Canon 6D vs MKIII vs MKIV

Yes, that is exactly what video AF on the 6D is like. But it does AF! I have my 6D setup for 4-second video snapshots, that allows me to pre-focus, then shoot. That is about all it is good for.

As mentioned, the 80D is a way better video camera.

It is nice to see I'm not the only person on the planet with a 24-105 STM.

Bassat wrote in post #18214554
It is nice to see I'm not the only person on the planet with a 24-105 STM.

lol

I have a Canon 7D MK II and have not taken much video yet but surely one thing that is important for video is some sort of support or tripod? (Or does the OP have this already, sorry if you have this).

I've owned all three and photographed [Semi] professionally with each.

6D - great camera for the money and even better than the other two in low light/high ISO, but with moving subjects you will want a better focus system.
5DIII - the sweet spot right now, has pretty much everything you need
5D4 - while it's the macdaddy of the three, at the current price it's difficult to justify. Buy lenses instead.

The 5DIII used prices are somewhere between $1500-1800.

There are others of course - 80D, 7DII, etc. but I think you're going in the right direction with a FF body.

Good luck!

Also, there's more than just one tool for the job, because the job is constantly changing...

There might actually times that you're with the baby and don't have a full-sized camera in your hand ready to go. Don't forget to use your mobile phone. Get used to using it and figure out what angles work best. (For example, shooting from up high looking down will not always be a nice picture. Getting close and shooting at eye-level can be very effective.)

I have a 6D and a 5DMkIII (and a 60D, and T3i, etc.). Babies (and the circumstances around them) are constantly changing. The AF on the 5D3 is pretty awesome. When it comes to keeping up with the action, I've been frustrated with the 6D (original model) in anything but plenty of light. The center point (on the 6D) is fantastic. The (few) side points aren't as much.

Also, a FF camera is not an "upgrade" from a crop-sensor camera. It's a *different* camera. Even when lenses (i.e., EF mount) are compatible, they're really not the same lenses. They have a different "feel" and therefore will be used in different ways. If you're headed towards FF, then go for it. But FF will not improve your photography over a crop-sensor as much as getting better lenses. And getting lenses will not improve your photography as much as getting better skill and experience.

You don't have to upgrade your equipment to upgrade your photography skills. (Although it certainly doesn't hurt in many cases...)

Finally, the huge advantage of using your mobile phone camera is that photographing babies will inherently require all types of social media work. Posting this, that and the other. The mobile phone may be more helpful than you might think...

dasmith232 wrote in post #18214723
...
Also, a FF camera is not an "upgrade" from a crop-sensor camera. It's a *different* camera. Even when lenses (i.e., EF mount) are compatible, they're really not the same lenses. They have a different "feel" and therefore will be used in different ways. If you're headed towards FF, then go for it. But FF will not improve your photography over a crop-sensor as much as getting better lenses. And getting lenses will not improve your photography as much as getting better skill and experience.
...

Words of wisdom.

zacreth wrote in post #18213799
I'm sure this has been beat to death but I think everyone's situation is a little different so that would mean a different answer. I've been a long time lurking and a hobbyist. I love taking photographs but with limited time I can only take so many.

So here's the situation. I have a new born coming and the wife wants a lot of photos. The gear that I'm working is the same thing I've had for years and made due with what I had.

Canon 60D
Sigma 30mm 1.4 EX

I've taken a lot of photos and love what I get. Now I have the opportunity to upgrade to a FF which would be great but here's what I want to do with the camera.

Take baby photos and as he grows up, of course
Explore videos with automotive video and pics
Occasional birthday and wedding photos as a backup
Scenery photos on vacation

I bought a Canon 60D and a 50 1.8ii a couple of months after my first child was born, and it was certainly better than the point and shoot I was using. Months later, I picked up that same Sigma 30 1.4 you have and it was a real solid all-around improvement that carried me another two years until I got a 6D. Of course, I could no longer use my trusty 30 1.4 with it but I borrowed my father's 40 2.8 pancake and it was a good tradeoff.

