Canon EOS 6D - Smallest and Lightest Full Frame

Product summary

Model name: Canon EOS 6D
Released date: September 17, 2012
Purchase options: Amazon | B&H | Adorama | DigitalRev

Overview

The Canon 6D is a full frame DSLR, the lightest yet offered by Canon and was launched soon after rival Nikon came up with the D600 a full frame small body DSLR. While the EOS 6D may have been launched after the D600 many of the specs that the EOS has are shared from the current darling of the Canon stable, the EOS 5d Mark III.

key features & specs

A newly designed 20.2 megapixels full-frame CMOS sensor
ISO performance from 100-25,600 which can be further upgraded from ISO 50 to 51,200 and 102,400.
11 point AF system with one center cross-type AF point
iCFL metering with 63 zone dual metering system
continuous shooting speed of 4.5 fps
Full HD video recording at 30p, 24p, and 25p along with manual exposure control.
DIGIC 5+ Image processing engine
Built-in Wi-Fi transmitter allows you to share your images instantly with your laptop; tablet or Android / iOS powered Smartphone. EOS remote app is required to be installed on your Smartphone / tablet to use this feature.
Built-in GPS receiver allows recording of the location data about the place where the images have been taken.
3” LCD with a resolution of 1,040,000 dots. LCD with a viewing angle of 160˚

Whats inside?

The Canon EOS 6D DSLR camera is the ideal tool for unlocking your creativity. It features a 20.2 Megapixel Full-Frame CMOS sensor, a ISO range of 100-25600, which is further expandable to L: 50, H1: 51200, and H2: 102400, for incredible low light image quality, and a DIGIC 5+ Image Processor delivers exceptional noise reduction and exceptional data processing speed. With a new 11-point AF system including a high-precision center cross-type AF point with EV -3 sensitivity at the centre allows focusing even in extreme low-light conditions. It can shoot continuously up to 4.5 fps, you are ready to capture fast action and Built-in Wireless and GPS

Feature like Full HD video with manual exposure control, multiple frame rates, and a Full-Frame sensor provides stunning performance and creative flexibility. The built-in Wi-Fi® transmitter allows you to wirelessly transfer your photos instantly to social networking sites through CANON iMAGE GATEWAY, or upload virtually anywhere from your iOS or Android smartphone with the free EOS Remote app. With this free application you can use your smartphone for remote camera control and operation or even print your images on a Wi-Fi® compatible printer.

In addition, it is also perfect for travel and nature photography, the built-in GPS allows location data to be recorded while shooting. Compact, lightweight, low-light performance, and loaded with user friendly features, the EOS 6D is truly the Full-Frame DSLR camera for everyone.

Detailed Features

The 9-point AF system

The older 9-point AF system of Canon’s rebel series and other prosumer model DSLRs has been used in the 6D. In terms of numbers the D600 has more but the 9-point AF system works without issues.

The design ergonomics

Canon’s designing of the 6D is great. For those who have loved the ergonomics of the 5d Mark III you will also love the 6D’s button layout. For those who prefer a one-handed use of their DSLRs (not sure this is something that is absolutely a must) you may not like the fact that the menu button is on the left. For added convenience, however, and just like most professional DSLRs, it is possible to reprogram the set button to mimic the menu button and get out of that small hurdle. For those who prefer it on the left the button layout is just fine.

Higher ISO performance

The 6D has an impressive performance at higher ISOs, when the lighting conditions are really tricky. The performance is near comparable to the 5d Mark III.

Full-Frame 1080p Full HD Video

Videographers, student filmmakers, and creative independent spirits will appreciate the full-frame video capabilities of the EOS 6D in an affordable and compact body. Borrowing from the best of the EOS 5D-series, the EOS 6D provides full manual control over exposure and audio levels while recording video. The camera features NTSC and PAL video modes at multiple frame rates, recording 1080p at 30 (29.97), 24 (23.976) and 25 fps, 720p at 60 (59.94) and 50 fps and standard video at 30 (29.97) and 25 fps. The camera provides up to 29 minutes and 59 seconds of continuous recording (with 4GB automatic file partitioning) in selectable All i-frameⁱ or IPB compressions with embedded timecode. Especially when used with large aperture lenses, the EOS 6D camera’s full-frame sensor offers a tremendous degree of creative control over depth-of-field, helping users to achieve pro-quality cinematic effects in Full HD video recordings.

EOS Remote

Built-in Wireless and GPS

For the ultimate in DSLR connectivity and control, the EOS 6D features a built-in wireless transmitter which allows the camera to share images and video with the user’s choice of wireless devices such as select PowerShot cameras, smartphones, or tablets, as well as cloud-based destinations including social networking sites through the Canon iMAGE GATEWAY^{ii iii}. A very intuitive and useful wireless feature is the new, free Canon EOS Remote app available for iOS and Android systems which will allow a smartphone or wireless device such as a tablet to remotely connect, control and operate the connected EOS 6D^iv. This seamless connection and control will open new opportunities for professional photographers shooting weddings or remote wildlife, without the need for tethered operation or accessories.

