Canon 6D Overview

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6D Abstract

With the 20.2-megapixel EOS 6D, Canon has created a smaller, lighter and cheaper full-frame digital SLR for prosumer photographers. In some ways, the well-designed 6D is a mini 5D Mark III for the remainder of us. Whereas it would not characteristic as strong a digicam construct as that step-up mannequin, and its autofocus system is decidedly primary, the Canon 6D is in any other case a incredible, responsive DSLR that gives the glories of full-frame in a trim however cozy digicam physique. Plus, you get full-featured, built-in Wi-Fi and GPS as well.

Execs

Glorious picture high quality on par to costlier full-frame DSLRs (together with the 5D Mark III); Responsive all-around performer; Superior HD video-shooting chops; Constructed-in Wi-Fi with distant management and sharing options, Constructed-in GPS and geotagging.

Cons

Lacks a built-in, pop-up flash; No exterior headphone jack; Slightly primary 11-point autofocus system; Mediocre burst pace.

Value and availability

The Canon EOS 6D initially shipped in December 2012 for US$2,100, physique solely. As of February 2017, this worth has dropped to $1,700 record. It is also presently accessible with the Canon EF 24-105mm IS lens for US$2,300.

Imaging Useful resource score

4.5
out of 5.0

Overview and Tech Information by Shawn Barnett and Mike Tomkins
Posted 09/17/2012

Subject Take a look at by Dan Havlik
Posted 05/03/2013

Final edited: 02/08/2017

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UPDATE: 02/08/2017:
Wish to know the way the full-frame Canon 6D compares with its similarly-priced sibling, the sub-frame Canon 7D II? You are not alone, so we have written a head-to-head of the Canon 6D vs. Canon 7D Mark II. Remember to learn it now, so you possibly can determine whether or not you are higher off with an entry-level full-frame DSLR, or a high-end APS-C one as a substitute!

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This winter the Canon EOS 6D lastly emerged from behind the scenes of rumor and conjecture. The brand new Canon 6D is one other digicam — just like the Nikon D600 — designed to attraction to the photographer who needs to step as much as full-frame however has discovered the $3,000-$3,500 price ticket prohibitively costly. As a substitute, the Canon 6D physique retails for US$2,000, sports activities a 20.2-megapixel 35mm CMOS sensor that is powered by a DIGIC 5+ processor, has a 3-inch 1.04-million dot LCD, a UHS-I SD card slot, and contains each Wi-Fi and GPS built-in.

To decrease the fee, Canon naturally needed to change just a few of the specs. First, its sensor is not fairly as massive because the 36 x 24mm sensors of the 5D Mark II and Mark III. As a substitute it is 35.8 x 23.9mm. Not an enormous deal, however not fairly full-frame. It is price noting that this smaller sensor dimension is almost equivalent in dimension to the sensor within the unique 5D. The Canon 6D’s sensor additionally has 2.1 million pixels fewer than the 5D Mark III. With a pixel pitch of 6.55 microns, that could possibly be a boon within the sensitivity division, because the 5D II’s pixel pitch was 6.4 microns and the 5D III was 6.25 microns. The Canon 6D additionally would not have that fantastic array of 61 autofocus factors just like the 5D Mark III; as a substitute there are 11 factors, arrayed in a well-known diamond sample.

The 6D weighs about 6.9 ounces (195g) much less, in order that’s discount. And on this case, the fee is about $1,500 lower than the 5D Mark III, so when you’re in search of why it appears much less feature-rich, there are 1,500 good causes. As has typically occurred with EOS introductions for greater than 20 years, the Canon 6D leapfrogs all others within the line with two superior options no different EOS has, no matter worth — inbuilt Wi-Fi and GPS radios, two options we count on to see proliferate in all method of cameras by way of 2013 and past.

ISO sensitivity within the Canon 6D is a bit increased than the Nikon D600, with common settings starting from 100 to 25,600, and prolonged settings as much as 102,400. Autofocus sensitivity within the Canon 6D goes decrease than the 5D Mark III, right down to -3 EV (the 5D Mark III was -2 EV, and the Mark II was -0.5). So autofocusing in darker situations must be higher than ever because of a better variety of light-sensitive components within the heart of the AF sensor.