One of the great things about switching from the 60D to the 6D is that you won't have to learn a new body--they are virtually the same! For a time I shot them side-by-side for events or sports and it was great to have that level of continuity.

Shooting FF gave me another stop to play with, and the High ISO shooting was a revelation when shooting my kids indoors. I eventually upgraded to a Sigma 50 1.4 Art, and that was a magical combo for sure.

As much as I loved my 6D, the 5DIII at its current price--used or on sale--is a real bargain if you are going to stay with Canon.

For a similar price, the Nikon D750 is quite a camera as well.

http://photographicwan​derings.com …canon-5d-mark-iii-part-1/

http://photographicwan​derings.com …canon-5d-mark-iii-part-2/

For closer and even a little above $2K, the D810 gives you as good of image quality as you can get in a DSLR. If you go FF you'll need all new glass anyways, so if you were ever going to switch this would be as good of a time as
any.

I ended up switching to mirrorless because I was having a tough time managing two toddlers and a 6D/50A or 135L at the same time. They would get whacked with the combo and look at me like I was trying to beat them. The smaller footprint worked for me once they got older, but when they were still real small the size of the Canon bodies/prime lens combos weren't really a factor.

It's a great time to be in the market for a camera, as there are virtually no wrong choices--just different ones.

dasmith232 wrote in post #18214723
Also, there's more than just one tool for the job, because the job is constantly changing...

My 6D is sufficient 85% of the time. The other 15% is indoor sports in which it ranges from adequate to dreadful depending on the activity. Pixels on target for outdoor activities is also an issue.

If I was starting over, equivalently frugal and had infants instead of teenagers I'd seriously consider a current gen APS-C body. The 80D looks great. The D500 is state of the art and makes me wish I went Nikon. The performance gap between FF and APS-C isn't as wide as it used to be. There is good EF-S/DX glass and there is potential to make EF/FX glass go further.

Unless the OP is shallow DOF junkie or shooting in horrendous light where that stop or two of high ISO noise performance makes a difference, FF + lenses to make up the FL difference can really hit the budget in a bad way.

Once the OP's little one is in grade school and week nights are spent in dimly lit gyms FF would be a good option.

Malveaux does great portrait work with a 5DC, affordable glass and OCF. That's an option as well.

5D3 or D810 are good compromise bodies if FF is a must have.

Lee

I wanted to thank everyone on the comments and there's a wide variety of opinions which was what I was looking for.

I was able to borrow a MKIII from a friend and purchased so far the 24-70 2.8 since it was apparent that glass doesn't go on sale often. I have an almost 2.5 year old toddler and when I break out the camera to take pics he would often look away and care. When I used this new combo and when he saw the big front glass on 24-70 he instantly lit up which is weird and was posing quite a bit and wanted to look at each picture taken and would run back to have his picture taken again which was too funny.

In terms of using the 60D and the MKIII, it was a bit of learning curve. I'm comfortable with the 60D and know where all the controls and change the settings on the fly quickly. With the MKIII it takes me a bit of time to figure things out and I'm still trying to learn the different features that it has.

Dasmith232 is right about how it's different from a crop sensor to full. The 60D doesn't take pictures like the MKIII with great glass. I'm not sure if it's just that it's older and can't advantage and maybe an 80D would be a better comparison than the 60D. So far I like the pictures out of the MKIII and I'm leaning towards purchasing one before Christmas (and the birth a new baby any day now). I know low light is the key though since delivery room and when the baby stays with us after the birth is not very bright and that's the key there.

Thanks everyone on your opinions and I did consider everything that was stated!

I'm just going to chime in and say that I found the 6D to be really quite capable for sports, both indoor and outdoors.

I never found the AI Servo mode to be an issue, even when using the outer points. I've shot gymnastics as well as volleyball with the camera and it always tracked the subject fine.

The limitations were part of the product sheet (12 shot RAW buffer, 4.5FPS) for sure, but if that is known and can be worked around to still get good sports shots (which is still a combination of good anticipation and studying the athlete tendencies) then any sports shooter shouldnt have a problem if they want maximum image quality in a body that can provide it.

