5D4 versus 6D and lens

[Steves_8]

Hi folks. New member with the inevitable gear question - sorry!

I am an avid enthusiast with some semi-pro (sports) experience many years ago. I now shoot for myself and family but still like to shoot club-level motor sports such as hillclimbs and motorcycle trials, plus creepy crawlies.

I have a 5D3, plus 16-35 f/2.8L, 24-105 f/4L, 70-200 f/2.8L II and 1.4 TC. I also have a Sigma 150mm macro.

The 5D3 has been fantastic, but I have been shooting with it at a fairly high rate for five years. I have no idea what the shutter count is, but it must be up there by now. Consequently, having sold my little motorbike (arthritis made riding it painful), I plan to set the money aside for a new body when my current one dies, or maybe buy a second body now, thus reducing the workload on the first and extending the life of both. I doubt I will want to spend this kind of money on photography again in the future as I'm about to retire.

So, to my quandary. I decided to have a go at shooting video last year and so sold my 24-70mm f/2.8, replacing it with the 24-105 f/4L (to get the IS). Turns out I don't enjoy shooting video and find the 24-105 inferior to the 24-70 in terms of IQ, though not drastically.

Do I spend all the money on a new 5D4, or do I sell the 24-105 which would give me enough money for a 6D2 and 24-70mm f/2.8L II? I have read some troubling reviews about the 6D's dynamic range, but I know reviwers tend to go a bit overboard with issues that don't actually mean much 'in the real world'.

Apologies for the novel!

[Waddizzle]

Th 6D2 is the perfect camera for the weekend warrior.  Canon has dropped the price of the 5D3 to just above the price of 6D2.  What does that tell you about a 5D3 compared to a 6D2?  Actually, not much, but the price speaks louder than reviews.

[Steves_8]

Thanks Waddizzle, but you've made things worse!

I hadn't realised the 6D2 and 5D3 were so close in price. Now I'm wondering if a second 5D3 body and 24-70 is the way to go ...

I know my way around the 5D3 and I'm prefectly happy with it, just a little worried about the shutter count of my current body.

[RobertTheFat]

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@Waddizzlewrote:

Th 6D2 is the perfect camera for the weekend warrior.  Canon has dropped the price of the 5D3 to just above the price of 6D2.  What does that tell you about a 5D3 compared to a 6D2?  Actually, not much, but the price speaks louder than reviews.

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It tells you that at this moment the 5D3 may be the best buy in the Canon product line (the only real caveat being Canon's annoying tendency to stop supporting their products while many fully functional examples are still in use). Yes, the 5D4 is a much better camera (though with even more unwieldy RAW files), but is it $1500 better?

And I don't doubt that the 6D2 is also a very good camera. But I do think it may be a hard sell to someone who is serious enough about photography to have already bought a 5D3.

[RobertTheFat]

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@Steves_8wrote:

Hi folks. New member with the inevitable gear question - sorry!

I am an avid enthusiast with some semi-pro (sports) experience many years ago. I now shoot for myself and family but still like to shoot club-level motor sports such as hillclimbs and motorcycle trials, plus creepy crawlies.

I have a 5D3, plus 16-35 f/2.8L, 24-105 f/4L, 70-200 f/2.8L II and 1.4 TC. I also have a Sigma 150mm macro.

The 5D3 has been fantastic, but I have been shooting with it at a fairly high rate for five years. I have no idea what the shutter count is, but it must be up there by now. Consequently, having sold my little motorbike (arthritis made riding it painful), I plan to set the money aside for a new body when my current one dies, or maybe buy a second body now, thus reducing the worload on the first and extending the life of both. I doubt I will want to spend this kind of money on photography again in the future as I'm about to retire.

So, to my quandary. I decided to have a go at shooting video last year and so sold my 24-70mm f/2.8, replacing it with the 24-105 f/2.8L (to get the IS). Turns out I don't enjoy shooting video and find the 24-105 inferior to the 24-70 in terms of IQ, though not drastically.

