Canon EOS 6D EF24-105mm is STM Kit Black

I upgraded from a Rebel T2i w/ 18-135. Here's are my thoughts after taking the camera out on a shoot last night with the 24-105mm L. Ergonomics: Coming from a T2i, one thing that was incredibly difficult to get used to was where the ISO button is located at. It's no longer an isolated button but now a part of a group of 5 other buttons. The buttons are laid out as AF -> Drive -> ISO -> Metering -> LCD light. On the 5D MK3, the buttons are Metering/White balance -> AF/Drive -> ISO/Exposure -> LCD Light. The reason this is important is because from an ergonomic perspective, it's normal to just shift your right index finger from the jog wheel straight down to the ISO button and it's the first button right there. On the Canon 6D, I have to move my finger down and shift it over. I'm getting used to it, but I can't count how many times I've tried to change my ISO and I kept hitting the Metering button and kept taking my eye out of the viewfinder to make sure I didn't change any metering values. Luckily, even if you hit the metering button, settings don't change until you move the jog wheel. So if you're looking through the viewfinder and you hit a button and ISO doesn't show up, then shift your finger left one button. I'm sure this will just take time getting used to. The viewfinder is significantly brighter which was something I never appreciated until using the 6D. In regards to the focal points, the number of focal points seems to make a larger impact on this full frame camera than it did on my crop body (which only had 9 AF points which seemed plenty on the T2i) That is, all 11 of the focal points are towards the center of the frame and on the full frame it seems like there's a lot of places left "open" with no focal points. In other words, it seems like the focal points only cover about 50% of the viewfinder coverage whereas on my crop body (with only 9) it felt like the focal points covered 75% of the viewfinder. Does this matter in the real world? I've not yet to run into any problems, and I suppose one could always use live view focus if for whatever reason one needed a much more precise focus than the 11 AF points. The quality of the center AF point however is superb, and I was surprised I was able to get focus in some situations where my crop body failed in low light situations. In regards to low light image quality, I hated using anything ISO 3200 or higher on my crop body. Pictures were usable but often image quality suffered in graininess and I wouldn't use them for anything professional and even ISO 1600 was borderline but acceptable on my T2i. On the 6D however, I am impressed with the images at ISO 6400, and so far pretty good results at ISO 12800 as well. This was actually one of the biggest driving factors in me upgrading from a crop to a full frame, and I can say that the 6D does not disappoint in this regard. The in-camera HDR is pretty effective. I was surprised at how easy it was to take HDR images without a tripod and have them automatically stitch together and still come out looking good. I am of the mentality that there are certain photos that HDR absolutely adds to a picture, but other times it can distract. The fact that it's so easy to get an HDR picture without a tripod in the field is definitely a plus for me. Keep in mind though that the HDR function will only be available if you are shooting in JPEG mode, so if you're currently set in RAW you'll have to change that setting before setting up the in camera HDR. Once you're finished with any HDR shots, you'll also have to remember to put your camera back in RAW mode. Another nice feature is that there are different raw sizes. RAW - 20MP @ 5472x3648, RAW(M) - 11MP @ 4104x2736) and RAW(S)- 5MP @ 2736x1824. Exactly what it sounds like, but something I wasn't used to seeing on my T2i which always shot in full-size RAW. So if I'm just going out not doing anything serious, it's nice to have the option of a smaller file size while still retaining the benefits of a RAW image. Then again, if I'm not doing anything serious, I would probably just use a cell phone camera. Therefore, neither a pro or a con. In regards to the Wifi features, I will say that the remote EOS app (Android and iPhone) is a far better solution than an articulating screen. When doing self-portraits, it is nice to be able to frame the picture with your phone remotely (remote shooting feature). After my shoot last night, I connected my phone and stuck the camera in the bag as I walked to my car. It felt a lot nicer reviewing my pictures through my phone (and deleting the ones I didn't like) using a touch interface. This is not necessarily a pro or a con, but it was refreshing and I found it to be a better solution as I could zoom with two fingers, pan, etc. I can also see that having a tablet with a larger screen would be useful in reviewing photos in the field. One other thing to mention is that transferring RAW files is pretty slow wirelessly, and it's probably quicker to just pop out the card and stick it in than it is to turn on the wifi settings in camera and then connect through the app. Overall, I'm very satisfied in the upgrade from a T2i to this 6D and I feel it was the correct choice over the 5D MK3 for the following reasons (in order from greatest to least benefit: Slightly better ISO performance (1/2 stop from what I read) over the MK3 -- This may simply