Design and controls. From the entrance, the Canon 6D has a quite simple look, however a really excessive brow because of the big pentaprism behind that brand. Observe the dearth of a pop-up flash, uncommon for a high-end client digicam, however according to Canon full-frame fashions. The infrared distant receiver is embedded into the contoured grip, and a self-timer lamp (not an AF-assist lamp) sits between the grip and the lens mount. Simply barely noticeable to the decrease left of the mount is the Depth-of-field preview button. A big lens launch button sits within the typical place, and three microphone holes peek out from beneath the EOS 6D brand.

With fewer click on stops than most Canon Mode dials, the 6D makes use of extra of the dial’s floor space, and has a lock button within the center, whereas previous dials use solely a part of the ring space. The Energy change stands proud from beneath the Mode dial. Just like the 60D, the 6D confines the Standing LCD’s buttons to just one operate per fairly than two, which might be much less complicated for client customers.

Regardless of its lack of an articulating display, the management cluster of the Canon 6D has extra in widespread with the T4i than different cameras within the line. Gone are the 5 buttons left of the LCD, successfully deleting solely the Image Types and RAW/JPEG (from the 7D) buttons from the again of the digicam, as the remainder have simply discovered new places above and proper of the LCD. One purpose there’s extra room for that form of change is that Canon deleted the eight-way joystick, as a substitute integrating it into the Fast Management dial as an eight-way navigation disk. We do want Canon would determine on a management interface and keep it up, however that will not be an excessive amount of of a difficulty to the one who owns and makes use of simply this digicam. Canon is probably going leaning extra on the Fast Menu to serve many of the customers’ wants anyway.

One management they appear to have determined was adequate is the Dwell View/Film Report change and button association. Press the button to enter Dwell View mode, or flip the change to Film mode and press the button to begin and cease recording. That is higher than having Film relegated to a place on the Mode dial, as we see on the Rebels, as a result of it is sooner.

Abstract. With the close to simultaneous bulletins of the Canon 6D and the Nikon D600, proudly owning a full-frame digicam simply bought a bit extra inexpensive. Since many on the Web have been questioning why they are not extra inexpensive, we expect it is price mentioning that it prices extra to make a bigger sensor like this, as a result of they get fewer sensors per wafer simply as a result of dimension. And small imperfections on bigger sensors will imply fewer sensors will move muster. You may get a minimum of twice as many APS-C sensors from a single silicon wafer. Then you definately want a much bigger mirror and a extra strong mechanism to maneuver that mirror, in addition to a bigger pentaprism and the optics to assist that. And naturally all of that bigger dimension requires a bit extra inner assist and exterior protection out of your inside body and outer magnesium-alloy shell.

For some, the 5D Mark III and Nikon D800 is perhaps seen as considerably overkill for his or her photographic wants, paying for a ton of particular options that they’d seemingly by no means use. They might like the concept of a digicam with fewer bells and whistles at a decrease value, but simple entry to primary photographic controls. This is a comparability of the important thing options of the Canon 6D and the 5D Mark III that can assist you decide if the 6D is sufficient digicam for you at about US$1,500 much less:

Canon 6D	Canon 5D Mark III
11 AF factors, 1 Cross-type	61 AF factors, 41 Cross-type
Steady capturing 4.4 fps	Steady capturing 6 fps
Single SD card slot	CF plus SD card slots
~97% viewfinder protection	~100% viewfinder protection
HDR and Multi-exposure modes	HDR and Multi-exposure modes have extra choices, supply photos could be saved
Single-axis digital stage	Twin-axis digital stage
No headphone jack for monitoring audio	Headphone jack built-in
100,000-cycle shutter life expectancy	150,000-cycle shutter life expectancy
3.0-inch LCD	3.2-inch LCD
Constructed-in Wi-Fi and GPS	Non-compulsory equipment, with extra capabilities

I used to be fairly excited once I first bought an opportunity to play with a prototype Canon EOS 6D on the Photokina imaging present in Germany final 12 months. Together with the Nikon D600, which shares quite a lot of traits with the 6D (do not inform that to Canon or Nikon!), Canon’s newest prosumer DSLR appears to unravel an issue that has confounded digicam producers for years. How do you create an inexpensive full-frame sensor DSLR? Each the 20.2-megapixel Canon 6D and 24.3-megapixel Nikon D600 appear to reply that query by providing fairly refined full-framers at nearly the identical price ticket.

