My journey in this wonderful world of photography until this point has all been through that of an APS-C sensor camera. I first started with a Nikon D7000, then switched to the semi-pro D300s, then I made the switch to Canon because I wanted better video capabilities. I tried out both the Canon 60D and ended up upgrading to the 7D, both are great cameras. As much as I enjoyed my crop sensor cameras I always had the goal of getting a full frame body.
This week I finally bit the bullet and decided to upgrade my Canon 7D to a Canon 6D. I wanted to share my experience so that any of you who are on the fence like I was about making the jump from a higher end APS-C camera to a budget full frame camera can get some insight on it.
Why I Made The Jump
I am primarily a portrait shooter, but I also do a lot of sports photography. This means that the 7D was an ideal camera for me for a variety of reasons including the high 8fps burst rate and great image quality. The camera is getting old though, and its ISO performance leaves a lot to be desired in dark high school gyms. The latest rumors that I have been hearing say that the Canon 7D Mark II is likely be announced within the next 6 months (Qtr 1 2014), and with that in mind if I wanted to trade in my 7D it would have to been soon to get the most value out of it.
I took a trip to my local camera shop and I had an opportunity to hold the 6D in my hands and try it out a bit. I was really impressed with it (it feels great in the hands) and asked about what sort of value I would be able to get for my 7D with the battery grip. After some wheeling and dealing we came to an arrangement that I was happy with (trade + cash considerations), and so I decided that now was the time to make the jump.
I was loosing several conveniences like 8FPS, more physical buttons, better overall AF performance, and more AF points. But after really thinking about my situation and how I use those conveniences. You see that is what the jump from a high end crop body like the 7D to a budget full frame like the 6D are really about, conveniences vs performance. It is not the same for everyone, but in the end I decided that the benefits of making the jump into full frame outweighed the comfort of my 7D.
My Initial Canon 6D Impressions
First off – this is not a review on the Canon 6D, if you are looking for a Canon 6D review fellow SLR Lounge writer Matthew Saville already has that covered here, I just wanted to share some quick initial impressions.
What can I say, I love the camera so far. There are definitely some things that are going to take some getting used to though. The 3.5fps drop on the burst rate from what I had with the 7D will make shooting sports a bit more interesting, though in the end I hate “motor boating” for sports anyways so ill see how it goes.
The Wifi connectivity and ability to control the camera from my tablet or smartphone is really cool. I can’t say that is a feature that I find myself “needing”, but it is pretty neat none the less. I also really dig the built in GPS feature, it makes site like Flickr and 500px so much more fun.
Probably the biggest thing that may take some getting used to for me is the lack of physical buttons on the back of the camera. On the 7D there are lots of buttons and ways to access information, on the 6D they simply are not there . This means more time in the menu system , something I am not looking forward to. But as far as gripes go, its not that huge of a deal, I will get used to it.
Conclusions
In the end here I was always going to make that full frame jump, it was just a matter of when my finances would allow. This week was that perfect storm for me and I am glad that I was able to make the move. I will miss some aspects of the 7D, but overall I feel like the 6D opens more doors for me than it closes and that gets me really excited.
If you are still on the fence about upgrading to a full frame body like the Canon 6D or Nikon D610 get off of it. Really, unless you have invested in a ton of crop only lenses you can trade in your current crop body and get a great deal on a new full frame body. It may feel like a big decision and it is, but in the end you will be the better for it.
(Alternatively if you have the money to purchase a new 6D outright while keeping your crop DSLR that is a great way to go as well. B&H Currently has a great bundle deal on the 6D which expires on the 27th)
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