be due to the lower resolution / MP count. Slightly improved (-3EV) center focus (as opposed to the -2.5EV on the MK3) ~$900-$1000 dollar price difference Wireless / Remote EOS app. (The MK3 supports this but at the cost of a $500 dollar add-on) The MK3 would be a better choice because: More focal points Slightly higher resolution Location of the ISO button (just my opinion) Dual Card slots (although for me this has zero purpose.) Faster FPS (also has zero purpose cause if I ever need to 'machine gun' my camera 4.5 FPS a second is still plenty fast on the 6D) Update: Canon has released a statement saying that they will allow the center point of the 5Dmk3 to autofocus at F/8 with a firmware update in April of 2013. That opens up a lot of cheaper lens solutions (100-400L 4-5.6) to be used with a 1.4TC to have a max reach of 580mm while retaining autofocus at f/8. This may have been a bigger decision point had I had known about this before purchasing the 6D. However, to the 6D's support, you can swap out the standard focusing screen with an EF-S focusing screen for manual focus. There's also live view focusing, so it's not really a dealbreaker. Update: 1/1/2013 Couple of additional thoughts as I've had this camera. The EOS Remote shooting app for Android and iOS is really a great thing to have on a camera. I just got back from vacation with family and friends and as soon as I took a family photo (some were of people who I didn't know) I was able to ask them for their phone or email address and immediately send it to them. Almost like a modern day Polaroid. I also was able to get impromptu shots of me with my friends by setting the camera on my camera bag and doing the framing with the three of us sitting in front of a fireplace. I've also thought about the lack of dual card slots a bit more, and I think that if you're going to earn money off your camera it might be better to get the 5D MK3 just in case you happen to have a card failure while shooting a wedding or other one time events that you can't reshoot. It's nice to have the extra insurance, but that's about all it gives you. Granted, I doubt a card failure would happen during an important shoot, but it's possible and could prevent you from delivering a product. I think if you're team photographing that this camera supplements a 5dmk3 well, but I like the extra insurance of having backups *just* in case a card failure were to happen as a single shooter. Certainly not a deal breaker by any means, but just food for thought.

I remember the first time I used the original Canon Rebel. That glorious feeling of going from a digital point-and-shoot to a real SLR... the feel of the body, the satisfying ka-click of a real shutter, the depth of field, the control... I was hooked immediately. After later evolving to a 40D and then to a 60D, I never thought I would have that "oh wow" feeling again until I took a wild chance and spoiled myself. The 6D arrived, and from the moment I looked through that big, bright (and wide!) optical viewfinder, and experienced the amazing flick of the new "silent" shutter, as good as the 60D was, I felt I had jumped to a whole new level. I was not anticipating the new shutter - it's amazing - soft and quiet and very professional with very low volume and vibration. The feel of this thing is like the first time you throw a perfect shifter in a high-end sports car, or slip your arm around a beautiful woman. Okay, maybe that's a bit too poetic... but trust me, you'll find yourself wanting to pull out this baby and flick off a new photo every chance you get. And that was just the start... I turned on the GPS (indoors) and took a few photos a minute later - downloaded them into Lightroom - and LR showed me a satellite view of my house, right down to the corner of the house in which I took the photos! I could not believe how accurate, and how quickly it acquired its location. I haven't used it extensively, but the built-in wi-fi capabilities are pretty amazing too. View images and control your camera remotely from a smartphone or tablet. It transmits a live picture to your device (in my case, a Galaxy Android tablet) and let's you make a few adjustments remotely. It would be nice if it gave you a little more control though. You can also put it into DLNA mode to share with other devices on your network. Once I turned it on, my Playstation3 instantly saw the camera and allowed me to surf through the photos that were still on the camera on my lap. Pretty neat. I wish the UI guys had spent a little more time on the wifi profile menus - they are a lot less intuitive than the other settings. But it works well. I am amazed at the high-ISO performance and it's noise reducing DIGIC 5 processor! You can push it to ridiculous heights before it becomes obvious at anything but pixel-peeking levels. Even the 50,000 and 100,000 ISO range, while obviously noisy, are an acceptable "better than not getting the shot at all", and anything up to 3200 is barely noticeable unless you pixel peek. EVen images shot at 12,500 look pretty good once passed through the noise and color filter in Lightroom. In normal ISO ranges, colors are exceptionally vibrant and solid. The HDR feature is nice, but gives a bit more muted, low-contrast look than I usually achieve doing it manually with Photomatix. I'm not sure I would depend on it for taking realistic photos, but I look forward to really putting it through