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Archive 2016 · "Keeper" rate 6D vs 5D Mk III

  
 
bootster
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p.1 #1 · p.1 #1 · "Keeper" rate 6D vs 5D Mk III


I just "borrowed" a 5D Mk III from canon CPS. I also purchased a 6D. I took both for test drives over the last two days, and I have found out that the "keeper" rate of the 5D Mk III is a lot higher than the 6D. I was taking pictures of Butterflies and bees and was amazed at how many of the 5D Mk III captures were totally useable. The most amazing thing about my outing today was that I had a 1.4x TC III on a 100-400 L II and the pictures were amazing and almost all of them were in focus and totally useable. The 6D had a 100mm f/2.8L macro using it's very good IS system and the "keeper" rate was about a lot less. I am probably going to sell the 6D, and look for the 5D Mk III used as the market becomes flooded with them since the release of the new 5D Mk IV, or wait for the reviews of the Mk IV and splurge on one of those.I am really impressed with the 5D Mk III's focus system.

I think that the 70D and the 80D have a much better focus system than the 6D and it has really "spoiled" me since the "keeper" rate is very high on these two compared with what I've seen with the 6D so far. It could be operator failure, but I was disappointed in the lack of versatility of the focus system. If I were doing still life exclusively, and were on a strict budget, the 6D would be perfect.

I was at a party and sitting at the picnic table, I was able to set my 80D on the table, and point it at someone sitting on the other side of the table, or in a chair on the other side of the lawn. I could use the articulating screen to view the captures as I just touched the flip screen and take pictures of the guests at the party without them even knowing that they were having their pictures taken. At the end of the party, after I did a quick "culling" of the pictures, I was showing them to the guests and was amazed at the reception I received. Everyone wanted copies of the pictures. I just used the NFC on the 80D to transfer the pics to all of their cell phones, and everyone was happy.

If the 5D Mk IV had the articulating touch screen, it would be the ultimate camera that would be the best camera I could hope for, aside from the price .



Sep 09, 2016 at 05:56 PM
snapsy
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p.1 #2 · p.1 #2 · "Keeper" rate 6D vs 5D Mk III


The 5DM3's AF is much more precise (ie, consistent) than the 6D based on my testing. Also, I and others have found that the 5DM3/1DX usually doesn't require AFMA nearly as often as older Canon AF designs, including the 6D. That said, I would recommend AF tuning the lenses on your 6D to make sure you're getting the most accuracy and precision out of the body.


Sep 09, 2016 at 06:41 PM
bootster
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p.1 #3 · p.1 #3 · "Keeper" rate 6D vs 5D Mk III


snapsy, thanks for your response. I want to understand what you are saying here. If I take a couple of AF shots with a stationary subject, and it comes out "tack sharp", will that mean that no adjustment is necessary? I think that the dual pixel focus system on the 70D and the improved one on the 80D, the two cameras that I am used to, may be so much better than the 6D's focus system that it seems like a step backwards. I wonder if that was "by design" to the intermediate level audience? I was really impressed with the focus system on the cameras, to the point that I took it for granted what I was using, and now that I went to the 6D, I am not getting as good of a result, simply due to the focus system.

I will be "on the fence" here with the 5D Mk IV, as the focus system implemented in that model is very close to the one in the 80D, so it will be "all in" if you want to get the best "keeper" rate. The 5D Mk III is very nice, but not as good as the one in the 80D, in my view. I have only had two days to experiment with the 5D Mk III, but I'm really liking it so far.



Sep 09, 2016 at 07:01 PM
garyvot
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p.1 #4 · p.1 #4 · "Keeper" rate 6D vs 5D Mk III


Booster, the 6D is in my experience one of the most accurate focusing cameras Canon makes. The center AF point is deadly even in very dim light. (Up unitl recently, it was able to focus in lower light levels than any other Canon DSLR.) I have used a pair of them for event work over the past couple of years, and with lenses properly calibrated for the bodies, I trust the focus implicitly.

That said, the camera does have limitations. While the center AF point is great, the outer AF points are accurate, but only in brighter light with contrasty subjects. This means it's a body better suited to a focus/recompose technique, which not all photographers can tolerate. But within the 6D's AF system's limitations, it is generally regarded as being quite good

Given this, I wonder if one or both of the following issues might have occurred?

1. Your 6D needed some micro focus adjustment to work well with your lenses

2. You may have expected too much from the 6D's outer AF points, especially in AI Servo (I tend to use One Shot more with focus/recompose...)

Edit: on the 6D you can reprogram the magnification button so that it goes immediately to a 100% view over the active focusing point. This is a super-convenient way to check sharpness in the field. I have actually used this to micro-focus adjust a lens on the fly during a shoot, when I discovered it was out.

Edited on Sep 09, 2016 at 08:11 PM · View previous versions



Sep 09, 2016 at 08:00 PM
snapsy
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p.1 #5 · p.1 #5 · "Keeper" rate 6D vs 5D Mk III


bootster wrote:
snapsy, thanks for your response. I want to understand what you are saying here. If I take a couple of AF shots with a stationary subject, and it comes out "tack sharp", will that mean that no adjustment is necessary? I think that the dual pixel focus system on the 70D and the improved one on the 80D, the two cameras that I am used to, may be so much better than the 6D's focus system that it seems like a step backwards. I wonder if that was "by design" to the intermediate level audience? I was really impressed with
...Show more

I've never used a 70D/80D so I can't speak to whether they incorporate Canon's latest AF technology with respect to precision. I can only say that the 6D does not. Here is an article from Roger Cicala that demonstrates how much more precise the 5DM3 is - he compares it to the 5DM2 but based on my testing the 6D shares the same precision as the 6D so you can use it as a proxy for the 6D (and Roger confirmed this here).

