Canon sees D600, raises it by 6D
Canon takes a different approach from Nikon for its budget full-frame body, but the price is the same.
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.
Shop for Canon EOS 6D (Body Only)
See all pricesThe 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):
Canon EOS 5D Mark II | Canon EOS 5D Mark III | Canon EOS 6D | Nikon D600 | Sony Alpha SLT-A99 | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Sensor (effective resolution) | 21.1mp CMOS 4-channel readout 14 bit | 22.3mp CMOS 8-channel readout 14-bit | 20.2mp CMOS 14-bit | 24.3mp CMOS 14-bit | 24.3mp Exmor CMOS 14-bit |
36 mm x 24mm | 36 mm x 24mm | 35.8 x 23.9mm | 35.8 x 24mm | 35.8 x 23.9mm | |
Focal-length multiplier | 1.0x | 1.0x | 1.0x | 1.0x | 1.0x |
Sensitivity range | ISO 50 (exp)/100 - ISO 6400/25600 (exp) | ISO 50 (exp)/100 - ISO 25600/102,400 (exp) | ISO 100 - ISO 25600/ | ISO 50 (exp)/100 - ISO 6400/25600 (exp) | ISO 50 (expanded)/ ISO 100 - ISO 51200/ ISO 102400 (expanded, via multishot NR) |
Continuous shooting | 3.9fps 14 raw/310 JPEG | 6fps 13 raw/65 JPEG | 4.5fps 15 raw | 5.5fps n/a | 6fps 13 raw/14 JPEG |
Viewfinder mag/ effective mag | Optical 100% coverage 0.71x/0.71x | Optical 100% coverage 0.71x/0.71x | Optical 97% coverage 0.71x/0.71x | Optical 100% coverage 0.70x/0.70x | OLED EVF 0.5-inch 2.4 million dots 100% coverage 0.71x/0.71x |
Autofocus | 9-pt AF 1 cross type | 61-pt High Density Reticular AF 21 center diagonal to f5.6 5 center to f2.8 20 outer to f4 | 11-pt AF 1 center cross type | 39-pt 9 cross type | Dual phase 19pt 11 cross type; 102pt focal plane |
AF exposure range | -0.5 - 18 EV | -2 - 20 EV | -3 - 18 EV (center point) 0.5 - 18 EV (other) | -1 - 19 EV | -1 - 18 EV |
Shutter speed | 1/8,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/200 sec x-sync | 1/8,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/200 sec x-sync | 1/4,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/180 sec x-sync | 1/4,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/200 sec x-sync | 1/8,000 to 30 secs; bulb; 1/250 sec x-sync |
Shutter durability | 150,000 cycles | 150,000 cycles | 100,000 cycles | 150,000 cycles | 200,000 cycles |
Metering | 35-zone TTL | 63-area iFCL | 63-area iFCL | 2,016-pixel RGB 3D Color Matrix Metering II | 1,200 zones |
Metering exposure range | 1 - 20 EV | 0 - 20 EV (est) | 0 - 20 EV | 0 - 20 EV | -2 - 17 EV |
Image stabilization | Optical | Optical | Optical | Optical | Sensor shift |
Video | H.264 QuickTime MOV 1080/30p/ 25p/24p; 720/25p/24p | H.264 QuickTime MOV 1080/30p/ 25p/24p; 720/60p/50p | H.264 QuickTime MOV 1080/30p/ 25p/24p; 720/60p/50p | H.264 QuickTime MOV 1080/30p/ 25p/24p; 720/60p/50p/ 25p/24p all at 24, 12Mbps | AVCHD 1080/60p @ 28, 24Mbps, 1080/24p @ 24, 17Mbps, 1080/60i @ 17Mbps; H.264 MPEG-4 1440x1080/30p @ 12Mbps |
Rated estimated max HD video length at best quality | 4GB (approx 12 minutes) | 29m59s | 29m59s | 20 minutes | n/a |
Audio | mono; mic input | mono; mic input; headphone jack | mono; mic input | mono; mic input; headphone jack | Stereo; mic input; headphone jack |
LCD size | 3 inches fixed 920,000 dots | 3.2 inches fixed 1.04 megadot | 3 inches fixed 1.04 megadot | 3.2 inches fixed 921,000 dots | 3 inches articulated 921,600 dots |
Memory slots | 1 x CF (UDMA mode 7) | 1 x CF (UDMA mode 7), 1 x SDXC | 1 x SDXC | 2 x SDXC | 2 x SDXC |
Wireless flash | No | No | No | Yes | No |
Battery life viewfinder/ Live View (CIPA rating) | 850/ n/a shots (1,800mAh) | 950/200 shots (1,800mAh) | 1090/220 shots (1,800mAh) | 900/n/a shots (1,900mAh) | 410/500 shots (1,650mAh) |
Dimensions (inches, WHD) | 6.0 x 4.5 x 3.0 | 6.1 x 4.6 x 3.0 | 5.7 x 4.4 x 2.8 | 5.5 × 4.5 × 3.2 | 5.9 x 4.5 x 3.1 |
Body operating weight (ounces) | 32.9 | 33.5 | 27.2 | 26.8 (est) | 25.9 (est) |
Mfr. price | $2,499 (body only) | $3,499 (body only) | $2,099 (body only) | $2,099.95 (body only) | $2,799.99 (body only) |
n/a | $4,299 (with 24-105mm lens) | $2,899 (with 24-105mm lens) | $2,699 (with 24-85mm lens) | n/a | |
Ship date | November 2008 | March 2012 | December 2012 | September 2012 | October 2012 |
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.