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Canon 5D Mark III vs. Canon 6D Mark II: Which Should I Buy?

shahroozmot
Apprentice

Hi everyone,

I'm looking for advice on which camera to buy for my specific needs. I'm a beginner and planning to use the camera mainly for landscape, astrophotography, and portraits. I'm buying used, and I have two options:

  1. Canon 5D Mark III

    • Shutter count: 14k
  2. Canon 6D Mark II

    • Shutter count: 17k

I know both cameras have their strengths, but I'm unsure which one would be better for my purposes. The 6D Mark II is about 150 CAD more expensive.

Which one would you recommend and why? Are there any specific features or drawbacks of either model I should be aware of?

#astrophotographers  #portraits #landscape 

2 REPLIES 2

shanewday
Apprentice

I've owned both of these cameras in the past and put over 100k on each. I originally bought the 6D II purely because I was mostly doing landscape photography and the flip screen seemed essential. About a year later I picked up a 5D III as a second camera since I was doing more weddings. Long story short, the 6D hardly came out of my bag after that. The weather sealing and dual card slots were a game changer for me. The feel of a pro grade camera is also superior. 

I now own an R5 and 5D IV, but the 5D III is still my recommendation to most photographers in the sub $500(US) budget. It's also the only camera I don't use anymore but refuse to sell because I love it so much. 

Hope this helps. 

justadude
Mentor
Mentor

Personally I would go with the 6D Mark ll.  Five years newer technology is kind of a big one as fast as camera tech changes.  So newer sensor and processor.

The 6D Mk ll is also going to give you better low light ISO (40,000 vs. 25,000), wireless connectivity, touch screen, articulating screen (for me this is huge when I'm pointing the camera up at the night skies), slightly higher sensor resolution (26MPm vs 22MP), Timelapse recording (which can be cool for night sky events), smartphone remote & bluetooth, and slightly higher battery life.  

Advantages of the 5D Mark lll is a faster mechanical shutter (1/8000 vs. 1/4000), more focus points (61 vs. 45), and 2 card slots vs. 1 which is good if you do hired work.

I got most of this info from the Camera Decision web site.  Thought I would share two screenshots from the comparison as well.  I should mentioned that I have not owned either of these two models, but I did own the original 6D and it was a low light beast.

Screenshot 2025-01-07 at 10.51.31 AM.pngScreenshot 2025-01-07 at 10.52.06 AM.png


Gary

Digital: Canon: R6 Mk ll, R8, RP, 60D, various lenses
Film: (still using) Pentax: Spotmatic, K1000, K1000 SE, PZ-70, Miranda: DR, Zenit: 12XP, Kodak: Retina Automatic II, Duaflex III
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