Need help with a new camera gift please

Gifter2015 · Nov 30, 2015

Hello everyone. I created this account to get advice from someone with knowledge of cameras. I'm trying to get my wife a gift and honestly I have little knowledge of DSLR cameras. My wife is a photographer. She mostly does on location sessions for weddings, gender reveals, senior portraits, family photo shoots, etc. She has a Canon 40D and loves it. But what I get from some of our conversations is that it's outdated and a newer camera would make her job a lot easier. I'm guessing the features, the ISO, adaptability with flashes, memory card size, etc. She's loves canon so I'm going to stick with that brand. I'm looking at either the 70D or 6D. I know there's quite a price difference. But which one do you all recommend (or other model)? I know she liked the option of the rotating screen on the 70D but the 6D looks like a better camera. Again, I honestly don't have a clue. Any help would be appreciated. Thank you.

PropilotBW · Nov 30, 2015

If she's a photographer, she probably knows what she wants and needs. Therefore it would probably be best for her to pick it out herself, rather than surprise her.
It would be like buying clothes for a woman...you can get something that looks nice, but she's probably going to return it for what she likes.

Gifter2015 · Nov 30, 2015

Well, she's expressed interest in both of these before so I know she'll like either one. I'm definitely going to get a camera. I just don't know which one.

idcanyon · Nov 30, 2015

The 70D is certainly a worthy upgrade. It will take all the accessories she currently has and let her pick up right where she left off with minimal learning.

The 6D is a full frame camera. I think most APS-C shooters secretly (or usually not-so-secretly) want to step up to full-frame. So she'd likely be much more excited about the 6D... but there are some risks involved:

There would be a little more learning curve as she gets used to the differences in how lenses perform<--that's barely an issue. If she used to shoot film then this would probably be a plus rather than a minus.
There might be some additional expense to upgrade some lenses that only work on the APS-C format. If you could sneak into her stash and list make a list of precisely what lens she has then we could probably help you figure out how many lenses would work on the 6D. If you know of one she uses more than others then say that too--because she might choose to keep carrying the old camera along side the new so she doesn't have to swap lenses so much.
There is potentially a flash issue, as the 6D doesn't have a built in flash. That's probably only an issue if she uses the built in to trigger off camera flashes--as no real pro actually shoots with the built-in. If she uses it that way then there might be an additional expense to get something to trigger her system.

If you've ever heard her talk longingly about "full frame" then that might also give you your answer.

Good luck.

weepete · Nov 30, 2015

Well the major difference between those two cameras are that one is full frame and the other has a cropped sensor. Which may not mean a great deal to you but Canon's full frame cameras are designed to use EF mount lenses where EF-S are designed for cropped sensor cameras. and basically you can't use EF-S lenses on a full frame camera.

So If you buy the 6D you may find your Mrs will also need to replace some of her exising lenses to ones that will function properly with a full frame camera.

Saying that, for what you've described the 6D sounds like the better choice as it will have significant improvements in low light

Gifter2015 · Nov 30, 2015

Thank you very much for the advice. This is what I found:

Canon Zoom Lens EF 75-300 mm 1:4-5.6 III
Canon Ultrasonic 28-135mm
Canon 50mm
Canon SpeedLite 430EX II

weepete · Nov 30, 2015

Looks like she mostly uses EF lenses. In which case I'd go with the 6D as she'll still be able to use her current gear. It really will give a huge performace boost compared to the 40D she is currently using, and I'm sure she would be stoked with that gift.

TCampbell · Dec 1, 2015

She wants the 6D. It has noticeably better low light performance (high ISO with low noise) and is able to focus with less light.

As previously mentioned, the 6D is a "full frame" sensor camera... meaning the physical dimensions of the digital sensor are 36mm by 24mm tall -- that's the same size as a single frame of 35mm film (and the reason why they call it a "full frame" sensor). The 40D she uses now has an APS-C size sensor which measures roughly 22mm wide by about 15mm tall.

