No Dual Card slot = 6DII Achilies heel?

[XeroJay]

After a long weekend of shooting and occasionally chatting with other pros about gear, the 6DII came up a few times. For me, I was looking forward to the 6DII as a backup body to my 5DIV that my assistant could use at times. When the news came that the 6DII would only have one SD card slot, however, I immediately shook my head and discarded the idea. I didn't even read further down the spec list to be honest, as that one spec (dual media) has always been at the top of the requisite list for our studios...

So after talking with other wedding pros in my real world circle, there was definitely a common theme between us; the rest of the specs don't matter if it can't shoot with a backup card. Many of us have had careers long enough to have experienced card failure/corruption, and would never take that chance again.

All of that being said, I can't help but feel that Canon made a really great camera in the 6DII as a backup/secondary/assistant body for wedding pros, but just crippled it with that one omission. In one group conversation alone, there were no less than 4 other photographers who would have, but now will not purchase the 6DII for that reason. That's lost sales. The Nikon equivalent does have dual media, so I'm just scratching my head here.

I can't imagine there's anyone here that will reply saying that single card slot is better than dual, but I'm sure it's not as big an issue for some as it is for others.

 

[Spad16]

Sure, but I don't think wedding pros are Canons target for the 6D. It's not a big group, and most will buy the 5DIV anyway. As a mediocre nature photographer, I'm right in Canons target group, and I don't give a fig. Since my first DSLR, the 300D in 2004 I've never lost a photo due to lack of dual card slots.

/Neil

 

[Mark B.]

After a long weekend of shooting and occasionally chatting with other pros about gear, the 6DII came up a few times. For me, I was looking forward to the 6DII as a backup body to my 5DIV that my assistant could use at times. When the news came that the 6DII would only have one SD card slot, however, I immediately shook my head and discarded the idea. I didn't even read further down the spec list to be honest, as that one spec (dual media) has always been at the top of the requisite list for our studios...

So after talking with other wedding pros in my real world circle, there was definitely a common theme between us; the rest of the specs don't matter if it can't shoot with a backup card. Many of us have had careers long enough to have experienced card failure/corruption, and would never take that chance again.

All of that being said, I can't help but feel that Canon made a really great camera in the 6DII as a backup/secondary/assistant body for wedding pros, but just crippled it with that one omission. In one group conversation alone, there were no less than 4 other photographers who would have, but now will not purchase the 6DII for that reason. That's lost sales. The Nikon equivalent does have dual media, so I'm just scratching my head here.

I can't imagine there's anyone here that will reply saying that single card slot is better than dual, but I'm sure it's not as big an issue for some as it is for others.

What I will tell you is that 1) the original 6D did not have dual slots and 2) if you want/need dual slots, i.e. you are a paid pro and absolutely, positively must have backup then buy the right camera. This is an entry-level enthusiast camera. It should be obvious from the specs. You were never going to get a 5D IV at a 6D price. So, yes for enthusiasts that want FF but not at the 5D IV price a single slot is better.



Mark

 

[RogerZoul]

And just like with the 6D1, there will be tons of wedding pros who will find their way to a 6D2 for a main body, let alone a backup body. And of course, there is the 5D3 that can serve as a backup body and even the 6D2 can do this with 8 GB cards that get swapped often to minimize the hit should one go bad.

 

[Michael Thomas Mitchell]

After a long weekend of shooting and occasionally chatting with other pros about gear, the 6DII came up a few times. For me, I was looking forward to the 6DII as a backup body to my 5DIV that my assistant could use at times. When the news came that the 6DII would only have one SD card slot, however, I immediately shook my head and discarded the idea. I didn't even read further down the spec list to be honest, as that one spec (dual media) has always been at the top of the requisite list for our studios...

So after talking with other wedding pros in my real world circle, there was definitely a common theme between us; the rest of the specs don't matter if it can't shoot with a backup card. Many of us have had careers long enough to have experienced card failure/corruption, and would never take that chance again.

All of that being said, I can't help but feel that Canon made a really great camera in the 6DII as a backup/secondary/assistant body for wedding pros, but just crippled it with that one omission. In one group conversation alone, there were no less than 4 other photographers who would have, but now will not purchase the 6DII for that reason. That's lost sales. The Nikon equivalent does have dual media, so I'm just scratching my head here.

I can't imagine there's anyone here that will reply saying that single card slot is better than dual, but I'm sure it's not as big an issue for some as it is for others.

For years, the only game in town for dual card slots was the 1D series. While it was one of the major reasons for me to go with that model (backing up data on the road wasn't too easy a dozen years ago, with slow card readers and few backup gear options), I came to appreciate the series for its many other benefits. But once I used dual card slots, there was no going back for my professional work.

The 6D really was a nice wedding camera. But the single SD card slot was limiting for pro work, making the 5DIII a better choice for wedding pros. Today, it's the same with the 6DII and 5DIV. As with its predecessor, the 6DII just isn't intended as a pro camera. Yes, it can be used as one, but that is not what Canon designed it to.