Do I spend all the money on a new 5D4, or do I sell the 24-105 which would give me enough money for a 6D and 24-70mm f/2.8L II? I have read some troubling reviews about the 6D's dynamic range, but I know reviwers tend to go a bit overboard with issues that don't actually mean much 'in the real world'.

Apologies for the novel!

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In what way did you find your 24-105 deficient in image quality? (You called it an f/2.8, but I assume it's one of the two versions of the f/4. If there's an f/2.8, B&H doesn't seem to have heard of it.) I have both the original 24-105 and the 24-70 f/2.8L II, and truthfully I have a hard time detecting any difference in IQ. Indeed, the 24-105 is my go-to walker anytime I go out without my 70-200, because of its longer reach (compared to the 24-70).

[Steves_8]

I do indeed mean the F/4L. I corrected the typo soon after posting but the copy you used seems to have reverted to the original. Weird.

I'm not a pixel peeper, but when i come back from a day shooting bikes, I can spot the shots taken with the 24-105 straight away, among those taken with the 16-35 and 70-200, both of which 'pop' in comparison. I have tried and tried in processing to get similar results, but I can't get there. I spend a lot more time fussing with the shots from the 24-105 compared to the other lenses.  Not scientific I know but, other than that, I can't explain it.

Some of my favourite shots were taken with the 24-70 and I really miss it. I just can't get excited about the 24-105.

[Steves_8]

Another factor drawing me (slightly) toward the 6D2 is weight. The arthritis in my hands is starting to affect my ability to hold a heavy camera/lens combo steady. The 6D's lighter weight, in combination with the similarly-light 24-105 (if I keep it) might make a good combination for travel. I bought a Lumix LX100 for that job and, while it's fantastic for a compact and produces fine results, I miss the DSLR when visiting iconic locations.

[Waddizzle]

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@RobertTheFatwrote:

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@Waddizzlewrote:

Th 6D2 is the perfect camera for the weekend warrior.  Canon has dropped the price of the 5D3 to just above the price of 6D2.  What does that tell you about a 5D3 compared to a 6D2?  Actually, not much, but the price speaks louder than reviews.

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It tells you that at this moment the 5D3 may be the best buy in the Canon product line (the only real caveat being Canon's annoying tendency to stop supporting their products while many fully functional examples are still in use). Yes, the 5D4 is a much better camera (though with even more unwieldy RAW files), but is it $1500 better?

And I don't doubt that the 6D2 is also a very good camera. But I do think it may be a hard sell to someone who is serious enough about photography to have already bought a 5D3.

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I mostly agree with you.  But, each camera has distinct advantages over the other.  The 5D3 has dual slots and a better build, along with a couple other subtle features.  The 6D2 has higher resolution, WiFi and GPS, and 27 f/8 AF points.  

I recently made the choice for the 6D2.  I do not like the button layout on the back pane of the 5D and 7D Series l, which makes little sense to me.  The line of buttons along the left edge get in my way.  They seem to be a throwback to the first Canon DSLR designs.  I am glad to see they dropped that design on the 1D series.

[ebiggs1]

"Do I spend all the money on a new 5D4, or do I sell the 24-105 which would give me enough money for a 6D2 and 24-70mm f/2.8L II?"

I can't see anybody considering the 5D Mk IV and the 6D Mk II in the same sentence unless price is the only factor.  Not being a fan of consumer grade cameras for myself I didn't and don't care for the 6D line.  So consumer vs Pro level?  Which do you prefer.

Of course you want, or should want anyway, the 5D Mk IV and the EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM Lens.  This is as good as it gets.  But I come back to that first issue which is price.

If cost is the overriding issue I would go for the 5D Mk IV and keep the EF 24-105mm f/4L IS II USM Lens.  Your 5D Mk III should have already shown you that!

[RobertTheFat]

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@Steves_8wrote:

I do indeed mean the F/4L. I corrected the typo soon after posting but the copy you used seems to have reverted to the original. Weird.

 ...

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From the time stamps, it appears that I beat your correction by ten minutes.