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Help with new camera decision
jenniferann
Registered Users Posts: 64 Big grins
Hi, I have been out of photography for a while and I want to get started back up, mostly for myself. I have a Rebel XTi, and I want to upgrade, but keep with the same style camera. My main concern is I want a better low light camera, the XTi was not so good. Very grainy. I was thinking the T6i or T5i.
I also see a T6 but not sure the difference. Would love to hear your thoughts. I have a 100-400, 100mm
macro and a sigma 17-55 ( i think that is the range). I do some portraits, animals, and love flower/macro photography. Thanks in advance!
I also see a T6 but not sure the difference. Would love to hear your thoughts. I have a 100-400, 100mm
macro and a sigma 17-55 ( i think that is the range). I do some portraits, animals, and love flower/macro photography. Thanks in advance!
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The older Rebel models like the T6i would be an upgrade from the 10 year old XTi but if you primarily shoot portraits and flowers then a refurbished 6D could be a better option however you would need to upgrade the 17-50 lens. Or look at the 80D or a refurbished 70D which have more features than the rebel models.
And take a look at mirrorless options from Sony, Fuji, etc. They are smaller and lighter and you can still use your Canon lens (with appropriate adapter)
The 6D is also better in color depth and dynamic range, meaning colorful flowers will have more color saturation and (potentially) more "pop" and appeal (with appropriate post-processing).
While the 6D is larger than your XTi/400D/Kiss X, it's still fairly light at 1.70 lb / 27.16 oz.
I also recommend an external flash, or two, for your macro and close-focus photography, along with some simple reflectors. Nothing makes a greater difference in image results than proper lighting.
*Your XTi has calibrated ISOs from 100-1600 and the 6D has calibrated ISOs from 100 - 25600 in 1/3 stops, with ISO 6400 very usable even for larger prints (especially with careful post-processing).
The Canon 6D also has a "Multi Shot NR" which takes 4-images in a burst, and combines them with in-camera processing to produce a single JPG image with good detail and reduced noise. The effect is similar noise and detail at ISO 25,600 to that of a single image at ISO 6400. This mode is only available in JPG capture mode and certain other camera settings can also affect availability, so read the user manual to use this mode. A stable tripod is a very good idea with this mode and it only works with static scenes and subject matter.
The Canon 6D also has an in-camera HDR mode you might find interesting.
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I have a nice external flash and battery grip so I am used to a heavier camera. I appreciate your advice, thanks again.
Canon 5DIV | Canon EF 35 f1.4 L II | Canon 24-70 f2.8 L II | Canon 70-200 f2.8 L II IS | Canon 16-35 f4 L IS
Yes, that's true. The Canon 5D Mark II has a similar AF with an even worse record for miss-focus using off-center AF points, especially in poor light.
My workaround and recommendation is to focus-recompose using the center AF dot when the subject is at distance. When the subject is close, use a wider focal length lens (or lens setting), bullseye composition and crop in post for composition.
The 6D is better than the 5DMK2 just because it has greater AF sensitivity, but it still suffers a bit in low light. I always have a device, either a flash or master/controller transmitter from an RF slave set* with an AF-Assist patterned light, on the camera to give the AF points something bright to work against. I do this even if I'm not using flash for the image capture.
Of course, the Canon 5D Mark III (5DMK3) cures most AF woes by using a very similar AF module as the 1D-X body. (The 1D-X is better still because it has a total of 3 - image processors, with one processor dedicated to AF.) Anyway the 5DMK3 is a really great AF camera and will even work well for fast moving wildlife and children, as well as many/most sports. I do use a device with AF-Assist* on the 5DMK3 too and it speeds the AF acquisition better than without.
Sooo, the 5DMK3 is the better recommendation if you need the AF acquisition speed; otherwise the 6D is fine for many subjects if you just have a device with AF-Assist* attached to the camera
*If I need on-camera flash then I generally have a Canon 580EX attached to the camera body and use the flash's AF-Assist light. For off-camera flash, the Yongnuo YN-622C-TX E-TTL Wireless Flash Controller for Canon and the Yongnuo YN-622C Wireless ETTL Flash Trigger Receiver both have nice AF-Assist lights which work really well for most current Canon dSLR cameras.
The YN-622C Wireless ETTL Flash Trigger Receiver is inexpensive enough to warrant "always" using it just for the AF-Assist light even if you don't need flash at all. It turns your camera into something much better.
P.S. For my Nikon stuff I also have a similar arrangement using Yongnuo "N" i-TTL versions of the same wireless sets, and for the exact same benefits as the Canon versions. The Nikon cameras also work better with AF-Assist lights.
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