Hi Guys,
Thought I would start this topic off as I went out on the 8th of August to shoot the MPT £350m trafford tram development.
Apologies at the beginning that the shoot is not overly exciting. I have a wedding on Friday, I will post some updated thoughts afterward.
Little bit of background. Had my 5DMKIII stolen and was looking for a new camera anyway, I think the 5DMKIV is still a little expensive and didn't want to buy another 5 year old 5DMKIII as I thought it was feeling its age before it got stolen.
I am a wedding event and motorsport photographer primarily but shoot landscape also for companies like United utilities etc on the other hand I travel a lot and my other passion is wildlife and wanted something that could do all but keep in budget. The F8 AF looks great too but yet to test.
I had a lot of things stolen when my house was broken into so replacing other items had taken up quite a lot of my available collateral. (insurance companies are the worst)
The 6DMKII isnt really the ideal camera for me with only one memory card slot, lack of AF selection joystick and AF modes and was an impulse purchase. I wanted something that I can get my work done but not break the bank. This does that, the 5DMKIV is on another level and fantastic but like the 6D isnt 5 years better. I dont think its worth an extra £1000 over this and the 5DMKIII.
What the 6DMKII does offer is all the latest goodies that make the day to day use of the camera a joy - WIFI, tilt screen, bluetooth, viewfinder II, GPS etc. Many of these things are overlooked with how useful they are and my 5DMKIII felt archaic compared to my 7DMKII when I got it 2 years ago and in this respect and the 6DMKII advances even more.
Before I get to the first real paid shoot with the camera I took the camera out on the 7th August (the day I got it) and shot a few images of sunset down the Manchester Canal. I just let the camera do its thing, AV auto ISO. 24-105mm F4 L see what it could do.
Here are a few images 3200, 6400 and 12800 iso
Manchester Canal 6D MKII Test Images by Tom Scott, on Flickr
Manchester Canal 6D MKII Test Images by Tom Scott, on Flickr
Manchester Canal 6D MKII Test Images by Tom Scott, on Flickr
All of these are full resolution so if you click on the image and have a look on Flickr you can zoom to 100% (apologies for the differing apertures I was playing rather than going out to shoot comparisons and the sunset was disappearing quickly.)
I think these results are pretty damn good. The high ISO is excellent and you can see that DR does suffer a little as you get this high to 12800. I feel its is far superior to the 5DMKIII. The difference is the noise pattern is so much nicer and I have only added 5 on the noise selection slider. It responds to noise reduction in a way I have never experienced in a Canon camera.
On another note the camera exposes to the right compared to the 7DMKII 5DMKIII protects the highlights more than the shadows. Highlight recovery isnt as good as the 5DMKIII I generally shot the 5DMKIII the opposite way to most people, I would shoot to protect the shadows rather than the highlights as I found the highlight recovery excellent but the shadow recovery not so... Purple muddy banding in lifted shadow areas and horrible colour noise that took a lot of PP to sort.
The 6DMKII on the other hand the shadows are easy to recover but it does tend to bring more noise, on the positive side there is non of the above and noise reduction really does a fantastic job, a very natural noise pattern.
IMO this sensor feels very similar to the 5DMKIII without the downsides. It does work differently and you have to shoot and PP differently. My MKIII profiles did not do well with the 6DMKII so there is a little bit of a learning curve to get the best out of the sensor with PP.
Once you start working in a slightly different way I think the results are really excellent.
My main complaint with the MKIII was banding and the purple muddy casts. Not really the DR, more the quality of the shadow areas and the 6DMKII has improved here dramatically.
Here are a couple more images
Manchester Canal 6D MKII Test Images by Tom Scott, on Flickr
This image is at ISO 400 and noise has crept into the bottom right but more than usable.
Manchester Canal 6D MKII Test Images by Tom Scott, on Flickr
Again well handled, there is a lot of range there and the image noise is pleasing.
Onto the first proper shoot.