Dmab wrote in post #18217850
I'm just going to chime in and say that I found the 6D to be really quite capable for sports, both indoor and outdoors.

I never found the AI Servo mode to be an issue, even when using the outer points. I've shot gymnastics as well as volleyball with the camera and it always tracked the subject fine.

The limitations were part of the product sheet (12 shot RAW buffer, 4.5FPS) for sure, but if that is known and can be worked around to still get good sports shots (which is still a combination of good anticipation and studying the athlete tendencies) then any sports shooter shouldnt have a problem if they want maximum image quality in a body that can provide it.

My experience with the 6D was very similar.

AlanU wrote in post #18213882
The 5dmk4 price will not drop for a long time. The 5d3 price will hover in the same range probably because of the mk4 price point.

I'd suggest 5dmk3 if your wanting a universal beast and for added piece of mind having 2 memory card slots.

I echo trailblazers comments on this topic. Some feel 1/4000 max shutter speed is fine but I know I certainly appreciate the extra headroom at 1/8000 using my old 5dmk2 and mk3.

Your call......the 5d3 is simply a tool with some added functionality that a 6d cannot do as well.

I disagree, same time next year, it'll be down a lot once the market picks up and gray markets come pouring in. Right now is the beginning of the release period, prices are as high as they'll ever be. 6D and 5Diii are both good values with stabilized prices.

Unfortunately none of the canon cameras are really good at video, so if you expect that to be a major role, get the 5Div. It can AF in video, where the 5Diii and 6D just barely limp with the AF in video...

Charlie wrote in post #18218043
...
Unfortunately none of the canon cameras are really good at video, so if you expect that to be a major role, get the 5Div. It can AF in video, where the 5Diii and 6D just barely limp with the AF in video...

80D. AI-Servo in LV is usable. AF speed in video is adjustable. Camera is 1/3 the price of 5DIV.

Charlie wrote in post #18218043
I disagree, same time next year, it'll be down a lot once the market picks up and gray markets come pouring in. Right now is the beginning of the release period, prices are as high as they'll ever be. 6D and 5Diii are both good values with stabilized prices.

Unfortunately none of the canon cameras are really good at video, so if you expect that to be a major role, get the 5Div. It can AF in video, where the 5Diii and 6D just barely limp with the AF in video...

Charlie,

I wonder what price the 5d3 will be next year. At this moment in time the 5d3 in Canada is still $3000 and the 5d4 is $4500 CDN.

The difference I'm finding in Canada is our toilet dollar. 2016 compared to 5d3's 2012 intro was different in currency exchange.

The 5d2 was selling for $2000 at the end of it's life. I highly doubt that price point will be the same for the 5d3 for late 2017.

At this moment there's so many nice camera's on the market. Everyone has a different level of IQ tolerance both for stills and video.

For example I own the 5dmk3 yet I brought out my Canon 80D w/ 24-70L mk2 to document my kids fly down a snowly hill. I captured both excellent quality stills and was able to capture relatively high speed kids flying down a hill

My compromise is pixel peeping on the monitor. I know any 5x7 or 8x10 print would be extremely difficult to tell between my 5d3 or 80D while shooting in the snow. However the dual pixel af tracked my kids with no problems. The 80D is a big bang for the buck for anyone wanting very good IQ and a tool for documenting video but of course the 5d4 is only $3100 more $$$$$ LOL!!! Just depends on your needs.

dasmith232 wrote in post #18214723
But FF will not improve your photography over a crop-sensor as much as getting better lenses. And getting lenses will not improve your photography as much as getting better skill and experience.

This^^^

Have had most of the cameras and lenses and lenses lot more important that camera IMHO. Sigma 30mm f1.4 if you got a nice copy is very good lens. I used it extensively for my kids shots with 1dmk2. Best $300 I spent and I own $3k - $5k lenses.

With 12 yr old 1dmk2, Sigma 30mm f1.4