5D MKIII or 6D...

[Steve5D]

Taking the price out of the discussion, which one do you choose, and why?

 

[Overread]

5DMIII because of its superior AF system - honestly consider how much you can crop with that camera its really making crop sensor like the 7D start to feel like its not the be all and end all for wildlife/sports.

 

[pixmedic]

5DIII because its more expensive.
and if there's anything ive learned here, its more $$$ = better.

 

[Derrel]

Last time I needed a new camera was in 2012. I demo'd the 5D-III, the Nikon D700, the Nikon D3x, and the Nikon D800, and the Nikon D4, and briefly the Canon 1Dx. I shot the D4 and the 5D-III at all ISO's, on the same day and came home with a few hundred files. In terms of "feel in the hand", the 5D-III feels great, and has wonderful ergonomics. The D800 does not, and neither does the D4...the shutter button and the main control in the D800 and D4 are not like they were in the D1,D1h,and D2x that I have been used to for over a decade. The 5D Classic I had used for six years had an entirely different "feel" than the 5D-III; the 5D-III has been designed so that, in my opinion, if "feels like a professional Nikon" body...they even re-positioned the depth of field button from the decades-long LEFT side, to the right,middle finger area...Canon now has an AF-ON and an AE-Lock button located in the traditional Nikon pro-body locations.

To me, the Canon 5D-III fits and feels a LOT like a mid-2000's professional Nikon 1-digit body. It no longer has the feel of the 5D or the 5D-II...it's a wholly different degree of build quality than those two bodies...it's just sooooo responsive, and soooo ergonomically, well...modern. It feels more like a Nikon D2x or D3x than it does a Canon 5D or a Nikon D700, and I think it's really more of a full-fledged flagship-grade body in all ways than the 5D Classic or the 5D-II were. It is so different in fit,finish,responsiveness, and hand feel, they COULD have named it the "Eight D". The $389 EOS Elan sub-structure of the first two 5D iterations has been replaced, entirely.

I've picked up and handled the Canon 6D a couple of times...it's like the Nikon D600...not as expensive, and you can tell it's "stripped down", or "simplified". The 5D Mark III on the other hand, is a professional-grade body...it has superb ergonomics, awesome viewfinder, the focusing is amazing, the silent shutter mode is sooooo quiet. I liked the 5D-III's files more than the Nikon D4 files that I shot, and I liked the "feel" and the "fit" of the 5D-III over the D4, which has all-new ergonomics compared to the older pro Nikon bodies. I went with an older pro Nikon body, a used D3x, over the 5D-III because, for "me", I could wear my eyeglasses and SEE best through those two cameras and I have more Nikon lenses. I cannot see through the smaller-type "consumer" viewfinders that some of the lower-tier cameras have. I preferred the fit, feel, and everything about the 5D-III over the Nikon D800 as well. The 5D-III viewfinder was GREAT with my eyeglasses on!!! So was the D3x and D4 too.

I tend to use a camera 5,6,7 years or more. To me, the 5D-III is one of the finest camera designs ever made. Out of the six top cameras on the market, I thought the 5D-III was first or second in overall total fit, feel, and just "sex appeal" or "desirability" or "want it!" factor. The 6D is not cut from the same cloth as the 5D-III.

 

[TinySquid]

Taking the price out of the discussion, which one do you choose, and why?

I'd argue that you can't remove price from the equation. Are they both great camera bodies? Yes. Do they offer comparable image quality? Yes. Are there differences between the two? Yes, but whether or not the differences matter depends on your use case. So if someone's use case doesn't significantly take advantage of the differences, then it comes down to whether the differences are worth the price delta.

I couldn't justify the price difference given my use case and other equipment. Yes, the 6D's focusing system is pretty simplistic but it gets the job done, the center focus point really is amazing in low light, and the control layout is better for single handed operation (granted, I don't like how Canon puts the power switch on the left...I prefer the Nikon-style power switch around the shutter release). The 6D/70D combo that I went with offers me more capability and flexibility than a single 5D Mk.III body ever could and the two bodies together cost less than a single 5D Mk.III. The Mk.III does feel more refined, but a camera is a utilitarian thing to me so that perception of additional refinement doesn't add value.

