my depth.
I have agreed to photograph a friends wedding, they have next to no budget and i am the only person they know who is even remotely into photography. They are aware that i have no wedding experience and i have flat out told them that i cannot guarantee the pictures will be awesome.
now the ceremony and reception are both in the afternoon and outside in the paddock.
I already own a 40D with a Sigma 18-200mm f/3.5-6.3.
which other lens would any of you reading this recommend me to buy to put on either the 6D or 5D markiii? i will have about $2500 AU dollars to spend on the lens.
thank you in advance
China
Thanks for the comment.
I would definitely recommend the new Canon 24-70mm f2.8 II. I owned the first version and the new one is a big improvement. It can cover the whole wedding. I have one on my 5D III and an 85mm prime on my 6D.
Thank you for getting back to me, i appreciate it
will that lens also be suitable for studio portraits? (if at a later date i start to experiment).
very excited to go purchase my new 5Diii!
oh and i forgot… does the lens cope well with low light situations? as in taking photos of people under the fairy lights.
thanks
The lens is relatively fast – compared to some zooms – so it is a good choice in lowish light. However, more important is the camera’s low light abilities. The 5D Mark III and 6D are excellent in low light. A fast prime will always cope with low light better.
The new 24-70mm is very sharp across the frame so it would be great in the studio. However I would suggest a longer focal length for portraits – 85mm or so would be ideal.