One of my clients is Globus ltd who are global market leaders in PPE producing gloves, glasses, chemical suits, masks and ear defenders with numerous sub brand companies (alpha solway, riley, skytec, showa.)
They recently won a large contract for the £350m Trafford Tram development in Manchester. This development basically extends the tram line past Manchester United all the way down to the Trafford centre and is a huge undertaking.
You can learn more about it here
http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/mpt-wins-350m-contract-to-build-metrolinks-trafford-park-extension
I was asked by Globus to photograph the products in situ with workers for a case study to promote the Riley Eyewear and Showa glove brands. Focusing on the Riley Stream and Sisini revo.
http://www.riley-eyewear.com/safety-glasses/stream
http://www.riley-eyewear.com/safety-glasses/sisini
I took the 6DMKII along and found myself using it primarily. Couple of observations...
- Very sharp images - this camera makes my lenses feel super sharp 70-200mm L F2.8 MKII and 24-70mm L MKI F2.8. Really impressed, images really pop compared to the 5DMKIII and the 7DMKII where they feel softer.
- AF system is a bit hit and miss similar to the 7DMKII. I found that when it hit it really hit but I had some images where nothing in the frame was in focus then it would hit, strange. I have this issue with the 7DMKII and 70D and seems this has the same issue. It wasn't a huge amount but I would say 5% suffered. This is a well documented issue with the 7DMKII 70 and 80D and continues with the 6DMKII. Not that big of a deal.
- AF point spread - the points are too tight for portraiture imo. The 5DMKIII has a better wider spread. I also never had much issue with the 5DMKIII missing like the 7DMKII and the 70D. The 6DMKII seems to be somewhere in the middle.
- Mushy AF selector. I am familiar with this with the 70D. It is bigger and has improved feel on the 6DMKII but its poor IMO. It is not accurate in critical situations. Really dislike it. Thankfully you can use the top and middle rotating dials to change AF point. Takes a bit of getting used to but is much more accurate. The AF joystick is by far the best option and would make the difference between being a back up or primary camera. Just much faster with the joystick.
- Exposure and colour are excellent- classic canon and a joy to view afterward.
- Size and weight - grip is very comfortable probably the most comfortable camera I have used from Canon. Much improved especially the grip. I found that the camera felt a little front heavy with my 24-105 and 24-70 in comparison to the 5DMKIII but the weight saving overall was pleasing when shooting for long periods of time.
- I had no issue with the one card slot never had a card fail in the 15 years ive been working as a pro.
Here are some images
whole album here
https://flic.kr/s/aHsm2csqnW
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
This image the camera evaluated for the sky and was about 1.5 stops under was a mistake on my part but has lifted fine, it is a little noisy under the helmet but you would never know in print so I was pleased with what I could lift.
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
Summary
In practical terms it does everything I need. Expose correctly and the images look excellent and there is a lot of scope to PP.
I paid £1489 for the camera which is why I bought it. Second hand MKIIIs are currently £1400-1800 in the UK with under 30k shutter actuation pre owned. 5DMKIV anywhere from £2500-3000.
Why did I buy it?
I have been working more and more in the studio shooting the above PPE products. IQ doesn't really make much difference with controlled light but the Tilt screen is a god send.
It was cheap and the only aspect I feel dual card slots is a benefit are weddings. It is coming to the end of the season with only 4-5 left to do this year as its only one part of my business tend to limit myself because of time constraints and my love for travel.
I intend to keep the camera and buy a 5DMKIV to start next season that way I can use the 6D for travel and use it as a secondary at the weddings to replace my 7DMKII. Possibly sell the 7DMKII.
I feel this has 90% of the MKIIIs features with the issues of the sensor solved all the modern additions that make the 6DMKII a joy to use day to day. The viewfinder II is such a great addition for me, where I can see all my settings all the time and GPS for travel is excellent.
One other feature that hasn't had much exposure that saves your ass in speedy situations is the ISO linked focal length setting. It sets auto ISO to a shutter speed equal to the focal length. Fantastic when situations change quickly like they do at weddings or if you quickly change lenses and action starts.
