Stick with 50D or upgrade to full frame???

[jbkm1994]

I am a photo enthusiast looking to get in to portraits (senior pics...etc). I have the 28-135 kit lens, 50mm f1.4 prime lens, and 70-200mm f2.8L USM with no IS. I love my 50D as it has been a workhorse but as for commissioned photos should I upgrade to a 6D or better?

 

[TheBiles]

Definitely. You will be blown away by the difference in full-frame versus crop.

Sent from my Droid DNA

 

[daarksun]

Don't look at just the full frame option. Look at the features of the camera and which one offers the bells and whistles that meet your needs. As I am sure you know professionals make a living using the crop cameras shooting everything from portraits, landscapes and sports type stuff. The 6D is an excellent entry level full-frame taking the place of the 5Dmkii. Personally I would upgrade to the 5DmkIII if you have the budget for it. It's getting the 7D & 6D mixed together. Definitely work the cost difference.

But if you are geared for shooting just the portraits and landscapes then the 6D will be wonderful with the full frame shooting. The AF system would not hold you back. Good luck with whatever you choose.

 

[sekhar]

It really depends on how much money you're ready to part with. I got a 6D last month and can't stop shooting. You can google the FF/APS-C pros/cons, but one thing you'll notice right away is the really large and bright viewfinder, especially with the 2.8 lens you have. Manual focus will be a cinch. Then there's the shallow depth of field, which cool but will need a bit of getting used to because at 2.8 even the ear will be out of focus even if the eyes are. Focus on 6D is really fast/accurate, even in really low light.

The most practical advantage is probably low light and noise capabilities, which will be awesome. I'm having to look at the EXIF to make out between an ISO 200 and an ISO 3200 shot on Bridge previews. I'd say with 6D you can go as far as 12,800, certainly 6,400 without worries. You cannot say that with an APS-C. You will also get a better dynamic range, especially in low light. The combination of low noise and high dynamic range translates to really clean looking images vs. the muddy stuff you can get with smaller sensors.

Finally, you will get much more coverage with your wide angles, which is great. But be prepared to be surprised by how less effective your 70-200 suddenly is in getting close.

 

[tholt2]

It sounds like you already have a good lens collection (for portrait shoots) with the 50 mm 1.4 prime and the 70-200mm 2.8. It you didn't already own a prime lens, I would recommend that over upgrading your camera body. But if you have the cash, I would upgrade to a full-frame body. When I upgraded to a full-frame body at that stage in my photography, my results improved from that alone.

Tommy

 

[jaomul]

With your lenses a full frame may be nicer for portraits, but if your happy with your 50d but want the ff bokeh etc and better ISO performance the original 5d might be a good budget option to add to your gear. The EF85 f1.8 is a very nice lens for portraits with a fullframe

 

[jbkm1994]

Thanks to each of you for your time and input. It is greatly appreciated. This is exactly why I joined this forum.