its paces soon. [UPDATE: I was too kind. The HDR feature is pretty much worthless in my opinion. It just doesn't do very good job. I've quit using it.] I went to a large local photography club the day after I bought it and they were showing off how you could buy a GPS accessory for their 7D for "only" a few hundred dollars, or a wifi/tablet app for a couple of hundred dollars more, and they had all these doo-hickeys hanging off their camera, and there I was, holding this little marvel with all of this built right in, and for a price that, while certainly not inexpensive, is a bargain within the category of full-frame cameras. Naturally, if you're not aware, as a full-frame camera, the field of view is much wider. That nice, inexpensive f2.8 Canon 40mm pancake lens now becomes a real joy to use with this camera. I splurged and got the kit with the 24-105L lens, which seems to be a wonderful lens, but I will withhold my full review of the lens until I get more time in the field with it*. There is no built-in flash, which does not bother me as I hate the harsh on-board flash, and with the low-light capabilities of this camera, it becomes even less necessary. Of course you can still use a Speedlite. If you have anything prior to the 60D, you will love this upgrade. And if you can spare the cash, it's even a big step up from the 60D as well. This thing is a game changer. Don't skip paying the rent or buying food for your children to buy one, but it's well worth skipping a few luxury items and pampering yourself with this exceptional piece of technology. * Update: still adore this camera, but I've got good news/bad news regarding the lens. I spent hours doing side-by-side pixel-peeking comparisons between this expensive (24-105L) kit lens, and the much cheaper 28-135 kit lens that came with my 40D - a lens I always considered an "average" quality lens. You can easily spend 3 times more for the L series 24-105, yet when I compared identical images side by side I found very little to justify the fancy new lens. The build quality and styling is definitely better, and the lens zoom doesn't creep on you when you angle the camera downwards, and if focused perfectly, the L has a little better edge sharpness, but this full-frame sensor on the 6D really brought the old 28-135 to life - the majority of the frame was even sharper, and with better contrast than the L! I would have thought that a full-frame camera would magnify the deficiencies of the cheaper lens, but it really took fantastically detailed images. I have no explanation. I have no real complaints about the 24-105L, other than I was utterly disappointed that it did not stomp on its much cheaper little brother. So... nice lens, but this camera made the old lens pretty nice too. It would be tough to justify buying this lens again. I'd at least do some comparison shopping.

I'll keep this review simple as I'm not an advanced professional but more of a serious enthusiast at this point. The feel and build of this camera is top notch; it feels like a brick in the hands and handles nicely. The 24-105 lens is very tight and also smooth but I do have to say after using it for a couple of weeks it does now creep when held straight down. Wow on the low light capabilities of this thing! I can push it up to 10,000 iso and get images as clean if not cleaner than on my 40d at 1,600. Obviously the crop factor is gone but what some may not know is that you get at least a full stop more bokeh using the same aperture lens. f4 is more like 2.8 on a full frame so you have more creative room to work with blur wise. Another thing that I have learned is that the high iso capabilities of this camera are not only handy in low light but for landscape shooting at higher apertures without a tripod; which is something that I often shoot. I can bump up my aperture to f16 and still easily hand hold shots with no blur in average lighting with a higher iso. I don't see huge differences in sharpness with this camera and lens combination in bright scenes compared to my 40d with the 17-55 lens but the dynamic range is better and the colors are very vibrant and true. The luminosity of the images is also better. Again not huge differences but enough to make that extra difference that makes me feel like the camera is actually capturing how my eye saw it. I often felt with my 40d that the images were almost there but not quite. The auto focus is primitive compared to the 5dMK3 but works extremely well in low light and can pick up focus in very dim scenes near darkness. When I put my 85 1.8 prime on this thing I can literally shoot in the dark hand held with only ambient window light or auto focus on a single star. At 10,000 iso with the same lens I am picking up roughly 10 times the light as my 40d which means I can shoot stars at f1.8 with only a half a second shutter time. Bumping up the iso to 25,000 does start to introduce a bit of noticeable noise but the images are still useable which I find amazing. The biggest lack I constantly found with my 40d was the iso limit and need for more light sensitivity. You can truly shoot indoors with no flash with a 1.8 lens at moderate iso and even with the 24-105 when you bump the iso way up. The wifi is extremely handy to review and post pictures to facebook but it is a bit slow. I use the wifi a lot for previewing my images and it's nice to be able to delete the ones from your camera you don't