Отзывы о Фотоаппарат Canon EOS 6D Body

Note - I acquired the Canon 6D (body only) through an incentive premium program and did not purchase from Amazon. I have had this camera for approx 2 months.Much has been written editorially and by end-users about the Canon 6D, so I will highlight only items which are most relevant to my experience thus far.Canon 6D lay-out - As a creature of habit, initially I was a bit dismayed with the feature lay-out of the Canon 6D. This is in comparison to my Canon 50D which I have owned for several years. After a couple of sessions, I have come to really enjoy the well thought out lay-out of this camera. First, the "Off/On" switch is located top left below the Mode Dial. Second, the Mode Dial has a lock button to prevent inadvertent changes. Third, I really like how the Quick Control & Multi-controller dials have evolved into a single dial. Fourth, the Back Focus button (AF-ON) is located in a very accessible spot - on the 50D, I constantly fumble to locate it without looking. Finally, I also like the location of the Live View access button - much more intuitive than the 50D.Full Frame - As I previously mentioned, my other DSLR is a Canon 50D. This camera uses what is commonly referred to as a "crop sensor". When I first got the 50D, I was thrown off by the change in perspective compared to my Canon SLR film camera. That said, I am so happy to be shooting Full Frame again! I won't get into all of the technical reasons why Full Frame over APS-C/Crop Sensor except to say, I am thrilled with the light gathering capability of the 6D. I can shoot at lower iso's thus reducing any image noise potential. 6D - 20.2mp/50D - 15.1mp. Fyi, my primary lens are: 24-70mm f/2.8L USM & 70-200mm f/4.0L IS USM.Shutter - I don't know if it's my imagination, the Canon 6D seems to have a relatively quiet shutter. Editorials and end-users have commented on continuous shooting speed. I'll just say 4.5fps will not set the world on fire by today's standards. It is plenty fast so long as I am not shooting action sports/scenes. My 50D shoots @ 6.3fps which will be well suited for action shots.AF Points - I generally use center auto focus point. Having a gazillion auto focus points is not a priority nor a requirement for my needs.Media card - The 6D uses an SD card. And there is only one slot. Some cameras now have multiple slots and can use both Compact Flash & SD. As above, not a priority nor a requirement for my shooting needs.Manual focus - In combination of the location of the Live View & the Magnify buttons, manual focusing has now become an integral part of shooting technique/routine. Fyi, AF works as expected.Battery life - In general, battery life is as expected and acceptable. Now that I am shooting more in Live View, battery life has decreased (as expected). I will be buying at least one more battery for a back-up.New technology | WiFi & GPS - Presently, I do not use the WiFi feature. Since I usually shoot on the fly and like to pack light, I do not carry a laptop/iPad. At some point, I will explore integrating WiFi into my routine. GPS is a real cool feature for geo-tagging. Call me old fashion/old school... I have no compelling reason to geo-tag at this time. Like WiFi, I will explore later and perhaps use. That said, these two features are battery power guzzlers. So the upside for me is my battery(s) will last longer in the field.Build - I am liking the build and feel of the 6D. It fits my hand very well. Feels solid. The body is textured in all the right places.Flash - No built in flash. No biggie here as I prefer using external light sources.Conclusion - Overall, I am thrilled to have this camera in my bag. It has performed (thus far) to expectations. When my skills grow and expand, I will consider a 5D. In the meantime, I look fwd to viewing my new photos after a shoot and determine if any are worthy of those slick photo gifts (canvas prints, glass prints, metal sublimation prints) for family & friends! Ps: still using the 50D for action stuff and where a little more reach is needed.---Product Review Update - Jun 10th, 2013When I wrote the above Canon 6D product review, I had used the 6D for about two months. Since the original review, I have had the opportunity to use this camera in the field extensively. That said, I would like to add additional comments referencing the Canon 6D.Canon 6D lay-out - I have completely bought into the intuitive lay-out of the 6D. Besides to usual AF/Drive/ISO/Metering buttons on the top right of the camera, the consolidation of the Quick Control dial, the Multi-controller & Set button is well thought out, easy-to-access and intuitive. I like this set-up much better than the separate joy-stick/multi-controller found on my 50D. To access the shooting functions, all I have to do is push the "Q" button and navigate with the Quick Control/Multi-controller/Set button. Easy peazy.Shutter - Even in standard mode, the shutter on the Canon 6D is noticeably quiet. Nice feature.Continuous shooting mode - I ha

I've owned the 5D Mark II and the 7D, so this review is in light of both those experiences. I am a professional, simply meaning I get hired to take photos of people, landscapes, and events and I expect to be paid for that work. :)- surpasses the Mark II and the 7D in image quality, for what I shoot and the way I shoot it. The reduction of noise in low light is fantastic. I also found that my 7D just wasn't reliable when it came to metering. It's so nice to know that what I'm seeing in the live preview is what I'll actually have to work with in editing. I really missed the full frame when I moved from a 5DII to a 7D for video purposes.- highlight alert, when enabled, is helpful to me. I have a tendency to overexpose and that is a big blinking reminder to adjust my settings.- you have to press Q before the keypad function will work (for copyrighting images, naming wi-fi, etc.). I don't remember that from the 7D or the 5DII.- the wi-fi functionality is really cool. It's more difficult to make it work when there is another wi-fi network present, and I really wish I could use it with video. This isn't really functional with anything that moves too quickly, so I don't know why they tout it as a benefit for wildlife photography. It is more useful in situations where you need the camera to be really high or really low, self-portraits and DIY family portraits, or perhaps photographs of your kids playing where you don't want to be in the room distracting them.- it appears that they've tried to make it so the camera only communicates fully with Canon brand batteries. Other batteries work, but you can't view the power level, and if you're using a third party battery it will tell you 'can not communicate with battery' whenever you turn the camera on, which is super annoying. Sometimes I turn the camera on and try to start shooting right away and the shutter won't go because that screen is still up.- video with STM lenses doesn't automatically continuously autofocus (I believe the EOS M is the only body that does that right now). You can still focus with it by hitting the back button but it's not really functional for moving subjects or low-light situations - exposure goes all over the place and it's hella loud. There might be a setting I'm missing for the exposure problem.- joystick missing from the 7D is replaced by a directional pad inside the big wheel around the 'set' button. I prefer it to the joystick.- video modes are expanded to include ALL-I and IPB. I had never heard of these modes before, but as far as I can understand it, ALL-I compression is done in each frame, and it's restricted to that one frame, making it ideal for situations where you'd need to be grabbing stills from your video. With IPB, the frames are more reliant on each other and you might get enhanced detail. I can't see any difference in image quality.- I shoot with a few vintage lenses and it works fantastically. When I used vintage lenses on my 5DII, the mirror would get stuck every once in a while, prompting me to switch to the 7D. The mirror works fine with my vintage lenses despite a shallower body?- no buttons on the left side, takes a bit of getting used to coming from the 7D.- you can change the aspect ratio of what you're shooting. Default is 3:2, but 1:1, 4:3, and 16:9 are also included. 16:9 is great for time-lapses.- autofocus is similar to MKII. I like it simple, but there does seem to be a little problem with hunting for focus in extremely low light conditions. I like to take photos completely in the dark with a flash sometimes, and it's kind of difficult - could be partly a lens choice, too.- there doesn't seem to be a way to turn off live view exposure simulation... not sure if I'm missing something there.Overall, this camera is fantastic and very much worth the money for what I use it for.

I already own a Canon T4i and T1i, wished to go full frame for some time. I am a amateur with decent skill level and own some of the Canon prime lenses and 430EXii speedlite.Options considered:1) Canon 5D Mark iii - Too costly and big for me but a dream.2) Nikon D800 - Again big and costly. 36 mp...not for me. For some category of people, this could be best of bunch.3) Canon 5D Mii - Already aged and doesn't match the ISO performance of 6D. Again bigger.4) Nikon D600 - Toughest competitor but not convincing enough for me to sell my Canon primes and speedlite. Also, i don't like the colors of Nikon specially for portraits. It offers some advantages over canon - specially higher dynamic range and better color depth. DXO seems to favor it but looks biased. DXO rates it over 6D in ISO, however, everyone else who has tested this and 6D seems to favor 6D for lower noise at same ISO.I will definitely update this review and rating after using it for decent time. My observations so far:Pros:1) Low light and ISO performance - Yes, this is the biggest factor to go full frame and 6D is better than old generation full frames and neck-to-neck with none other than 5DMiii. As per reports, also beating rival Nikon D600 by a small margin. With a canon T4i, i can see considerable noise at ISO 800, this is very clean at 6400. I no longer need to worry about ISO and use faster shutter when required in low light conditions which is must for me as a father of 2 year old.2) Center AF focus point is really great, it can focus in conditions i never imagined with Canon T4i. As per reports, this can focus in some conditions where Nikon D600 fails.3) Kit lens (24-105 F/4) is reasonably good and costly as compared to kit lens that comes with Nikon D600. I would recommend everyone to purchase 6D with kit lens even if you already have one. You can easily sell it for at least $750 (new is over 1K).4) WiFi - Haven't used it yet, will configure this weekend. It is useful in many ways. For me, it would help in framing self-portraits and make-up for lack of vari-angle LCD.5) Light weight - Honestly, this is bigger than what i expected (feel so due to bigger kit lens) but I am still happy because i can't imagine going even bigger with 5DMiii.6) AF micro adjust7) SDHC memory cards instead of CF - I already have 4 SDHC cards (16GB each) which i use across my all cameras. CF cards are costly. I am happy that 6D use SDHC.What i miss:1) Touch-screen - Canon T4i is having a very nice touch screen. If canon had decided to put touch-screen on 6D, prices could have been higher, so no issue here but i really miss it.2) My 18-135mm STM IS lens which i used on T4i: Kit lens with 6D is 24-105mm L F/4 while my 18-135 lens was practically 28.8-216mm (due to 1.6 crop factor) which is very good range on the telephoto side as compared to 105mm. Anyway, this lens can not be compared to image quality of L lens on same focal lengths.Also, STM lens are good for auto-focusing in video on compatible cameras (Read: T4i and new T5i) without recording auto focus sound. On 6D, i must focus manually in order to have decent video.3) Auto white balance on T4i is very good, i never had to use other presets or custom WB. Auto white balance on 6D is little on the warm side (only used so far in average tungsten lit indoor environment), i must play around with WB more often to get colors of my liking and it allows to save just 1 custom WB setting. Even, my P&S Panasonic gives me option to save 2 custom WB settings. I could be wrong here, its just a few days with me yet. Also, there is no dedicated button for WB :(What i don't care about:1) 97% viewfinder coverage - I can imagine that 3% less can possibly effect 4-5% of my pictures (for my kind of use). With 20 mega-pixels, i don't mind cropping some of my pictures (for my use, there won't be many).2) Built-in flash: Although, I never used popup flash on T4i alone, it has ability to trigger speedlite remotely and i used it frequently to trigger my 430EXii remotely. Now with 6D, i must purchase RF triggers (could be Yongnuo 622C). Although, not having a built-in flash doesn't matter to me, its a deal breaker for many. This is nice-to-have. Anyway, no regrets here, i will be fine with remote triggers which anyway are better than using IR on T4i.3) Only 1 card slot - Good enough for me but could hurt professional/event photographers who use second slot to backup everything as a security against memory card failure.Cons:1) Just 1 cross type AF point - Although, the cross type AF point in center is one of the best ever and it can focus in conditions where many rivals will fail, i am still not happy with Canon's decision not to put more cross type points. I shoot mostly with center point but need better AF system for at least 20% of my need. Being a father of 2 year old who is always in action, i do miss some of the shots. I don't expect an AF system of 7D or 5Dmiii at this price but this could have been better with at least 9 or 11 cro

