Help me decided on my first canon camera

From your list of requirements I would suggest the 6D if you want to buy a Canon camera. I owned a 7D and now own a 5D3, they are monster cameras for AF and sports and the image quality of the 5D3 is top notch, but you noted that the price is a bit high. The 6D lacks the AF abilities of the 5D3 for sports/tracking, but it's more than sufficient for portraits and landscapes, it has image quality very slightly better than the 5D3 according to some, at least on par (better noise performance and very slightly lower resolution), has a SD card and WiFi.

The 6D gets packaged with the 24-105 f4L IS which is a good general use zoom lens. You'll probably want to look at primes for portraiture and even for landscapes. Canon or Sigma 85 f1.8/f1.2/f1.4 for portraits and maybe a Sigma 35 f1.4 or Canon 35 f2 IS or one of the TS-E primes for landscapes??

If you insist Wifi is must, then only 6D has wifi built-in among your list. Otherwise you can buy the add-on WFT-E7 wireless file transmitter for 5D3 for example.

If you mainly for landscape, portrait and family photos, 6D is good enough. Its AF is also good enough for routine activities. 6D only uses SD card.

If you want a camera does everything including sports, wildlife and fast action photos, 5D3 has much better AF engine in tracking fast moving subject. It has both CF and SD card. CF card is much faster than SD card in 5D3's implementation.

Both 5D3 and 6D are excellent in high ISO. 6D is slightly better in very high ISO such as at ISO 6400 or above and it also can AF better in very dim light. 5D3 has more resolution, better build quality, better video functions and more durable shutter.

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Selc said:

Im currently a NEX-7 user and im thinking of switching to full frame camera for a while now. Ive read some info about it and i know i'll get better image quality if i switch. The plus side is, canon accessories and lenses are everywhere. With my sony camera, i have to order and have it shipped from the US to the Philippines which costs a lot coz of the import taxes but with canon, lenses are easy to find here. Im thinking of 4 cameras: 5d mark ii, 5d mark iii, 6d and 7d. Price doesnt matter that much but I would want a bang for the buck of course. Image quality is the #1 priority for me. I mostly shoot portraits and mostly night scenes. Some landscape too. I asked canon shop a while ago and the price for a 5d mark iii is insanely high, it was around $4,800! Wasnt it supposed to be around $3,000?

So yea, i would want a camera with the best IQ and low light performance. Wifi and sdcard is a plus. A quality kit lens it a plus too

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The best is canon 5D III but only with lenses of F2.8 and lower.( not all the auto focus point works

at the best with f4 and above)

good luck

Thanks for the suggestions. It looks like i be going for the 6d/5d mark iii dpending on how much I could get it. Im more interested on the 6d though coz Ive read 5d is only sold body only. Q: is the kit lens of 6d good enough or a 50 1.4 prime would be better for portraits? If you have any suggestion on portraits please let me know.

I also take pictures of scale models, mostly military scale models. Anyone can suggest a lens for that purpose? I need a lens with higher DOF coz I want everything in focus. On my nex kit lens, I always end up using focus-stacking softwares.

Selc said:

Thanks for the suggestions. It looks like i be going for the 6d/5d mark iii dpending on how much I could get it. Im more interested on the 6d though coz Ive read 5d is only sold body only. Q: is the kit lens of 6d good enough or a 50 1.4 prime would be better for portraits? If you have any suggestion on portraits please let me know.

I also take pictures of scale models, mostly military scale models. Anyone can suggest a lens for that purpose? I need a lens with higher DOF coz I want everything in focus. On my nex kit lens, I always end up using focus-stacking softwares.

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The 5D3 is also sold in a kit with the same 24-105 f4 L IS USM. The kit lens is a nice general purpose lens, but it's not going to live up to a great portrait prime. Depending upon the types of portraits you want to take you should look into an 85mm lens, like the Canon 85 f1.2 or f1.8 or the Sigma 85 f1.4. For my money I think the Sigma is the happy medium between image quality and expense. A 50mm lens is not a great option for a head and shoulder style portrait due to the perspective effect. It's good for couples/groups/environmental portraits. On 35mm many people prefer to have a 35mm/85mm prime combo. I do own and use a Sigma 50mm f1.4 lens and it's a fun lens, no question.

