6D + Canon 50/1.8 or D600 + Nikon 50/1.8? Help me decide.

I am trying to decide between these two options. 50mm is my favorite, and almost only, focal length. The f/1.4 options for each system seem a little soft to me at f/1.4 and softer than the cheaper 1.8 lenses at f/1.8. I like the rendering of the 50mm 1.2L and would keep it as an option in the future, if I went with Canon, but for now, it's a little too big and heavy for something I want to carry with me all the time.

Here are the pros of each setup, as I see things from having used the D600 and (briefly) the 6D and read about each online.

In favor of the 6D:

Silent Mode - This is the single deciding factor that would push me towards Canon. I find this feature to be absolutely incredible. The camera is quieter than my Leica!

Auto-Focus in low light - This appears to be really fast, better than any other camera on the market, even.

Experience with Canon - Not a huge plus in my thinking, but I did once use Canon SLRs in the past for a number of years. I sold all my lenses, but retain a familiarity with the system.

In favor of the D600:

Dynamic Range - This is the single deciding factor that would push me towards Nikon. By all accounts their sensors seem to be better for taking still images. (I'm not really interested in video.)

Nikon 50/1.8 - This seems like a slightly better built and definitely faster focusing lens under normal lighting circumstances when compared to the Canon 50/1.8.

What else should I be considering when trying to choose a small, light, full-frame, 50mm setup?

Thanks!

Both are fine cameras And extremely capable compared to just a few years ago. Both are capable of stunning results. Real differences are actually pretty small and often boil down to personal  preferences. The choice may have much to do with the type of subject you normally shoot and the lighting conditions you most find your self in. The Canon has an advantage in Low light situations, while, as you point out, the Nikon has a slight advantage in DR range. Those kinds of advantages mean different things to a person who predominately shoots landscapes in extremes of DR vs the the stage photographer who works predominately in low light. What type of photographer are you?

The folks here are often passionate about there chosen equipment. I know you have also been researching extensively and are honest in your query. Hopefully folks will take that into consideration and be able to give honest unbiased opinion and example in as civil a manner as possible. Good Luck.  What ever you choose...I suspect either system will be up to the task, easily.

Good luck in your quest.

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My opinions are my own and not those of DPR or its administration. They carry no 'special' value (except to me and Lacie of course)

the focusing ability of the 6d in low light is inconsequential, once the 50 1.8 is mounted on it, which has a slow, inaccurate and eratic focus.  in addition, though the center point for 6d is very good, you are limited primarily to using the center point.

the silent mode is certainly nice, and dont underestimate the niceness of familiarity with ergonomics.  Its just the sensor and all the features of d600 (focus, on board flash with master function, faster fps, vf coverage, etc) as well the the better 50 1.8 nikon lens that would tilt this in nikon's favor in my opinion.

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http://razzi.me/kevindar/photos

Are you speaking from experience here?

I'd be curious to know exactly how a nifty would go on a 6D because mine works quite well on my 5D3. It's fast enough to focus (for such a cheap lens) and very accurate on the 5D3. I'm thinking, using the centre point, it would be very similar on the 6D. Have you found differently?

I'm also curious about this. For reference, I pretty much always use the center point for focusing.

My 50 1.8 seems accurate. I haven't used it much with the 6D yet. It can make some sound focusing back and forth that is more disturbing than a L lens. I have been using the 40mm STM with the 6D instead of the 50mm as I like the quiet combo.

Ron Purdy has used a 50 1.8 for many of his shots and they come out well:

http://ronpurdy.com/

http://www.dpreview.com/members/3892554947

I got the plastic and metal 50 1.8 and I always carry the plastic one in my bag since it is so light. For studio I like the 50mm and don't mind which I grab.

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-Bill

fair question.  of the equipment mentioned, I have only owned a canon 50 1.8 and a nikon d600.  I found the focus slow and somewhat unreliable with 50 1.8 on my 5d2.  I doubt its that much better on a 6D.

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http://razzi.me/kevindar/photos

I believe Schmegg's question is pertinent and particularly relevant. You see, a prospective buyer, such as the OP, would be little informed by largely speculative anecdotes.

First, the EV sensitivities of the 5DII's focus points and that of the 6D's center-focus point are markedly different. It stands to reason that such a difference would augment focusing ability, especially in low-light.

A dispassionate reader would be more inclined to accede to your premise that the 6D and 5d2 focus similarly, if logico-empirical evidence in support of your contention were present. Absent such information, your intuition is not actionable and somewhat questionable.

All things to consider.  The AF speed of the lens, experienced, though would most likely carry over. I've seen no evidence that the 6D would focus faster with lenses with an internal motor. DPR's review of the 1.8 called it  "a little slow and slightly noisy" regards speed only. Other wise a fine lens.

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My opinions are my own and not those of DPR or its administration. They carry no 'special' value (except to me and Lacie of course)

Oh, based on what you wrote, now I see what kevindar was referencing--the 50 f/1.8. My bad. Point taken.

I have Canon's 1.8--haven't used it in years, but when I did, it was slow to focus and noisy. I do wonder if the 6D would change the former deficiency.

BTW, if anyone has other 50mm lenses I should consider, let me know. I like the rendering of OOF areas of the Sigma 50/1.4, but it might be too big for now.

The 50mm f1.8 would make up my mind, if that was the lens I was definitely going to have on either camera. The f1.8 from Canon is a lump of garbage. They very seriously need to update this lens, but alas, it will almost definitely not happen any time soon.

The 50mmf1.8 from Nikon is a fine lens. The bokeh could look a little creamier, but really it is very nice. The sharpness is good all the way out to f2 in the one I bought years and years ago. I have shot many concerts through Nikon's 50mmf1.8 and loved every session.

