Canon EOS 6D - why no builtin flash?

CyberManiaK wrote in post #15014877
1. Question... TSchrief, what's the normal average sync speed you use when using speedlites (outside the studio) ?

My flash is ALWAYS on HSS. I shoot flash in (M)anual mode most of the time. That way I can select aperture for DOF I want, and Tv for ambient or subject movement or whatever. Since I am using HSS, I don't have to worry about the camera's sync speed. And ETTL-II works well, most of the time. I usually do indoor flash stuff at ISO 400-800.

If all of this is indicative of an amateur, well, that is what I am. And I think that the 6D may just work for me. I want to see reviews, though. I can afford, and am still considering the 5D3. I do believe the 6D has taken the 5D2 off the table for me, if only for the now-useable AUTO ISO and the new MFA system that works for zooms. Well that and the price tag.

TSchrief wrote in post #15014989
My flash is ALWAYS on HSS. I shoot flash in (M)anual mode most of the time. That way I can select aperture for DOF I want, and Tv for ambient or subject movement or whatever. Since I am using HSS, I don't have to worry about the camera's sync speed. And ETTL-II works well, most of the time. I usually do indoor flash stuff at ISO 400-800.

If all of this is indicative of an amateur, well, that is what I am. And I think that the 6D may just work for me. I want to see reviews, though. I can afford, and am still considering the 5D3. I do believe the 6D has taken the 5D2 off the table for me, if only for the now-useable AUTO ISO and the new MFA system that works for zooms. Well that and the price tag.

Hey take it easy.. It was just a question, but thank you.

Yeah HSS is a very handy feature but with a tradeoff and that is power..

SMP_Homer wrote in post #15014361
thank god! once was enough!

I guess that's what your mother said too...

Hopefully your siblings are more polite...

CyberManiaK wrote in post #15015106
Hey take it easy.. It was just a question, but thank you.

Yeah HSS is a very handy feature but with a tradeoff and that is power..

I was not trying to be snippy. I just wanted to provide a detailed answer. I guess the 'amateur' comment comes off a bit harsh. I did not mean it that way. I just meant that nobody pays me for pictures. This is just a hobby with me. (EDIT): A very expensive hobby!

SMP_Homer wrote in post #15014361
thank god! once was enough!

id rather have a poor photo than no photo. Id be happy with that... some editing and a 4x6 print should look ok.

Irfan wrote in post #15015526
id rather have a poor photo than no photo. Id be happy with that... some editing and a 4x6 print should look ok.

+1

Mike

Because they want you to buy a flash...

elrey2375 wrote in post #15016277
Because they want you to buy a flash...

More like they figure anyone discriminating enough to be looking at this type of camera is also someone who understands the benefits of an external flash and doesn't mind it's absence.

I don't think I've ever used the internal flash on my 7D.

The built-in flash is for family and touristic stuff. They dont expect that crowd to buy a full frame body. They thought they could get away with this feature without much complaints from the targeted 6D buyers.

I am kind of warming up to getting a 6D as a second body to compliment my 7D and I must say that overall, I am kind of neutral on this subject.

On one hand, I think having a pop up commander capable flash on the 6D would be a great selling point. On the other hand, I would not want to pay for that feature knowing now what I didn't know 2 years ago when I got my 7D.

Yes, using the pop up as fill can save a shot, but I most always have a speedlite with me. The 270ex2 will do a much better job at that and is HSS capable. It's so light you don't notice it on the camera too.

The pop up commander feature although reliable on the 7D is a pile of crap in usage. I actually today just bought a 10m ETTL cord for using my 580 off camera as a master. When using the pop up flash with multiple speedlites, the ambient lighting is very often kind of low and forces the pop up to strobe for AF assist and that is freekin anoying to your subject. This is where the AF assist beam of a 580ex2 or ST-E2 is nice. Also it doesn't take many shots at all in commander mode before the pop up heats up too much and doesn't want to trigger the flashes. This always seems to happen just as a great expression lights up from my subject(s).

I am very glad the 7D came with a pop up commander and it was so much nicer to use than the crap manual v2 triggers I was using, but I am very glad I spend money on a 580ex to use as the master.

I think a lot of people fail to understand the value of the built-in flash of say the 7D or T3i. It's not the quality of the flash but flash triggering capability. Direct head-on flash, be it from the built-in or a strobe, almost never looks good. But, use the built-in to trigger a strobe (or two or three) and a whole new world opens up. I've used the built in flash for many portraits both indoors and out. It's nice to have the wireless trigger wherever I go.

[I was composing this post while the above post was posted, so this is NOT a response to the above]

Unregistered.Coward wrote in post #15016314
More like they figure anyone discriminating enough to be looking at this type of camera is also someone who understands the benefits of an external flash and doesn't mind it's absence.

I don't think I've ever used the internal flash on my 7D.

If you think Canon cares about the discrimination level of their buyer, you are being naive. They're discriminating all right, anyone who has $2K can buy one, that's where the discrimination ends. The bottom line is ALL that matters.

The 6d dont have wireless trigger??

Earwax69 wrote in post #15016711
The 6d dont have wireless trigger??

Certainly not an optical one like the 7D/60D, and I don't remember seeing any RF triggering listed in the spec list.

this is dreadful. Even the t3i got wireless flash triggering. That mean you need a 400$ gadget to fire your external flashes?

--ok, I dont use that feature anyway, but it's kinda limitating as a serious camera...--