want right from your phone or tablet, very cool feature. Complaints; no built in flash to control speedlights which does kinda suck. But again, if you want a 5d3 go pay an extra 1,700 bucks. The lens creep is a little annoying but it is an L lens with weather resistance and an o ring where the barrel slides so it won't be a dust pump like the famed 17-55 was on my 40d. Overall the 24-105 is a very nice lens with true L quality build but just be prepared for it to break in a little. The limit of 1/4000 shutter isn't a big issue for me since I've rarely shot speeds higher than this on my 40d nor have ever really needed the 6 frames per second vs. the 4.5 this one shoots. Having a built in flash to control my speedlight would have been very nice but considering there is a wifi and gps unit under the roof is a reasonable trade off as the gps is something I have not yet used but anticipate it being very useful for those remote landscape shoots I will be doing. I have read a lot of complaints about the maximum 180 flash sync speed being a downfall, but lets face it, when you end up using high speed sync the shutter speed are generally above 250 anyway and don't think it's that much of a difference to split hairs over. You have to remember that you are getting the same IQ quality as the much more expensive 5dmk3, maybe even slightly better high iso performance and low light focusing, wifi AND gps. If you usually shoot indy cars or close up touch downs that need that extra fancy, high speed focusing system then money is probably not an issue for you anyway so go get the 5d instead. For a poor guy like myself who is trying to break into the pro field and wants top notch IQ and low light performance this camera is plain awesome for the price. And for those complaining about the 97 percent view in the view finder get real, if anything it helps because if you didn't give yourself quite enough room composing to fit in the top of your kids baseball cap you will have that tiny bit extra when you see it on screen. Bottom line is you get full frame IQ and very high iso capabilities which simple expand the possibilities of what you can shoot. With my 40d shooting an indoor wedding with my 85 1.8 I was still left quite unsatisfied with the blur and grain of the images. With this camera you can shoot the highest quality images with no flash with a prime lens in doors with ambient light. Yeah you will see some faint noise begin to show up at 10,000 iso but not much which is very impressive. I get more noise on my 40d at 800 iso than this on 10,000 At this iso with a large aperture lens you will pick up more light hand held than your eyes can even pick up in very dim scenes. I get very crisp and clean images with accurate and saturated colors shooting my son in a room with no flash and only two 60 watt bulbs illuminating the whole room. I find myself going wow quite often with a big smile on my face when I go back and look at the images I have shot of my son indoors where this camera literally leaves my 40d on the shelf collecting dust. If you're still on the fence ask yourself what you shoot often. If you shoot weddings or your kids birthday party with no flash or landscapes than I would say this thing is a game changer going from a cropped camera, especially in low light. The extra blur you get at the same aperture is also nice as I often find 1.8 on my prime to be almost too narrow to get focused shots all the time from moving people. Bumping it up to 2.8 or so I still get many times more light sensitivity than my 40d considering I can boost the iso as high as 10,000 without hesitation, or even higher if you need it with a little extra grain. Also that little bit extra dynamic range this full frame sensor provides coupled with vivid and true color reproduction just gives the images that extra edge that can make the difference between a good image and a professional looking image. The IQ difference once you go above 800 iso compared to a crop camera begin to become very big and this is where the full frame really comes into its element and shines, quite literally. Full frame opens up a whole new field of low light and hand held high aperture landscape shooting. UPDATE: Another BIG thing I am noticing is how much you can recover dim or bright photos in Bridge or Lightroom. It is amazing to see what looks like a photo lost in darkness or blown in brightness and drag the exposure slider back to make it perfect. There is more than what first meets the eye to the full frame capabilities. Again an area where this camera blows my 40d's doors off.

my update did not post********* I realize now that there is no FEC button on the 6d which is going to be an issue for me because I almost always use a spot metering preflash (star button) over people's face to nail correct exposures using bounce flash, and use the FEC button with the rear wheel to adjust according to skin tones (+1 for white people, -1 for dark skin, etc). While I've been able to make the "set" button on the 6d a FEC button, the FEC amount still shows up on the LCD screen instead of in the viewfinder, so you'll have to take your face away from the camera for a second. I'm sure I can work with this annoyance, but I'm pretty disappointed that canon took this button away from a camera that costs almost $2,000 (while the 7d has it and costs less). I guess they have to make you wish it was a 5d mark iii. Luckily, I