If you want to shoot landscapes then you should consider Sony or Nikon. Check out DxO and you'll find that the dynamic range of Canon cameras is just not competitive.

So why do you want a Canon?

5D3 is the best .

Price you mention should include some glass , can't be for body only .

This forum business of 6D not being good for sports is very misleading and inaccurate. It nearly put me off buying the camera.

Also misleading is this forum myth about the dynamic range being sub-standard for landscapers.

The autofocus on 6D works well. The 5D3 has a lot more options and a more powerful engine but I like the simplicity and effectiveness of the 6D.

The DR discussion has been done to death. All I can contribute is the fact that my main reason for buying DSLR is landscapes/nature/high contrast light and color situations. I find the 6D to be superb. For the rare occasions when I have a real HDR requirement the 6D has some good options, in camera HDR being one. Taking multiple bracketed shots is also well supported.

So don't be put off by people twittering on about DR and focus. A camera like 6D is a complete package and system in its own right. I am loving it.

joseph shtekler said:

Selc said:

Im currently a NEX-7 user and im thinking of switching to full frame camera for a while now. Ive read some info about it and i know i'll get better image quality if i switch. The plus side is, canon accessories and lenses are everywhere. With my sony camera, i have to order and have it shipped from the US to the Philippines which costs a lot coz of the import taxes but with canon, lenses are easy to find here. Im thinking of 4 cameras: 5d mark ii, 5d mark iii, 6d and 7d. Price doesnt matter that much but I would want a bang for the buck of course. Image quality is the #1 priority for me. I mostly shoot portraits and mostly night scenes. Some landscape too. I asked canon shop a while ago and the price for a 5d mark iii is insanely high, it was around $4,800! Wasnt it supposed to be around $3,000?

So yea, i would want a camera with the best IQ and low light performance. Wifi and sdcard is a plus. A quality kit lens it a plus too

Click to expand...

The best is canon 5D III but only with lenses of F2.8 and lower.( not all the auto focus point works

at the best with f4 and above)

good luck

Click to expand...

The fact that 5DIII AF capability depends on lens is no argument at all for avoiding slower lenses.

garykohs said:

If you want to shoot landscapes then you should consider Sony or Nikon. Check out DxO and you'll find that the dynamic range of Canon cameras is just not competitive.

So why do you want a Canon?

--
Gary
http://www.kleinoak.org/a700/mustang_a700.jpg

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Complete bollocks!

Selc said:

Im currently a NEX-7 user and im thinking of switching to full frame camera for a while now. Ive read some info about it and i know i'll get better image quality if i switch. The plus side is, canon accessories and lenses are everywhere. With my sony camera, i have to order and have it shipped from the US to the Philippines which costs a lot coz of the import taxes but with canon, lenses are easy to find here. Im thinking of 4 cameras: 5d mark ii, 5d mark iii, 6d and 7d. Price doesnt matter that much but I would want a bang for the buck of course. Image quality is the #1 priority for me. I mostly shoot portraits and mostly night scenes. Some landscape too. I asked canon shop a while ago and the price for a 5d mark iii is insanely high, it was around $4,800! Wasnt it supposed to be around $3,000?

So yea, i would want a camera with the best IQ and low light performance. Wifi and sdcard is a plus. A quality kit lens it a plus too

Click to expand...

then buy an A7R from Sony and no Canon - but you surely can buy Canon lenses . And you can save lots pf money since the A7R is cheaper and better.

36 MPixel vs 22 MPixel on Canon

14.1 stops max. DR vs 11.7 srops

and even at higher ISO numbers the Sony Sensor beats the Canon 5D III

(I own a 5D II - which is basically the same as a 5D III except for AF and I am about to buy a Sony A7R)

But see yourself - measures taken from DXOmark

(The good thing is that the Canon lenses fir the E-mount from Sony with an adapter from metabones)









almaos all measures are as good or better then the Canon Sensor - even at high ISO and the A7R lis smaller, lighter and fast enough IMHO for lots of photography styles - yet neither the 6D nor the 5D III are high speed cameras.

