Suggestions for Upgrade from 6D for Landscape/Nature; Would Like to Use my L-Series Glass

[Mike7359]

Hello Community,

This is my first time posting and I apologize if my question has been asked/answered.  I currently have a 6D Mk I and primarily use (and would like to continue to be able to use) the following lenses for Landscape/Nature photography:   1) Canon EF 70-200mm 1:2.8 L IS III USM, 2) Canon EF 24-70mm 1:4 L USM, 3) Canon EF 17-40mm 1:4 L USM,    4) Zeiss 50mm 1:1.4.  I had been working professionally, often producing work for collectors in the ranging from large poster size to 5x8 feet.  During the pandemic, I closed my business and am looking to re-start taking photographs after a 4 year hiatus from any camera use.  I am interested in suggestions for modern camera bodies that would allow me to use my lenses for Nature/Landscape photography as a hobbyist, though I may want to reenter working professionally at a later date.  My subjects tend to be still for the most part, with the exception of moving water and the occasional bird in flight.

I do not need the highest-end, most feature-laden camera.  I do not care about Wi-fi/GPS capability and video usage would be a novelty, I only have interest in still photography.  My interest is in the best currently available body that is not too expensive and can use my existing lenses for still photography of still natural subjects in natural, often low, light .

I would appreciate any thoughts feedback that the Community might have!

Thanks, Mike

[deebatman316]

Do you have a particular budget if so what is it. A good upgrade from the EOS 6D is the EOS R6 Mark II and a Canon brand EF-RF Mount adapter. I would avoid 3rd Party Mount adapters they cause all sorts of problems. Also 3rd Party lens compatibility is up to the 3rd Party Manufacturer NOT Canon. DSLRs and the EF Mount are dead and no further development is happening. Everything has moved to the EOS R series and the RF Mount.

[March411]

Hello Mike, welcome to the forum.

I would second deebatman316 recommendation regarding the EF to R adapter, go with Canon. I tried four of the top rated third party adapters and each one had challenges with obtaining and maintaining focus. I bought both of the Canon adapters and mostly use the simple $129 version and it has performed rock solid. The control ring adapter in theory is great but the control ring it really sits to close to the body to make it easy to use.

As for using EF glass I can say that Canon and Sigma work fantastic on the R bodies. If you have challenges you most likely need to update the lens firmware. I maintained several of my EF lenses while I transition over to RF glass and all of them perform better on the R bodies then they did on the DSLR's. If you do a little research you will find that both professionals and enthusiasts will say the same thing, keep you EF glass it will work as well or better on mirrorless while you transition to RF.

The  R6 Mk II is a great body. I was shooting mostly a 5d IV and a 90D. Now it's a R6 MkII and a R5 and either will serve you well and be a good upgrade to your current body. The R6  MkII is great in low light, focus is fast and once locked it's locked pretty tight. The R5 has 45 MP and the focus system is also an upgrade from my DSLR's.

And the best news is if you are ready to buy both are being sold at a significantly reduced price new and both are on the refurb site for an insane price.

• EOS R5 Body - $2519 
• EOS R6 MkII Body - $1,759 

[Tronhard]

Hi and welcome to the forum:
To echo my colleagues' comments, a $buget value - the term 'not too expensive' varies with an individual's personal circumstances.

The two cameras I would recommend would be the R6II and the R5 (not so much the R5II).  The R6II is in the same league as the 6D series but with a lot of extra features that are too long to cover here - there are lots of reviews of them and specs on line.

The big difference between the R6II and the R5 is MP capacity: they have 24MP and 45MP respectively.  Given you want to produce sizeable prints, depending on how close your clients will be to appreciate them the difference in resolution.   Only you can answer that.

Either should be able to use the Canon lenses without any issue via the Canon EF-RF adapter.  I cannot comment on the Zeiss 50mm lens, best to try that out for yourself.   If you are torn, I would suggest renting both units for a weekend to test lens compatibility and performance and get a sense the characteristics of each body.