I spent about a month researching the Nikon D600, Nikon D800, Canon 6D, and the Canon 5D iii. I'm a professional digital matte painter in the movie industry. I spend a lot of time shooting reference images of landscapes and architecture from unique locations throughout the US and the world.After trying each camera at a local shop, I decided to narrow down my options to the Canon 6D and Nikon D600. I'm not loyal to either brand. My main priorities for a full frame is image quality and handling. I even downloaded RAW samples and compared them in Photoshop.Here's some key factors that went into my decision:=====================================================================Canon 6DPROS:*Dynamic Range is greatThe whole DXO mark of the Nikon D600 having 2 more stops is over-hyped! If you shoot RAW, you have plenty of room to bring back details in the shadows and highlights. If you know how to use Photoshop and camera RAW, this is not a big factor.*Great High ISO performanceImages hold up great in low light situations. Handheld Night Scene works great! It shoots 4 bracketed exposures and combines them in-camera. The result is a very well exposed jpeg image. Main limitation of this that it saves a jpeg image only. I shoot mainly RAW. A workaround I end up doing is shooting my usual RAW images and then switch to Handheld Night Scene to get a nice jpeg. Then I have the best of both worlds.*Very accurate color rendition.What you see in real life is what you get from the photos.*Ergonomics are great I have fairly small hands and the camera fits like a glove. It feels solid and well balanced.*The GPS and Wi-fi are amazing!Here's where Canon really stepped up their game. The directions aren't the clearest on how to set it up, but I figured it out through some trial and error. GPS: It takes about 1-2 minutes to locate and lock on a satellite signal. Every time you shoot, the global coordinates of the camera are embedded into the RAW or jpeg file. So after a days work, I can see where each image was taken. The Canon 6D comes with a map utility software to view this. Better yet, if you have Adobe Lightroom(highly recommended), the program has a dedicated "Map" tab. It uses Google maps, so you can navigate and zoom to each location you shot. Now I never have to name my files with long descriptions like "DTLA_CornerOfSpringSt&6thSt_Noon_3-14-2013.jpeg" just so I can remember where I was. Wi-Fi: Works great! Essentially, the Canon 6D acts like a wireless router. Once you activate it, you can search for the camera on your smart phone. Make sure you install the free EOS Utility app for your phone. Once you connect, your smart phone acts like a live viewfinder and remote control, with the ability to adjust basic settings. ie, shutter speed, iso, focusing points.*Nice viewfinderVery sharp and bright in reference to what I'm actually seeing. The whole 97% vs 100% viewfinder coverage is not a factor at all. So what if i don't see 3% of the image through the viewfinder. In the end, that just means you get an extra 3% of the image you didn't see after you view it on your computer. I end up cropping a lot in Photoshop anyhow.*Very convenient and smart button layouts.I can easily change my iso speed and aperture settings without any thinking. Nice integration of the rear dial to change apertures and make quick adjustments on the fly.*Weather sealedCanon finally decided to address their fogging issue that plagued the previous 5D ii. Now I have some assurance that the camera can handle some adverse weather conditions.*Very silent shutter soundA nice addition when shooting with a tour or in a cathedral/sacred place.CONS*No flash pop up. The high ISO performance makes up for this though.*20 megapixels vs the 24 megapixels on the D600. Not a big difference, but a small detail nonetheless*1 card slotOriginally this bothered me. But then I thought, why can't I just carry a tiny SD card in my pocket as a backup.*11 auto focus pointsCanon dropped the ball on this one. But I do not shoot sports and weddings, so it does not affect my shooting experience. I've been content with the 11 it provides, plenty for me to adjust my focus areas.*12 stops dynamic range vs 14 stops on the D600. If you shoot RAW, this is not a deal breaker*Some special modes, ie Scene Handheld and HDR, can only be saved as jpeg.=====================================================================Nikon D600PROS:*Slightly better Dynamic Range than the Canon 6DI spent a long time testing out the RAW images but did not see a significant advantage. If you know how to bracket exposures, then both cameras are on par.*Great ergonomics.I really enjoyed holding the D600, much better than the Nikon D800 in my opinion. The thumb rest was more pronounced on the D600. So it felt more secure in my hands.*Nice color rendition*39 focus pointsIf I was shooting sports and weddings, this would be a better addition than the Canon 6D. Then again if I was shooting

I remember the first time I used the original Canon Rebel. That glorious feeling of going from a digital point-and-shoot to a real SLR... the feel of the body, the satisfying ka-click of a real shutter, the depth of field, the control... I was hooked immediately.After later evolving to a 40D and then to a 60D, I never thought I would have that "oh wow" feeling again until I took a wild chance and spoiled myself. The 6D arrived, and from the moment I looked through that big, bright (and wide!) optical viewfinder, and experienced the amazing flick of the new "silent" shutter, as good as the 60D was, I felt I had jumped to a whole new level. I was not anticipating the new shutter - it's amazing - soft and quiet and very professional with very low volume and vibration. The feel of this thing is like the first time you throw a perfect shifter in a high-end sports car, or slip your arm around a beautiful woman. Okay, maybe that's a bit too poetic... but trust me, you'll find yourself wanting to pull out this baby and flick off a new photo every chance you get.And that was just the start...I turned on the GPS (indoors) and took a few photos a minute later - downloaded them into Lightroom - and LR showed me a satellite view of my house, right down to the corner of the house in which I took the photos! I could not believe how accurate, and how quickly it acquired its location.I haven't used it extensively, but the built-in wi-fi capabilities are pretty amazing too. View images and control your camera remotely from a smartphone or tablet. It transmits a live picture to your device (in my case, a Galaxy Android tablet) and let's you make a few adjustments remotely. It would be nice if it gave you a little more control though. You can also put it into DLNA mode to share with other devices on your network. Once I turned it on, my Playstation3 instantly saw the camera and allowed me to surf through the photos that were still on the camera on my lap. Pretty neat. I wish the UI guys had spent a little more time on the wifi profile menus - they are a lot less intuitive than the other settings. But it works well.I am amazed at the high-ISO performance and it's noise reducing DIGIC 5 processor!You can push it to ridiculous heights before it becomes obvious at anything but pixel-peeking levels. Even the 50,000 and 100,000 ISO range, while obviously noisy, are an acceptable "better than not getting the shot at all", and anything up to 3200 is barely noticeable unless you pixel peek. EVen images shot at 12,500 look pretty good once passed through the noise and color filter in Lightroom. In normal ISO ranges, colors are exceptionally vibrant and solid.The HDR feature is nice, but gives a bit more muted, low-contrast look than I usually achieve doing it manually with Photomatix. I'm not sure I would depend on it for taking realistic photos, but I look forward to really putting it through its paces soon. [UPDATE: I was too kind. The HDR feature is pretty much worthless in my opinion. It just doesn't do very good job. I've quit using it.]I went to a large local photography club the day after I bought it and they were showing off how you could buy a GPS accessory for their 7D for "only" a few hundred dollars, or a wifi/tablet app for a couple of hundred dollars more, and they had all these doo-hickeys hanging off their camera, and there I was, holding this little marvel with all of this built right in, and for a price that, while certainly not inexpensive, is a bargain within the category of full-frame cameras.Naturally, if you're not aware, as a full-frame camera, the field of view is much wider. That nice, inexpensive f2.8 Canon 40mm pancake lens now becomes a real joy to use with this camera. I splurged and got the kit with the 24-105L lens, which seems to be a wonderful lens, but I will withhold my full review of the lens until I get more time in the field with it*.There is no built-in flash, which does not bother me as I hate the harsh on-board flash, and with the low-light capabilities of this camera, it becomes even less necessary. Of course you can still use a Speedlite.If you have anything prior to the 60D, you will love this upgrade. And if you can spare the cash, it's even a big step up from the 60D as well.This thing is a game changer.Don't skip paying the rent or buying food for your children to buy one, but it's well worth skipping a few luxury items and pampering yourself with this exceptional piece of technology.* Update: still adore this camera, but I've got good news/bad news regarding the lens. I spent hours doing side-by-side pixel-peeking comparisons between this expensive (24-105L) kit lens, and the much cheaper 28-135 kit lens that came with my 40D - a lens I always considered an "average" quality lens. You can easily spend 3 times more for the L series 24-105, yet when I compared identical images side by side I found very little to justify the fancy new lens. The build quality and styling is definitely better,