The increase in precision of the 5DM3 is particularly acute when using newer Canon lens designs, which seem to incorporate precision improvements themselves for which the 5DM3/1DX are particularly adept at taking advantage of.

https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/07/autofocus-reality-part-ii-1-vs-2-and-old-vs-new/
https://www.lensrentals.com/blog/2012/07/autofocus-reality-part-3a-canon-lenses/



Sep 09, 2016 at 08:08 PM
Tom_W
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p.1 #6 · p.1 #6 · "Keeper" rate 6D vs 5D Mk III


Have to agree with garyvot - the center AF point of the 6D is quite accurate, and works in reasonably low light. The peripheral points, not as good. Not unlike the original 5D.

The AF on the 70D, as on the original 7D from which it is derived, is decent but it is weak in lower light situations. It is also missing some of the useful features that the 7D had like the smaller precision AF points. I would rate the AF on the 80D as a decent improvement over that.



Sep 09, 2016 at 08:19 PM
bootster
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p.1 #7 · p.1 #7 · "Keeper" rate 6D vs 5D Mk III


garyvot, thank you for the response, as it is very much appreciated. On this "micro focus" issue, I have not had any problem with a still subject coming into "tack sharp" focus when the camera indicates that it is ready to shoot. After considering my situation, I will use the 1.4x/100-400L II combo with the 6D tomorrow and do some work with the 70-200 f/4 IS and the 40 and 50 stm's for a better comparison.

I think you hit the nail on the head with the "rely on continuous auto focus". I believe that's where the issue may lie, and I will try to do some different comparisons tomorrow, just to get a more varied focusing techniques. I am mostly using the single, outer focus points on my 80D as they are all cross type and highly accurate, and fast. I am unfamiliar with the focus/recompose technique, so I'll have to investigate it and try it out. Thanks again for the help.

EDIT: I appreciate you responding as well Tom_W, and snapsy, and will respond again when I have more time.



Sep 09, 2016 at 08:25 PM
Tom_W
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p.1 #8 · p.1 #8 · "Keeper" rate 6D vs 5D Mk III


I have to ask, as I don't recall - does the 6D autofocus with an f/8 lens combination such as the 100-400 with the 1.4X teleconverter? I don't recall, but if it does not, then it would be futile to test the combination unless you are taking steps to override the AF system's lockout. Meaning taped contacts on the lens, or a third party 1.4X teleconverter that doesn't transmit its presence back to the camera.



Sep 09, 2016 at 08:56 PM
Ferrophot
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p.1 #9 · p.1 #9 · "Keeper" rate 6D vs 5D Mk III


The 6D does not AF at f8. Contrary to what is being said here I've found my 6D's AF centre point to be very accurate and sure footed, even at low light levels. I purchased it for it's low light performance, I haven't been disappointed and it was a bargain compared with the 5D3 at the time of purchase. Perhaps not so good for smaller BIF but it performs well for the larger birds such as egrets, pelicans, albatross etc.


Sep 09, 2016 at 09:10 PM
johnctharp
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p.1 #10 · p.1 #10 · "Keeper" rate 6D vs 5D Mk III


For a summary comparison:

The 5D III will be more 'accurate' than the 6D (this assumes focusing error, not AFMA error) if you're using any point other than the center, and vise-versa.

The difference in center point accuracy increases with lower light levels.

Also, using the center point only, at macro distances, you'll find hunting using the 100L with either camera. At portrait or greater distances, the first comparison still applies.

I'd also expect the 5D III to focus 'faster', but I've used a 5D III only briefly and have had little chance to compare it directly with my 6D.



Sep 09, 2016 at 09:38 PM
Imagemaster
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p.1 #11 · p.1 #11 · "Keeper" rate 6D vs 5D Mk III


I have no idea what the OP is talking about. It seems like he is not only unfamiliar with the gear he is using, but also about AF and MFA.

Otherwise why would he be comparing the AF of a 5D3 & 100-400 to that of a 6D with a 100mm macro on it? It has been discussed on many threads that for action, the AF of the 5D3 is superior to that of the 6D, even when using the same lens.



Sep 09, 2016 at 11:13 PM
jcolwell
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p.1 #12 · p.1 #12 · "Keeper" rate 6D vs 5D Mk III


Tom_W wrote:
I have to ask, as I don't recall - does the 6D autofocus with an f/8 lens combination such as the 100-400 with the 1.4X teleconverter?


Nope.



Sep 10, 2016 at 05:45 AM
jcolwell
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p.1 #13 · p.1 #13 · "Keeper" rate 6D vs 5D Mk III


I use 1D-series and 6D cameras, and I have no complaints about the 6D autofocus, at all. As long as you can keep the centre AF point on the subject, the 6D does just fine. Of course, I rarely choose the 6D when I plan to do action photography, but that doesn't stop me from using it if it's all I have at the time.


Sep 10, 2016 at 05:49 AM





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