For action and sports I would recommend to wait for the 7D II which is rumored for Q1 2014 - which will be a real high speed camera with > 10 frames per second - which is IMHO important for that kind of photography

Just my 2CT

and DXO gives the A7R even a better low light ISO score then any of the two affordable Canon FF bodies



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isn’t it funny, a ship that leaks from the top
ISO 9000 definition of quality: 'Degree to which a set of inherent characteristic fulfills requirements'
I am the classic “Windows by Day, Mac by Night user'
“The horizon of many people is a circle with zero radius which they call their point of view.” Albert Einstein
don't feed trolls - ignore them

and by the way - coming from the NEX7 the 5D III is a monster in size - not that I have any problems with that but I cary 12 kg in my photo bag anyhow ;-)

















--
__________________________________
isn’t it funny, a ship that leaks from the top
ISO 9000 definition of quality: 'Degree to which a set of inherent characteristic fulfills requirements'
I am the classic “Windows by Day, Mac by Night user'
“The horizon of many people is a circle with zero radius which they call their point of view.” Albert Einstein
don't feed trolls - ignore them

Looks like the Sony is vastly superior...at least on the test bench for image quality. And as some have said, the lower cost is important.

chris1952 said:

This forum business of 6D not being good for sports is very misleading and inaccurate. It nearly put me off buying the camera.

Also misleading is this forum myth about the dynamic range being sub-standard for landscapers.

The autofocus on 6D works well. The 5D3 has a lot more options and a more powerful engine but I like the simplicity and effectiveness of the 6D.

The DR discussion has been done to death. All I can contribute is the fact that my main reason for buying DSLR is landscapes/nature/high contrast light and color situations. I find the 6D to be superb. For the rare occasions when I have a real HDR requirement the 6D has some good options, in camera HDR being one. Taking multiple bracketed shots is also well supported.

So don't be put off by people twittering on about DR and focus. A camera like 6D is a complete package and system in its own right. I am loving it.

Click to expand...

True. But there can be no argument that having an extra stop or two DR is certainly a positive and not a negative. And having 36mp instead of 22 would also be nice for landscape. I dont think anyone is saying the 6D is bad....but I think there is no argument that is does lack in DR and resolution.

Dave Luttmann said:

Looks like the Sony is vastly superior...at least on the test bench for image quality. And as some have said, the lower cost is important.

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well since they did not test resolution but DR, color depth and signal to noise rage you will experience the advantage on top of the possible far better resolution

in real world you will see much better image quality - also at higher ISO

AF is said to work well - if you need faster and better AF and fps wait for a 7D II which might be the bargain in action photography

--
__________________________________
isn’t it funny, a ship that leaks from the top
ISO 9000 definition of quality: 'Degree to which a set of inherent characteristic fulfills requirements'
I am the classic “Windows by Day, Mac by Night user'
“The horizon of many people is a circle with zero radius which they call their point of view.” Albert Einstein
don't feed trolls - ignore them

Dave Luttmann said:

chris1952 said:

This forum business of 6D not being good for sports is very misleading and inaccurate. It nearly put me off buying the camera.

Also misleading is this forum myth about the dynamic range being sub-standard for landscapers.

The autofocus on 6D works well. The 5D3 has a lot more options and a more powerful engine but I like the simplicity and effectiveness of the 6D.

The DR discussion has been done to death. All I can contribute is the fact that my main reason for buying DSLR is landscapes/nature/high contrast light and color situations. I find the 6D to be superb. For the rare occasions when I have a real HDR requirement the 6D has some good options, in camera HDR being one. Taking multiple bracketed shots is also well supported.

So don't be put off by people twittering on about DR and focus. A camera like 6D is a complete package and system in its own right. I am loving it.

Click to expand...

True. But there can be no argument that having an extra stop or two DR is certainly a positive and not a negative. And having 36mp instead of 22 would also be nice for landscape. I dont think anyone is saying the 6D is bad....but I think there is no argument that is does lack in DR and resolution.

Click to expand...

The OP is looking firstly for portraits and night scenes. The obvious advice is that 6D is world leader in low-light focussing. Still no-one seems to read the question and just gets on their hobby horse.

The high ISO/low light performance of 6D is also "dynamic range". It has opened my eyes already to new photo opportunities that I would not previously have dreamed of attempting.

