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Archive 2014 · 70D vs 6D noise/ISO difference and low light focusing

  
 
Steven W
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · 70D vs 6D noise/ISO difference and low light focusing


Hello,

I would like the opinion of people that own or have used both.

I would like to upgrade to 1 of these two cameras. I know the 6D is better with noise at low light, but by how much? Also, how is the focusing in low light comparatively? The reason I don't automatically go for the 6D is length limitation. I cannot really afford long glass right now, but have been getting into bird photography.

I tried searching, but read too much about video compared to still photos when reading about the 70D.

Any information and results of experiences would be appreciated.

Thank you.

-Steven



Apr 02, 2014 at 08:51 PM
Gochugogi
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · 70D vs 6D noise/ISO difference and low light focusing


I own both the 6D and the 70D, mainly shoot stills, and like them both, but for different purposes: 6D for landscapes and travel and 70D for point 'n shoot and tele use. If I could only own just one, I'd grab the 6D without a second thought: much better optical viewfinder, much better IQ and much better low light AF. The 6D also feels a lot nicer in hand as the 70D is a little too small although they weight almost the same. The control interface is basically the same save for a slightly better implementation of FEC on the 70D.

The 70D does have a few advantages over the 6D: grid on demand and level indicator in VF and better off-center AF. I also like having the popup flash as an E-TTL commander and for casual fill. However 6D IQ is so much better than the 70D it's almost funny: ISO 1600 on the 70D has more noise than ISO 12800 on the 6D. There is that much difference. Compared to my 7D, the 70D is only slightly better in terms of noise, but the 70D is much less prone to banding artifacts and the noise is more grain-like.



Apr 02, 2014 at 09:15 PM
Steven W
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · 70D vs 6D noise/ISO difference and low light focusing


Thank you for taking the time for your thoughts and experiences. The 'tele use' u\you mentioned with the 70D vs the overall low quality and focus with the center auto-focus point is what is making this decision stressful. Which 'really want' (need) do I give up? I do appreciate your thoughts. Good shooting!


Apr 03, 2014 at 02:33 AM
fraga
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · 70D vs 6D noise/ISO difference and low light focusing


It greatly depends on your needs and the use you are planning for it.
Take into consideration that in terms of "reach", it does make a great difference.
I love FF, but if you need to shoot something small and distant... it becomes expensive, cumbersome and heavy.
So you get an idea, I have a 600mm f4IS and it feels short on FF. In fact it is "shorter" than a 400mm on a 70D or your 600D.
This should weigh heavily on your decision if you are planning on doing a lot of bird photography.
So you get an idea, the difference is bigger than the addition of a 1.4x tc (since the crop sensor is 1.6x). So a 70d (or your 600D) with a 100-400 (as an example) will have a narrower FOV (longer "reach") than the same lens on a 6D with a 1.4x TC.

If you wish to do a lot of low light stuff, FF is the way to go, for all the reasons you already know. IQ, low noise, DR, center AF.

If you plan on doing both, well, there is no perfect choice, unless you are rich.
You will need FF and long glass, which doesn't come cheap.
There is the tamron 150-600 route (awesome range for a great price) but I would wait for tamron to fix the AI-Servo issues.

Take into consideration that the 70D is supposedly slightly better than the 7D/600D (in terms of noise) in jpeg but hardly in raw. I say this because you own a 600D, so you are familiar with that sensor. So if you shoot raw, with a 70d you get the nearly the same noise levels as the 7D/600D, though it is more pleasing (less chroma, more grain like).

Good luck with your decision.



Apr 03, 2014 at 04:06 AM
Steven W
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · 70D vs 6D noise/ISO difference and low light focusing


Hi Fraga, Thank you for your insights. You are perfectly right - there is no perfect choice (unless I win the lottery). I will sit on this for a week or so. I like people photography and environmental and am beginning to get into nature more than before. I just have to decide which I will be doing more of in the next few years. Hope all is well with you in Portugal. Thanks again.

-Steven



Apr 03, 2014 at 06:44 AM
fraga
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · 70D vs 6D noise/ISO difference and low light focusing


No problem, Steven.
I don't know if I actually helped or not...

Have you considered the sigma 50-500 OS? They just recently dropped the price.
I would go for a Tamron (better IQ and more reach for roughly the same price), but even if you wanted one, you would have to wait since they are all on pre-order.
Sigma's 120-300 2.8 OS is a wonderful 420mm f4, but it's more expensive and 420mm is not very long on a FF. It's true that the 50-500 is not much longer (since it's not an actual 500mm) but at least it's less expensive.

For people photography I would seriously consider FF.
Others will say (and provide proof) that you can get great portraits with a 1.6x cropper, and while I fully agree with that statement, having owned both I would much prefer FF.
For environmental (I assume you mean nature/landscape and cityscape) FF is also better IMHO, since your lenses will all automatically become "wider". IQ and DR are also better, though a cropper will use the sweet spot of the lens while a FF will expose the lens shortcomings in the corners.

Photography is a compromise.
In everything.

You can go 6D now (benefiting most of your pictures) and save up for longer glass for BIF. Just a thought.
Or go 70D now (for birding) and save up for FF later, perhaps 5DMIII or even it's replacement, if you are willing to wait longer.

Only you can decide, based on your near future needs.
Both are very capable cameras.



Apr 03, 2014 at 11:20 AM
Gochugogi
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · 70D vs 6D noise/ISO difference and low light focusing


Steven W wrote:
Thank you for taking the time for your thoughts and experiences. The 'tele use' u\you mentioned with the 70D vs the overall low quality and focus with the center auto-focus point is what is making this decision stressful. Which 'really want' (need) do I give up? I do appreciate your thoughts. Good shooting!


The 6D center point is the best AF point I have ever used. In low light it certainly whips my 7D, 70D, 60D, 3 and 5D MKII and good. The single axis outer points actually work well but aren't as good as the outer points of the 70D. With that said, I haven't found them an issue save for extreme low contrast conditions and they always lock in light I can see in.



Apr 03, 2014 at 12:12 PM
markshelby
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · 70D vs 6D noise/ISO difference and low light focusing


For nature/landscape/portrait/candid photography, it's not only a matter of wider field of view, increased detail and low-light performance. Perspective (i.e. the difference in size between near objects and far objects) is important too. With the crop sensor body you will use shorter focal lengths to get the same field of view, and that means that distant objects will appear relatively smaller. In the standard zoom range of focal lengths I usually prefer the perspective of a full frame body.


Apr 03, 2014 at 06:10 PM
Steven W
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · 70D vs 6D noise/ISO difference and low light focusing


Thank you Mark Shelby, Fraga an Geochugogo for all your helpful information. Especially the information about the excellent low light center point auto-focus of the 6D has about made up my mind. It takes about 1.5 hours for me to get to a shop where I can really handle them, but considering that I have a 1.6 now, I think full frame is best right now, even with the wildlife drawbacks. Thank you all for the helpful information.

Mark, that was a very interesting explanation of perspective that I did not know about, Thank you.

Regards,

Steven



Apr 05, 2014 at 03:45 AM





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