But what do I know... I'm crazy. :lmao:

 

[jaomul]

5d3 because of build and feel, speed and quality.

 

[ronlane]

5Diii for me. Probably the biggest reason would be for the burst rate and the other, just cause I want it.

 

[imagemaker46]

I've been using a 5D mklll for a year and it`s a great camera. I just bought a 1Dx and it`s really similar to the 5D, other than 12 fps and an extra $3000. I looked at getting another 5D, but decided to bite the bullet and go with the Dx, the only reason was the speed of the camera.

 

[runnah]

I like the 100% viewfinder and the heft of the body. Seems like all the buttons are in the exact right spot.

My favorite part is the video capabilities. I know a lot aren't interested but it's amazing. A professional grade camera and video camera in one!

 

[PinkDoor]

Looks like I'm the only 6D'er in the group. I've used both, and love the 6D so much more! The Mark's body seems to be so much heavier, and I'm not a fan of the extra weight. 6D shot from today, 50mm - 1.8 - 1/160 - 640 ISO

 

[runnah]

Looks like I'm the only 6D'er in the group. I've used both, and love the 6D so much more! The Mark's body seems to be so much heavier, and I'm not a fan of the extra weight. 6D shot from today, 50mm - 1.8 - 1/160 - 640 ISO <img src="http://www.thephotoforum.com/forum/attachment.php?attachmentid=74058"/>

I don't mean to brag but I can bench many 5d's.

 

[DarkShadow]

Price is out then the 5DIII for the following. Focus system,FPS,2 Card Slots,Build quality.That said, I am Extremely happy with the 6D and the focus is much better then one might think.Gets the birds IF pretty well to.

IMG_0559 by DarkShadow191145, on Flickr

 

[shaylou]

I'd argue that you can't remove price from the equation. Are they both great camera bodies? Yes. Do they offer comparable image quality? Yes. Are there differences between the two? Yes, but whether or not the differences matter depends on your use case. So if someone's use case doesn't significantly take advantage of the differences, then it comes down to whether the differences are worth the price delta. I couldn't justify the price difference given my use case and other equipment. Yes, the 6D's focusing system is pretty simplistic but it gets the job done, the center focus point really is amazing in low light, and the control layout is better for single handed operation (granted, I don't like how Canon puts the power switch on the left...I prefer the Nikon-style power switch around the shutter release). The 6D/70D combo that I went with offers me more capability and flexibility than a single 5D Mk.III body ever could and the two bodies together cost less than a single 5D Mk.III. The Mk.III does feel more refined, but a camera is a utilitarian thing to me so that perception of additional refinement doesn't add value. But what do I know... I'm crazy. :lmao:

How can you argue the price when the op question clearly stated take that out of the equation?

 

[shaylou]

5DIII for the AF system alone. This is the best AF system canon has ever had. It is so customizable. There are other things that separate it but no need to get into that. The AF system is enough.

 

[TinySquid]

I'd argue that you can't remove price from the equation. Are they both great camera bodies? Yes. Do they offer comparable image quality? Yes. Are there differences between the two? Yes, but whether or not the differences matter depends on your use case. So if someone's use case doesn't significantly take advantage of the differences, then it comes down to whether the differences are worth the price delta. I couldn't justify the price difference given my use case and other equipment. Yes, the 6D's focusing system is pretty simplistic but it gets the job done, the center focus point really is amazing in low light, and the control layout is better for single handed operation (granted, I don't like how Canon puts the power switch on the left...I prefer the Nikon-style power switch around the shutter release). The 6D/70D combo that I went with offers me more capability and flexibility than a single 5D Mk.III body ever could and the two bodies together cost less than a single 5D Mk.III. The Mk.III does feel more refined, but a camera is a utilitarian thing to me so that perception of additional refinement doesn't add value. But what do I know... I'm crazy. :lmao:

How can you argue the price when the op question clearly stated take that out of the equation?

Easy, the idea of simply ignoring price is silly given that the cameras are all built to a price point with a different use case in mind--5D and 1D included. It's no different than ridiculous tech customers who pull the 'money is no object, I want the best' BS. In the realm of reality, everything has cost and use case constraints as well as functional trade-offs.