The good

The 6D is much better when it comes to auto-focusing in low light conditions compared to its nearest rival the D600. Plus it seems to be it is almost everything that the 5d Mark III can do while being a good $1500 cheaper.

The silent mode of the 6D is much better than its rival the Nikon D600 and almost comparable to the 5d Mark III. The 5d Mark III has arguably the best silent mode in the business but the 6D is up there with it.

Weather-sealing has been provided in the 6D, but much like the 5d Mark III and the rival D600, this camera is definitely not what you would want to carry if you’re heading straight for a tropical storm. You would like to carry one of Sony’s models or the Canon flagship 1DX.

The Bad

The 6D does not have continuous AF in movie mode.

There are only 11 AF points and only one cross-type AF points. The rival D600 has a total of 39 AF points to boot 9 of which are cross-type. Thus the D600 scores heavily over the 6D.

The 3” LCD screen is slightly smaller than the 3.2” LCD screen of the D600 but the resolution is much brighter than the Nikon model. The viewfinder coverage is only 97%. This is something that a professional photographer will not enjoy. The rival D600 has a 100% viewfinder coverage and even the top-level prosumer DSLR from Nikon the D7000 also has that. Additionally the 6D has only one SD card slot while the rival D600 has two. The only good thing about the 6D appears to be it is a lighter camera and has most of the features of the top-level prosumer from the same make the 5d Mark III at a price that is much much less.

Auto White Balance (AWB) is one area of the 6D that is not satisfactory. The camera does not correct the temperature of the light source as desired and pictures taken under different light sources or when taken in shade can have unusual color casts.

The continuous shooting speed is only 4.5 fps. While this is not something that is ideal for shooting sports or action photographs it is respectable. The 5d Mark III has a much better 6 fps.

Similar Products

This discussion has already, liberally, drawn comparisons between the Nikon D600, the Canon 5d Mark III and the Canon EOS 7D. Together with the EOS 6D, all these four are great cameras and what you end up buying is entirely personal. The 7D in spite of being a great camera has an APS-C sensor. If we drop it on that basis t6hen among the remaining three the D600 and the EOS 6D are priced at par. If we come down to features the D600 is a great camera too and has its own reasons to buy.

Should I buy it?

This 6D is for those who are looking for the performance of a EOS 5d Mark III but do not have anywhere near the required budget. The camera offers almost all of the features of the pricier model and yet costs nearly half of it. Plus it inherits the built-in GPS and Wi-Fi transmitter from the cheaper compact models which should make you happy when you’re traveling. Needless to say you can now tag locational data for your images as well share them in instant via your Android / iOS phone. If you’re however looking for more megapixels, the fancy 39-point auto-focusing system, twin memory card slots etc then the D600 is a better buy. Available at Amazon | B&H | Adorama | DigitalRev

