HANDS-ON REVIEW CANON EOS 6D NOVEMBER 1ST 2013

1 6DREVIEW.COM Grand Canyon ABOUT ME (the author) 1/6 f/25 ISO 50 70-200mm F4 IS Canon EOS 6D I’m a landscape photographer based in San Francisco. Being out in the field shooting is one of the things I’m most passionate about. Getting published in books, magazines and galleries is rewarding, but I firmly believe the best photographer is the one having the most fun.

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[email protected] The Canon EOS 6D is the worlds smallest, lightest full-frame SLR on the market today. As Zeiss 50mm 1.4 Planar ZE with Canon EOS 6D body top left a travel and landscape photographer, I was quite intrigued by the ultralight factor and immediately bought one of the first copies to ship. This review is not based on marketing figures or datasheets. Instead this review will focus Canon 6D + 17-40mm with ND on real-world usage and results from the perspective of a working landscape photographer. I Filters and Intervalometer top left have no preference for Canon over , I own both and consider them equal. Price can be of major concern for many when considering the purchase of a , however this factor did not influence my impressions or decisions and is therefore absent from this review.

Banff National Park right The first iteration of this review was published on March, 2013. At the time of writing 30s | f/22 | ISO 50 17-40mm Version 1 I had approximately four months of hands on experience with the 6D primarily in San Canon EOS 6D Francisco, California. Fast forward six months of consistent shooting and my experience with the 6D has yielded more accurate and balanced results. Not only have I learned quite a bit more about the intricacies of the camera, but I have taken the 6D to a fair number of wide ranging exotic and harsh environments, such as: Pinnacles NP, Yosemite NP, Kings Canyon NP, Sequoia NP, Death Valley NP, Grand Canyon NP, Big Sur (pacific ocean/coastline), Great Basin NP, Banff NP, and Jasper NP. Version 2 of the Hands-on Canon EOS 6D Review will revisit a number of points made in Version 1, and we’ll also take a new look at image quality results from the field, durability, GPS, WiFi, hardware quality and design. Yosemite National Park 112s f/13 ISO 50 17-40mm L Canon EOS 6D Canon EOS 6D Features

Ready? Let’s get started! First, here’s an overview of the key features:

- LIGHTEST FULL-FRAME BODY ON THE MARKET

- INTEGRATED GPS

- 3.0″ HIGH-RESOLUTION LCD

- 5472x3648 /20.2MP

- FULL HD VIDEO

- ISO 50-102,400

- INTEGRATED WIFI

- DIGIC 5+

Canon 6D + Zeiss Planar 50 1.4 left

Grand Canyon right 1/6 | f/25 | ISO 50 70-200mm F4 IS Canon EOS 6D Grand Teton National Park 4hr f/5.6 ISO 320 17-40mm L Canon EOS 6D