still have my 5d ii so I'll probably end up using that more often when I'm using flash. Or maybe it won't be as bad as it seems it's going to be, and everything will be alright. I just wanted to make it apparent that this button is missing, and no matter what you do, you have to change the FEC on the LCD screen, not in the viewfinder. I'm leaving a 5 star rating because I'm still happy with the camera; the image quality is superb. ******************** I will be updating this review over time. I shoot mostly weddings and I have been using two canon 5d mark ii bodies, and just sold one to get this 6d. I have kept the other one, however. I will start by stating the obvious: The canon 5d mark ii is a great camera, even 4 years after it became available. In fact, it was so good when it came out that it still holds up to many of the brand new camera bodies that are out now, in terms of its sensor. I decided to buy this 6d to replace one of the 5d ii's I have after a friend sent me an ISO 6400 raw. At first it didn't seem any better, but it is, a little bit. In fact, it's just enough better than 6400 on the 5d mark ii for me to consider using it without hesitation. I've shot at 6400 with the 5d ii many times at weddings in situations where I didn't have a choice, and while it worked, the photos had to be heavily noise reduced and I only provided them at 2 megapixels to my clients. At 6400 on the 5d ii, there is noticeable color loss and dynamic range loss. You must get the exposure right because you cannot manipulate the file much without getting some intense noise and banding. The 6d file at 6400, however, gives you some room to play. You can correct exposures much more without ruining the photo, it retains better colors, and the noise is just a hair better- that is, in a scene with mostly black. In a brightly lit scene, the 6d's noise is substantially better, about one stop, maybe a little less. In video mode, it's a different story. Iso 12800 on the 6d in video looks like 3200 on the 5d ii, no kidding. I don't know how they did this but it's pretty amazing. I don't do much video work though. The 5d mark ii has a preferable button layout, which has been retained in the 5d iii. The 6d's layout are more rebel like and obnoxious, but I'll get used to it. I miss the joystick, as the directional pad on the 6d requires you to shift your hand, and it's pretty mushy. The 1/4000 shutter speed on the 6d would have been a deal breaker to me if I did not own a 5d ii as well, because using wide aperture primes during the day at 1/4000, is just not going to happen. At f1.4, I am often in 1/8000 territory, and some times I have to drop to iso 50 on top of that if using f1.2. the 1/200 strobe sync on the 5d ii is better than the 1/180 on the 6d, as well, and yes it matters. Build quality wise, there is no comparison. The 5d ii wins hands down. The 6d feels identical to a 60d, in my opinion. I'm careful with my gear so this is not a problem. Now to the AF system: I thought there would be no real improvement here, as it's the same crappy focus diamond canon loves to give to us unless we spend over 3k. Well, I was wrong, it's better, much better. I'm used to having to use the center point all the time and the center point on the 6d (rated tofocus at -3 EV vs -0.5 EV on the mark ii) is amazing. A few test shots outside in the city at night revealed perfect focus every time in almost total darkness. This will definitely be helpful in shooting weddings, since most of them are in caves. some other things to note; the 6d has silent shooting modes while the 5d mark ii can only do them in live view mode. Unfortunately the 5dii sounds like a gunshot during a quiet wedding ceremony, so the 6d will for sure be my main body during ceremonies. It's whisper quiet with silent shooting enabled. Last, the overall sharpness is better on the 6d, but it's not bad on the 5d ii at all. This is to be expected from a sensor that's in a brand new body vs one that's 4 years old. The 6d also does in camera lens correction which is very, very nice. So is it worth the extra price for the 6d over the 5d ii if you're looking for a first time full frame? Or is it worth switching from a 5d ii like I did? Maybe. It depends on what you shoot. If you shoot video, and do so in the dark often, absolutely. The 6d video noise is superior, by about two full stops, but only in the higher ISO range. Lower ISO is identical. If you do mostly studio work and outdoor portraiture: No. Save yourself 500 dollars or so and buy a used 5d mark ii. That money is best used elsewhere. 5d ii has better shutter durability and build quality, which will be more important to you. Lower ISO's look exactly the same as well. If you shoot weddings: Yes. The 6d does a better job in low light, and medium light shooting without flash. ISO 3200 is usable on the 5d ii, and 6400 if you really have to. But I'd go to 6400 and not even worry about it wiht the 6d. The -3 EV center point will be very helpful as well, though not as much as the 5d mark iii's autofocus system that frees you from ever having to focus and recompose again. In summary: if most of your shooting is ISO 3200 and below - save some money and pick up a used 5d mark ii. Canon just had refurbs on sale for $1400. I sold mine, with a canon battery grip, for $1400. You get more for your money. If you really need the slightly better low light performance, get the 6d.