my update did not post*********I realize now that there is no FEC button on the 6d which is going to be an issue for me because I almost always use a spot metering preflash (star button) over people's face to nail correct exposures using bounce flash, and use the FEC button with the rear wheel to adjust according to skin tones (+1 for white people, -1 for dark skin, etc). While I've been able to make the "set" button on the 6d a FEC button, the FEC amount still shows up on the LCD screen instead of in the viewfinder, so you'll have to take your face away from the camera for a second. I'm sure I can work with this annoyance, but I'm pretty disappointed that canon took this button away from a camera that costs almost $2,000 (while the 7d has it and costs less). I guess they have to make you wish it was a 5d mark iii. Luckily, I still have my 5d ii so I'll probably end up using that more often when I'm using flash. Or maybe it won't be as bad as it seems it's going to be, and everything will be alright. I just wanted to make it apparent that this button is missing, and no matter what you do, you have to change the FEC on the LCD screen, not in the viewfinder. I'm leaving a 5 star rating because I'm still happy with the camera; the image quality is superb.********************I will be updating this review over time. I shoot mostly weddings and I have been using two canon 5d mark ii bodies, and just sold one to get this 6d. I have kept the other one, however. I will start by stating the obvious:The canon 5d mark ii is a great camera, even 4 years after it became available. In fact, it was so good when it came out that it still holds up to many of the brand new camera bodies that are out now, in terms of its sensor.I decided to buy this 6d to replace one of the 5d ii's I have after a friend sent me an ISO 6400 raw. At first it didn't seem any better, but it is, a little bit. In fact, it's just enough better than 6400 on the 5d mark ii for me to consider using it without hesitation. I've shot at 6400 with the 5d ii many times at weddings in situations where I didn't have a choice, and while it worked, the photos had to be heavily noise reduced and I only provided them at 2 megapixels to my clients. At 6400 on the 5d ii, there is noticeable color loss and dynamic range loss. You must get the exposure right because you cannot manipulate the file much without getting some intense noise and banding. The 6d file at 6400, however, gives you some room to play. You can correct exposures much more without ruining the photo, it retains better colors, and the noise is just a hair better- that is, in a scene with mostly black. In a brightly lit scene, the 6d's noise is substantially better, about one stop, maybe a little less.In video mode, it's a different story. Iso 12800 on the 6d in video looks like 3200 on the 5d ii, no kidding. I don't know how they did this but it's pretty amazing. I don't do much video work though.The 5d mark ii has a preferable button layout, which has been retained in the 5d iii. The 6d's layout are more rebel like and obnoxious, but I'll get used to it. I miss the joystick, as the directional pad on the 6d requires you to shift your hand, and it's pretty mushy.The 1/4000 shutter speed on the 6d would have been a deal breaker to me if I did not own a 5d ii as well, because using wide aperture primes during the day at 1/4000, is just not going to happen. At f1.4, I am often in 1/8000 territory, and some times I have to drop to iso 50 on top of that if using f1.2. the 1/200 strobe sync on the 5d ii is better than the 1/180 on the 6d, as well, and yes it matters.Build quality wise, there is no comparison. The 5d ii wins hands down. The 6d feels identical to a 60d, in my opinion. I'm careful with my gear so this is not a problem.Now to the AF system: I thought there would be no real improvement here, as it's the same crappy focus diamond canon loves to give to us unless we spend over 3k. Well, I was wrong, it's better, much better. I'm used to having to use the center point all the time and the center point on the 6d (rated tofocus at -3 EV vs -0.5 EV on the mark ii) is amazing. A few test shots outside in the city at night revealed perfect focus every time in almost total darkness. This will definitely be helpful in shooting weddings, since most of them are in caves.some other things to note; the 6d has silent shooting modes while the 5d mark ii can only do them in live view mode. Unfortunately the 5dii sounds like a gunshot during a quiet wedding ceremony, so the 6d will for sure be my main body during ceremonies. It's whisper quiet with silent shooting enabled.Last, the overall sharpness is better on the 6d, but it's not bad on the 5d ii at all. This is to be expected from a sensor that's in a brand new body vs one that's 4 years old. The 6d also does in camera lens correction which is very, very nice.So is it worth the extra price for the 6d over the 5d ii if you're looking for a first time full fr

Scroll down for the update.I've rated this 3 stars because I read 3-star reviews. The 5-star reviews are just so much cheerleading and the 1-star reviewers are just venting about something that does not pertain to the product (shipping, returns, & etc.). I love this camera, so consider this a troll.I want to make two points.First, ignore reviews that say this is a bad camera. There are only bad photographers using inappropriate equipment. This is NOT a sports camera. But it is an OUTSTANDING low-light camera. Blows the doors off Nikon. And, still, it has acceptable high-speed performance.Second, a warning! This is a full-sensor camera. I almost ruined this camera because I mounted a crop-sensor lens on it. The crop lenses intrude further into the body and interfere with the mirror. A lens with a red dot is a full-sensor lens. A lens with a white square is made for crop-sensor bodies. Some cameras have both. Just make sure to use an appropriate lens or you could trash your camera. Do not under any circumstances mount a lens with a white square on a body with only a red dot. You've been warned.As for controls, I love it. Way more simple than my 7D, fewer buttons and whatnot. It doesn't have a joy stick. I always hated the joy stick. And on some cameras the thumb wheel can be depressed as you would a joy stick. Which means you mean to turn it, but you press it. This camera has a thumb wheel AND a directional control. No fiddling with a joy stick and no chance to accidentally press the wrong thing.Picture quality is excellent. I can take pictures of my critters, in the house, at night, with just a table lamp, and still they can come out too bright and a bit too warm. Still, this is a great low-light camera.I thought I'd miss a flash just for filling in, but I don't miss it at all.Overall I'd give it 6 stars because it fits with how I shoot. Your results may vary.Update: This truly is an awesome camera. I've taken pictures indoors, at night with just a glow from a fireplace, no flash, and they came out fantastic! As far a flash goes, okay, I kind of miss the built-in on my 7D for fill-in, but not much.Bottom line, this is a great, all-around, pro/enthusiast camera.Now a word about focus points. The 7D has 19 cross-type focus points. The 6D has 1. What does this mean? Old SLR cameras had a sliding focus system. The image was split in the middle horizontally and the bottom and top slid from side to side. You needed a vertical object (flag pole) to achieve proper focus. When the pole was no longer split, you had focus. Likewise, you could have a vertical split. Canon uses both in their cross-type focus points, kind of. So, you'd think you'd want the 7D's 19 cross-type focus points vs the 6D's 1. Well, not so fast. Some cameras have dozens of focus points, which is great if you're a button fiddler. For all practical purposes most of us focus and recompose. Align the 1 main point (You don't have to do this. It focuses pretty well regardless.) and then recompose the shot. This is the way photographers have shot since day 1.But you can still choose any of the 9 focus points and get excellent results if, say, you don't want to recompose. Compose the shot so one of the focus points is on the subject's eye, say, and you'll get a shot that is in perfect focus. Better than the cross-type? Unless you have a scientific lab, you can't tell.So don't get hung up on specs and whatnot. If you want blinding multi-shot speed. Get the 7D. If you want a good, all around camera, with incredible low-light capabilities; i.e. you can use it indoors and out without extra flash, this is the clear winner.

Canon 6d ReviewI've now been using my 6d for a bit over a week and feel that I've handled it enough to write a comprehensive review. First, let me tell you that I upgraded from a Rebel T2i, which I absolutely loved. I'm by no means a pro, and I don't typically get paid for my work; but I would classify myself as a photo enthusiast. I travel a lot and size and weight were factors in my decision to go with the 6d. I also like to shoot with available light, which is why I wanted to go full frame for the high ISO performance. For some reason it says I purchased the body only, but I actually bought the kit.Let me address some of the "cons" that people are complaining about right out of the gate. I'm going to assume that most people considering the 6d are like me - looking to upgrade from a nice point and shoot style camera or a Rebel series or other APS-C style DSLR. Nearly everything that people are stating are "cons" I never had on my Rebel in the first place, so I don't miss these features. The AF system has gotten a lot of attention, but on my Rebel, I used the center point 90% of the time for focusing. The center point on the 6d is just amazing. It focuses in an almost completely dark room. Certainly it will be able to focus for any situation when you are going to shoot hand held. I will take the simplified control of 11 AF points and an absolutely fantastic center focus point over 61 points (caveat: I don't shoot sports or other fast moving objects so I wouldn't really benefit from the addition points for tracking a moving subject).I rarely, if ever, shoot video so not having a headphone jack doesn't bother me in the slightest. Also, not having a built in flash is no big deal to me either. I'm going to assume that people looking at this price range for a camera have an external flash and understand the limitations of a built in flash. I never used the one on my Rebel anyway. Finally, not having two SD card slots doesn't seem like a big loss to me. While I think the redundancy of two slots might be nice, I've never had an SD card fail on me and perpetually back up my images anyway.24-105mm f/4 Kit Lens:Honestly this was probably what was holding me back the most about going full frame. I previously have been using the Canon EF-S 17-55mm f/2.8 IS and I have to say that better than 90% of my pictures taken with my T2i were shot using this lens. While the 17-55 doesn't have a red ring or L in its name, it defiantly can run with the L glass. I worried that going from a relatively fast 2.8 (EF-S lenses do not fit on the 6d) to an f/4 would be limiting, but I also didn't want to give up IS and the 24-70mm was out of my price range anyway. Let me say that given the higher ISO performance, I don't really miss the stop I lost going to an f/4 lens. I actually like having a bit more reach with the 24-105. I would defiantly have kept my 17-55 f/2.8 if I could have, but I also don't feel limited by the 24-105 f/4. In the future I plan to get the 16-35 f/2.8 for use alongside the 25-105 f/4. So in summary, if you are like me and hesitating about giving up your 17-55mm f/2.8 for the 24-105 f/4, don't worry - the kit lens is fantastic and you won't regret going full frame for a second.ISO Performance:Let me sum it up in one word: amazing. I hate noisy pictures and I'd hesitate to shoot much above ISO 400 with my T2i. I have no problem shooting at 3200-6400 with the 6d. I took some shots basically in the dark at 25,600 and they were defiantly usable. Low light performance is just amazing. I can't comment on how it compares to other full frame cameras, but I do know there is just no comparison between APS-C sensors and this one.Auto ISO on this camera is awesome. I never used Auto ISO on my T2i (as I said above I hate noisy images and didn't like the camera constantly trying to push up the ISO). The Auto ISO on this camera lets you set a minimum shutter speed (great for people, like myself, who rarely use a tripod). It brings the shutter down to (near) the minimum, and then starts to the boost the ISO. Additionally (like most SLR's) you can set the maximum and minimum Auto ISO speeds.Autofocus:I touched on this above, but for its limitations, I actually like the AF system. I shoot mostly still subjects in available light and absolutely love the center AF point and its ability to focus in near dark conditions. AF is fast and of the few hundred pictures I've taken so far, hasn't missed yet. I like the simplicity of the 11-point AF system. I find the 61-point system hard to navigate. Coming from a Rebel, the AF system is very similar so there was really no learning curve when going to the 6d.Design & Button Layout:The 6d is surprisingly small and light. It's honestly not much bigger than my T2i, and only slightly heavier. It defiantly doesn't feel cheap though. It feels rugged, well built, and substantial in your hand. It doesn't have the plastic feel that the Rebels do. It feels like

