I have been doing lots of research comparing the full frame Canon DSLR bodies, and I'd like to share with you what I have found and get some advice from you as well!
I am currently in the position where I am ready to upgrade some of my camera equipment. Right now I own a Canon Rebel T5 with my (rarely used) kit lens and a 50mm 1.8 lens. I have now developed a client base where I have more consistent portraiture shoots, and want to be able to deliver an even higher quality of work to my customers.
My first instinct was to purchase a new lens. There are so many awesome ones to choose from! The 24-70mm, the 35mm, the 85mm, etc. But now I am thinking it may be more important for me to first invest in a full frame DSLR.
When I was purchasing my first Canon DSLR, I was told by a few people, "Whatever you do, GET A D SERIES. It's worth it." So now, that's exactly what I'm looking to purchase.
In my mind, I assumed the D Series were all full frame cameras. Whenever a friend told me what kind of camera they had and it had a "d" in the name I just thought "ooooh, their camera is nice." But in reality, that's not the case!
Have you guys heard of the 60D and 70D Canons? Well PSA: THEY ARE NOT FULL FRAMES.
So even though that eliminates some of my "cheaper options," this now narrows down my search to just three general camera models. The 5D, 6D, and 7D. Granted, each one of these series has editions and versions within themselves, but it gives me a great place to start comparing. SO here are some of the main differences I have found between these camera bodies, and what I believe are some of the most important aspects to look at when purchasing a new camera. You guys can decide which pros and cons are the most valuable and important for yourselves!
Note: All these cameras are full frame and higher end, so I am not taking into consideration things that define full frame camera, just things that vary among them.
P R I C E
At least for me, price definitely sways my decision on which full frame Canon to purchase.
Right now, the top of the line 5D Mark IV body is selling for $3,299 on the Canon website, while the legendary 5D Mark III can be purchased for $2,299. I feel that these are the highest quality cameras I will be talking about today, but it is evident that you will be paying for that quality. The Canon 6D costs $1,399 while the Canon 7D Mark II costs $1,499. My overarching question is whether I should just bite the bullet and get one of the 5D bodies, or save a thousand or so and go with the 6D or 7D? Some of these other determining factors are going to help us out in this decision.
F O C A L P O I N T S
Something that I was warned about while attending Brigham Young University - Idaho is that not all DSLRs are created equal in regards to the number of focusing points. I really didn't know any better after shooting with my Rebel T5 for two years (which has only 9 focus points), but apparently it makes things a lot easier when you have more to work with!
The Canon 5D Mark III and the Canon 7D Mark II both have over 60 focus points! The 6D on the other hand only has 11. But hey, at least that's still 2 more points than what I'm working with now!
S H U T T E R C O U N T
If you are considering purchasing a used camera, something to keep in mind is the shutter count. I didn't even know this was a thing until my Advanced Digital Imaging class I took this past semester. Similar to the number of miles on a car, cameras often only last to a certain shutter count. Here is a breakdown that I found online that helps one to know just how long a camera will last so that they don't purchase one that is living on it's last photo shoot.
Here is the website where I found that chart: http://www.the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/Canon-EOS-5D-Mark-II-DSLR-Digital-Camera-Review.aspx
From this data, we can see that the 6D has a slightly shorter lifespan than the 5D Mark III or the 7D.
V I D E O
Even if you are not currently a videographer, I feel that most photographers end up dabbling in video. Something you should always consider when purchasing a new camera is the quality of video it can record. Interestingly enough, all the full frame cameras I am looking at right now shoot in HD 1080. Even though that is considered high definition, it is not top of the line. Lots of cameras are shooting on 4k video these days! But the thing that blows my mind is that while none of these full frame options offer that, the Canon 80D DOES! Even while it is just a crop sensor! Does that make sense? Not really, but it's good for buyers to know if they value that high quality video.
In conclusion, I'd just like to wrap up what I've learned. Price, number of focal points, shutter count, and video quality should all be deciding factors in which camera I should purchase next. I still have not decided which body is the right fit for me, but I hope that this information will help my fellow photographers in their journey to grow and improve!
Let me know if you have any great insights or advice for me as I continue to study out these camera bodies. Thanks for reading! Follow along for more tips, tricks, tutorials, and photos!
All photos from the creative commons site: Unsplash.com