Her 75-300mm lens is the weakest in the line-up... that's a budget priced zoom and not known for it's image equality (it has the weakest optical performance of any of the Canon zoom lenses.) The ideal zoom that a wedding or portrait photographer wants is the EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM II -- but I should warn you it's a $2200 lens (you can usually find it for $2k).

You an often find the 6D offered with the Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM as it's "kit" lens (which is a bargain.) That lens adds about $600 to the price tag of the 6D (a 6D "body only" is about $1400) but that's a fantastic lens for only $600 (if purchased not as a kit it's $1000 but you can sometimes find "white box" versions of it for perhaps $700-800. "White box" usually means someone wanted a "body only" camera but the merchant only had the camera available with the 24-105mm "kit" lens. So they remove the lens from the box and sell the customer the "camera only" and then sell the "lens" in a generic white box (not in Canon retail packaging. But it is otherwise a new lens.))

Also as previously mentioned the 6D does not have a built-in flash (none of the full-frame bodies have a built-in flash. These are thought of as higher end camera bodies and photographers buying these cameras would probably never use a built-in flash. They'll seldom use "on camera" flash, but if they do it will be a much more powerful flash with a flash head that can tilt and swivel so they can control the lighting better.)

jcdeboever · Dec 1, 2015

Buy her a holga... Just kidding. She could sell of her used stuff to use towards full frame lenses.

Sent from my XT1254 using Tapatalk

ronlane · Dec 1, 2015

I would venture that she pretty much wants the 6D to continue doing what she is doing, but the fact that she has to change glass is holding her back. (I could be wrong totally but doubt it.)

Gifter2015 · Dec 2, 2015

That's definitely a ton of information and advice to think about. I know at one point, we were in a retail store looking at the functionality of the 70d. The rotating screen, touch screen, and focal points caught her eye. I don't remember seeing the 6d in the store. We may have, and she may have even picked it up if it were there. But honestly I wasn't paying much attention. I was getting help with something else but tried to notice what she was looking at. The full frame of the 6D sounds like what she would want. Just as well, I recall her liking the 70D features. I know either would be a worthy upgrade from the older 40D. It's just a hard decision. I may have to get one and just give her the option of trading it out with the other if she prefers. It really wouldn't bother me. There are so many decisions.

weepete · Dec 2, 2015

Fair enough mate, I'll make it a wee bit easier for you. Buy her the 6D, it's the better camera.

idcanyon · Dec 2, 2015

Gifter2015 said:
I may have to get one and just give her the option of trading it out with the other if she prefers.

If she is conservative with money (as her current gear list sort of indicates), then if you get her the 70D she will not take you up on your offer to trade up to the 6D, even if she wants it, because it is more expensive. If she is fiscally conservative then she would trade down from the 6D to the 70D if she wants it, or possibly just because she thinks you overspent. That's based on how my wife thinks. If she isn't fiscally conservative then she'd probably just want the 6D plain and simple.

Articulating screens are nice, few people would say they are necessary.

beagle100 · Dec 3, 2015

idcanyon said:
The 70D is certainly a worthy upgrade. It will take all the accessories she currently has and let her pick up right where she left off with minimal learning.

The 6D is a full frame camera. I think most APS-C shooters secretly (or usually not-so-secretly) want to step up to full-frame. So she'd likely be much more excited about the 6D... but there are some risks involved:
If you've ever heard her talk longingly about "full frame" then that might also give you your answer.

Good luck.

yes, refurbished 6D at $979 is looking better

dannylightning · Dec 4, 2015

i would just kind of bring up the photography thing and start a conversation about it, mention that you remember her saying she wanted a new camera and ask her why she wants something differnt, get her to mention the models she is interested in, than ask her which one she would rather have and why. just kind of make it non schilant as possible, just make it seem more like small talk and than you can find out which one to get her.