I have a small studio and shoot mostly families. I just finished my third shoot with this camera. I debated over upgrading from the 5D to the comparably priced 5Dii or jumping to the 5Diii. For costs the 5dII is closer to the 6D but image wise, the 5Diii is closer. I decided the cost was the biggest factor and I thought the WiFi function would be fun - it turned out to be the best decision. Build wise, the 6D is much lighter, which is great. Coming from the original 5D model, the image improvements and high ISO is stunning. For the majority of my business my clients probably won't be able to tell a difference up to 11x14's but for the occasional 20x30 prints, I can tell a difference. Plus I can crop like crazy the resolution is so amazing. No need for longer lenses anymore. I am a semi-pro, locally published photog and always get a kick out of the "prosumer", "enthusiast" and "pro" debates. The fact is that the images are only as good as the composition and lighting allows and the camera is just a tool. Don't let folks make you feel bad for choosing this camera over more expensive bodies, the images this produces are amazing. Worry about your light and your glass. Some complain about not having dual card slots. I haven't ever had a body with two card slots except when I briefly shot with a 1Dsii, but it was pretty heavy to lug around for the kind of shoots I do. When I shoot weddings, I use two bodies and capture all scenes with both bodies and after over 30 weddings haven't ever had an issue, and If and when I do, I should have it covered by shooting with two bodies anyway. I am a center point focus kind of shooter and although this doesn't have the phenomenal focusing capabilities as some of the bigger bodies, it is still incredibly good. I shoot with almost exclusively "L" glass and the focus so far has been near immediate and spot on. Luckily all my lens tests have been dead accurate and I haven't had to make any adjustments, which you can do with this camera. The auto ISO and white balance is a huge improvement for me. I shoot in a lot of mixed lighting situations and so far the 6D has performed like a champ. I have already printed off images at 6400 ISO and they are comparable to what I was doing at 400 on the old 5D. My f4 24-105 just became my all purpose lens, finally. I am excited to see how far I can push the ISO and still have marketable images. The WiFi is awesome. I thought it might be a fun gimmick, but now after three shoots, it is transforming my workflow. I am having issues with the remote feature working with Windows8, but am pretty sure it is an issue on my end. However, the WiFi remote on my iPhone and android tablet is a feature that I am thrilled about. The greatest feature is after my shoot, I connect my camera to the tablet and my clients can scroll through the images and rate them on the spot, even while I am still shooting. They love it and I love it. Mommy is over there watching the images as they are taken and by the time I finish shooting, she is ready to order. So far the ONLY thing I wish this camera had was the pc port on the side to connect my camera to my studio lights in the event my wireless trigger fails. I ordered the Vello hotshoe pc port adapter just in case that happens. There are so many upgrades I am discovering, every day I find something new that thrills me. There are probably more features that I won't use than I actually will use. I basically need a good body that takes great images. So far, I couldn't be happier. Oh yeah, I hear this thing also takes great videos. Someday I may have to try that out too. In summary, this is a major upgrade for me. The resolution I get from this body allows me to crop so much, I may not need my f2.8 70-200 IS anymore. The high ISO performance is going to allow me to use my f4 lenses more and take shots I wasn't able to in the past. The WiFi is a great tool that I didn't think I would use professionally, but I can already see it improving my sales. I have nothing bad to say about this camera. And to think I was about to start checking into Nikon...well played Canon, looks like I will still be around as a customer for a great deal longer.

I now have used the camera for the past 2 years. As I mention in my initial review, I wasn't getting good results consistently initially and mostly that was my fault and lack of knowledge. After spending some time educating myself and with now a few thousands pictures later I upgraded the start rating to 5. I see really no fault with this camera anymore, it delivers great images when used on the proper settings. It is billed as an entry level full frame and is priced as such. However, for a serious hobbyist, this is such an outstanding camera. I'm quite happy with this purchase and would definitely recommend it for anyone looking at a fantastic camera and not ready to drop $3K or more. **Initial review** I have never written a review for any product, but I liked this camera enough to take the time to write one. A little background and disclosures, I have had this camera since december 6th 2013, so nearly 2 month in use and nearly a 3000 pictures taken. I come from two prior canon bodies, the XS for 4 years and the T4i for one year. It took me a long time to decide between the Nikon D610, the sony A7 and this one. I finally when with this camera mostly because of my prior lenses and flash I had for my other canons, and I don't claim to compare this one to the two others. I read plenty of reviews comparing all three and for those who are looking for a comparison here you might as well google more professional reviews than mine. The bottom line for me after reading all the reviews was that these were great cameras producing great images, therefore, since I had already accessories, I went with Canon. Concerning my needs and why the need to upgrade from the T4i to this one was low light shooting indoors of my one year old. I was very unsatisfied with the low light capabilities of the T4i and the iso at 1600 looked too noisy for me. Otherwise, it was a great camera that served me well. Now, to the camera. Since I said low light was an issue for me, I took the camera and immediately snapped picture of my living room with no flash. It was dark enough and the auto iso went to 12800. I thought, Ok, it will probably be terrible but let's try. When I looked on my 27" screen at the result I was surprised. The picture was noisy sure but it was comparable