Zion National Park 25s f/22 ISO 50 17-40mm L Canon EOS 6D Image Quality Canon implemented into the 6D a brand new 5+ also introduced correction, Canon CMOS sensor with state-of-the-art technology. based on lens profiles which are stored in-camera and -level detail of this CMOS full-frame sensor is therefore limited to Canon’s own lenses. In addition, the capable of producing incredible detailed images with extra processing power allows the 6D to apply beautiful color rendition. I have printed large format chromatic aberration correction to JPEG images as prints from the 6D, up to 40x60, and the level of detail is well. These corrections are based on 29 Canon-created excellent. Compared to my 5D, 5DMkII, and 5DMkIII the lens profiles, which are stored on the camera and can print quality at these sizes is indistinguishable. Just as be updated in the future in the form of firmware important as image quality, however, is pre-visualization updates. In theory these profiles allow correction not and getting the right information on the sensor. Image only of lateral CA but also of the harder-to-fix axial CA. quality is only as good as visual quality! In real-world results I still get the same slight The 6D has Canon’s most powerful image amount of chromatic aberration as I did previous to this processor, the DIGIC 5+. The 6D’s DIGIC 5+ processor feature implementation even with the best glass. is 17x faster than a DIGIC 4 and 30% faster than a DIGIC Theoretically it may be less than it was, but perceptibly 5. The image processor of a camera is responsible for it’s an insignificant advantage. It’s possible for Canon to reducing noise at higher ISOs, and the DIGIC 5+ modify these profiles through firmware updates, so represents the best to date. The introduction of DIGIC perhaps we’ll see better CA processing in the future. Great Basin National Park Moonlight 901s f/8.0 ISO 400 20mm 17-40mm L Canon EOS 6D Yosemite National Park, San Francisco Coastline, Death Valley National Park, Golden Gate Bridge, Mono Lake, Grand Canyon National Park Hardware & Design Design When first holding the Canon 6D the smaller form factor and lightness are both very noticeable when compared to a body in the 5D-series. It has a great balance to it and the ergonomics are excellent. Without a built-in flash it has a very durable and rugged construction without any play or flex. The internal frame is of course metal, and the 6D’s front and rear body covers are Magnesium Alloy. The depth of field preview button is now accessible with your shooting hand and the streamlined however that camera manufacturers as it’s easier to hear when the redesign of the button layout has would include more braille-like dots has completed. It’s that nearly all controls justified to the for the most accessed buttons for quiet! right, also accessible from the easier locating. One of these is The mode dial does not have a shooting hand. All other controls already included on the ISO button physical stopper, and can therefore and settings are where you would on the top-case, why not include go around and around, which makes expect them to be. The is them on other buttons? it fast to get to the mode you’re hypersensitive, even more so than The Canon EOS 6D has a very looking for. It can also be a bit the Canon EOS 5D Mark II. There’s nice sounding normal shutter click, harder to do it at night without a no lag in the shutter and the with normal mode being slightly light as you can’t count the clicks threshold from half- quieter than the 5D Mark III. The 6D from either end. depression to full click is just right. also features Silent drive mode, Like the 5DMkII and 5DMkIII, the The play and trash buttons are which is a feature that came LCD backlight button is logically justified on the right for easy downstream from the Canon EOS located on the edge of the body for selecting with your shooting hand, 5D Mark III. This is significantly easy finding at night. The other and in the dark they’re easily found quieter than the standard “normal” buttons on the top are as you would with a bit of practice. I do wish shutter sound. I consider this feature expect. to be a huge step forward for wedding photographers, documentary photographers, travel photographers, wildlife photographers or any other type of photography where shooting unnoticed is best. On a chicken bus in Guatemala for example, one shot out of the window with a normal shutter may draw attention from passengers, whereas with Silent mode it’s likely to go unheard. It’s so quiet that when I’m out shooting, especially longer exposure shots, I typically leave Silent Drive disabled Grand Canyon Starlight 320 exposures, 4 hours 30s f/5.6 ISO 500 25mm 17-40mm L Canon EOS 6D Durability may become smooth, much like the 5D magnesium Landscape photography is a very unforgiving alloy top-case. After years of use they lose their tactile avenue when it comes to the conditions that finish to become nice and smooth; the marks of a well equipment have to endure. Salt water, sand, high used camera. elevations, extreme cold and heat are just some of the The SD card door has spongy weathersealing environmental conditions my 6D has experienced material which prevents any play or flex when handling during the last six months of shooting. the camera, giving it a nice solid feel. The top-case construction of the 6D is fiberglass- Weatherproofing reinforced polycarbonate, which was selected to Canon advertises the EOS 6D as being “completely permit WiFi and GPS signals. I had my doubts on the sealed from external contaminants”. I had a surprise durability of this material, especially under pressure experience with gallons of seawater coming down on compared to that of a metal alloy, however it’s proven top of me when shooting a Golden Gate Bridge very durable indeed. I rarely keep my 6D in a protective sunrise. I thought the camera was done for, however case when it goes inside my climbing backpack, and after drying it off completely all was perfectly it’s often freely moving about with other equipment. operational. It would appear that the weatherproofing The finish of the fiberglass-reinforced is fairly strong. As for “completely sealed from external polycarbonate material is nice and smooth, however I contaminants”? Not so much. In fact, after a few days have found the top-case near the hotshoe to be slightly shooting in Death Valley National Park I had to clean more prone to wear than a metal alloy, and a bit faster the sensor due to extreme dust buildup on the sensor. too. Pictured below are the small areas of wear that I’ve Although the 6D has the same vibrational sensor experienced so far, and I think that for photographers technology found in other , any serious who properly protect the body this would delay any landscape photographer can’t rely on it and will need a wear by a couple years or so. Although the wear thus proper sensor cleaning kit to ensure the capture of far is only aesthetic in nature and barely perceptible clean, sensor dust-free images. unless you were looking for it, I would imagine that during a couple years of consistent use the material

