6D vs 5D Mark III

[thehawk]

Anyone with experience with both of these, for portrait/studio work is it a no-brainer to get the 6D for 1/2 the price? Just about everywhere I read gives better IQ to the 6D whilst the 5D has more features - but these features I don't think are really that relevant (1/8000, more focus points etc)

[RobDickinson]

More and better focus points help with fast lenses and accurate focus.

5d3 has a slightly higher flash sync but in studio that's not a problem..

I don't think you will get much extra from the 5d3.

[Janesy B]

thehawk said:

Anyone with experience with both of these, for portrait/studio work is it a no-brainer to get the 6D for 1/2 the price? Just about everywhere I read gives better IQ to the 6D whilst the 5D has more features - but these features I don't think are really that relevant (1/8000, more focus points etc)

If you don't think better AF with more points is relevant then get the 6D.

[thehawk]

Janesy B said:

If you don't think better AF with more points is relevant then get the 6D.

Mainly for my wife who does a lot of child photography, but I've also never understood the large number of AF points, I don't trust the camera to make the decision and always you the centre point and generally recompose for portrait work.

[Janesy B]

thehawk said:

Mainly for my wife who does a lot of child photography, but I've also never understood the large number of AF points, I don't trust the camera to make the decision and always you the centre point and generally recompose for portrait work.

Focusing and recomposing is especially flawed when you are using any lens with a wide aperture, as you are also considering full frame the depth of field will be a lot narrower. See link below;

http://digital-photography-school.com/the-problem-...

The 5DIII shares the same AF system as the 1DX, the AF system on the 6D is pretty hobbled with only 1 crosstype AF point in the center. If she's going to cover parties where kids are running about, decent AF is going to be needed.

[RobDickinson]

thehawk said:

Mainly for my wife who does a lot of child photography, but I've also never understood the large number of AF points, I don't trust the camera to make the decision and always you the centre point and generally recompose for portrait work.

Your understanding is wrong, you pick which point you need thats closest to the subject/focus you want. dont let it pick.

[markmullen]

RobDickinson said:

thehawk said:

Mainly for my wife who does a lot of child photography, but I've also never understood the large number of AF points, I don't trust the camera to make the decision and always you the centre point and generally recompose for portrait work.

Your understanding is wrong, you pick which point you need thats closest to the subject/focus you want. dont let it pick.

This. With the 5D3 (I've not used a 6D in a long while, it may be the same, I can't remember) you use the joystick on the rear to change focus point, it is quick and accurate, even when using wide apertures where DoF is wafer thin.

[Nick Grant]

I only ever use centre point focus and regularly shoot at F1.2 I just recompose in post When what you're shooting is moving you can't be fannying around chaging focus points.

[Simpo Two]

markmullen said:

This. With the 5D3 (I've not used a 6D in a long while, it may be the same, I can't remember) you use the joystick on the rear to change focus point, it is quick and accurate, even when using wide apertures where DoF is wafer thin.

I use this, but find 54 too many to scroll around so invariably have it set to 11. On a Nikon DX sensor they are very well placed. It depends what you're trying to do though.

[Mr Will]

Simpo Two said:

markmullen said:

This. With the 5D3 (I've not used a 6D in a long while, it may be the same, I can't remember) you use the joystick on the rear to change focus point, it is quick and accurate, even when using wide apertures where DoF is wafer thin.

I use this, but find 54 too many to scroll around so invariably have it set to 11. On a Nikon DX sensor they are very well placed. It depends what you're trying to do though.

Bring back eye-controlled focus, that's what I say! :harumph:

[red997]

well, I've not got a 6D
but I have got a 5Dmk3

previos EOS bodies included 5D mk1, 1Dsmk3 and 7D
So far the 5D3 trumps all of them.

Low light performance is startling;
AF is very predictable - you can set up scene tracking modes which help with predictive autofocusing - and it works.

Just come back from family hols, taken over 2K shots - a quick look through shows that not ONE was OOF.

IQ is great too.
I was having the same dilemma over the 6D - bought the 5D3 camera & 24-105 Lens From Panamoz for a good price, which made me feel better about the deal !

nearly 30MB per image does need large memory though !
I like the ability to have SD + CF record simultaneously;
RAW to CF, JPG +MOV to SD

[mrdemon]

6D will give you the better image and better low light performance, depends what you want.

5D3 just brings better auto focus to the table and it's getting on a bit , awesome bit of kit though.

but when you think you could get a 70D and a 6D for the same money I would buy the 2 bodies.

must be a new 7Dmk2 and 5D mk4 due this year, 7Dmk2 in Sept 5th, maybe the 5D next year.

[thehawk]

Thanks all, went for the 6D in the end. The price different is just too much for what little extra (and maybe less) that the 5D3 offers.

Apparently the central focus point in the 6D is better than the 5D3 anyway, so if you are a focus and recompose person or always use the central point then it's no problem.

[rottie102]

One more thing which nobody mentions but could be very important (It is for me) - 6D is SD cards only, 5D is CF and SD. Fastest SD cards are nowhere near fastest CF cards in terms of speed, when you try to shoot anything action buffer fills up very quickly and with SD cards it takes much longer for it to clear than with CF.