I was tempted by the D800 and the extra resolution there, combined with the sensitivity of the Sony sensor. A stop or two of DR are, as you say, nice to have. Still, in reality I am not missing it. The difference between what a camera sensor is able to capture and my own eyes is much greater than "a stop or two", so with either system I am challenged as a photographer to take the shot I am capable of taking with the equipment I have. The 6D has several features that help me do what is important to me and I don't regret NOT choosing Nikon. (I still wonder about Fuji but that is another story).

For what the OP is looking for the 6D or 5D will do a super job. Especially for portrait photography the sheer range of lenses available for Canon as opposed to Sony should be decisive - this too is image quality.

You may wish to read the OP again....as he says landscape as well. Put some Zeiss glass on the Sony and I dont think image quality will suffer.

I can see such camera A7R will benefit you greatly as you print very large provided it doesn't compromise your EF lenses much thru adapter.

http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/1255248/0

It can deliver excellent IQ as shown above with those relative cheap FD lenses although I can see they have green cast.

To me however I have some different priority from you in such sequence - small and light body (as my EOS-M package) as daily walk-around camera, backup camera in trip that still can use EF lenses (thru adapter), DR (better is better) although more obvious in contrast scenes and when you lifting severely-underexposed photos and resolution (22 or 24mp is enough to me as I don't print more than 30x20" and I don't print most photos). A7/A7R is attractive. Lacking of first electronic curtain in A7R and non-robust hybrid AF in A7 (on DPR's preview) concern me. I will wait and see all major reviews and owners' opinions especially with EF lenses thru adapter, and Canon's counter-offer (hope for but doubted). You will be one of persons I can trust to tell true experiences honestly and looking forward to hearing your experience if you ever bought an A7R

--
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http://qianp2k.zenfolio.com/

chris1952 said:

The OP is looking firstly for portraits and night scenes. The obvious advice is that 6D is world leader in low-light focussing. Still no-one seems to read the question and just gets on their hobby horse.

The high ISO/low light performance of 6D is also "dynamic range". It has opened my eyes already to new photo opportunities that I would not previously have dreamed of attempting.

Click to expand...

oh well - if you're not blinded by the brand you might want to have a second thought on your claims ;-)

DXOmark.com tests the A7R much better at low ISO and more or less on par with the 6D at high ISO and the focussing seems to be quite impressive at low light too - if focussing is a problem at all - it is not for me on my 5D II

But don't necessarily trust my worlds - 9'15'' is the part you're probably want to see or of course the whole video from a PRO who makes his living with the camera and he seems to be enthusiastic about the possibilities


At low ISO there is no doubt that the Sony Sensor wins hands down. At higher ISOs the sensor is at least on par with the Canon sensor and the EVL viewfinder seems to work amazingly good - especially for the slow photography the OP inters to do.

Don't be overwhelmed by the marketing - it is time to add some further food for thought and not to be blindly following a brand.

DXO measures speak a clear language and I am sure within the coming weeks we will see more and more excellent reviews that bring more evidence on the image quality.

For high speed photography I'd be reluctant to buy any of the affordable Canon FF cameras since their farm rate per second is IMHO unacceptable for action photography - that's the reason why you see many 1Dx at sports events and almost no 5D III or 6D

I stand by it as a Canon shooter - if you want to get the utmost out of your precious Canon lenses buy an A7R and a metabones III Canon adapter and do what Canon should have done much earlier - if Canon brings out an equivalent sensor in a nice body you can still sell the A7R after some time and use the "original equipment" - until then you can outperform easily all current Canon bodies

I've done some shooting last weekend with a friend and he used his D800E and the 300 f/2.8 VR II vs my 5D II and the 300 f/2.8 L IS USM II - the Sony sensor in the Nikon with the 300 wins technically hands down at all ISOs we photographed - no doubt current Canon DSLRs don't deliver the best image quality on the market as the OP clearly requested

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__________________________________
isn’t it funny, a ship that leaks from the top
ISO 9000 definition of quality: 'Degree to which a set of inherent characteristic fulfills requirements'
I am the classic “Windows by Day, Mac by Night user'
“The horizon of many people is a circle with zero radius which they call their point of view.” Albert Einstein
don't feed trolls - ignore them