6D or 5DMKiii

[Luke11]

Need some advice regarding my upgrade from 50d to FF. Im looking at the 5dmk3 and 6d. I can either buy the 6d with 24-70 f4 / 24-105 f4 kit with battery grip and extra battery and filters + cards close to the price of 5dmk3 body only for $3325. If i do purchase the 5d i could buy one of the lens i mentioned above next week. I feel like if i buy the 5d I'm paying extra $$$ for just the auto focus and larger body which i prefer. Better video (not too important to me) and more robust camera. All the reviews i have read and pics I've seen show the 6d with better IQ. I don't want to buy the 6d knowing i had the one chance to buy the 5dmk3 and i don't want to buy the 5dmk3 knowing that its not any better than the 6d. The 5d3 to me should stand out by far the more dominate camera out of the two. I would like to hear from both 5d and 6d owners on what they think. Im looking to use the camera for portraits, weddings and photos of kids running around. I would also like to dabble in some landscape photography too. Walking around town taking shots would be something i would love to start doing too. I'm aiming at slowly moving from fitness industry into photography as i have been asked to be a 2nd photographer for 2 friends of mine when they saw my photos of my nieces wedding a few weeks ago. Your advice would be greatly appreciated.

[Bennymiata]

I have a 5D3 and use it for lots of different things including weddings, events, product shots, portraits, macro, landscape - you name it!

I have to say that in my years of photography that I have never had a more versatile camera that does the job so well.

If I take say 2,000 shots at a wedding for example, much of it in very low light, my focus hit rate is better than 99% with my 24-105, going down to around 50% when using my Sigma 150mm macro handheld, on very small insects.
I've tried it with flying birds too, with great success.

The focussing system on the 5D3 is worth the difference by itself, let alone that the controls on the 5D3 are so much better to use.

The 6D is a great camera, but the 5D3 is the only camera you will ever need.
The 6D is just like my Canon 60D but with a bigger sensor, but the 5D3 feels and responds like a professional camera.

[Luke11]

Thanks Bennymiata. Spent most of saturday looking at both cameras and think I'll get the 5dmk3 for pretty much same reasons you mentioned above. Thanks for your time to answer my question and its exactly what someone in my shoes was hoping to read.

[strictfunctor]

Same here. The 5D3 is the best all-rounder ever. If you want to shoot running kids, you want the faster frame rate and better AF system. On the other hand, I went from a 50D to a 7D and the jump was well worth it, and the 7D2 is going to be much-much better. For a lot of subjects on your list, crop bodies are actually better.

[Babu]

How soon do you envisage purchasing your new body?
Could your current equipment see you through until the 5D IV is launched?
It can't be too far away if the 3 year development cycle is any guide.

[kangarooart]

I use both. 6D is a great camera, great low light performance and good control, light body, wifi all good BUT only problem is focus points. Really making it disabled at times. So if its professional photography, handsdown its 5DMK3 as the difference is seriously worth the money!

[johnrogers45]

I have the 6D with 24-105 lens and would like the extra features of the 5DMk3 but since I go on a lot of bush walks, I really need the lower weight of the 6D at my age. Also, I usually mostly only use the central focus especially for sailing, surfing and bird photography so I don't really miss the multi focal points.

[Shane H]

I thought long and hard about whether to by the 5d or 6d. My heart originally said 5d but I had to take a step back. For me, the differences between the two weren't worth the, at the time, $1800 difference in price. I don't shoot professionally although this could change when I retire and by then I'll be due a new camera anyway, I don't shoot action sports enough to warrant the faster speed, I don't shoot anything that moves a lot such as weddings so the increase number of focus points didn't make a lot of difference. The portraits I'm getting into I can manage with the one good focus point. I have seen better image quality of of a 6D comparing like for like after testing with a friend. I did spend the extra money of high quality lenses and manage to get a good range of good glass that will see me though several camera bodies.

Would I still buy a 5D? I don't know. It would depend on what the 6D wasn't giving me that the 5D or any other camera could.

Cheers
Shane

[Hamster]

They'll both do the job fine, the 5diii will make it easier but ultimately it's where you point it not what you point. I went 5diii and it's a great camera, personally I'd choose body only and the 24-105 f2.8 over the IS version as IS doesn't help with moving subjects, plus you get the narrower DoF. If stability is an issue use a tripod or bump the iso, the 5d has very low noise.