Canon 6D good for video?

MileCreations

MileCreations

Ok first up I need to say that it is important to me that I can take photographs and film with the same device. I don't have enough money to have one dedicated photography camera and one dedicated film camera.

Secondly I'm pretty happy with Canon and whatever I purchase will 95% chance be a Canon. As you might know I currently use a 600D (t3i) however due to the shared nature of the camera in my household, and the fact that I am moving out of home next year, I need to purchase my own. I know for sure I'm not getting anything at the baseline (600D) with it being a minimum of a 60D. I also already own Canon lenses..

So 5D M3 is always labelled in budget short films, but for what I see in the 6D it offers all I need but I haven't seen many people flaunting around that they use a 6D for video. Obviously its a newer camera, and perhaps 6D buyers are the type less likely to advertise that they have a little bit of money.

I also want it to last quite a few years which is why I intend on spending a little bit more (but I don't think the differences with the 5D M3 warrant enough more ...6D is at least $500 cheaper WITH an L-series lens)

I do have a friend who uses a 6D for photography which I intend on attempting to borrow for a trial.

So... Is the 6D a good one for film makers?

I'm aware this post is kind of all over the place but I hope you understand what I'm trying to decide...
 
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IndiePaul said:
Just bear in mind that the 6D has a full frame sensor whereas the 600D is cropped.
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This is the main reason to go with a 6D/5D versus a canon or any other brand crop sensor camera. Until you've shot with a full frame sensor you don't know what you're missing. The difference is pretty huge, and totally worth it.
 
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Would you guys recommend thisCanon 6D Set to shoot BTS and Artistic Commentary videos?

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/bnh/controller/home?O=&sku=892354&Q=&is=REG&A=details

I need to have my own camera besides my DP having his own for shooting the actual production footage. Two of my crew guys shot our last artistic commentary with my Canon HV30. And, the footage was not well received here. So, I want to invest in a better camera for our BTS and artistic commentary footage for the future.
 
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Modern Day Myth Prod. LLC said:
Would you guys recommend thisCanon 6D Set to shoot BTS and Artistic Commentary videos?
Click to expand...
I use a 6D and can 100% recommend one. For BTS and Artistic Commentary videos? Sure.

In relation to the B&H package in the link you posted... Just not sure about the lens: Canon 24-105mm f/4.0L IS USM AF Lens... I would prefer a faster lens.

I use the Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS as my primary lens.

It's not cheap ($824) but for me very much worth it.

Sigma 24-70mm f/2.8 IF EX DG HSM Autofocus Lens for Canon EOS
http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/596257-REG/Sigma_571101_24_70mm_f_2_8_IF_EX.html

The Sigma will be able to shoot in lower light (f/2.8) but has less focal length (max 70mm vs 105mm). It also does not have image stabilization. The image is excellent.

If you don't need low light ability, the Canon 24-105mm f/4.0L may be good for you. Just check out some reviews of it, ensure it's a good lens. Some say it is too soft until F8.

Eg:

However, it simply doesn't function well for my environment when I'm working a show. The low-light performance just isn't sharp, and there's no getting around that.
Click to expand...

http://www.bhphotovideo.com/c/product/397662-USA/Canon_0344B002AA_24_105mm_f_4L_IS_USM.html

.
 
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That's a tough decision. Maybe it comes down to which is your priority, still photography or videography, and to money.

Like PaulGriffith, I'm partial to FF. A lot of people are. On the other hand, a lot of people, I guess, say FF's benefits are illusory, and say that smaller and mirrorless cameras are the future. Maybe.

I haven't had the chance to handle or use a 6D yet, not in any meaningful way, anyway. Mabye at Best Buy (big box electronics store). I do have a 5DII and love it. I take it that the 6D is more advanced and lighter. The 5DIII is the camera to get among those Canons, but probably only if money is no problem for you.

I never used a T3i, so I don't know how they compare in practice. With the 5D, and no doubt with the 6D or 70D(?), compared to lesser cameras, I love the easy control they give you. It's so easy to change shooting modes with the dials they have. How is that with the T3i?

I love the bigger, brighter view finders of the FF cameras. It's more like shooting with 35mm film cameras, which is wonderful. Of course having a bigger viewfinder doesn't necessarly mean you'll take better photos. But where it counts is in comfort and ergonomics, in my opinion, which make taking photos more of a pleasurable experience...for me at least. It would be great if you could borrow your friend's 6D, spend a little time with it, and see how it is for you.

Looking at B&H, though I guess you wouldn't be buying from them, it looks like you'd save something like 700 USD by going with the 70D instead of the 6D. And since the 70D is newer, it sounds like it's more advanced. Maybe it has some advantages in video, too?

As much as I love the 5DII, for casual photography it can be a bear to lug around, with a lens attached, anyway. (Boy, I can only imagine how much more of a bear the 1DX would be to lug around. But believe me, I'd be more than happy to "suffer" lugging it around, if I could!) But the 6D is something like 5 ounces lighter than the 5DII, so hopefully that would help. (I see the 5DIII is just slightly heavier than the II.) On the other hand, it can be rather satisfying to handle a camera that feels a little more substantial.

GH and pocket camera enthusiasts, some right here on IT and others around the internet do sing the praises of those cameras' still capabilities. So, maybe, who needs a Canon (or a Nikon or a Sony) FF camera? Or an APS-C or a DX camera, for that matter?

And then there's the fact that you're a filmmaker, for Heaven's sake. =) If that side of the camera is more important to you, you might want to move away from Canon. Not everyone (not folks like Zensteve, Knightly, and others...), but it seems like a lot, if not most, folks on IT and elsewhere are really down on Canon video these days. The GH3 and Black Magic cameras (particularly the pocket) seem to be where it's happenin' for low budget filmmakers. The bit rates, the codecs, the dynamic ranges, the lack of clip limits, ...

So if you get something like a 6D, though you might love it for your still photography, how much, if any, will you regret not having those better qualities for video? Will you regret being stuck, for the time being, anyway, with a DSLR's limitations for video compared to those more video-oriented cameras? Would Magic Lantern compensate for that? Are you one who's willing to risk ML? But, anyway, looks like at present, a ML for the 6D is still in beta. Or vice versa, will you find yourself too unhappy with those smaller cameras for stills shooting? Or will you love them for that too?

I don't envy you having to make your decision. If only we all had enough money to just buy multiple cameras for all our varied purposes, right? =P

Sorry for a long, rambling post. But most of all, remember: I know nothing.
 
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