On the plus side, it's lighter and much quieter than my previous 5D. It can focus in much dimmer conditions.Auto ISO is lens length aware; it pushes the ISO up or massively up to achieve somewhere around 1/40 sec with a 17mm lens and 1/125 sec with 105 mm lens. I would like to alter the bias, though. Shooting sharp images with a 17mm lens can have shutters of 1/20 to 1/15 sec, while I prefer 1/180 to 1/250 for 105 and up. Auto ISO is not aware of whether image stabilization is turned on or off.Here's where things started going down hill. WiFi problems:The camera can join an existing WiFi network, which Canon calls, "Infrastructure Mode." It can create it's own WiFi hotspot, which Canon calls, "Camera Access Point Mode." Finally, it can participate in a peer-to-peer WiFi network which Canon calls, "Ad hoc Mode." Here's a chart of what devices can use which network systems:Smart Phone:__ In-camera Hotspot √, WiFi Access Point √, Ad hoc XComputer:_____ In-camera Hotspot X, WiFi Access Point √, Ad hoc √*Printer:________ In-camera Hotspot √, WiFi Access Point √, Ad hoc XTV Screen:_____ In-camera Hotspot X, WiFi Access Point √, Ad hoc XOther camera:_ In-camera Hotspot ?, WiFi Access Point ?, Ad hoc ? - didn't have a second 6D to testWhen it comes to wireless networking, the camera is a control freak. Rather than joining a WiFi network and peering and presenting a service, the camera requires you to create a "connection." You have to manually define the network and device parameters of the connection for each type; be it "EOS Utility" on one or more of your computers, "EOS Remote" app on a smart phone, etc. That means that if you want three devices to be able to access the camera, all on the same WiFi network, you'll need to enter the same WiFi password three times, once for each device "connection."The "Connection" is specific to both the network and the device. You can only have a total of three "connections" for any given device type (computer, phone, etc.) Every time you encounter a new wireless network, say a change of hotels, you'll need to over-write one of your connections to re-establish it with this new network; even if it's the same laptop. Or create an ad hoc (peer-to-peer, computer-to-computer) network each time you want to wirelessly transfer files. Why the camera can act as a hotspot for the mobile device, but not the laptop is a mystery; but it sure is annoying.Frequently when accessing "Wi-Fi function" if you've previously set up a "connection", even if that connection is not active, the default question on screen is, "Exit." It is not immediately clear to me by the context what is being asked. It means, "Exit your current connection." I'm typically trying to determine the state of the network when I make it to that screen. Kill the network isn't the button I want to be default.I had hoped that the camera could use a VPN to access workstations while shooting remotely. It could have opened up a world of real-time creative collaboration. No, Canon hasn't figured out normal WiFi networking, let alone anything remotely advanced. The best Canon could do was a Canon-branded image bucket and gateway that allows you to upload down-rezzed JPEGs and invite people to view them with email.Using the WFTParing.app, which is the bit of software that allows you to initialize a "connection" with a computer, requires knowing this one trick: A Growl-like notification appears in the upper-right hand corner of the screen once the WFTPairing app finds an EOS camera. That looks for all the world to be just a notification; being flat, not 3D and zero interaction affordances, but it's actually a button that you must click in order to proceed to pair the devices. The "notification" button disappears (like a typical notification) after a few seconds and in order to get it back on screen, you'll need to restart the pairing process on the camera. Without clicking on the "notification that's actually a button" you're left having no way to proceed and no feedback on what to do next or if anything went wrong.On Mac OS X, you cannot have the system firewall turned on while initially trying to set up the WiFi connection for EOS Utility (using WFTParing.app.) However, once the camera and computer have registered a pairing, you can turn the firewall back on and still be able to pair.It takes seventeen separate actions to enable or disable either the WiFi or the GPS functionality. This is an annoyance as I plan to use the camera primarily in an underwater housing and transfer the files over WiFi rather than crack open the housing after each dive. But this means I really need to conserve battery, so turning on and off WiFi is something I'll be doing often. I put GPS and WiFi screens on the "My Menu" screen which significantly speeds up access.Since it's not explained in the WiFi manual, here's some terms I needed to look up:WPS: WiFi Protected Setup, I guess it's a proprietary Canon WiFi configuration protocol.WPS (PBC): Push Butt

I spent 2+ months researching for my new camera, it is time for me to move up to a full-frame format and I have been a good boy and saved my money :-).What am I first: I don't claim to be a pro, just a DAD who takes family pictures and events, vacations and dogs.I shoot JPEG 99% of the time, because I would rather enjoy shooting than spend time on my computer, RAW files also takes time to process and load, I do RAW only when it is absolutely necessary.Shooting situations:--------------------Indoors (usually night or not ideal light settings), includes: parties, recitals, school programs: 90%Vacation : 5%Kids activities: Parks, Tennis, Kids running and playing with dogs : 5%Like most people, I struggled between d600 and 6d:--------------------------------------------------Nikon D600 - I almost bought this one from Costco due to the special kit discount. Unfortunately, due to the sensor dust issues, I returned and stayed away.-Canon 6D - I held on to buying, until more reviews came in.I was still hopeful to go to Nikon, thinking maybe it will be fixed in future release (like what i heard with D800), because I keep on hearing that Canon 6d is "under-spec" or "crippled" compared to d600. In the meantime, I made a "real-life" comparison (at least for me) between the "under-spec" Canon 6d compared to Nikon D600:Advantages of d600 vs 6d--------------------------24 vs 20 - no bearing to me, I was so happy with 18mp APS-C already.-FPS of 5.5 vs 4.5 - well if you look at my shooting situations above, this is not a big deal to me, and the focusing of 6D is actually faster than Canon 60d, both in low light and outside.-Built in flash - for me this is only nice to have, even my wife does not want me to use a flash that cannot be bounced because it washes out the colors, if you really want flash, get an external one that you can bounce and diffuse the intensity of the flash. Also with 6D, I don't find a need to use flash anymore on my indoor shoots, specially when I use my prime lens that I bought with the camera (28mm 1.8).-Dynamic range - what I keep on reading is d600 has the edge, but from what I heard is the difference is not that much and only matters if you do "pixel peeping".-2 card slots for saving pictures - Maybe for pros yes, not for me.-More focus points - I always hated moving that focus point, because it is not as quick as I want them to be. I only use them in controlled settings, for hand-held shooting, I just do point and refocus or use auto, this ensures capture of the moment by "focusing on what to capture, not where to focus". Both cameras have all their focus points centered in the middle anyway, so I don't really get having many focus points if you are all just going to concentrate them on the center.Advantages of 6d vs d600-------------------------JPEG picture quality is very excellent. I think Canon has the best JPEG engine, I can definitely reduce the need to work with RAW files.-Great camera for Indoors due to excellent high ISO performance, which covers 90% of my needs. And focus is very fast in low light.-GPS built-in, Works really well, this will cover my vacations.-WiFi built in - I've used it for self portrait and controlled shooting setups with the Christmas Tree in the foyer! I used the Canon EOS remote app on my iPhone to do this, it is very cool and easy to use. I was able to control the camera and view the shots in my iPhone, download the pictures to the phone and emailed it to myself! This is another breakthrough for Canon, just like the excellent implementation of touch screen interface in Canon t4i swivel screen.-It is actually cheaper than d600 if you compare the 2 kits they offer. d600 $2499 with 24-85, 6d $2699 with 24-105. For $200 difference, you get an extra 20mm in lens reach and the lens itself is an 'L', meaning it is Canon's luxury line of lenses known for excellent optical quality and weather sealing. The Canon 24-105L lens itself if bought separately retails for $ 1,149, while Nikon's 24-85 is only $599.95.-Live View is actually usable compared to d600, but still not as great as Sony's implementation-Focusing outside with trees and running dogs is great, It is not a 5d Mark III or 7d - so it is just what I expected.-No annoying green tint on the LCD display-Although d600 viewfinder is 3% bigger than 6d, 6d is actually cleaner and brighter. I'm actually surprised by this, d600 looks dim and less detailed specially indoors with not so ideal lighting.-More videos are even coming out regarding the dust/oil sensor issues. I even saw a video showing after doing a blower and wet cleaning, the dust/oil still returns(see link below). This might be the reason why they are selling them way below the original MSRP of the d600 kit price. Also, cleaning the sensor yourself is a delicate and complicated process that most people would rather not do, if you're cleaning cause damage, your warranty might be void.[...]I'm sure there are other differences that tech geeks wil

I upgraded from a Rebel T2i w/ 18-135. Here's are my thoughts after taking the camera out on a shoot last night with the 24-105mm L.Ergonomics:Coming from a T2i, one thing that was incredibly difficult to get used to was where the ISO button is located at. It's no longer an isolated button but now a part of a group of 5 other buttons. The buttons are laid out as AF -> Drive -> ISO -> Metering -> LCD light. On the 5D MK3, the buttons are Metering/White balance -> AF/Drive -> ISO/Exposure -> LCD Light. The reason this is important is because from an ergonomic perspective, it's normal to just shift your right index finger from the jog wheel straight down to the ISO button and it's the first button right there. On the Canon 6D, I have to move my finger down and shift it over. I'm getting used to it, but I can't count how many times I've tried to change my ISO and I kept hitting the Metering button and kept taking my eye out of the viewfinder to make sure I didn't change any metering values. Luckily, even if you hit the metering button, settings don't change until you move the jog wheel. So if you're looking through the viewfinder and you hit a button and ISO doesn't show up, then shift your finger left one button. I'm sure this will just take time getting used to.The viewfinder is significantly brighter which was something I never appreciated until using the 6D.In regards to the focal points, the number of focal points seems to make a larger impact on this full frame camera than it did on my crop body (which only had 9 AF points which seemed plenty on the T2i) That is, all 11 of the focal points are towards the center of the frame and on the full frame it seems like there's a lot of places left "open" with no focal points. In other words, it seems like the focal points only cover about 50% of the viewfinder coverage whereas on my crop body (with only 9) it felt like the focal points covered 75% of the viewfinder. Does this matter in the real world? I've not yet to run into any problems, and I suppose one could always use live view focus if for whatever reason one needed a much more precise focus than the 11 AF points.The quality of the center AF point however is superb, and I was surprised I was able to get focus in some situations where my crop body failed in low light situations.In regards to low light image quality, I hated using anything ISO 3200 or higher on my crop body. Pictures were usable but often image quality suffered in graininess and I wouldn't use them for anything professional and even ISO 1600 was borderline but acceptable on my T2i. On the 6D however, I am impressed with the images at ISO 6400, and so far pretty good results at ISO 12800 as well. This was actually one of the biggest driving factors in me upgrading from a crop to a full frame, and I can say that the 6D does not disappoint in this regard.The in-camera HDR is pretty effective. I was surprised at how easy it was to take HDR images without a tripod and have them automatically stitch together and still come out looking good. I am of the mentality that there are certain photos that HDR absolutely adds to a picture, but other times it can distract. The fact that it's so easy to get an HDR picture without a tripod in the field is definitely a plus for me. Keep in mind though that the HDR function will only be available if you are shooting in JPEG mode, so if you're currently set in RAW you'll have to change that setting before setting up the in camera HDR. Once you're finished with any HDR shots, you'll also have to remember to put your camera back in RAW mode.Another nice feature is that there are different raw sizes. RAW - 20MP @ 5472x3648, RAW(M) - 11MP @ 4104x2736) and RAW(S)- 5MP @ 2736x1824. Exactly what it sounds like, but something I wasn't used to seeing on my T2i which always shot in full-size RAW. So if I'm just going out not doing anything serious, it's nice to have the option of a smaller file size while still retaining the benefits of a RAW image. Then again, if I'm not doing anything serious, I would probably just use a cell phone camera. Therefore, neither a pro or a con.In regards to the Wifi features, I will say that the remote EOS app (Android and iPhone) is a far better solution than an articulating screen. When doing self-portraits, it is nice to be able to frame the picture with your phone remotely (remote shooting feature). After my shoot last night, I connected my phone and stuck the camera in the bag as I walked to my car. It felt a lot nicer reviewing my pictures through my phone (and deleting the ones I didn't like) using a touch interface. This is not necessarily a pro or a con, but it was refreshing and I found it to be a better solution as I could zoom with two fingers, pan, etc. I can also see that having a tablet with a larger screen would be useful in reviewing photos in the field. One other thing to mention is that transferring RAW files is pretty slow wirelessly, and it's probably quicker