Sample Images by EOS 6D on Flickr

Canon EOS 6D Specifications

Type	Digital AF/AE single-lens reflex camera
Recording Media	SD card, SDHC card, SDXC memory card * Compatible with Ultra High Speed (UHS-I) memory cards.
Image Sensor Size	35.8mm x 23.9mm (Full-Frame)
Compatible Lenses	Canon EF lenses (except EF-S and EF-M lenses)
Lens Mount	Canon EF mount
Image Sensor Type	CMOS Sensor
Pixels	Effective pixels: Approx. 20.2 megapixels
Total Pixels	Total pixels: Approx. 20.6 megapixels
Aspect Ratio	3:2 (Horizontal: Vertical)
Pixel Unit	6.55 um square
Aspect Ratio	3:2 (Horizontal: Vertical)
Color Filter System	RGB primary color filters
Low-pass Filter	Fixed position in front of the CMOS sensor
Dust Deletion feature	Self Cleaning Sensor Unit Dust Delete Data acquisition and appending Manual cleaning
Recording Format	Complies with Design rule for Camera File system 2.0 and EXIF 2.30
Image Type	Still: JPEG, RAW (14-bit, Canon original), RAW+JPEG Video: MOV (Image data: H.264, Audio: Linear PCM)
RAW + JPEG Simultaneous Recording	Yes Large RAW and JPEG images are recorded simultaneously
Size	Large: Approx. 20.0 megapixels (5,472 x 3,648) Medium: Approx. 8.9 megapixels (3,648 x 2,432) Small 1: Approx. 5.0 megapixels (2,736 x 1,824) Small 2: Approx. 2.5 megapixels (1920 x 1280) Small 3: Approx. 350,000 pixels (720 x 480) RAW: Approx. 20.0 megapixels (5,472 x 3,648) M RAW: Approx. 11.0 megapixels (4,104 x 2,736) S RAW: Approx. 5.0 megapixels (2,736 x 1,824)
File Numbering	Consecutive numbering, auto reset, manual reset
Color Space	sRGB, Adobe RGB
Picture Style	Auto, Standard, Portrait, Landscape, Neutral, Faithful, Monochrome, User Defined 1-3
Backup Recording	Not Availabled
White Balance Settings	Auto, Preset (Daylight, Shade, Cloudy, Tungsten Light, White Fluorescent Light, Flash), Custom (Approx. 2,000° – 10,000°K), Color Temperature (Approx. 2,500° – 10,000°K), White Balance Correction, and White Balance Bracketing
Auto White Balance	Auto white balance with the image sensor
Color Temperature Compensation	Blue/amber bias: ±9 levels Magenta/green bias: ±9 levels * Correction based on the current WB mode’s color temperature
Color Temperature Info Transmission	Provided
Viewfinder Type	Eye-level SLR (with fixed pentaprism)
Viewfinder Coverage	Vertical/Horizontal approx. 97%
Viewfinder Magnification / Angle	Approx. 0.71x / 33.3 Degree
Viewfinder Eyepoint	Approx. 21mm (from eyepiece lens center)
Built-in Dioptric Adjustment	-3.0 to +1.0m-1 (diopter)
Focusing Screen	Eg-A II provided. Interchangeable with Eg-D and Eg-S. Incompatible with Eg-A.
Viewfinder Mirror	Quick-return half mirror (transmission: reflection ratio of 40:60)
Viewfinder Information	AF information:AF points and focus confirmation Exposure information: Shutter speed, aperture, ISO speed (always displayed), AE lock, exposure level, exposure warning Flash information:Flash ready, flash exposure compensation, high-speed sync, FE lock Image information:Highlight tone priority (D+), maximum burst (2-digit display), card information Battery check Composition information: Electronic level Warning Symbol
Depth-of-Field Preview	Enabled with depth-of-field preview button
AF Points	11 pointsall cross-type AF (f/2.8 at center: Dual Cross Sensor) Center: cross-type at f/5.6; vertical line-sensitive at f/2.8. Upper and lower AF points: vertical line-sensitive AF at f/5.6. Other AF points: Horizontal line-sensitive AF at f/5.6.
AF Working Range	Center AF Point: EV -3 to 18 (at 73°F/23°C, ISO 100) Other AF points: EV +0.5 to 18 (at 73°F/23°C, ISO 100)
Focusing Modes	Autofocus: One-Shot AF – AI Servo AF – AI Focus AF Manual focus
AF Point Selection	Automatic selection Manual selection
Selected AF Point Display	Displayed or indicated by superimposed display in the viewfinder and on the LCD monitor.
AF-assist Beam	Enable Disable IR AF-assist beam only
Metering Modes	Max. aperture TTL metering with 63-zone SPC with the following selectable modes: 1) Evaluative metering 2) Partial metering (center: approx. 8% of viewfinder) 3) Spot metering (center: approx. 3.5% of viewfinder) 4) Center-weighted average metering
Metering Range	EV 1-20 (at 73°F/23°C with EF50mm f/1.4 USM lens, ISO 100)
Exposure Control	Creative Zone Program AE (Shiftable), Shutter-priority AE, Aperture-priority AE, Manual exposure, Bulb, Custom shooting mode, Basic zone Scene Intelligent Auto (Program AE / non-shiftable), Creative Auto Special Scene Portrait, Landscape, Close-up, Sports, Night Portrait, Handheld Night Scene, HDR Backlight Control mode
ISO Speed (Recommended Exposure Index)	Auto and Manual setting range of ISO 100-25600 (expansion possible to ISO 50, ISO 51200 and 102400) in 1/3-stop or whole-stop increments)