to the results I got from my T4i at 1600 iso. So from there I started expecting great things from this camera and therefore I was disappointed rather quickly. I started using the kit lens which is an L lens and theoretically should be very good, but I found my 50 mm 1.4 produced way nicer images indoors. Outdoors, the 24-105 mm produced great images and proves obviously more versatile, I guess it's unfair to compare both these lenses since the 50 mm 1.4 is such a great lens anyways. But, in my mind, I thought an L lens should be way better than a cheap 50 mm that I got on amazon for $290. Now, the wifi and GPS. I have tried using the GPS, and I'm sure it can be helpful, but after I saw it draining my battery in one day while on standby, I just turned it off and decided to turn it on only when needed (like when traveling). The problem with this is that I went to DC took nearly a thousand pictures and forgot that it was off. Therefore, no geotagging for the whole trip (Granted, I can add that info later since I know where the pics were taken, but you get catch my drift). So I don't like how the GPS stays on when your turn off the camera, this really limits battery life. When turned off, my battery lasts for days. The Wifi is arguable more useful, and the iPhone app is quite easy to use. However, I have had problems connecting to it using the camera as a router. It proved a little bit finicky where I would find it in the wireless networks but then it would disappear just when I connected to it. Weird, I'm probably doing something wrong here. Otherwise, when I connect the camera to my home network, My iPhone finds it and takes pictures and everything, no problems. I have not used it much though and I still need to find a smoother way to use it to automatically import my pictures into iPhoto. Currently, when it imports them it puts each picture in a new event, creating mayhem in my library. I have tried the eyefi card before on my T4i and it imported automatically with very little effort on my part and it kept my library well organized. Again, this is software issue but after tinkering with it for a while I couldn't solve that problem so for now I just pop my SD into my IMac, it's faster anyways. Handling The camera is quite large compared to my two previous bodies, so for me I felt this is the heaviest camera I have ever used. So I know how this is advertised as the smallest full frame DSLR in the world, but to me, and many people like me, we won't get to feel this way because we are coming from the opposite direction, from cropped sensors and point and shoot. However, despite it being large (again all is relative in this world) it didn't bother me much even when I have my Speedlite 430 EX II, as long as I don't carry it around my neck for a while. It's heavy enough that I actually carry it on my hand and in my bag most of the time as opposed to the XS or T4i where I could keep them for an hour or two with no problems around my neck. So for people looking at buying a small therefore light to travel camera, you need to realize that it is still a heavy camera, especially with the 24-105 mm attached to it! When I put the 50 mm on, it actually is way lighter and more friendly to my neck, but then you lose on versatility. The buttons, dials, wheel are easy to use and self explanatory. Since I am not a pro photographer, I can't really comment on what's missing and how it affects workflow, for me, it works quite well and is ergonomic enough. Picture quality That's why you get a large sensor right? I was disappointed initially because I didn't get the mind blowing images right off the bat. This is when I realized that this camera needs more knowledge to make a good picture than before. I admit I used the auto modes on my other cameras, and on this one I decided to use it mostly manual and aperture priority. So getting all the settings, exposure, aperture, shutter speed, iso etc, right is very important. When I get them right, I get outstanding pictures. However, I feel that there is a learning curve and obviously this camera can deliver great quality, I just need to work harder to get them from it. Now, the best part about this camera is the low light performance. I now routinely push the ISO to 1600, and I know my images will still be sharp and well exposed. The images are very good up till 10 000 iso, and some say usable at 12800. I have not tried 25600, but I bet they won't be that great. So I am very happy with that part, especially that most of the time I am taking pictures of my kid running around the house where lighting is not that great. Paired with my speedlite 430, I produce great images. (remember to bounce the flash of a wall to avoid the harsh shadows) Autofocus. Lot's of talk about the lack of points. But I came from the T4i, so it was still an upgrade for me. Since I use the camera in aperture priority most of the time, I also use the center point for focus 99% of the time. This works very well for still subjects. However, a one year old is rarely still and this is where my 24-105 mm with a max aperture of 4 fails sometimes miserably. When I pair it with my 50 mm, I get more consistent results of my running kid, but it still takes some effort to do so. I was expecting a little bit more forgiveness from the camera. Apparently I need to work more on getting a faster shutter rate, which means pushing my ISO higher which I don't really like to do even if the results are still outstanding. I have not tried the 5D mark III but now I'm curious. I will probably update this review at a later time when I figured out more of how to get more consistent results from this camera. Since I still feel that I didn't get everything that I wanted (maybe because of my own ignorance of how to use it) I gave it a 4 star review. This might change in the future. The bottom line is this is a great camera than can produce great images, but it needs some serious effort on the photographer's part (which I guess is normal)