If you go with the Canon, do not waste your money with the 50mmf1.8. Go get yourself the 50mmf1.4 as it is the least expensive 50mm that they make that is even worth owning. Don't put sub par glass in front of a great camera.

Hope this helps, and sorry that I came across with such a strong opinion on the whole thing. Outside of this lens, I think either systems will work fine for you. I own and shoot with both Canon and Nikon and love both systems equally.

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Wow...that's a pretty killer camera! Are you any good? -Jake-

Thanks, Jake. I'm leaning Nikon for now, but then I just saw some more Canon 85/1.2 shots. That opens a whole other focal length debate...Canon's slow AF and beautiful bokeh vs. Nikon's fast AF and better correction at 85/1.4.

Just hope the nikon sensor has been sorted with its oil slick.

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Alan.

hello

i would say fun, lightness to shoot with a 6D, easy and fast settings and of course as you say it quietness.

Exposure is very dependant of the focus point but the result is great on this FF ( i replaced a nikon d80 for a d200 for that reason some years ago).

Sure a D300 like body feels more serious in the hand the first day you get the 6D, but not a few days later, anyway the D600 body hasnt that feeling too.

Of course we always come back to a point where we have to decide what  autofocus quality we need and that is personnal.

The best is to test each camera a few days if possible

Good choice

You list the 'in favors' of each, but none of the potential drawbacks. I'm for one, am considering the 6D, 5DMkIII and D800, have used Nikon for two and a half decades, and disgusted with the apparent D600 product delivery. Can you ignore so many complaints by Nikonians?

Only at base and lower ISO the DR of the Nikon is better (when measured). In practice, both have way more than enough DR, don't let the DR measurebators get you the wrong idea. At higher ISO's the DR "advantage" disappears. You basically have no use for "DR", while other features are more important. For instance, you will have a use for the silent mode, you will have a use for the low light AF performance. Guess what use you will have for a huge DR at base ISO? (none.... unless you really hate contrast and love your images flat... Do you ever turn the contrast all the way down in your RAW converter? Probably not).

The AF-S 50mm f1.8 G from Nikon is more expensive, and better, than the Canon. Both optically and mechanically. The Nikon 50mm f1.8 D should not be considered, since the new AF-S version has nicer bokeh.

Cons.

The 6D does not have 100% viewfinder. The D600 does.

The D600 has a greenish cast on the LCD

The D600 has a greenish cast in (some?) artificial light situations with AWB.

The D600's ergonomics are a bit of a jumble.

If you just look at 50mm lenses, I would choose the f1.4 USM for the Canon (I do not care much that it is as you say "softer" at big apertures, as you do not notice that in photos with big apertures due to the big difference in sharpness of the subject and fore and background. Only something one notices in tests. For the rest the lens has a nice character. I would choose the 50mm f1.8 AF-S for the Nikon, as it has nice bokeh and a nicer character than the f1.4 from Nikon.

Alternative:

Canon EF 40mm f2.8 STF pancake lens. Very compact, affordable and light. For a pancake lens nice character.

I don't own the 6D but I do own the D600, I am a long time Canon FF user and I have a "thing" for 50mm lenses. I might be a little biased as I don't like Nikon colours.

The Canon 50mm f1.8 is a pretty sharp lens but the bokeh is a little harsh. It is also poorly built. I dropped mine about 3 ft onto a wooden floor and it broke in two. I dropped a 16-35mm f2.8L on to concrete and it took me a year to get the filter off but otherwise it is fine. The 50mm f1.8 is a very cheaply made lens and I won't be replacing it.

The 50mm f1.4 is a pretty decent lens with pretty good bokeh. The bokeh and contrast are a little better with the f1.2 which is my favorite 50mm. The f1.4 would be my recommendation if you won't go for the f1.2

The Nikon 50mm f1.8 is a very nice lens although the bokeh on the f1.4G is better. I don't like the colour rendition of the 50mm f1.4G as it tends to make things a little yellow on my D600. I haven't used the 50mm f1.4D for a long time but it is an OK lens.

The Nikon 50mm f1.2 AIS (manual focus) is my second favorite 50mm. It has a retro-gritty street look to it. You can use it with an adapter on a Canon camera but exposure compenstation is a bit of a chore. Manual focus is actually pretty quick.

The Zeiss f2.0 Macro is sharp wide open and has great bokeh. The Zeiss 1.4 is good at f2.8 but not nice at f2.0 or f1.4. Both are manual focus.

On the whole I would say the Nikon f1.8 and f1.4G are sharper and better bokeh than the Canon f1.8 and f1.4, but I on the whole I like Canon L lenses more than Nikon glass so I would say go with the 6D with the f1.4.



Nikon 50mm f1.2 AIS on Canon 5D Mark III

I have and use both the Nikon 50 1.8D and the Canon 50 1.8 EF. I use both on crop sensor bodies. For my samples the Canon is sharper with better contrast and the Nikon is better built but is somewhat flat with a slight yellow tint. My Nikon is an older lens made in Japan so time may have impacted the image quality of the lens. I believe the new AFS Nikon 50 1.8 would be better than either of the lenses I have but I have no first hand experience with it.

With all of the apparent QC issues with the D600 I would wait until the issues are settled before even thinking about buying one. If parts really are grinding together as some claim causing the particles that can't be a good thing. If people see that much oil on the sensor what about inside where they can not see?

I am ambivalent about the Canon 6D and think it will probably drop in price shortly. Unless I really really HAD to have a new camera I would wait a few months until all the dust settles

I've shot Nikon professionally for the last five years. Beyond the cameras themselves you should be considering the support behind them. Canon support is on another planet compared to Nikon, always has been. Now it seems Nikon support is getting even worse. With that said I would get the 6D w 50 1.4 , dont get caught up in the Dr nonsense