Exposure Compensation	Manual: ±5 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments AEB : ±3 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
AE Lock	Yes
Shutter Type	Vertical-travel, mechanical, focal-plane shutter with all speeds electronically-controlled
Shutter Speeds	1/4000 to 30 sec., X-sync at 1/180 sec. (Total shutter speed range. Available range varies by shooting mode.)
Shutter Release	Soft-touch electromagnetic release
Shutter Lag Time	(1) During SW-1 ON, time lag between SW-2 ON and start of exposure: approx. 0.060 sec. (2) Time lag between simultaneous SW-1/SW-2 ON and start of exposure: Approx. 0.144 sec. * Time lag with the aperture stopped down by 3.5 stops or less (Excludes AF operation time).
Self-timer	10-sec. or 2-sec. delay
Compatible Speedlites	EX-series Speedlites
Flash Metering	E-TTL II autoflash (evaluative flash metering and average flash metering)
Flash Exposure Compensation	±2 stops in 1/3- or 1/2-stop increments
External Speedlite Control	Provided * Compatible with radio wireless flash photography.
FE Lock	Provided
Drive Modes	(1) Single shooting (2) Continuous shooting (3) Silent single shooting (4) Silent continuous shooting (5) 10-sec. self-timer/Remote control (6) 2-sec. self-timer
Continuous Shooting Speed	Continuous shooting: Max. approx. 4.5 fps Silent continuous shooting: Max. approx. 3.0 fps
Maximum Burst	Based on 8GB memory Card: JPEG Large/Fine: Approx. 73 Shots RAW: Approx. 14 Shots RAW+JPEG Large/Fine: 7 Shots Based on 8GB UHS-I memory card: JPEG Large/Fine: Approx. 1250 Shots RAW: Approx. 17 Shots RAW + JPEG Large/Fine: 8 Shots
Focusing	(1) Autofocus 1. FlexiZone – Single * One-point, contrast AF. Switching to another AF point is possible. 2. Face Detection Live mode * Face detection, contrast AF. Face is selectable. 2. Face Detection Live mode * Face detection, contrast AF. Face is selectable. 3. Quick Mode AF * Phase-difference AF with 11 AF points. (2) Manual Focus 1. Magnify the image by 5x or 10x and focus manually.
Metering Modes	Real-time evaluative metering with image sensor. (1) Evaluative metering (315 zones) (2) Partial metering (approx. 11% of Live View screen) (3) Spot metering (approx. 3% of Live View screen) (4) Center-weighted average metering
Metering Range	EV 1-20 (at 73°F/23°C with EF 50mm f/1.4 USM lens, ISO 100)
Grid Display	Provided (Two-type grid displays)
Exposure Simulation	Provided
Silent Shooting	Provided (Mode 1 and 2)
Video File Format	MOV (Image data: MPEG-4 AVC / H.264) Audio: Linear PCM (Stereo)
Video Frame Rates	1920 x 1080 (Full HD): 30p (29.97) / 24p (23.976) / 25p 1280 x 720 (HD): 60p (59.94) / 50p 640 x 480 (SD): 30p (29.97) / 25p
Video ISO Range	Auto ISO range: ISO 100-12800 Manual ISO range: ISO 100-12800 in 1/3- or whole-stop increments (expandable to H: ISO 16000/20000/25600) * If highlight tone priority is set, automatically set within ISO 200 or higher.
Video Shooting Time	Based on 8GB Memory card [1920 x 1080] 30 fps/25 fps/24 fps: 32 min. with IPB compression 11 min. with All-I compression [1280 x 720] 60 fps/50 fps: 37 min. with IPB compression 12 min. with All-I compression [640 x 480] 30 fps/25 fps: 97 min. with IPB or All-I compression
LCD Monitor Type	TFT color, liquid-crystal monitor
Monitor Size	3.0-inches (Screen aspect ratio of 3:2) 7.7cm diagonal (6.37cm wide, 4.25cm high)
Monitor Dots	Approx: 1,040,000 dots
Monitor Coverage	Approx. 100%
Brightness Adjustment	Manually adjustable to one of 7 levels
Interface Languages	25 (English, German, French, Dutch, Danish, Portuguese, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Spanish, Greek, Russian, Polish, Czech, Hungarian, Romanian,Ukraine, Turkish, Arabic, Thai, Simplified/Traditional Chinese, Korean, Japanese)
Image Playback Display Format	Single image display Two types of single-image full display, two types of shooting information Index display o 4-image index and 9-image index Jump display Jump 1/10/100 images, Shooting Date, Folder, Movies, Stills, or Rating
Highlight Alert	With single-image display (Info.) and single-image display, overexposed highlight areas will blink.
Histogram	Brightness and RGB can be displayed.
USB Terminal	For personal computer communication and direct printing (USB 2.0 Hi-Speed)
Audio/Video (Out) Terminal	Audio/Video (Out) Terminal (1) AV stereo OUT terminal: NTSC/PAL selectable (2) mini-HDMI OUT terminal (Type C)
Remote Control Terminal	N3-type terminal
Battery	One Battery Pack LP-E6 With the AC Adapter Kit ACK-E6, AC power is possible. With Battery Grip BG-E13, two battery packs (LP-E6) can be used. Or six AA-sized/LR6 batteries can be used
Dimensions (W x H x D)	Approx. 5.7 x 4.4 x 2.8 in./ 144.5 x 110.5 x 71.2mm
Weight	Approx. 26.7 oz. / 755g (CIPA standard) Approx. 24.0 oz. / 680g (Body only)