Canon 6D battery compartment left

Nikon D700 + 14-24 and Canon 6D + 17-40 right Weight & Size well. There hasn’t been a location yet - aside from caves The 6D fits into the ultralight category, which is - that I’ve shot where I didn’t have GPS signal. perhaps one of the biggest advantages that drew me One downside to the GPS is that there is no way to to it. How does it stack up to other full-frame set an idle threshold for automatically turning it off. So contenders in the weight arena? Quite well as what will happen if you put the 6D on the shelf for a illustrated in the graph below! In terms of physical size week and come back to it? It’s likely the battery will die it’s very similar to the 1.6x camera bodies. or it’ll be close to dead. Not very smart on Canon’s part Much of my genuine excitement every time I’m out for sure. To best work around around this you can add in the natural world with a camera is due to careful GPS to the fast menu and turn it on and off every single moderation of gear for each situation, even if it time to ensure best power efficiency. Also, for time- sometimes cost me an image I dearly want. I’m always lapse photography, star trail photography and other trying to maintain a minimalistic camera setup and the extended shooting periods where the camera may be 6D has definitely helped to that end. For somewhat stationary, it’s best to disable GPS as it does photographers looking for full-frame quality and put an additional draw on power consumption. durability but the size and weight of a 1.6x body, the An option in the Canon menu system also allows 6D is an excellent choice. for the logging of location data even when not shooting. This can be useful when wanting to log a Integrated GPS trip, a hike or a vehicle route. Non-Canon EOS 6D The Canon EOS 6D is the first Canon SLR to have photographers can purchase the GP-E2 GPS Receiver integrated GPS. For everyday shooters, wedding or ($242.95) to achieve the same result, however with the sports photographers, the value of GPS may be added bulk on the top of the camera. Another minimal, however the value for travel and landscape interesting development with GPS data is the inherent photographers is sure to be huge. In addition to having SEO value attached to GPS coordinates in the EXIF accurate location-based data for every shot, the data. It’s been predicted by some SEO integrated GPS in the 6D also automatically sets the professionals that Google will place emphasis on GPS timezone. Remember when you had to adjust data in the near future as a way to confirm authenticity. timezones manually on import? Those days are over! All things considered, this is the most significant The 6D’s GPS unit triangulates and obtains a good feature one down from weight for me personally. location lock in about 30-60 seconds, and maintains it

Canon 6D

Canon 1DX

Canon 5D Mark III

Canon 5D Mark II

Canon 5D

Canon 1D IV

Nikon D700

Nikon D800e

Nikon D600 WEIGHT CHART Lake Louise, Banff National Park 30s f/22 ISO 50 17mm 17-40mm L Canon EOS 6D

Autofocus – the best and worst feature of the 6D

Autofocus – the best and worst feature of the 6D even the most challenging lighting conditions – offering Probably the biggest feature difference between the freedom to shoot landscapes or portraits at night the Canon EOS 6D and the 5D or 1D-family bodies is and capture the true atmosphere of the scene with autofocus. One of the main friction points of the 5D minimal noise. This is a clear win for me as I often use Mark II was it’s “older” 9-point AF system. The 5D Mark ND filters (up to 10-stops of light) to push exposure III has a 63-point AF system, and the 6D has an 11-point times and occasionally rely on autofocus to AF system (pictured below) with a center cross-type of obtain critical sharpness. It accurately and predictably f/5.6 with additional sensitivity when an f/2.8 or wider locks on subjects even if the viewfinder is black. max aperture lens is used. For sports, action or wedding For example, when shooting star trails at Grand photographers who rely on autofocus, the 11-point may Canyon National Park, I selected a focus point on a star not cut it as it doesn’t have entire frame coverage. For and the 6D locked to it very quickly. This is a huge landscape photography I prefer the simpler AF system advantage for obtaining critically sharp night images. of the 6D. So to summarize, for those shooting fast action The 6D’s 11-point AF system also offers the sports where more AF points may be better, the 6D strongest low light performance of any Canon AF clearly lacks those. For landscape photographers who system to date. With focusing down to EV-3, the rely on fast and accurate AF locks in low light, the 6D is equivalent of moonlight, subjects remain in-focus in currently unparalleled. Canon EOS 6D vs. Canon EOS 5D Mark III Many people reading this article are likely looking for a comparison between the Canon EOS 6D and the Canon EOS 5D Mark III in addition to a review of the Canon EOS 6D. I won’t be providing a comprehensive technical review of the two, as that’s been done elsewhere, however let’s take a look at a real-world feature comparison in order of importance for travel and landscape photographers, with GREEN having an advantage and RED having a disadvantage.

Image Quality CANON EOS 5D MARK III CANON EOS 6D Size & Weight CANON EOS 6D

CANON EOS 5D MARK III Durability & Weathersealing CANON EOS 5D MARK III CANON EOS 6D Lowlight Autofocus Sensitivity CANON EOS 6D CANON EOS 5D MARK III Integrated GPS CANON EOS 6D CANON EOS 5D MARK III LCD Quality CANON EOS 5D MARK III CANON EOS 6D Battery Life CANON EOS 5D MARK III CANON EOS 6D Integrated WiFi CANON EOS 6D CANON EOS 5D MARK III Autofocus Points CANON EOS 5D MARK III CANON EOS 6D Is the Canon EOS 6D Worth It?

In my opinion, the Canon 6D is one of the best ultralight full-frame cameras on the market, regardless of brand. Durable construction, excellent low-light AF and GPS are some of the key differentiators of the 6D that are likely to be included as features in future cameras, but for the present the 6D wins on those terms. For professional landscape photographers who are looking to retain extremely high image quality in the smallest form factor available, I’d highly recommend this camera. Thanks for reading this review! I hope you enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing, designing and shooting for it. If you have any questions or comments please let me know by commenting below. Some people just say that but I MEAN it! Email me directly: [email protected]

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