Consumers and enthusiasts simply don't need dual card slots for the same reasons pros do. Pros are working on tight schedules and deadlines, and often don't have the time to stop everything to transfer data onto backup devices. That's why we like and use the 1D and 5D series today.

Are you a pro who benefits from dual card slots? If so, then you should buy a professional model camera that meets those needs. And if an entry-level camera doesn't offer what is needed for professional work, it makes little sense for any pro to find fault with a model that was never intended for them in the first place. Indeed, the reason I'm not complaining about the 6DII is because, as a professional, I understood that the 5D Mark III and IV bodies were the models designed for my use, and those were the models which, accordingly, I purchased.

 

[pekr]

As dual card itself can't justify the price difference to 5DIV for us, I tried to look for a solution. It's not about necessarily losing the photos (happened just once to us), but also about the feeling of security.

So, what I found is Western Digital (or other) wireless storage:

https://www.wdc.com/products/portable-storage/my-passport-wireless.html

It does not cost fortune, lasts for 6 hours, creates a hotspot for you, has USB 3, card slot and can backup your photos wirelessly from multiple devices, can serve as a proxy to Internet.

During weddings for e.g., there is always some point in time, where we move between locations, have lunch, etc., so there is some time for the backup. It just needs to be as hassle free, as possible.

They've also got a PRO version, which enables Adobe cloud login, as well as wireless connection to other storage, or something like that.

Surely a cheaper solution than paying for the 5DIV, if the dual card slot would be the only feature one yearns for ....

 

[XeroJay]

Backup was the key word here. People seem to have missed that. I use the 5DIV as my working body, but it would have been nice to replace my backup 5DIII with something newer that has dual pixel, as my assistant sometimes does use it.

 

[x-vision]

Are you a pro who benefits from dual card slots? If so, then you should buy a professional model camera that meets those needs. And if an entry-level camera doesn't offer what is needed for professional work, it makes little sense for any pro to find fault with a model that was never intended for them in the first place.

+1000

As I said in another thread: people need to come to terms with the fact that the 6DII is a consumer body, even though its FF sensor and $2K price tag might suggest otherwise.

Yes, many will still end up using it for paid work - but that's their own choice.

It should be obvious, though, that Canon designed this camera with non-pro buyers in mind.

 

[XeroJay]

Are you a pro who benefits from dual card slots? If so, then you should buy a professional model camera that meets those needs. And if an entry-level camera doesn't offer what is needed for professional work, it makes little sense for any pro to find fault with a model that was never intended for them in the first place.

+1000

As I said in another thread: people need to come to terms with the fact that the 6DII is a consumer body, even though its FF sensor and $2K price tag might suggest otherwise.

Yes, many will still end up using it for paid work - but that's their own choice.

It should be obvious, though, that Canon designed this camera with non-pro buyers in mind.

Really? Because Canon's official sample images for the 6DII include professional wedding portraits. How does that make it clear that their target market is not wedding pros?

 

[Mako2011]

Really? Because Canon's official sample images for the 6DII include professional wedding portraits. How does that make it clear that their target market is not wedding pros?

It perhaps suggests their marketing campaign is aimed at non-Pros hoping just buying the camera might make them a wedding pro someday Common marketing strategy

 

[XeroJay]

Really? Because Canon's official sample images for the 6DII include professional wedding portraits. How does that make it clear that their target market is not wedding pros?

It perhaps suggests their marketing campaign is aimed at non-Pros hoping just buying the camera might make them a wedding pro someday Common marketing strategy

--
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)

That's rubbish. They demonstrate the types of photography that they are targeting. They obviously feel that weddings are one of it's uses, so don't give me your spin on this. In fact, they demonstrate Weddings before any other samples.

http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/samples/eos6dmk2/

 

[boldcolors]

I'm with XeroJay on this one. Adding dual slots wouldn't cost much and it would open up for a wider market. Wedding photography is huge. Many start their pro photo career by shooting weddings and it takes off from there. These freshly baked photographers don't always have the ability to spend the huge amount of cash required for a pair of 5D4's for example.

And you don't really need to be new either. I've been shooting weddings for 10 years and I've worked with 1Ds-series, 5D-series (all of them), 6D etc and for each year passing by, I swear I will hunt for lighter backup-equipment without sacrificing image quality.

 

[RogerZoul]

Really? Because Canon's official sample images for the 6DII include professional wedding portraits. How does that make it clear that their target market is not wedding pros?

It perhaps suggests their marketing campaign is aimed at non-Pros hoping just buying the camera might make them a wedding pro someday Common marketing strategy

 

[Mako2011]

Really? Because Canon's official sample images for the 6DII include professional wedding portraits. How does that make it clear that their target market is not wedding pros?

It perhaps suggests their marketing campaign is aimed at non-Pros hoping just buying the camera might make them a wedding pro someday Common marketing strategy

--
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)

That's rubbish.

