need some honest(non fanboy) advice.

[RTfuture]

So I've finnaly got the funds saved to upgrade my camera body. I've had a 60d for the last 4 years, and excited to make the step up.
I have £2,000(UK) Which is just enough to buy a 5D MKiii. OR a 7d MKii with £500 to spare... Which I would put back in to go towards some glass etc etc.

I've looked at endless comparisons, and still feel no closer to a decision. In terms of what I need in a camera.
The money I make from photography is very low light work. I shoot at ISO 2500 regularly, and can't push the 60d any further. So good low light performance is a must.
However, I'm starting to do more portrait work also, and have one eye on the future.
From what I've seen, the 7d looks like i'd get more for my money. But not sure if I want another APS-C. Does this REALLY matter though?! Please... Any further clarity will help!

Thank you.

www.remember the future.co.uk

[TCampbell]

In US dollars it has come down in price by about $1000 since intial release.  It was originally $3500.  It's now $2800, but there's a $300 instant rebate bringing the price to $2500 ($2499).  That's the "body only" price.

A 6D is about $1400 USD (body only price).  

Canon released the 5DS and 5DS R (identical cameras except one has the low-pass filter removed).  But these are really intended for a different market than the 5D III.  The 5D III still has significantly better ISO performance.  The 5DS bodies have significantly higher sensor resolution.  I can see these being very popular among studio photographers (product photography, portrait photography, food, etc. -- where the camera is primarily used on a tripod and you have studio lighting.)  I can also see these being very popular among landscape photographers (where cameras are usually on a very solid tripod.)   If low-light / high-ISO photographry is a factor (such as event photography, sports photography, etc.)... the 5D III would still be the body to use.

There is speculation that Canon may release a 5D IV, but the rumors claim this will not happen before fall at the earliest.  I went thorugh these rumor iterations when deciding between my 5D II and 5D III.  After nearly 2 years of waiting with constant rumors claiming the 5D III would be out "within the next 3-6 months"... I finally caved and bought a 5D II.  Naturally the 5D III was released just a few months afterwards.  So my advice is... if you need a camera "now" then buy it "now".  There will ALWAYS be rumors of something new.

[ebiggs1]

Personally I am not a 6D fan.  Unless price is you main most consideration.  Of course, a camera is better than no camera, so if the 6D is all that fits your budget, by all means get it.  But if you can afford the 5D Mk III, get it instead.

The fact the price has come down and the hefty rebate right now seems to point to a Mk IV replacement soon.  However, the 5D Mk III is still as good today as the day it came out.  And it always will be no matter how many new models Canon comes out with.

If you need it and can afford it, buy it now.  Don't wait.

[RTfuture]

So, I went for it and bought the 5d MKiii yesterday! Not had a chance to use it yet, but so happy with it!

[ebiggs1]

Great!  You will love it.  It is a fantastic camera.  

[RTfuture]

I've had my 60d since its release. It was my first DSLR, and I've come such a long way with it. Definitely has sentimental value. It'll be my back up now.
But wow, just holding the 5d feels like a different class! Thanks again.

[ebiggs1]

"... just holding the 5d feels like a different class!"

Ha, it is!  It isn't a bad idea to have both sensor formats and use the best one for the job.  Although it will be hard for the 60D to compete with the 5D Mk III.  Great choice.

[f64]

Great choice. I have both a 5D3 and a 6D and the 5D3 can be much easier to use. Think of the most common 3 senarios you shoot and set them up as C1, C2 and C3. Initial learning is slightly more complex but once you've made certain decisions shooting becomes more natural. Enjoy the camera!

[TTMartin]

---

@RTfuture wrote:
So I've finnaly got the funds saved to upgrade my camera body. I've had a 60d for the last 4 years, and excited to make the step up.
I have £2,000(UK) Which is just enough to buy a 5D MKiii. OR a 7d MKii with £500 to spare... Which I would put back in to go towards some glass etc etc.

I've looked at endless comparisons, and still feel no closer to a decision. In terms of what I need in a camera.
The money I make from photography is very low light work. I shoot at ISO 2500 regularly, and can't push the 60d any further. So good low light performance is a must.
However, I'm starting to do more portrait work also, and have one eye on the future.
From what I've seen, the 7d looks like i'd get more for my money. But not sure if I want another APS-C. Does this REALLY matter though?! Please... Any further clarity will help!

Thank you.

www.remember the future.co.uk

---

Why not the Canon 6D?

For the type of shooting you mention it is an outstanding camera.

Unless you need the higher frame rate of the 5D Mk III or the 7D Mk II, I would take a long look at the 6D.

[ebiggs1]

"Why not the Canon 6D?"

No matter how fine the 6D is, and I agree it is a nice camera, but it is not a 5D Mk III.

[TCampbell]

The focus system on the 5D III is quite an upgrade... but also requires a bit of learning.  

You can select from "spot" AF or "single point" or "expanded" AF or "surround" AF or "Zone" AF or full auto-selection AF (with intelligent Tracking & Recognition - aka iTR).  Each of these 6 modes has its purpose. 

For example, if you're using extremely shallow depth of field, but want to land focus on a small point with lots of contrasty details (such as on the iris of your subject's eye) then you could use "spot" AF which uses the smallest possible area to lock focus and wont be distracted by other nearby areas (such as their eyebrow) that are at a different focus distance.

But "spot" AF requires a high-contrast subject and isn't good for fast action... so you might switch to "surround" AF which uses the point you pick, and then "borrows" the 8 points surrounding that point to help it grab a much larger area to lock in contrast and this works better for moving objects.

There's no "best" mode -- there are reasons why you'd pick one mode over the others.  

When using AI Servo mode, the iTR system can track subjects as they move so the focus system follows the action.  But there's no "best" way to make this work (a situation that would be great for one activity might be a poor choice for another).  So... Canon lets you tune the behavior of the iTR system.  The camera comes with preset behaviors and examples, and you can also make your own. 

Rebel & Midrange cameras don't have these capabilities (even older high end bodies didn't have these capabilities).  It's new with the 1D X, 5D III, and 7D II.   If you've never used one of these cameras before, it's worth investing some time to learn how to take advantage of the AF system.

There are some downloadable documents that describe the system as well as some videos.

On focus point selection:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4d47xUh0uFs

On iTR system:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zVoHN4ypLd0