Which full frame body? EOS 6D or 5D Mark III

[Vatsala]

Hi 

I am graduating as a cinematographer soon and considering a new camera kit. Since I am also a hard core still photography lover, I have thought of investing a full frame sensor body. 

I will be using my new camera equally for both still and motion picture photography. 

I would like to know the reviews on the Canon EOS 6D and how it compares to the EOS 5D MARK III. 

I was thinking I should go for the cheaper full frame body ( EOS 6D) and invest on the lens range - where I'm thinking of investing in the L series IS USM category lenses. 

I would like to know from users their honest opinion from experience. 

[TCampbell]

The 6D has a slight advantage over the 5D III in low noise at high ISO, but both are very good.  The 5D III has an amazing focus system (basically the same focus system that Canon uses in the 1D X with a slight nuance in how it does subject tracking).  The 6D has a more basic focus system.

If you're not primarily shooting action photography then going with the 6D so you can invest in better lenses is a good idea.

[fyigmo63]

I'd pretty much agree with TCampbell on this one.  The 6D contains most of the features of the 5D Mk.III, but at maybe 30% to 40% less on price depending on when and where you buy.  The 6D only has a slot for one memory card, and personally I prefer the two slots of the 5D.  Of course, you gain a couple things with the 6D over the 5D, including WiFi capability.  6D is also lighter.  Top shutter speed on the 6D is 1/4,000 if memory serves, and the 5D is 1/8,000, but unless you're trying to stop a bullet in flight the difference won't be noticed.

I agree with TCampbell, if the 6D contains the features you need then go for that, because you can sink more money into lenses. 

[ebiggs1]

"Since I am also a hard core still photography lover ..."

To me this says it all. There is no choice except to get the 5D Mk III. The 5D is simply head and shoulders above the 6D, hence the lower model number. Don't kid yourself with the 6D is just as good. It is not.

That is, of course, if the budget allows. You must consider the whole!

[amfoto1]

Depends upon what you shoot...

If there's a lot of action/sports involved, the 5DIII would be a better choice, though the 6D isn't at all bad either.

Besides it's much more sophisicated autofocus system, the 5DIII mostly just a series of incremental fearture upgrades versus the 6D. It's a lot of little things that make the 5DIII the superior model, and cost $1000 or $1500 more. 100% viewfinder vs 97%, "active" transmissive LCD focus screen vs a fixed focus screen, higher durability rating (150K shutter vs 100K), 1/8000 shutter vs 1/4000, dual memory card slots (CF & SD) vs single (SD), more metal and better sealing against dust and moisture, 1/200 flash sync vs 1/180,  6 frames per second vs 4.5 frames per second, 3.2 inch LCD monitor vs 3 inch LCD monitor, the optional WFT-E7 wireless module for 5DIII will give up to triple the range of the built-in wireless of the 6D (100M vs 30M, approx.).... yada, yada, yada.  

Nice stuff... sure. But do you really need it and is it worth the extra cost?

 
I completely agree with the idea of going cheaper for the camera body, to allow for more budget to put toward lenses. A "glass first" philosophy nearly always works out best in the long run. The lenses you use will have far more influence on your images, than the camera they are used upon.

In fact, I wouldn't hesitate to start out with a crop sensor camera over full frame, if that allows for more/better lenses. There are some advantages to APS-C (especially if using telephotos a lot). And the new 70D coming in a month or so sounds to be optimized for videography.

Whatever camera you buy, you'll very likely be upgrading within three to five years. Lenses, on the other hand, often are still fully usable for a lot longer. I'm still using a number of lenses I bought in 2001, when I switched to the Canon system. Some of my lenses have seen use on film cameras and four or five generations of DSLRs, crop and FF.

You might find this comparison helpful:

http://www.dpreview.com/products/compare/side-by-side?products=canon_eos6d&products=canon_eos5dmkiii...

***********
Alan Myers

San Jose, Calif., USA
"Walk softly and carry a big lens."
GEAR: 5DII, 7D(x2), 50D(x3), some other cameras, various lenses & accessories
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