Canon 600D to 6D? Or just upgrade lens?

Hi all,

I have been using my 600D T3i for over 4 years now. I just have the kit lens (18-55mm, 55-250mm) and 50mm lens. I need some insight to make a decision regarding buying new equipment. I would like to get a wide - angle lens because I like landscape photography. I am also tempted to upgrade my equipment: either 18-55 kit lens or get a new 6D + kit lens.

In short, I have 3 options:

Buy 6D + 24-105L lens + a budget wide angle lens
or: Keep the 600D + buy Canon 10-18mm wide angle and:

2. Buy Sigma 17-50mm + Sell kit lens Canon 18-55

3. Buy 24-105L lens (use on 600D with the intention to upgrade to full-frame in the future after a lot more learning)

I think I have plenty of learning to do. Here are some of my pictures: https://www.flickr.com​/photos/jahnavikurapat​i/

I do not want to buy new equipment just because I am tempted to buy (I know the new gear trap!). I am wondering if the new equipment will help me take better pictures (less noise, sharper, better image quality, higher dynamic range, better images for enlarged prints) as I continue to learn. Or, should i just keep my 600D and focus on the learning? Will the full-frame 6D help me?

I am also concerned that buying a FF would drastically increase my expenses if i want to purchase any lens in the future.

I picked the 6D because it just about fits my budget and the type of photography I do. I compared with the 5mkII and 7D (crop). If I decide to make any purchases, I plan to buy used. I saw numerous good deals for used gear.

Thanks to all in advance for your time and insight!!!!

P.S: I own a good tripod but do not use it as often as I should because I hike a lot and end up having many things that i need to carry along. This may be causing less sharpness in my pictures.

Anyways, thanks guys!!!

There are pros and cons to all the questions you're asking about upgrading to the 6D. First and foremost, you mention you are learning, do you feel like your equipment is keeping you from capturing specific images?

Yes, upgrading usually improves noise, sharpness, DR, IQ, etc...and yes, it will increase your expenses. At the end of the day your skill and technique will play the largest role in creating better images.

Your T3i is more than capable in creating great images and you have shown it in your work. It is still a great learning tool.

The average 12 year old violinist will not make more beautiful music if a Stradavarius is put in their hands; the tonal characteristics of the violin might assist, but technique in extracting pure tones and getting arpeggios still has to be mastered before the master violin makes its presence known.

Tons of photos are made in good light when highest ISO is absolutely not needed, and when 13EV of dynamic range are not needed, and which never are enlarged above 13x19"...and the T3 is perfectly suited to capture these 80% of photo opportunities. Master the 80% before you lean on a camera whose claim to fame is the ability to excel in the other 20% of photography.

Good advice above. My .002 is that upgrading glass is always the way to go. You mentioned the 24-105L. That is an outstanding lens. You can buy them cheap and the image quality is great. As good as the 24-70L II? Not quite but its close. When I shoot weddings I work both and the results from each are outstanding.

For walking, the 24-105L is always on my camera.

To be honest, I am really not sure if my equipment is limiting me. Noise and sharpness are my main issues. I am trying to understand if these issues are just because of skill.
Thank you for your response.

sunshinelight89 wrote in post #18279920
To be honest, I am really not sure if my equipment is limiting me. Noise and sharpness are my main issues. I am trying to understand if these issues are just because of skill.
Thank you for your response.

First, a question: how are your post processing skills combined with: are you shooting RAW?

My photographs made a huge jump when I started using Lightroom and Photoshop... then added the NIK collection suite (now free: I paid over $100 for it). NIK has lots of youtube instructional videos that were easy for me to grasp. That and it was very intuitive for me for some reason.

Then the equipment. My two cents is this: every time I upgraded a camera body or lens, I had a particular thing I was trying ti improve, much like your desire to have more engaging landscapes. The equipment itself motivated me to get out there more and that in itself improved my end results. You know what they say: practice, practice, practice.

I'm a reader, so since I got back into photography in 2009, I've been supplementing my practical work with reading voraciously. We all learn in different ways but reading has helped me.... a lot. I love birding so I've read every current book in print about the topic, minus a few about backyard bird photography. I'll get around to those eventually. I say current... there are older books written from a film perspective that I haven't read. I've also read several books about post processing. Tougher reads for me but I waded my way through.

Thank you for your response! Yes, I am considering the 24-105L so that I can use it for the FF later when I decide to upgrade. I have heard many users comment that this lens is good but not so great when used on a crop.

I was initially considering Sigma 17-50 to replace my 18-55. But, this wouldn't work with FF cameras. So, I am not sure if I should invest in such lenses when I plan to move to FF some day. I am just concerned that I would be wasting money/time buying and selling gear and maybe I should be thinking long term..

I shoot in RAW and edit in Lightroom. I recently installed the NIK collection as well and I am still experimenting the different filters in it. I just started learning to use photoshop.

I have read a couple of (general photography) books last year. And I agree - they were very helpful. I would like to read more about landscapes too.

sunshinelight89 wrote in post #18279920
To be honest, I am really not sure if my equipment is limiting me. Noise and sharpness are my main issues. I am trying to understand if these issues are just because of skill.
Thank you for your response.

If you UNDERexpose in any light, you create more noise in the image...it is simply that in low light the noise increase simply is more objectionable because the incoming signal is very low compared to the strength of the inherent circuit noise. If you shoot at something which is inherently WHITE in the scene, so that in the exposure it looks grey, you underexposed the shot
...Shots on POTN depicting GREY snow is an example of underexposure even in brighter lights. More noise than is necessary in the resulting shot, when it is 'rescued' via postprocessing!

I just ran this demonstration of the above point:

• Fundamental lighting under my house at 7:45pm with only low level room light from family room into furnace area; it is not even bright enough for me to manually focus accurately!
  With Minolta Autometer Vf, the available light measures ISO 1600 2 sec. f/2.8. Target is the PhotoVision target with black and mid-tone and white areas, with supplemental area from Air Force lens test pattern.
  
• Two shots taken, the first at incident light meter reading, the second at -2EV (ISO 1600 0.5 sec. f/2.8)
  
• In the below series, we see the two shots taken, with shot 3 (vitual copy of shot 2) adjusted in Lightroom with Exposure control by +2EV. All shots have identical postprocessing settings applied, apart from the +2EV adjustment of exposure in shot 3 (the virtual copy of shot 2).
  

I don't think your T3i is holding you back, but you will be much happier with the 6D. I went from a T4i to the 6D and haven't looked back. I am also a landscape photographer. I love the ISO performance and the full frame aspect and the ability to set bracketed series of 3, 5, or 7 shots. The wifi is a bonus.

Photo from medd63's gallery.
Image hosted by forum (760367)

Photo from medd63's gallery.
Image hosted by forum (756671)

if you want sharper shots, shoot everything ISO 100, F8-F11, on a tripod. if that still doesnt satisfy you, go full frame.

some of your landscapes have elements near and far, learn to focus stack.

Thank you all for your responses!! They have added a lot of perspective. For now, I have decided on just purchasing a wide angle 10-18 for my DSLR and trying harder to create better pictures with the existing equipment.

I have honestly never heard focus stacking. I will look into this. Thanks