This camera has top-tier image quality in a polished, compact package well-suited to travel. Those upgrading from a 5D II or 7D may prefer the sharp response and focusing performance of the 5D III. Buyers without an investment in the Canon system may find Nikon's D600 a better value.I've finally had enough of a hands-on with this camera to draw some conclusions about it. My main body is a 5D II and I've owned or used almost all of Canon's crop bodies.HANDLING AND NEW FEATURES:Build quality on first impression is similar to the 60D and 5D II. Solid enough, with a slightly narrower grip than most previous Canon bodies, those two inclusive, but still comfortable to my large hands. This body is petite for full-frame, about 10% smaller by volume than the 5D II and 15% under the 5D III. Weight is similarly svelte, below every 5D and the 7D, and about even with the 60D. The larger cameras will balance a bit better with heavy lenses; this 6D will be the preferable travel body by a small margin.New relative to the 5D II are improved weather sealing and a much-appreciated mode dial lock. It's not clear how comprehensive the sealing is; I still wouldn't take it in the rain, and very few non-L Canon lenses are weatherproof. The LCD screen has a fatter aspect ratio and somewhat better contrast. As seems to be the new Canon norm, the 6D has mushy buttons that activate at some indeterminate point.Novel, however, is the button layout. The top panel retains the 60D's configuration of four buttons, each with one function. The 5D series, 7D, and prior XXD models have three buttons with two functions per. You lose direct adjustment of flash exposure compensation and white balance, but frankly, most people will find this simplified layout preferable. I still forget which dial controls which function on my 5D II. The rear panel looks superficially like the 60D with the same right-hand bias, though the functionality has been shifted around. A mitigating factor is that, as on the 7D, 60D, and subsequent bodies, you can bind custom functions to many buttons. I didn't find it a major trial to adapt from the 5D II, but you'll definitely want to spend a few days with it before you have to work under pressure. Rebel owners will find the adjustment more significant.This 6D has a single SD card slot. The 5D II uses CF, which is rapidly becoming the purview of only high-end bodies. CF is faster, harder to lose, and costs more. SD is fast enough for a body in this speed class. This is nonfactor unless you have a sizeable collection of the opposing format. The 5D III has a dual slot that can speed some workflows and provide media redundancy.Like all Canon full-frame DSLRs, this body doesn't have a popup flash. I'm not lamenting the absence, it was a bone to casual shooters more than a serious tool. Max sync speed for most Canon bodies is around 1/200, so integrated flash only works for outdoor fill with narrow apertures. Indoors as a main light source, the tiny size and close proximity to the lens lead to red eyes and a flat, unflattering high-contrast look. A much preferable setup for any Canon DSLR pairs a 430EX or 580EX, ideally diffused or aimed to bounce off a nearby surface.Shutter lag now rivals the 5D III and 40D-7D, a few ticks quicker than the 5D II and any of the Rebels. This responsiveness bodes well for the first shot. Later shots come at 4.5 fps, a rate ideal for candids, but not for sports. The 5D II and III are respectively worse (3.9 fps) and better (6 fps). Of greater interest: like the 5D III, the 6D now has a 'silent' shooting mode that lowers the volume and pitch of the mirror clunk by half. Every wedding I've ever shot would have benefited from that.The screen interface follows the mold of every Canon body since the 40D. It has a series of horizontal tabs with options. The major UI change is that instead of 9 tabs that also scroll vertically, you get 15 that don't. The advantage is that you can rapidly wheel through tabs and see everything there is to see without scrolling; the disadvantage is that it looks intimidating and there are multiple tab groups of the same icon. The 'Creative' modes show every tab. Some are hidden in Program and Auto modes. We've come full-circle since the original 5D, which had a handful of tabs and piles of scrolling.A major new feature also common to the 5D III is a better implementation of Auto-ISO. It's often the case in changing light where you want to shoot a lens wide open for subject isolation, but with a fixed or minimum shutter speed so you won't risk motion or hand blur. On the 5D II, that was a no-go; Auto-ISO didn't work in Manual mode, and the minimum shutter chosen in the other modes was too low. This camera will do Auto-ISO in M between any lower and upper bound you choose. Or you can set a minimum shutter for Av or P mode. Wonderful and overdue, this.Some other new features are worthy of note. They've added a single-axis level that's useful for landscapes and architecture. Th

The 6D is a new approach to full frame DSLR, and probably the most forward-thinking of any in production.The 6D is more innovative and feature rich than any full frame in its price range and half the cost of cameras it out does in picture quality. Throwback bodies are cool a la the new Sony A7 and similar Fujis and Nikons. Hold them, though, and you'll miss the 6Ds familiar yet compacted approach to body/interface as well as its EF lens selection.Only newbies measure a camera's worth in megapixels, and I find that the 6D's smaller 20mp contributes to features of superior performance as well as more efficient RAW data storage. It's full frame, too, so image quality is truly outstanding.The image and video quality is outstanding. On par if not better than a 5DIII. Moire is not bad like people say and in fact I have never noticed it.The body is really comfortable and the dials are exactly where they should be.The 24-105 is a beast. It's built like a tank and sharp as heck. Definitely spend the $500 and get it with the camera.I like the camera best with primes such as the 40 2.8 pancake or the 50 1.8 nifty fifty, especially the pancake for its compactness and diminished intimidation to subjects. It's very light and portable with any prime.I like the menus at the Q button. You can map everything just how you want.I'm just now discovering P mode and it is actually incredible if not revolutionary.Low light is ridiculously good. I shot a dance party and went flashless for a while at 20k ISO. Noise was barely detectable and color reproduction from the light show was very interesting. The noise reduction does more harm than good though. It blurs things and the 6D is so good that you don't even need it.The autofocus is indeed less fancy than almost any camera I've used in recent years. But, the way I shoot was learned on older cameras anyway, so I don't require a zillion AF points. I prefer the classic crosshair/diamond with a strong AF point in the center. Often times I lock onto the subject and hold focus with the AF OFF button while I compose the shot. Said center cross-type is actually better than anything one on the 5DIII and can focus in near darkness. If you get confused or annoyed with the growingly impersonal and hyper technological modern AF in cameras, the 6D is for you.Philosophy of the 6D (the reason why its always misunderstood by tech oriented geeks).The Canon 6D brings modern tech to classic shooting technique in a way that keeps the photographer involved. This contrasts it to the growing use of automatic functions and button layouts that disengaged the photographer, thus letting the art take a backseat to the camera's techno-intelligence. The 6D wants you to use it like a camera instead of a smart phone with a big lens attached like so many other cameras do (See: Nikon d5300). It's a real camera in form and encourages it to be used as such. You could take the 6D back in time and a photographer would find semblance to the original SLRs.There are a lot of 6D haters and people that don't consider it and I believe that is because they don't understand the philosophy stated above. Thosewho just love to shoot photos with their own skills rather than letting tech do their job always love it. It's 100% the best value full frame you can get. I really don't see a point in spending the extra money on a 5DIII and actually like the 6D better even if money is no object.

Based on my 9 month experience with canon 6d and canon service people, here is my rating on canon 6d:Image quality: *****Camera reliability:*** (initially was * based on my exprience with my old 6d. The refurbished replacement so far is *****. Average of the two ***).Focusing: ***Service:***I bought this camera on December 4th, 2012. I really enjoyed it until May 2013 when I used it at Magee Marsh OH to shoot a great horned owl. The camera went dead completely just before I could get a good shot of the bird. The battery was almost full before it went dead. I tried re-inserting the battery and restarting the camera. It didn't work. After 2hours driving home, it suddenly worked again. I hoped it was just a random glitch and would not happen again. So I didn't sent it back for repair. However, the same problem happened a few more times in June. I didn't return it because I really need a good camera to shoot various events. Starting in July, it basically died on me every time when I went outside for more than 2 hours (maybe 2 or 3 hundreds shots). I made sure it's not a battery problem by inserting fully charged canon batteries after the problem happened. It usually came back to life after 2 or 3 hours rest. It became so unreliable so that I had to send it to NJ canon service center for repair on July 5th. One week later, I got it back. The first time I used it, it became dead after 3 hours. So I had to send it back to NJ service center the 2nd time for the same problem. They replaced "power assembly" this time. I thought the problem should be gone. To my disappointment/surprise, when I used it for 3 hours/297shots, the camera was dead again! I had to send it back the 3rd time last Friday(8/2) for the same problem. I had to call basically everyday to get status of the problem/resolution. Just one hour ago, I was told by Canon PR person on the phone that they found the problem it was a faulty CMOS. They replaced it and will mail me back the 6D.Three "repairs" in one month for the same problem! Countless lost opportunities/wasted time on the phone/wasted gas to/from photo destinations! I am not even sure this third "repair" will fix the problem! I now totally lost confidence in my 6D.I suspect that the problem is NOT an isolated case. I saw at least two people had the same 6d problem as mine on canonrumor forum. One of guys had 6d repaired three times including replacing "base plate" (I don't know what that is). He still had the problem after 3 repairs. So Canon gave him a new retail box. I asked Canon to give me a replacement 6D. They refused. I thought that they at least should treat customer equally and do the same thing for me.In short, 6D's quality is not reliable. It may die after 3-4 hours heavy use (maybe 300+ pics) in 80F degree temperature. I suspect that more 6D having the same problem. It is just not discovered by most users because it is only exposed after heavy use in relatively high temperature. (I used it + canon 100-400mm lens/Al Servo AF mode for birding).If you do have a 6D, test it heavily before your 1 year warranty expires. It may expose this problem you may otherwise won't be able to discover.I will get my camera back after 3rd repair in the next few days. I'll report back the outcome again.9/6/2013: I received a replacement 6d after sending it back 4th time for a SD card slot problem. I change the 6d rating from * to **. I will test out the replacement 6d and adjust rating based on my experience with the replacement and the original one. Please don't criticize me for giving 6d such a low rate. I can only rate things based on the cameras I used. I don't have canon 6d statistics. I am pretty sure the overall 6d rating should be higher than mine. I hope that everything will be fine and I will enjoy 6d again.10/8/2013: Just came back from a 3 1/2 week photo trip. The replacement refurbished 6d was fully tested under tough weather conditions. It performed pretty well. I changed my rating of 6d to *** based on my experience with the initial 6d and the replacement.

