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I'm thinking about getting a new dslr these days. I'm (still) a hobby photographer with high ambitions. Most of the time I take my camera (50D) on my travels all over the world and use it mainly for Portrait/Landscape pictures during the day and also at night.

Now I'm not sure which camera I should get - I really like the included GPS/WiFi of the 6D, but I don't know if i'll use it a lot though. On the other hand I don't want to have that feeling that I could have had more with the 5DIII... (the prize doesn't matter)

Could you please help me with my decision?

Update The main reasons why I want to upgrade are the following

  • print some pictures on large canvas
  • better quality of low light pictures
  • shoot short videos

Thanks! Hannes

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    \$\begingroup\$ thank you @damnedtruths i added my criterias in my question \$\endgroup\$
    – Hannes
    Commented May 28, 2013 at 12:53
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    \$\begingroup\$ I still think this could generalize a bit more, to be honest, to make it more useful long term. Both Canon and Nikon offer a consumer oriented FF and a more professional FF that are close in price (5D mkIII/6D and D800/D600) and reasons for selecting between the two would be quite similar. \$\endgroup\$
    – Joanne C
    Commented May 28, 2013 at 13:05
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    \$\begingroup\$ Your update really shows no real reason why to upgrade. The 50D can already shoot video(install magic lantern), it can print very large, and does well in low light(although the two you are looking at buying could be potentially a stop better). I wouldn't upgrade if I were you - unless you have clear reasons for doing so. \$\endgroup\$
    – dpollitt
    Commented May 28, 2013 at 13:33
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    \$\begingroup\$ I own both a 5DII and a 50D. I can shoot with the 5DII at a little over one stop higher ISO than the 50D and get about the same performance in low light. The 5DIII is about 1 stop better than the 5DII based on most reviews (and examples) I've seen. So the 5DIII would be a little over 2 stops better in low light. That's quite a jump! The same shutter speed at f/2.8 on the 5DIII would need f/1 on the 50D to get comparable noise! \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Commented May 28, 2013 at 16:39
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    \$\begingroup\$ This review discusses the differences between the 6D and the 5DIII at the end of the review. There's even a chart that compares the specs of the 5DII, 6D, and 5DIII. the-digital-picture.com/Reviews/… \$\endgroup\$
    – Michael C
    Commented May 28, 2013 at 16:46

3 Answers 3

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If money's no object then the 5D mkIII is the better camera in almost all areas (viewfinder, resolution, autofocus, shooting speed, card slots, sync speed, weather sealing, video). Canon make a GP-E2 GPS logger and WFT-E7 wifi grip for the 5D mkIII if you need this functionality.

Reasons to go with the 6D would be mostly due to weight (of both the camera body, and accessories required for additional functionality, eg. GPS/WIFI).

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The AF system alone would make me choose the 5D III over the 6D. (And yes, I did!).. My experiences of the 5D III have been nothing but great. And now I can also attest to the build quality of the 5D III as I dropped it out of a bus onto solid concrete (...don't ask!...) and somehow it is still working perfectly with only minor scratches on the body!! Kudos to Canon for their build quality!!!

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    \$\begingroup\$ Wow, you had to feel nauseous watching it fall! \$\endgroup\$ Commented May 28, 2013 at 12:45
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    \$\begingroup\$ @WesHardaker I feel nauseous just reading that! \$\endgroup\$
    – user6189
    Commented May 28, 2013 at 13:28
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    \$\begingroup\$ I'm telling you -- I felt sick for the rest of the day!! \$\endgroup\$
    – Mike
    Commented May 29, 2013 at 8:58
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I would also recommend the 5D for your situation for both the low light performance and video performance. AF performance and durability improvements are also significant. The 3 extra megapixels don't hurt either and for the really adventurous, Magic Lantern is showing promise of 24FPS RAW video on the 5Dm3. Disclaimer, I am a 5D Mark iii owner.

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