I've owned the 5D Mark II and the 7D, so this review is in light of both those experiences. I am a professional, simply meaning I get hired to take photos of people, landscapes, and events and I expect to be paid for that work. :) - surpasses the Mark II and the 7D in image quality, for what I shoot and the way I shoot it. The reduction of noise in low light is fantastic. I also found that my 7D just wasn't reliable when it came to metering. It's so nice to know that what I'm seeing in the live preview is what I'll actually have to work with in editing. I really missed the full frame when I moved from a 5DII to a 7D for video purposes. - highlight alert, when enabled, is helpful to me. I have a tendency to overexpose and that is a big blinking reminder to adjust my settings. - you have to press Q before the keypad function will work (for copyrighting images, naming wi-fi, etc.). I don't remember that from the 7D or the 5DII. - the wi-fi functionality is really cool. It's more difficult to make it work when there is another wi-fi network present, and I really wish I could use it with video. This isn't really functional with anything that moves too quickly, so I don't know why they tout it as a benefit for wildlife photography. It is more useful in situations where you need the camera to be really high or really low, self-portraits and DIY family portraits, or perhaps photographs of your kids playing where you don't want to be in the room distracting them. - it appears that they've tried to make it so the camera only communicates fully with Canon brand batteries. Other batteries work, but you can't view the power level, and if you're using a third party battery it will tell you 'can not communicate with battery' whenever you turn the camera on, which is super annoying. Sometimes I turn the camera on and try to start shooting right away and the shutter won't go because that screen is still up. - video with STM lenses doesn't automatically continuously autofocus (I believe the EOS M is the only body that does that right now). You can still focus with it by hitting the back button but it's not really functional for moving subjects or low-light situations - exposure goes all over the place and it's hella loud. There might be a setting I'm missing for the exposure problem. - joystick missing from the 7D is replaced by a directional pad inside the big wheel around the 'set' button. I prefer it to the joystick. - video modes are expanded to include ALL-I and IPB. I had never heard of these modes before, but as far as I can understand it, ALL-I compression is done in each frame, and it's restricted to that one frame, making it ideal for situations where you'd need to be grabbing stills from your video. With IPB, the frames are more reliant on each other and you might get enhanced detail. I can't see any difference in image quality. - I shoot with a few vintage lenses and it works fantastically. When I used vintage lenses on my 5DII, the mirror would get stuck every once in a while, prompting me to switch to the 7D. The mirror works fine with my vintage lenses despite a shallower body? - no buttons on the left side, takes a bit of getting used to coming from the 7D. - you can change the aspect ratio of what you're shooting. Default is 3:2, but 1:1, 4:3, and 16:9 are also included. 16:9 is great for time-lapses. - autofocus is similar to MKII. I like it simple, but there does seem to be a little problem with hunting for focus in extremely low light conditions. I like to take photos completely in the dark with a flash sometimes, and it's kind of difficult - could be partly a lens choice, too. - there doesn't seem to be a way to turn off live view exposure simulation... not sure if I'm missing something there. Overall, this camera is fantastic and very much worth the money for what I use it for.

24 January 2013 - Update. I downloaded the Wi-Fi app into my IOS devices. It works great. I can put my 6D near ground level and pointing up, preview the composition and take the shot. My wife can review pictures taken before I load them up into my laptop. The only downside to this app is that it drains the battery of my IOS devices quicker than I wish. Original review: Photography is my hobby. I take pictures on weekends, vacation, or business travels for my company. Also, I like to geo-tag my pictures as a way to remind me where the photos were taken. So for me, this camera is great. People's complaints about its 20 MP (vs. 24 MP of some other brand) sound misplaced to me. The consequence of this low pixel count is the low pixel density, which resulted in excellent noise performance in low light / high ISO of the 6D. Since many pictures I took and will take are during business travel for my employer, they are taken mostly at or after sunset, or indoors. This very low-noise at high ISO performance of the 6D is a very big positive for me. The 6D has 11 AF points (vs. some very high count of some other brand). More than enough for hobbyist like me. The lack of a built-in flash is at worst -1/2 star, in my view. I rarely used the pop-up flash since this kind of flash is typically weak. Canon's decision to forgo the built-in flash to make room for the Wi-Fi and GPS circuitry is commendable. Since the performance of the 6D in low-light / high ISO is so good, my need for a pop flash is greatly reduced; I like pictures with a more natural look. Besides, I carry an external flash anyway. As for the sync speed of the flash (1/180 vs 1/200), I struggle to imagine a case that this small difference would affect me. Talking about Wi-Fi. The feature is another big plus, in my opinion. my smartphone or my tablet will act as a cable release. And I can review my pictures on my tablet soon afterward, a much better proposition than viewing them on the display on the back of the camera, without having to wait for a laptop or desktop. The lack of 2nd card slot may be a deficiency of the 6D vs. its competitors. But so far, all my cameras have only one card slot; So I don't find this "deficiency" a big deal. The 97% viewfinder of the 6D (vs. ~100% of other full-frame cameras) is a more significant issue. On rare occasions, I do end up with additional elements at the fringes / edges of my pictures than I anticipated since they didn't show up in my viewfinder. Again, these occurrences are few and far in between. A very nice surprise is the very low noise the mirror of the 6D makes as it flips up. And I didn't even put it in silent mode. Will try this mode (and others) as soon as I can. After all, I only have this camera for 3 days. I took a few pictures of my wife inside our home, under incandescent lights, with ISO set to 25600, and with GPS on. The results were great. The GPS was surprisingly accurate. Sorry guys, I won't post these pictures up. In conclusion, I find the pluses of the 6D far outweigh the perceived deficiencies. I recommend this camera.