Just received a 6D as a backup to my 5D Mark III. I am not going to bore you with the specifications that you can Google to find. I know most of you are reading this because you are getting into an entry level full frame camera or go straight to pro. Among your choices are Canon 6D, 5D Mark III and Nikon D800/D600. Since I do not have a D800 around I won't be able to cover it here but you can find lots of other reviews. This review will be done with a side by side comparison of the actual photos.ISO noise comparisonAfter spending the night taking several comparison photos at ISO 3200 F4 1/125, 6400 F4 1/500, 12800 F4 1/250 and 25600 F4 1/1000, here is my conclusion. Photoshop enlarged at 350% shows the 6D has about one stop advantage over the 5D Mark III and 1-1/2 stop over the Nikon D600. That did not come as a surprise since the 6D has the lowest resolution among the 3 DSLR.Update 12/7/2012: When these photos were reviewed in raw, I discovered the 6D filter setting is different, making it looked like it had lower noise. The 6D is in fact only about half stop better in ISO performance than 5D when compared in raw and one stop better than the Nikon D600.Auto Focus5D Mark III is the fastest, then D600 then 6D. They are all very close and hard to tell even in low light condition. All 3 shows remarkable focus speed. 6D occasionally will hunt for split seconds. D600 and 5D both have no hesitation locking in especially the 5D. To compare how fast each focuses, I listened to the motor sound of the lens.Update 11/26/2013: The center focus cross type sensor on the 6D is more accurate and faster than the 5D and the D600. I use this point focus mode almost exclusively in sports photography.Auto White Balance5D Mark III and 6D both have excellent auto white balance under different lighting condition. Nikon D600 however has a greenish or yellowish tone, turning a red rose into orange under fluorescent light. Kelvin level can be corrected of course under Lightroom but it is very difficult to tune it in the camera.View Finder5D Mark III has similar view finder as the 6D and both are brighter than the D600. This makes it a lot easier to focus especially in poor light. This is a big deal for my aging eyes and the brighter view finder is truly helpful on the Canon. I believe this is due to larger mirrors used in the Canons. The 6D does not have the 100% view but since I am not a pro, it really does not bother me.WeightThe 6D is the lightest of the 3 cameras but the 6D does not feel cheap in the hands. There is lots of advantage of being light especially I am going to use it on an Octocopter for aerial videos and photos.Edge sharpness6D clearly leads here. May be Canon has improved the image processing firmware. 5D is not too far from the 6D but beats the D600.ResolutionThere is not much of a difference in the mega pixel of these cameras, at least not enough to tell the difference even on a 24 inch monitor.VideoUpdates 2/24/2013I have compared all 3 cameras extensively in video mode. Most of my videos were aerial filmed from a Turbo Ace hexacopter and octocopter in light wind. So this will be a good test how they performance. First, I found there is no difference on the rolling shutter between the 3 cameras. All DSLR still suffer this problem and this is where some of the cinema cameras such as the Red Scarlet/Epic shine. As for the moire and aliasing the Mark III is the clear winner. I barely notice any moire and aliasing on the roof tops and power lines. If you are going to do video on a more professional level, you should stick with the Mark III unless you invest on a Red or something quite affordable like the Blackmagic Pocket Cinema. I was told by a friend that the Pocket Cinema after color grading, can top the 5D video due to its 13 dynamic range. As for the dynamic range, the D600 excels among the 3 cameras but by a narrow margin. The D600 has about 11.5 stops and the Mark III/6D are at 11 stops. The Blackmagic Pocket Cinema and Red scarlet/Black Magic have 13-14 stops. Red shoots in 4K/2K which makes it more ideal than any DSLR for video. My only problem shooting video with the Red is flight time as it weights about 10 pounds with all gears. If my Octocopter struggles to keep it in the air, imaging what it is going to do to your arms. I can't wait to see the new Turbo Ace CineWing 6 Hexacopter which will carries the 6D with 15 minutes flight time. It is exciting how these multi rotor copters advanced, allowing me to view the world from a different perspective. I will keep you updated on the aerial photo/cinematography technology with some breath taking aerial photos/video.Updates 11/24/2013: The 6D gave me about 2 minutes flight time on the Turbo Ace CineWing 6 Hexacopter. That is a total of 14 minutes in the air to get the shots I need. I could shoot photos with a remote trigger from a mile away. Technology has advanced exponentially from last year. The Hexacopter practically flew itself and the aerial photos were j

For a regular joe who is looking for a full frame camera, the only alternative for Canon user is the 5Dmk3.They are different cameras for different purposes. I don't think the 5D is necessarily "better" than the 6D.For my purposes, the 6D is simply a more suitable choice. Comparing the two, the 6D is smaller and lighter. The center AF point is more sensitive. I'm able to change the focus screen on the 6D to help me manually focus more easily. I love that the 6D is so similar to my previous camera the 60D so that I didn't have to adjust to a new layout.Needless to say, the image quality is far more superior than my 60D. The low light capability allows me to use ISO 3200 or 6400 without hesitation. I even used 12800 and the result was still decent enough to be useable. For my taste my 60D could only go as high as 1600, 3200 if there's absolutely no choice. That's two stops of improvement already. Combined with my sigma 35 art at 1.4, I could easily take pictures of my two-year-old son in indoor setting. One time I was in a dark church I had to use ISO 12800 with my 135L set at F2 in order to capture a man praying. There's absolutely no way I could capture anything close with a cropped sensor.Some people complain about the AF system of the 6D. It's true that it's not state-of-the-art. A lot of times I use the center point. Even my friend who has a 5Dmk3 consistently uses center point to focus. It's simply easier and faster. The only time it won't work well is when you have to take a portrait of someone with a large aperture at a relatively close distance. For example if I use my 135L at f2 and I'm 10 ft away from my subject, my depth of field is only about 2.3 inches. So center focusing and recomposing won't work because as you recompose the focal plan is probably behind your subject already. I find that the other points of the 6D are not as terrible as many people claim. It seems that the other points are useable if I use large aperture f1.4, f2 lenses.Do I wish I had mk3's AF system? Absolutely! i drool over it. Do I need it? Probably not. For landscape I'm fine using manual focus or center point because the depth of field is so forgiving. For portrait I'm fine using outer points. Or I use the center point but leave plenty of room such that I can crop the picture to a better composition in post.The 5Dmk3 is probably a more suitable camera for someone who shoots wedding and action, or someone who's able to afford. For everybody else the 6D is good enough. I based my decision purely on value, and return on investment. Camera price, unlike lenses, depreciates extremely fast. I wanted to get the most affordable full frame and use it to its fullest extent to make my investment worthwhile. AF is one area the 5D wins. For me personally that kind of AF is useful probably only 5% of the time. For the extra money I'd very much rather buy a lens instead of being tied up to an expensive camera that I know will depreciate fast in a matter of 2-3 years.

I shoot primarily landscapes and sell for $$$ in my spare time, and so far this appears to be worth every penny. I just got the camera on Friday and spent the weekend shooting 24/7, so here are my impressions.- Feel and handling are great. This camera is built like a tank.- The controls, dials, and menus are pretty intuitive, especially considering how technologically advanced this camera is. There were only a couple of functions for which I had to consult the manual. Everything else was easy to figure out if you are used to Canon's menus on other cameras.- Picture quality is top notch. Colors are vibrant. Images are sharp. I am thrilled with the picture quality. I shot 90% RAW files and they look outstanding after processing. I experimented with a few jpegs and they looked great as well. On a number of shots I had to crop significantly, and I noticed no appreciable loss in quality or resolution. 20.1 megapixels gives you the ability to do almost anything you want and enlarge prints or crop down and maintain a quality image.- Focusing is very fast. Although this only has 11 focus points, it is able to focus easily in very low light. I was able to auto focus for a good hour and a half after sunrise. One night was especially starry, and this camera was able to autofocus on the night sky. Amazing!- ISO is the best thing about this camera. It's ISO capability is as good as anything that I could imagine. I was able to shoot up to 3200 with little noise, and even got some usable shots at higher ISOs. I still prefer to shoot at 100 all the time, but it is great having the ability to go up a few ISO notches in early morning or late evening to avoid bulb speeds and enable a wide depth of field.- Battery life -- this was an unexpected plus. I assumed that with all of the bells and whistles that the battery power would decrease quickly, but I was able to go out and shoot for about three hours doing multiple exposure HDR shots continuously and the battery stayed strong, losing only one bar.- Level. The in screen level is an awesome feature.- Bracketing -- Contrary to many reports, this camera is not limited to three bracketed shots when shooting multiple exposures for HDR. You can set it all the way up to 7 shots on the custom functions menu, just like a Nikon.- Speed. 4.5 fps is plenty fast for me. I imagine that this might not be the perfect camera for action shots, but 4.5 is just right for doing landscape work.- Lens. Fantastic image quality on this lens and it is great having the extra focal length above and beyond the 24-70. I considered getting a 24-70 but I am glad to have this lens. It's a great walkabout lens. The only complaint -- I get some very noticeable vignetting at wide angle, but this comes out easily in photoshop. All in all, its not enough to seriously complain about.- Wireless Function -- It takes a minute or so for my EOS iphone app to locate the wireless that the camera emits. Once it is connected, the Wi-Fi features operate flawlessly. Some consumer models had an articulating screen, which came in very handy for odd angle landscape shots. Although I miss the articulating screen, the wireless function more than makes up for it with the ability to live view through the phone and control exposure from the phone.- Overall -- You will love this camera/lens combo!UPDATE - I HAVE USED THIS CAMERA NOW FOR OVER 6 MONTHS AND WOULD RETRACT MY INITIAL REVIEW ABOUT THE WIRELESS FUNCTION. THIS IS A GREAT CAMERA BUT IF YOU ARE BUYING IT FOR THE WIRELESS FEATURES, LOOK ELSEWHERE. THE WIRELESS INITIALLY WORKED BUT OVER TIME HAS PROVEN VERY VERY VERY UNRELIABLE. SOMETIMES IT JUST DOESNT TURN ON AT ALL. IT CAN BE EXTREMELY FRUSTRATING. STILL LOVE THE CAMERA OVERALL THOUGH.