This is excellent value for a camera under £1500, I cant complain at all. It should not be a £2000 camera just like the MKIV shouldn't have been a £3500 launch figure.
Very happy with the camera so far. AF is good not great but the 5DMKIII was excellent and this is better just not 5 years better. IQ is good overall and has more than I need in 90% of situations. The sharpness is incredible, low light performance which I use it most 640-6400 - shooting weddings Motorsport and events is in a different league AF performance in low light is also really impressive too.
Similar to the 5DMKII to III the AF is the difference between getting shots and not. Same here with the 6D if you shoot events and weddings focus recompose is not accurate enough with shallow DOF, although the spread is smaller than the 5DMKIII you have more sensitive points where you need them compared to the 6D.
At the end of the day the 6DMKII is what it is. I wasnt blown away with it on paper but in actual use it is excellent and does what you need. Ok the competition has better DR, I never push that far its very rare and it might be one shot that I got wrong where I may need to. 1.5-2 is as far as I go and this has more than enough for that range.
It is not revolutionary and in a few situations isnt as good on paper. What I want to emphasize is the files are easy to work on and you can get amazing results because it PPs so well. Ok it doesn't have 5 stops but in all the images above I haven't pushed more than 1.5 stops even in the image I got wrong and very very rarely do.
If your a 5DMKIII owner the 6D would be an ideal secondary camera with more modern features. I dont think I would replace it. I would have a MKIV over this all day it really is the no compromise camera in the current canon lineup. A 5DMKIII and a 5DMKIV is a wicked combo for all pros but the 6DMKII is better to travel and walk around with.
If your a 6D owner and shoot more than landscape I think its more than a worthwhile upgrade the AF system will dramatically increase your keepers in fast moving situations and aid with many other situations. 6Ds are still like £1000 preowned too so for an extra £500 new your getting a lot of camera.
If you would like to view some RAW images let me know.
Thought I would start this topic off as I went out on the 8th of August to shoot the MPT £350m trafford tram development.
Apologies at the beginning that the shoot is not overly exciting. I have a wedding on Friday, I will post some updated thoughts afterward.
Little bit of background. Had my 5DMKIII stolen and was looking for a new camera anyway, I think the 5DMKIV is still a little expensive and didn't want to buy another 5 year old 5DMKIII as I thought it was feeling its age before it got stolen.
I am a wedding event and motorsport photographer primarily but shoot landscape also for companies like United utilities etc on the other hand I travel a lot and my other passion is wildlife and wanted something that could do all but keep in budget. The F8 AF looks great too but yet to test.
I had a lot of things stolen when my house was broken into so replacing other items had taken up quite a lot of my available collateral. (insurance companies are the worst)
The 6DMKII isnt really the ideal camera for me with only one memory card slot, lack of AF selection joystick and AF modes and was an impulse purchase. I wanted something that I can get my work done but not break the bank. This does that, the 5DMKIV is on another level and fantastic but like the 6D isnt 5 years better. I dont think its worth an extra £1000 over this and the 5DMKIII.
What the 6DMKII does offer is all the latest goodies that make the day to day use of the camera a joy - WIFI, tilt screen, bluetooth, viewfinder II, GPS etc. Many of these things are overlooked with how useful they are and my 5DMKIII felt archaic compared to my 7DMKII when I got it 2 years ago and in this respect and the 6DMKII advances even more.
Before I get to the first real paid shoot with the camera I took the camera out on the 7th August (the day I got it) and shot a few images of sunset down the Manchester Canal. I just let the camera do its thing, AV auto ISO. 24-105mm F4 L see what it could do.
Here are a few images 3200, 6400 and 12800 iso
Manchester Canal 6D MKII Test Images by Tom Scott, on Flickr
Manchester Canal 6D MKII Test Images by Tom Scott, on Flickr
Manchester Canal 6D MKII Test Images by Tom Scott, on Flickr
All of these are full resolution so if you click on the image and have a look on Flickr you can zoom to 100% (apologies for the differing apertures I was playing rather than going out to shoot comparisons and the sunset was disappearing quickly.)
