EOS 6D of Canon is an affordable full-frame
DSLR. It’s located EOS 60D (and in some aspect, EOS 7D), providing a step in
the process of reaching full-frame photography for users of the APS-C midrange
and semiprofessional models of Canon. It also has the ability to provide as a
reasonable-pricing back-up body for the owners of EOS 5D Mark III.
EOS 6D has the new 20.2-Megapixel sensor,
providing a little lower resolution than the 22.3-Megapixel EOS 5D Mark III. It
also has an 11-point phrase-detecting AF system with a single cross point at
the center which sensitivity is up to -3EV or, as Canon likes to put it, about
as much light as you have when there’s full moon. Therefore, it’s effective in
low light, but not especially suitable for fast movement. Moreover, the
continuously shooting ability of EOS 6D is not peculiarly fast: at 4.5fps a lot
of DSLR, and the compact mirror-less system camera may be faster than it. But EOS
6D is not about motion, Canon wants to describe it as a camera for the
landscaping, traveling, portrait photographers.
Canon
EOS 6D
Additionally, it has another function to
make up for that: it becomes the first Canon DSLR that has the GPS and Wi-Fi
features, inside the 2 edges of the prism head. GPS lets you tag a picture with
location data as well as keep a tracking diary that you can use to scheme your
itinerary on a map later. The built-in Wi-Fi allows wireless transferring of
images into a device or directly to the internet, as well as letting you have
wireless control of the camera, using a computer or a smartphone.
EOS 6D was launched within a month with D600
of Nikon which is its face-off rival. Along with a higher-resolution, 24-Megapixel
sensor, D600 offers faster continuous shooting, a more-sophisticatedly 39-point
AF system, an available flash, a dual SD card slot, built-in timer and a
headphone jack. Therefore, at least on the paper, D600 seems to be more
top-classed. But if the technical specs are everything that matters, you won’t
read this article, so in order to find is it’s as clear as it appears, or
whether 6D has much to offer when you look at the underside, continue your
reading.
Design and control
The Canon EOS 6D body is 145x111x71.2mm in size
and 755g in weight with battery and SD card. It’s the most compact full-frame EOS
DLSR Canon that has ever been made and can compare with 60D and 5D Mark III in
terms of size. 60D measures 145x106x78.6mm and weighs 755g; so they have the
same weight, however, the full-frame EOS 6D is a bit higher, a little narrower.
EOS 5D Mark III has the size of 152x116x76.4mm and the weight of 950g, a huge leap
in either size and weight. Interestingly, the difference in size and weight 6D and
EOS 5D Mark III is about the same as between Nikon D600 and the higher-grade
D800.
Next to Nikon D600, which has the size of 141x113x82mm
and the weight of 850g with battery and memory card, this is a proof to show
that D600 indeed is not too wide, a little higher and visibly thicker, with a
bulkier grip than 6D. It’s also about 100g heavier, which is easy to recognize
when you pick it up and take it with you for a long time.
One of the reasons for the difference in
weight is that EOS 5D Mark III has an entire frame made of magnesium alloy
while EOS 6D has the front and the back panel made from that alloy with a PC
top. Therefore, it’s not as rough as EOS 5D Mark III, but it indeed, according
to Canon, provides the same degree of dust and moisture protection, described
by the company as “dust- and water-proof”. Nikon D600 is partly made from
magnesium alloy, in this case it’s the front and the top of the camera, and
it’s also protected against dust and moisture.
6D
body
6D is very similar in terms of control
layout compared to EOS 60D, and anyone who follows that upgrade route will see
that the transformation is very simple. From the front, the 2 body looks almost
the same except for the 5mm higher part of 6D and the flash that pops up 60D. The
only visible differences are the slightly lower position of the AF lamp on the
inside of the 6D grip and the relocation of the single micro from the top to
below the name badges, on the left of the body (when you hold it). The shutter release,
IR receiver and lens release are at the same position, but with the removed
lens, the difference obviously is the bigger mirror of the full-frame. On the
top, the mode-dial of EOS 6D is a simple version of 60D without the location of
the dedicated scene mode. Instead of that, a single SCN provides access to them
through a list. Of course, there are PASM- P, Tv, Av and M- mode positions
because they’re identified on Canon DSLR, together with a B position (ulb), 2
custom settings, Creative Auto and Scene Intelligent Auto. As Nikon D600, a
button at the middle area of the mode dial provides lock mode to avoid
incidental movements. As 60D, the on/off lever of 6D is placed at the end of
the mode dial, where you can move with your left thumb.
LCD
screen
On the right of the viewfinder prism is the
LCD screen which displays the info about exposure, drive, focus and meter, ISO,
card capacity, GPS battery amount and Wifi state. In front of them is 4 similar
buttons for AF, Drive, ISO and the meters you will find on the EOS 60D as well
as a button that turns on the light again. It’s not pretty as comprehensive as
the dual-mode buttons of 5D Mark III, but its advantage is simpler and less
disorder.
The main dial button is placed in front of
the 4 buttons and behind the shutter release – in contrast with the way around
the Nikon DSLR which has the main dial button in front of the shutter button
right in front of the handle; I don’t think there are any specific advantages
in both of these layouts.
The end is the position of the 3in screen, which
is more at the present. For the control layouts, it’s the combination of 60D and
5D Mark III. As 5D Mark III, the Menu and Info keys sit on the left of the
viewfinder prism and works by your left thumb. And on the sight side of the
viewfinder, you will also find the same dual-mode switching button for live
watching and shooting. In the camera functions, press the center Start/Stop button
to switch in and out of the live-viewing mode. The dial button turns to film function
and the camera logins image live view and prepares to record with the 16:9
screen. In this mode, the Start/Stop button starts and finish recording. It’s
quite visual, and Nikon obviously thinks so; therefore, they apply a very
similar setting on D600 and D800.
On the right shoulder the 6D share 3
similar buttons as 5D Mark III which is used to enable AF, lock the aperture
settings and allow you to choose AF point. From here is the place the 2 models
become different; the navigation button of the 5D Mark III is not present, the
5-button array stretch out to the left of the screen. The zoom and playback
buttons sits right on the right of the screen with the Q button for quick menu
right on their right.