There are already many great reviews on the 6D by the pros. I just want to point out some overlooked features from an enthusiast's viewpoint. I have waited two years and read countless reviews before I got the 6D. My previous camera was a 10-year-old, $600 G3 (still working & in excellent condition). When I saw the 5DII, I knew then I wanted the Full Frame picture quality. But the price was too high for an "8-year-old" camera with an "old" chip. The 5DIII was a disappointment, just on the MSRP alone; since I am not looking to make money off my pictures. The price point was too high just for a hobby. After all, my first two cars combined, didn't cost this much!I was happy to see when Canon released the 6D. From the specs, it looked like a true successor to the 5DII. I think it is unfair for people to compare it directly to the 5DIII. For starters, its $1k off the 7-month-old 5DIII, with some AF & few features missing, and added WiFi and GPS; same great picture quality with no cropping.Here is a list from an ENTHUSIAST point of view:*Actually Two AF systems, 11-point and sensor detect (like point and shoot). Since I am not a sports shooter, this is more than enough for me.*Powerful in camera processing system - shoot in RAW, and then change (lots of) setting, save to JPEG. No PC needed. Great feature, just pack a large memory card >32GB, it's cheap.*In camera HDR and multiple shots, (like $100 software built into the camera)*WiFi is awesome!!! It opens up so many possibilities. The 6D connected to my Android, iPad, TV and PC with ease. WiFi file transfer / remote control shooting with PC, iPad and phone.*Weight, lightest FF, good when traveling, but it is still heavy with loaded with L lens.*Many "Auto" settings to fall back on, when I just want to take a simple picture.*GPS picks up fast under 3 min, but I haven't had time (or interest) to play with it yet.There are some disturbing cons with the 6D:*My first new 6D was creaking on the right of the viewfinder. The replacement, another NEW 6D is okay, but...*It STILL creaks! Lower left corner of the top small LCD indicator. Since the fist return end up costing me $60 in shipping and that it is much less obvious than before, I will keep this one.*Rubber peeling in the corner, reveling white epoxy underneath.*the gaps around the two LCD screens unnecessarily large, and may trap dirt.*8-way controller is mushy. A poor design in an iPhone age.*While many buttons and even the two scroll wheels are programmable, oddly, Canon restricts two unique functions to one button. Like, I cannot get Depth of Field Preview and another button for the Level. I have to pick one because both functions are restricted to that one button.Accessories:PNY Polaroid 64GB SDXC - inexpensive, large storage, fast card. 6D formats it into 59.6 GB exFat (manual says Fat) and shows max 1999 (do show the correct pic/size in 3" LCD). Won't read in older readers. 6D WiFi xfer solves this problem.*Canon 40mm STM - I really like its small and light factor. Good image and built quality. I kept this on the 6D the most.*Canon 24mm-105mm L - if I can have only one lens, this is it. Good all around range + IS. No lens creep so far*Canon 70mm-300mm IS USM - good zoom for a good price. No lens creep so far*Canon 430EX flash, works great the 6D; lots of functions, able to adjust the flash from the 6D.*AGFA UV lenses, good quality, cheap price for lens protection; AGFA CPL iffy built quality, but it works fine as CPL.*extra batteries - one is not enough...Even to me, a Canon fan, this poor body quality is worrisome. I wouldn't expect this in a $200 camera, let alone a $2k one! For example, the G3 with its mostly metal body doesn't make any creaking noise. The 6D's noisy plastic top makes me feel that Canon cut some corners on built quality with this "cheap-est" Canon FF DSLR.Overall, the 6D is still the right camera for me, as an enthusiast. It has the features I care about and more than enough adjustments to grow my skills. Currently, even if the 5DIII was the same price, I'd pick the 6D; for its size, weight & wi-fi and give up a few AF points, extra card slot, and some "pro" features I don't use/need. Now I just hope that the quality of the 6D will last as long as my G3.

I have a small studio and shoot mostly families. I just finished my third shoot with this camera. I debated over upgrading from the 5D to the comparably priced 5Dii or jumping to the 5Diii. For costs the 5dII is closer to the 6D but image wise, the 5Diii is closer. I decided the cost was the biggest factor and I thought the WiFi function would be fun - it turned out to be the best decision.Build wise, the 6D is much lighter, which is great. Coming from the original 5D model, the image improvements and high ISO is stunning. For the majority of my business my clients probably won't be able to tell a difference up to 11x14's but for the occasional 20x30 prints, I can tell a difference. Plus I can crop like crazy the resolution is so amazing. No need for longer lenses anymore. I am a semi-pro, locally published photog and always get a kick out of the "prosumer", "enthusiast" and "pro" debates. The fact is that the images are only as good as the composition and lighting allows and the camera is just a tool. Don't let folks make you feel bad for choosing this camera over more expensive bodies, the images this produces are amazing. Worry about your light and your glass. Some complain about not having dual card slots. I haven't ever had a body with two card slots except when I briefly shot with a 1Dsii, but it was pretty heavy to lug around for the kind of shoots I do. When I shoot weddings, I use two bodies and capture all scenes with both bodies and after over 30 weddings haven't ever had an issue, and If and when I do, I should have it covered by shooting with two bodies anyway.I am a center point focus kind of shooter and although this doesn't have the phenomenal focusing capabilities as some of the bigger bodies, it is still incredibly good. I shoot with almost exclusively "L" glass and the focus so far has been near immediate and spot on. Luckily all my lens tests have been dead accurate and I haven't had to make any adjustments, which you can do with this camera.The auto ISO and white balance is a huge improvement for me. I shoot in a lot of mixed lighting situations and so far the 6D has performed like a champ. I have already printed off images at 6400 ISO and they are comparable to what I was doing at 400 on the old 5D. My f4 24-105 just became my all purpose lens, finally. I am excited to see how far I can push the ISO and still have marketable images.The WiFi is awesome. I thought it might be a fun gimmick, but now after three shoots, it is transforming my workflow. I am having issues with the remote feature working with Windows8, but am pretty sure it is an issue on my end. However, the WiFi remote on my iPhone and android tablet is a feature that I am thrilled about. The greatest feature is after my shoot, I connect my camera to the tablet and my clients can scroll through the images and rate them on the spot, even while I am still shooting. They love it and I love it. Mommy is over there watching the images as they are taken and by the time I finish shooting, she is ready to order.So far the ONLY thing I wish this camera had was the pc port on the side to connect my camera to my studio lights in the event my wireless trigger fails. I ordered the Vello hotshoe pc port adapter just in case that happens.There are so many upgrades I am discovering, every day I find something new that thrills me. There are probably more features that I won't use than I actually will use. I basically need a good body that takes great images. So far, I couldn't be happier.Oh yeah, I hear this thing also takes great videos. Someday I may have to try that out too.In summary, this is a major upgrade for me. The resolution I get from this body allows me to crop so much, I may not need my f2.8 70-200 IS anymore. The high ISO performance is going to allow me to use my f4 lenses more and take shots I wasn't able to in the past. The WiFi is a great tool that I didn't think I would use professionally, but I can already see it improving my sales. I have nothing bad to say about this camera. And to think I was about to start checking into Nikon...well played Canon, looks like I will still be around as a customer for a great deal longer.

Right now I am renting the 6D. I think it is really important to rent such a piece of equipment before investing $1700 - $2000 on it. So far, it has not disappointed. I come from a family of crop bodies. I started off in my early days with the XSI. I later upgraded to the T1i, T3i, and 7D. All were improvements of their older siblings. Here are my first impressions of the 6D.PROS:1.) Feel - I read countless reviews saying this was a lightweight camera. In terms of the size, yes it is. Only my XSI is about the same size. My 7D dwarfs it after the battery grip is attached. However, this thing feels solid! The dials are amazing and smooth. The shutter release button is very smooth. I don't think I ever get tired of hearing that shutter sound.2.) Button layout - They hit the nail on the head with this one. Less is more in this case. I never use the LCD screen on top of the body. I always use the menu on the screen to change options. It is just a force of habit. I am not a fan of the ISO button. It is in the center of the LCD panel. I am used to having that button stand out. The added button to lock the mode dial is a great welcome.3.) Viewfinder - It is bright and awesome. Enough said....4.) ISO Performance - Immediately upon getting the camera, I cranked the ISO to 6400. I would NEVER dream of shooting at that ISO with my crop bodies. When I opened up the file in PhotoShop to remove noise, I was blown away. The noise at 100%, on a 5,000 pixel wide image was equivalent to what I see at ISO 400 on a CROP camera. That is nothing! I was finally able to shoot my son in our living room without using the Speedlite. It was a welcome change.5.) Auto ISO - I shot a sunset with it at auto ISO. It never got higher than 5,000 ISO. I didn't need a tripod. If you are savvy in PhotoShop, you can eliminate what little noise there is. I will be using the auto feature a lot.6.) GPS/WiFi - enough has been mentioned. Great features, but battery hogs. I do like the option to send RAW preview to iPad. I will use that this weekend when I shoot some family photos.7.) Built in level - I haven't heard this one mentioned too much. On the back of the LCD screen, there is a level for when you're tripod shooting. This saves up to 10 minutes in post processing having to straighten out horizons that sometimes are at angles. I was using that all morning on the tripod. Just level the head and just adjust the leg height.CONS:1.) RAW file compatibility: Do not be mislead. Only the NEWEST PhotoShop CS6, Lighroom4, PhotoShop Elements 11, and the newest Aperture will read the 6D's raw files. I use CS5. So, does that mean I have to go buy a new version of PhotoShop? No, you have two options here. The first is to use Canon's Digital Photo Professional to open your RAW files and export them to PhotoShop. This process is long and it drains resources. The second option is download the newest version of Adobe DNG Converter. It is a quick process that will take your .CR2 files and make them a .DNG. It compresses the file a tiny bit, but there is NO IMAGE QUALITY LOSS. Now I can use my version of PhotoShop to edit my shots.2.) Battery life - it isn't 700 shots as advertised. I got maybe 500 without using any of the GPS/WiFi functions and not using the LCD screen for previewing. I will get a battery grip.3.) Weight - This a heavy camera. Do not be fooled by the lightweight comments. Compared to beasts such as the 7D and 5DIII, yes, it is light. But after carrying it all day with my 100-400 telescope attached, my shoulders and hands were fatigued.4.) Ergonomics - The small size is also a bad thing. My hands are strained a bit when I grip to press the button. I will have to use the battery grip just so I can have a better feel when shooting with it.You cannot go wrong with this camera. I have only been shooting with it for 24 hours as of now, but I feel like I have been shooting with it for years. It took about one minute for me to get comfy with the buttons and what they do.