Not really. Marketing 101

They demonstrate the types of photography that they are targeting.

No...they are trying to market a camera to as many folks as they can with what ever pitch they think will be effective. "Buy this camera and you to can take Pics like a Pro". Doesn't mean a wedding Pro couldn't make great use of it. But Wedding Pros really aren't the primary intended target with that campaign/camera

They obviously feel that weddings are one of it's uses, so don't give me your spin on this. In fact, they demonstrate Weddings before any other samples.Edit

http://web.canon.jp/imaging/eosd/samples/eos6dmk2/

That makes you a targeted audience...Car salesmen like that....folks that can be drawn in by the marketing campaign. If you go to some of the more Pro related venues (NAB comes to mind) you find that the campaign there is a bit different than the one for the masses. When in a room full of "pros"...they don't push the 6D/6DII. To be expected.

--
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)

 

[Silverback46]

...and everyone likes or trusts car salesmen! ;-)

Silver

 

[Occams Razor]

Adding dual card slots wouldn't cost that much......

Adding 4K wouldn't cost that much......

Adding a joystick wouldn't cost that much......

Adding an AF module with greater point spread wouldn't cost that much...

At some point Canon had to draw the line on features/functions to achieve a certain price point for the target market. Yes it would be nice to have all of these features but they made a business decision as to what features/functions provide the greatest value for the intended market. While they may lose some customers the overall sale volumes will ultimately determine if they made the right or wrong decision.

 

[Landscapeforfun]

I must say in the two dozen or so wedding I've been to, I've seen more 60D's as the main photographers primary body then I have 5D's. This whole idea that no one will use the 6dII due to only having one card slot is only true for people on this forum, not the majority of wedding photographers. I've even seen weddings shot on rebels.

Modern SD cards almost never fail. And they cost what, $30? Buy a new one for each wedding if you are that paranoid and swap it half way through.

 

[Mike -]

XeroJay -

The camera world is coming to an end, no second slot in an entry level camera..!?

The only reason you are whining about it is because the more expensive cameras have them. Somewhat more for the "professional" side of things. The casual shooter (most anyway) don't really care. I know I don't, and many that I know...don't care.

Relax and buy a higher level camera if it bothers you so much.

Mike

 

[Battersea]

Do carpenters go on web sites and complain that a Toyota Corolla will not carry their 12 foot ladder? What is it about photography that makes people think every camera is supposed to meet all their needs? Maybe because it really is about the photographer and not the camera so in some ways beautiful meaningful photos can be taken by any camera so that makes photographers think every camera is for them. In any case when a camera does not meet your needs move on, lots of cool cameras out there,surely one will satisfy you.

 

[Michael Thomas Mitchell]

? Because Canon's official sample images for the 6DII include professional wedding portraits. How does that make it clear that their target market is not wedding pros?

As I said, Canon's original 6D was a fine wedding camera, and this new Mark II will also be a fine wedding camera. Not every wedding pro will REQUIRE dual card slots. Indeed, as a very casual mental exercise, I might guess that more total weddings have likely been captured using cameras with only one card slot versus the total captured with two. This guestimate considers the history of DSLRs, and the relatively recent inclusion of dual card slots in sub-flagship models.

Anecdotally, I can say that I have had just one incident in all of my weddings captured since going digital in 2000 in which a second slot would have mattered. In the incident, two or three files were corrupted and un-recoverable. Three files over the course of seventeen years and more than a quarter-million photographs is acceptable by virtually any standard, and certainly does little to economically warrant the additional cost of a camera equipped with a second slot.

Speaking of economics, it should not be lost upon us that, while we may be disappointed with the lack of a second slot, the inclusion of one would have increased the cost of the camera. And I suspect that, as if most often the case, different models are conceived, designed, produced, and marketed to very specific price points. If the 6DII had included a second slot, the cost would have been higher, and we would be discussing price points instead of card slots.

In the case of the 6DII, I suspect it fits the bill quite nicely for the new budget wedding photographer who, perhaps after a first season with a 70D or 7D, decides to go beyond what their APS-C body and consumer-level lenses can do, and perhaps look towards a full-frame body and a bright prime, for instance, for a look unobtainable with his current gear. As an emerging photographer, he may not be working so much to justify the expense of a 5DIV or 1DXII. That's where the 6DII fits in well. For under $2K, it provides the same (or maybe even better) quality still photographs as the aforementioned models costing 2 and 3 times as much, respectively. Or perhaps this new photographer wants to go full-frame in a bigger way, replacing his current model and buying two new bodies. For the new pro with shallow pockets, two 6DII bodies for just a little bit more than a single 5DIV would be pretty compelling. And dual card slots may not be as compelling on the scale as two separate 6DII bodies.

Again, not every pro needs or wants dual slots. Some, like me, depend upon it for, if nothing else, peace of mind. As a well-established business, I can afford to get that body that meets that need. For the newcomer, the economics of a less-expensive body without that feature may be preferable. Good thing we have a choice!