Canon sees D600, raises it by 6D

Priced almost identically to the earlier-announced Nikon D600, Canon's $2,100 full-frame prosumer dSLR reveals a different set of trade-offs. Canon cut back on a lot of the professional-oriented features, but included two big consumer-friendly ones -- built-in Wi-Fi and GPS -- that Nikon still relegates to add-ons. The 6D is also a more new-all-over model compared with the D600, which is primarily based on the D7000.

For nonprofessionals -- and in a few ways for pros -- the 6D's specs compare favorably with the 5D Mark II's, which was likely Canon's intent. Inside there's a new sensor with the same Digic5+ processor and metering system as the 5DM3. It's got a new autofocus system that should be better than the older camera's, and rated to be more sensitive in dim light than any Canon model thus far, but it's still a single centerpoint cross type. The camera is also rated as faster than the 5DM2.

Canon EOS 6D: A smaller, friendlier full-frame camera (pictures)

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The 6D's body is relatively similar to the 5D Mark II/III's and 7D's, about the same size as the 7D, but as with Nikon part of the goal was to create something smaller and lighter than the higher-end pro offerings. Canon managed to chop a little bit off the height by dropping the joystick on the back and integrating navigation into the large control dial and decreased the width of the body by dropping the buttons down the left side of the LCD. I'm guessing part of the height decrease came from a slightly smaller viewfinder (though I don't have size specs as of this writing), since the camera has a disappointing 97 percent coverage -- that's less than the 7D. And some of the weight loss comes from the construction: an aluminum chassis covered by reinforced polycarbonate, though it's as dust- and weather-resistant as the 7D. Canon streamlined the direct-access buttons on the top -- white balance and flash compensation have been dropped and are presumably settable now in the Quick Control screen.

Here is the single-grip-body, full-frame interchangeable-lens field (no room in the chart for the D800. 9/19/12: updated with more complete specs):

Overall (and before any testing), it looks like the 6D's advantages over the 600D include the built-in Wi-Fi and GPS, more dim-light sensitive autofocus, support for time code in movies, and the use of the same advanced movie codecs as the 5DM3. Nikon, on the other hand, has a 100 percent coverage viewfinder, better-rated burst speed, a more weather-friendly build and durable shutter, a headphone jack, dual SD card slots, a slightly larger LCD, and a cheaper kit. Plus, the 600D supports DX lenses and it's shipping now, well in advance of Canon's December availability.

For professionals looking for a second, cheaper body to supplement, neither one of these cameras looks like a great fit. The bodies are too different from the higher-end models to seamlessly jump back and forth between cameras, and Canon's viewfinder will make it even more disconcerting. Plus Canon's dropping of the headphone jack is likely to tick off pro video shooters. But both companies are targeting photographers looking to buy up the line, not down.

Instead, a lot of the potential buyers of either the D600 or the 6D probably don't have a big investment in a particular system -- maybe a couple of APS-C lenses. The fact that Canon's EF-mount can't take EF-S lenses, might be an issue for some Canon devotées, but for the most part, this new segment is up for grabs. It's going to be interesting.