I think these results are pretty damn good. The high ISO is excellent and you can see that DR does suffer a little as you get this high to 12800. I feel its is far superior to the 5DMKIII. The difference is the noise pattern is so much nicer and I have only added 5 on the noise selection slider. It responds to noise reduction in a way I have never experienced in a Canon camera.
On another note the camera exposes to the right compared to the 7DMKII 5DMKIII protects the highlights more than the shadows. Highlight recovery isnt as good as the 5DMKIII I generally shot the 5DMKIII the opposite way to most people, I would shoot to protect the shadows rather than the highlights as I found the highlight recovery excellent but the shadow recovery not so... Purple muddy banding in lifted shadow areas and horrible colour noise that took a lot of PP to sort.
The 6DMKII on the other hand the shadows are easy to recover but it does tend to bring more noise, on the positive side there is non of the above and noise reduction really does a fantastic job, a very natural noise pattern.
IMO this sensor feels very similar to the 5DMKIII without the downsides. It does work differently and you have to shoot and PP differently. My MKIII profiles did not do well with the 6DMKII so there is a little bit of a learning curve to get the best out of the sensor with PP.
Once you start working in a slightly different way I think the results are really excellent.
My main complaint with the MKIII was banding and the purple muddy casts. Not really the DR, more the quality of the shadow areas and the 6DMKII has improved here dramatically.
Here are a couple more images
Manchester Canal 6D MKII Test Images by Tom Scott, on Flickr
This image is at ISO 400 and noise has crept into the bottom right but more than usable.
Manchester Canal 6D MKII Test Images by Tom Scott, on Flickr
Again well handled, there is a lot of range there and the image noise is pleasing.
Onto the first proper shoot.
One of my clients is Globus ltd who are global market leaders in PPE producing gloves, glasses, chemical suits, masks and ear defenders with numerous sub brand companies (alpha solway, riley, skytec, showa.)
They recently won a large contract for the £350m Trafford Tram development in Manchester. This development basically extends the tram line past Manchester United all the way down to the Trafford centre and is a huge undertaking.
You can learn more about it here
http://www.railtechnologymagazine.com/Rail-News/mpt-wins-350m-contract-to-build-metrolinks-trafford-park-extension
I was asked by Globus to photograph the products in situ with workers for a case study to promote the Riley Eyewear and Showa glove brands. Focusing on the Riley Stream and Sisini revo.
http://www.riley-eyewear.com/safety-glasses/stream
http://www.riley-eyewear.com/safety-glasses/sisini
I took the 6DMKII along and found myself using it primarily. Couple of observations...
- Very sharp images - this camera makes my lenses feel super sharp 70-200mm L F2.8 MKII and 24-70mm L MKI F2.8. Really impressed, images really pop compared to the 5DMKIII and the 7DMKII where they feel softer.
- AF system is a bit hit and miss similar to the 7DMKII. I found that when it hit it really hit but I had some images where nothing in the frame was in focus then it would hit, strange. I have this issue with the 7DMKII and 70D and seems this has the same issue. It wasn't a huge amount but I would say 5% suffered. This is a well documented issue with the 7DMKII 70 and 80D and continues with the 6DMKII. Not that big of a deal.
- AF point spread - the points are too tight for portraiture imo. The 5DMKIII has a better wider spread. I also never had much issue with the 5DMKIII missing like the 7DMKII and the 70D. The 6DMKII seems to be somewhere in the middle.
- Mushy AF selector. I am familiar with this with the 70D. It is bigger and has improved feel on the 6DMKII but its poor IMO. It is not accurate in critical situations. Really dislike it. Thankfully you can use the top and middle rotating dials to change AF point. Takes a bit of getting used to but is much more accurate. The AF joystick is by far the best option and would make the difference between being a back up or primary camera. Just much faster with the joystick.
