Canon upgrade question

BrickHouse · Dec 1, 2015

Need a little help here. I'm a Nikon shooter and don't have any knowledge whatsoever about Canon, however, a buddy asked me for help. He wants to upgrade his wife's camera for Christmas. She currently shoots a Canon Rebel XS EOS 1000D. She is looking for something with better ISO performance. She shoots mostly candids/child/family stuff and occasionally travel/landscape. No clue what lenses she has but assuming a pretty standard kit set covering 35-200mm. Any recommendations or suggestions that would fit in between hers and a 5Dmk3? Thanks ya'll!

jaomul · Dec 1, 2015

6d but it's full frame so depends on her lenses. Canon crop cameras that are more modern than 1000d have better specs and function but iso performance isn't a massive upgrade.

A70d or t6s would be a good upgrade

BrickHouse · Dec 1, 2015

Thanks for the suggestions! I don't think he's going to be willing to shell for full frame. Any major differences between 70D and T6S? Looks like T6s is the new hotness and has the newest processor. I think she only has the kit 18-55 and 55-200 so I might actually encourage him to invest in glass and not a body.

KenC · Dec 2, 2015

The XS is an old design and any camera starting with the T2i will have about a two-stop advantage in ISO performance. I don't know if the T6 is significantly better than the earlier ones, but I believe everything from T2i through at least T5i is about the same, so if this is the major issue, then picking up an older camera could be a big help and also save money. Of course if he'll spring for a 6D, then don't pass go, etc.

DB_Cro · Dec 3, 2015

BrickHouse said:
Thanks for the suggestions! I don't think he's going to be willing to shell for full frame. Any major differences between 70D and T6S? Looks like T6s is the new hotness and has the newest processor. I think she only has the kit 18-55 and 55-200 so I might actually encourage him to invest in glass and not a body.

70D handles high ISO better then the T6, but only slightly.
All canon crop-sensor bodies struggle with high ISO, it's the main drawback in all of them.

6D, which is cheaper then 5D markIII actually handles high ISO better then 5D markIII so I'd look into that
as the best and cheapest high-iso Canon option.

Going from the kit glass (which is F/4-5.6) on the current camera to a good 2.8 lens will result in better images then going with 70D/T6 since he'd still be pushing ISO3200+ on the new body, and would be able to live with 800 on the old body+new lens.

TCampbell · Dec 3, 2015

The T6s is Canon's top entry-range camera. The T6i and T6s were announced at the same time. The "s" has an LCD panel on the top (much like mid-range and high-end cameras) but the display is not quite as large as it would be on a 70D. The T6s also has a rear-dial so if shooting in manual you can adjust shutter with one dial and aperture with the other (the other Rebels -- including the T6i only have the one dial on the front.)

The 70D has a better implementation of the ability to do auto-focus during video. The T6s has the same capability, but test reports seem to indicate that the 70D is a bit better (more responsive) than the T6s.

Since the 70D is a mid-range body, it allows for auto-focus micro-adjustment (the Rebel bodies don't allow for that) and the camera body has some weather-sealing treatment (but be warned that her lenses probably do not have weather-sealed treatment.)

Every current camera model will be quite a substantial upgrade in ISO performance compared to her XS (it will be noticeable.) The XS is a rather old model.

The 6D is a "full-frame" body, but it's in the entry range of "full frame" (which is still a pretty nice camera). The "body only" price on a 6D is currently $1400 (it's on special listed at $300 off) but you have to use full-frame lenses with that camera (Canon EOS "EF" lenses -- no "EF-S" lenses and since she currently has a Rebel body she likely has at least one or more "EF-S" lenses that cannot be used). The "body + lens" kit (which includes the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM) is about $2k (that's a Canon L series lens which is their high-end glass. There's also a kit lens using the EF 24-105mm f/3.5-5.6 STM lens and that package is $1800 (but for $200 more I'd rather have the f/4L lens.) A Canon 6D body is positioned in the Canon lineup similarly to how a Nikon D610 body is positioned in the Nikon lineup.