You would possibly say, “Effectively, $2,000 is not precisely inexpensive, now’s it?” And also you’d have a degree. However contemplating the prices of producing a full-frame chip versus an APS-C dimension sensor, and even the pinkie-nail sized chips in compact cameras, Canon and Nikon have priced the 6D and D600 surprisingly competitively for the class. The $2,000 vary of the 6D and D600 may hit a candy spot for prosumers and superior amateurs.

Sensor. Canon has developed a brand-new full-frame CMOS picture sensor for the EOS 6D. With an space of 35.8 x 23.9mm, it is microscopically smaller than the sensors discovered within the 5D Mark II and Mark III. The efficient decision is 20.2 megapixels. Whereas that lags Nikon’s 24.3 megapixel D600 simply barely, the Canon has a little bit of an edge in photosite pitch. The Canon 6D’s sensor areas photosites at 6.55 microns, versus a 5.9 micron pitch for the D600.

Processor. Output from the brand new sensor is dealt with by a DIGIC 5+ picture processor. That is the identical kind seen within the costlier EOS-5D Mark III. Canon says that the EOS 6D makes use of 14-bit analog-to-digital conversion.

Right here we current crops evaluating the Canon 6D’s picture high quality to that of the Canon 7D, Canon 5D Mark III, Nikon D600, Nikon D800 and Sony A99.

NOTE: These photos are very best quality JPEGs straight out of the digicam, at default settings together with noise discount. All cameras on this comparability have been shot with our very sharp reference lenses.

We put the 7D into the comparability to point out the relative benefit of stepping as much as a full-frame sensor over an APS-C sensor. The outcomes are apparent in all 3 photos, because the depth and element of the 6D crops are head and shoulders over the 7D.

Print high quality and picture high quality are related however not equivalent, as a result of what you see on a print is not at all times the identical as what you see on the display. Our print high quality evaluation solutions the vital query: “Simply how large can I print my images at increased ISOs?”

With a full-frame sensor and 20 megapixels, it ought to come as no shock that the Canon 6D prints look wonderful compared to all however the very best cameras on the market immediately. However with its comparatively low price ticket for a full-frame digicam, this mannequin will certainly draw consideration to anybody desirous to step as much as this stage of high quality with out breaking the financial institution to take action.

Regardless of just a few quibbles, the 20.2-megapixel Canon EOS 6D lives as much as its promise of housing an excellent, full-frame CMOS sensor inside a smaller, lighter, and extra inexpensive digital SLR digicam physique designed for prosumers, lovers, and even novice photographers. Are we in love with the whole lot about this digicam? No, however Canon’s performed an important job of not dumbing down, or cheapening the 6D to suit its $2,000 “candy spot” pricing.

First, the good things. The 6D’s 35.8 x 23.9mm CMOS picture sensor is perhaps a bit smaller than the imaging chip within the Canon 5D Mark III, however its particular person photosites are larger because it has barely much less decision. The result’s distinctive picture high quality, in each good and poor accessible gentle, that places it on par to the 5D III, which was certainly one of our favourite cameras of 2012. We bought vibrant, punchy shade in good lighting from the 6D, which wasn’t too oversaturated as with some DSLR fashions. Skintones additionally regarded wholesome and life-like, not like some cameras which are inclined to pump up the pinks and reds to supply a man-made, “doll-like” look.

Within the Field

The Canon EOS 6D retail package w/24-105mm lens bundle (as reviewed) comprises the next gadgets:

Canon EOS 6D physique
Canon EF 24-105mm f/4 IS USM lens
Eyecup
Battery pack LP-E6
Battery charger LC-E6
Stereo AV cable AVC-DC400ST
Extensive neck strap EW-EOS 6D
USB interface cable IFC-200U
EOS Digital Answer disk and software program educational guide CD
Digital camera instruction guide

Beneficial Equipment

Massive capability SDHC/SDXC reminiscence card. 16GB Class 10 must be a minimal.
Additional battery pack LP-E6 (~US$80)
Battery grip BG-E13 (~US$300)
AC adapter package ACK-E6 (~US$120)
Canon Speedlite flash
Massive DSLR bag