- Exposure and colour are excellent- classic canon and a joy to view afterward.
- Size and weight - grip is very comfortable probably the most comfortable camera I have used from Canon. Much improved especially the grip. I found that the camera felt a little front heavy with my 24-105 and 24-70 in comparison to the 5DMKIII but the weight saving overall was pleasing when shooting for long periods of time.
- I had no issue with the one card slot never had a card fail in the 15 years ive been working as a pro.
Here are some images
whole album here
https://flic.kr/s/aHsm2csqnW
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
This image the camera evaluated for the sky and was about 1.5 stops under was a mistake on my part but has lifted fine, it is a little noisy under the helmet but you would never know in print so I was pleased with what I could lift.
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
MPT Trafford Tram development - Globus Group product Riley Showa Photoshoot by Tom Scott, on Flickr
Summary
In practical terms it does everything I need. Expose correctly and the images look excellent and there is a lot of scope to PP.
I paid £1489 for the camera which is why I bought it. Second hand MKIIIs are currently £1400-1800 in the UK with under 30k shutter actuation pre owned. 5DMKIV anywhere from £2500-3000.
Why did I buy it?
I have been working more and more in the studio shooting the above PPE products. IQ doesn't really make much difference with controlled light but the Tilt screen is a god send.
It was cheap and the only aspect I feel dual card slots is a benefit are weddings. It is coming to the end of the season with only 4-5 left to do this year as its only one part of my business tend to limit myself because of time constraints and my love for travel.
I intend to keep the camera and buy a 5DMKIV to start next season that way I can use the 6D for travel and use it as a secondary at the weddings to replace my 7DMKII. Possibly sell the 7DMKII.
I feel this has 90% of the MKIIIs features with the issues of the sensor solved all the modern additions that make the 6DMKII a joy to use day to day. The viewfinder II is such a great addition for me, where I can see all my settings all the time and GPS for travel is excellent.
One other feature that hasn't had much exposure that saves your ass in speedy situations is the ISO linked focal length setting. It sets auto ISO to a shutter speed equal to the focal length. Fantastic when situations change quickly like they do at weddings or if you quickly change lenses and action starts.
This is excellent value for a camera under £1500, I cant complain at all. It should not be a £2000 camera just like the MKIV shouldn't have been a £3500 launch figure.
Very happy with the camera so far. AF is good not great but the 5DMKIII was excellent and this is better just not 5 years better. IQ is good overall and has more than I need in 90% of situations. The sharpness is incredible, low light performance which I use it most 640-6400 - shooting weddings Motorsport and events is in a different league AF performance in low light is also really impressive too.
Similar to the 5DMKII to III the AF is the difference between getting shots and not. Same here with the 6D if you shoot events and weddings focus recompose is not accurate enough with shallow DOF, although the spread is smaller than the 5DMKIII you have more sensitive points where you need them compared to the 6D.
At the end of the day the 6DMKII is what it is. I wasnt blown away with it on paper but in actual use it is excellent and does what you need. Ok the competition has better DR, I never push that far its very rare and it might be one shot that I got wrong where I may need to. 1.5-2 is as far as I go and this has more than enough for that range.
It is not revolutionary and in a few situations isnt as good on paper. What I want to emphasize is the files are easy to work on and you can get amazing results because it PPs so well. Ok it doesn't have 5 stops but in all the images above I haven't pushed more than 1.5 stops even in the image I got wrong and very very rarely do.
If your a 5DMKIII owner the 6D would be an ideal secondary camera with more modern features. I dont think I would replace it. I would have a MKIV over this all day it really is the no compromise camera in the current canon lineup. A 5DMKIII and a 5DMKIV is a wicked combo for all pros but the 6DMKII is better to travel and walk around with.
If your a 6D owner and shoot more than landscape I think its more than a worthwhile upgrade the AF system will dramatically increase your keepers in fast moving situations and aid with many other situations. 6Ds are still like £1000 preowned too so for an extra £500 new your getting a lot of camera.
If you would like to view some RAW images let me know.