Making the case for a crop camera.

[chauncey]

1Ds MkIII is my current beast of choice but...when/if the new 7D is released, I'm gonna be first in line.  Let me explain...

the crop camera will put more pixels on target than will any Canon camera and it will do so by using the the center 60%,

the "sweet spot",  of Canon glass where, according to MTF characteristics is where that lens is at it's best.

Sure, it is limited by a reduced FOV which can be remedied by taking multiple images and photomerging them to the desired FOV.

Using the current 18MP 7D and merging the images to a FF FOV will result in a 45-46 MP image, imagine a 22MP new 7D.

Granted, due to pixel density on the sensor, you won't get sky-high ISO abilities...no free lunch.  C'est la vie.

Comment's on my reasoning appreciated.

[Marvin]

I've just moved in the opposite direction, going from a crop to FF on the 6D (still in the mail). I want the L lenses I'm getting (in the mail) to function as advertised, without any crop. Doing a photomerge just to get a wide shot would not make me happy. Time is money, literally. I shoot for a living. If you don't mind the crop on the leses, go for it.

[ScottyP]

A two-body (or more) setup makes sense, and it makes additional sense for the two bodies to be good at different things.  The 7D2 won't set the world on fire with low light/high ISO performance, but it will give that 1.6x focal length boost, and it will no doubt have great autofocus for daytime sports/activity.  Makes sense to me.

[ebiggs1]

Each sensor has it's benefits. I have a 5D Mk II and a 7D and I use both but I know my subject before hand. I don't think you can arbitrarily say one is better than the other. Because "yes" they are better than each other.

I actually, IMHO, see no place for the 6D? So, I wouldn't even consider one but now a 5D Mk III and a 7D Mk II, now that just might be the "dream team".

[Marvin]

I struggled for months on whether or not the 6D was right for me. What it came down to was wanting to jump into the full frame world but still have enough $$$$ to get all new L lenses. My current set of glass is sub-par on a lot of levels. So I took the annoying things like the lack of headphone, far fewer focus points, etc and put that cash toward lenses. Other than that one scenario, I don't really know why the 6D exists. I won't be surprised at all if they either add some features back in, or discontinue it completely.

[bigal1000]

the 6D is perfect for me i do landscapes.I would not choose it for sports and landscapes,I think then I would have to opt for the 5D3.

[Skirball]

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@ebiggs1 wrote:

I actually, IMHO, see no place for the 6D? So, I wouldn't even consider one but now a 5D Mk III and a 7D Mk II, now that just might be the "dream team".

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That's because you own a 5d2.  For someone who wants a FF but doesn't want to drop $3k+ on a camera, the 6D is the obvious choice. The 6D replaces the 5d2 spot.  No, it didn't bring any amazing features to the table; it's just a FF camera, with a modern sensor, at a $2k pricepoint.  I know, I know, the 5d2 has lots of fanboys that praise its excellence, but sorry, there's no reason to buy a 5d2 over a 6D, IMHO.  But I like the reduced size.

Yes the 5d3 is better, but it's in a different class.

[Marvin]

I just read this review of the 6D. It makes perfect sense for me. Actually, one of the features it has is very appealing to me. I shoot mid-range real estate, so I have to have the camera backed up against walls very often. With the wi-fi and smart device app, I'll now be able to actaully see what I'm shooting instead of guessing and looking, then reframing, etc. Plus, my main passion is landscape. Finally, $2K vs $3K is a huge difference for my lack of funds.

Here is the review: http://www.grahamclarkphoto.com/review-canon-eos-6d/

[Skirball]

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@Marvin wrote:

I just read this review of the 6D. It makes perfect sense for me. Actually, one of the features it has is very appealing to me. I shoot mid-range real estate, so I have to have the camera backed up against walls very often. With the wi-fi and smart device app, I'll now be able to actaully see what I'm shooting instead of guessing and looking, then reframing, etc. Plus, my main passion is landscape. Finally, $2K vs $3K is a huge difference for my lack of funds.

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Marvin:

Just something to think about:  I'm currently in a similar situation than you (other than I now have a 6D that was delivered last Friday).  I'm mostly hobbyist, but I have supported my hobby shooting commercial real estate, and have spent too much time with my camera pressed up into a corner, me crouching beneath it looking at my laptop trying to frame the shot while staying out view of an ultra-wide angle lens.  The WiFi was a big draw for me for this reason as I dreamed of hanging out in an adjacent room clicking shots.  So far, I’m a bit disappointed in it, though as a caveat I haven’t used it enough yet to really pass judgment. 

EOS Utility (through a LAN) is completely unable as it takes 30 -60 seconds to upload the image if shooting in full-size RAW.  Maybe I have it setup wrong, because I can’t imagine that Canon would consider this usable.  I refuse to shoot tethered in Lightroom because it’s slow, this is like molasses.  EOS Remote through an Android device is much much quicker. Still, the battery drain is sizeable and there aren’t near as many functions.  I don’t have any real data, but in just playing with it for 20-30 minutes I lost one bar on a brand new, fully charged battery.  If it can’t get me through 4-5 hours of shooting it’s pretty worthless to me.  It’s weird, because my phone can connect to WiFi all day long and last 24 hours.  Again, I need more testing before drawing that conclusion.

Anyway just thought I’d point that out.  It may be a moot point, because like you $3k+ was not a consideration for me.  But in reading all the negative reviews and weighing the pros/cons between the 5d3 and the 6D, the Wifi was a major check in the pros column for me.  Now I’m undecided.

[Marvin]

Those are excellent thoughts and observations, and I think I agree with you completely, with one minor difference.

My main motivation for the wi-fi is for those extreme situations where I absolutely cannot see the viewfinder or the LCD clearly enough to frame a shot. So I would use the wifi for that one instance, and then go back to normal use. One thing that really helped me to understand what the wifi was all about was to use it in real life. I installed the EOS app and went to Best Buy to play with a 6D. It is slow and lacks a lot of control, but for my primary purose of framing, it'll work pretty well. My 6D arrives on Thursday! 😄

If it were not a money thing, I would have gone for the 5DIII in a heartbeat. No wifi is worth giving up what it has. That line will be my next upgrade in a few years. This time it was more about getting into the FF realm, and good glass.