I'm not a professional photographer, I'm just a very enthusiastic amateur. I got back into photography in early 2013, and chose the Canon EOS Rebel T3i as my entry vehicle. I used it constantly, and even bought a couple of extra lenses for it (Sigma 18-250mm, Canon EF 50mm f/1.4). I really enjoyed using that camera, but eventually found its major limitation: low light photography. I've become a fan of low light and long exposure night photography, and decided I needed a full frame camera to give me an edge in this branch of photography. After doing my homework, comparing the major contenders, I settled on the EOS 6D. I managed to get my 6D in early January 2014, while Amazon still had the sale running. I paid under $2,100 for the 6D kit, including the EF 24-105mm f/4.0 lens.After un-boxing and assembling the 6D (and charging up the battery), I started exploring its features. I shot several photos in auto mode, inside of the house, just to see what the camera would do. It was night, and fairly dark in the house (only two lights on). The camera chose to drop the ISO down to 6400, and then to 12800 while in auto mode. I thought for sure they would be full of noise, but was very pleased with the outcome. The photos shot at ISO 6400 had virtually no noise, and the ones shot at ISO 12800 had very little. Embolden by this, I stepped outside into the night. Our street was lit only by two street lights, each one a block away in different directions, and by some stray light from a neighbor's outside lights. I switched the 6D to manual mode and started taking pictures. I was totally amazed that the autofocus would be able to focus on dark objects with so little contrast in them, and that I was able to get really good photos, hand-holding the camera, with a usable shutter speed.That weekend my wife and I went to the 46th Florida Rail Fair at the Volusia County Fair Grounds. I took the 6D and shot somewhere over 350 photos and one fairly short video. No flash was used for this, just the lighting inside of the buildings. I was really amazed at the quality of the photos. Since then, I've used the 6D to take some long exposure star trail photos, and to also get some shorter low light star point photos. The 6D has performed flawlessly in these endeavors, and is very much deserving of the reviews it has received for its ability to focus in low light and take very usable photos in low light situations.I read the reviews about the 6D's more primitive autofocus, and while it does lag behind the 70D and 5D Mark III, its ability to autofocus in very low light/low contrast conditions more than outweighs it's lack of focus points and somewhat slower autofocus. By the way, I've used this camera during the day as well, and have had no problems with the autofocus taking too long to acquire focus.If you can get this camera/lens kit during a sale, grab it. If you are a night/low light photographer, you will not be sorry.

Normally selling on Amazon for $1899, I purchased this when it recently dropped to $1575. I've done extensive research back and forth between this and the 5D MkIII. The 5D is an incredible rig but I wasn't looking to spend over $3000 for full frame for my needs. I own a Canon 7D and I'm extremely happy with it, however I was missing the inherent advantages in full frame sensors I really wanted.A few "drawbacks" to consider. I put that in quotes because I don't see them as drawbacks so much since you need only recognize what purposes this 6D rig is intended for.1) It only shoots 4.5 frames per second. The 5D fires 6 fps. Whoopie doo. If you're using this to shoot portraits and landscapes and stills, shot speed is really irrelevant. If I'm going to shoot sports or fast action, I have my 7D ripping at 8 frames per second anyway, which is faster than even the 5D. With my 70-200mm f2.8 IS2 in broad daylight, it's unstoppable. So I don't need a full frame to cover that situation.2) It only has 11 Auto focus points. Yeah, the 5D has 61. Let's celebrate. Again, if you're shooting portraits and not trying to autofocus track a cheetah or a Drew Brees touchdown pass, 61 autofocus points doesn't add anything to your repertoire. I'm NOT saying it can't handle action, you'll just have to work more to crack the shots off since the camera cant track it as well itself the way the 5D can. With portraits, just use the center cross point to target your subject, press the shutter release half way, lock target, recompose the frame how you want it and fire. It's not a big deal. Congrats, you just saved $2000.3) It only has 20MP and the 5D has 24MP. Frankly, who cares. At this resolution, and extra 4MP in 99% real world terms makes jack squat difference. If you're blowing your shots up to 20 feet by 30 feet, go buy a medium format camera ;-)With it's built in WiFi, the 6D has an advantage over the 5D. If you want WiFi on the 5D, you'll have to spend an extra $600 to buy Canon's WiFi accessory on top of the $3500 you shell out for the camera itself. The EOS app for your iPhone is pretty cool too on this 6D with full remote camera operation available.So here's the summary. The 5D and 6D both perform on par with each other in terms of resolution and image quality. They both have equally excellent low light and high ISO performance. If you're looking at Nikon too, you need to google the independent tests done between canon full frame and nikon full frame low light/high ISO comparisons. Canon wins the noise and sharpness battle handily. Shooting at 6400 ISO and having virtually no noise in the image is amazing. Can't do that on my 7D or any other crop sensor rig for that matter.If you shoot weddings, indoors, or less than ideal lighting situations and don't like using a flash (like I dont) then you need to go full frame and the 6D is spot on for this typical use.I would HIGHLY recommend the Canon 6D. Just make sure you're buying it for the right applications and I promise you will not be disappointed in the least.My lenses used on both rigs are: Tokina 11-16mm f2.8, Sigma 35mm f1.4 ART, Canon 85mm f1.8, Canon 70-200mm f2.8 IS2, Tamron SP 90mm Macro f2.8

So as a loyal nikon fan for 15+ years, I have seen nikon cameras come and go. My last experience was with the D600. I had the pleasure of owning two of the d600's that had the lubricant/debris issue. I finally had enough of nikon after the way that they just made the D610 and left the rest of us behind. Nikon has had a lot of quality control problems as of late but the issue is not that things went wrong with the product because that can happen with anything but it is how they abandoned the users and never admitted a problem.My opinion is that when you buy a camera and start to add on lenses, flashes and accessories, you are starting a system and the longterm plan needs to include knowing that the company that made the product, is going to stand behind it. I am now of the opinion that Canon has a completely different way of handling such issues. Looking at the canon website, it includes actual service advisories and clear disclosure of known issues. No such luck with nikon. One check of the website and no mention of any problems. Along with the poor QC and customer service, nikon has now started to use impact damage as another excuse to cash in.Now if you are on the fence about which camera D600/D610 vs 6D, I can honestly tell you that the 6D is the system to invest in unless you have an absolute need of the dynamic range of the d610.The 6D is well made, the design and fit to me is better, the AF system has been great in my testing so far, the wifi system is a time/lifesaver in studio shoots, no lubricant/debris splatter, sharp sharp images out of the camera and just an overall great package. The D600/D610 offers dual slot cards and better dynamic range. I amIn total disagreement about the D600 af system. between my two D600's, I had shot over 20,000 photos (weddings) and I can tell you that the canon has less cross type points on paper but the hit rate on the canon is far more. I would also get random backfocus on the d600 under tungsten lighting which I have not seen with the 6D. The 6D center af sensor point is good to -3 EV and I can confirm that It works in almost complete darkness. It is just amazing. No random hunting on the 6D focus system compared to the D600.At the end of the day, I feel that canon is one step behind nikon on dynamic range but miles ahead on quality control and customer service. I feel if you are starting from the ground up, you would be very happy with canons offerings. I switched to canon and sold all my nikon gear at a huge loss because I could no longer deal with nikons careless way of dealing with issues.You have to ask yourself what matters to you more? Dynamic range/dual card slots or a system that actually works (the way it should) and much better customer service/QC?I will be also getting a 5D mark III which will make the 6D a great companion for wedding work. Sorry nikon but no more of my money!

I was worried that the 6D would be a step back from the 7D. I contemplated this purchase for awhile before actually pulling the trigger. I went by a local camera shop, played with the 6D and then started doing some research. From my perspective here is what I thought, keeping in mind I do not make any income from my photography - I do it strictly as a hobby - but I want to take quality pics since I'm a techie. Also to note, with the 7D II (guessing at the name at this point) around the corner I figured now would be a good time to sell the 7D before values dropped.Pluses:Image quality is absolutely incredible - drop dead gorgeous. In comparison to the 7D (I was using the Tamron 28-75 2.8 & Canon 50mm 1.8) I can honestly say the kit 6D 24-105L is a winner. Now putting the same 50mm 1.8 on the 6D it improves on the image quality and I also get a deeper DoF. The full frame sensor here is a winner.Low-light ability- not much more to say other than WOW! I was hesitant anytime I thought of going over ISO 1600 in the 7D, where the 6D is pretty much wide open - I have no worries using 6400 or higher. This allows me to get great low-light shots of the kids without busting out the flash. Combining this with a fast lens, and I'm thrilled! this leads to the next point sort of...Autofocus ability - a lot of people are going to complain Canon took a step backwards with the 6D's af system and just by glancing at the stats you would think so (ie 7D's19 cross type points vs 11 on 6D and only the center being cross type). HOWEVER - that one cross point is one of the most sensitive Canon has designed, even better than the 5d3 in low light. So for my use - mainly focusing w/ center point and recomposing - this is perfect and it also ties in to the above point - the low-light ability of this camera.Quiet - the shutter in silent mode is VERY quiet...excellent for sleeping babies!Size - Honestly I thought this was going to be a con - not as ruggedly build as the 7D, not as hefty etc etc - but after having this camera for a month or so now, its a definite plus! Its a lot easier to carry around for long periods of time since its lighter and a tad smaller.Wifi / GPS / in camera HDR - So these were features that tied into my techie-ness and while not necessarily a purchasing decision, made the decision easier because the 6D had them. Using the wifi to my phone to trigger pics is cool, and transfering photos instantly to email or social networks is neat too. We went to a local theme park, I was able to upload a family pic to facebook within minutes of taking it and not having to leave the park! In camera HDR is limited to JPG, so not ideal but again not a selling point - just cool feature to play with. GPS does eat the battery up, but its easy enough to turn off, even easier when added to the custom "my menu"Cons:FPS - yep lost some speed here, 8fps to 4.5fps. However, I was rarely using the full speed abilities of the 7D so for my use its not a big loss.Loss of reach - the FOV of the 1.6x crop makes a 200mm appear as a 320mm...So now my 200mm is 200mm FOV - I lost some reach. However on the flipside, I gained some wide angle, which is more along what I shoot anyways.Lack of other cross-type A/F points - covered above, but worth considering - you have to evaluate what you shoot, but for me again not a big deal.Overall I'm very happy with my decision to purchase the 6D over the 7D for what I shoot.