iJourneys

John Gough Photography

Canon Full Frame Mirrorless Cameras

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Canon EOS 6D Mark II

 

Sony lead in full frame mirrorless cameras. The Sony a7iii has been continually out of stock since the launch in March. However, there are a bunch of Nikon and Canon DSLR users who would like to make the switch to mirrorless but have so much invested in lenses, that they worry that the switch will be expensive and cumbersome.  As a result, they are clinging to their cameras in the hope that mirrorless full frame offerings from these manufacturers will come soon.

For Canon users, the wait was going to be until next year, but the latest rumours put release before the end of 2018. Perhaps even at Photokina before the end of September. So what do we know about Canon Full Frame Mirrorless cameras so far:

Canon are Committed to Full Frame Mirrorless

Canon are serious about this market because their traditional DSLR camera sales are bombing. Although the company is well diversified, changeable lens cameras are still an important segment, because they drive the sale of very profitable lenses. CEO Fujio Mitarai has said that Canon is committed and will “go on the offensive” to take a bigger share of the mirrorless market.

What about Canon EF Lenses

There is a question mark regarding how existing Canon DSLR lenses with an EF mount, will fit a full frame mirrorless Canon camera. The biggest challenge is flange distance, which may mean an adapter. When Canon launched the M range of APS-C mirrorless cameras they did offer an adapter for EF lenses. This may well be the direction of travel for full frame. Otherwise, the camera will have a relatively thick body compared to Sony.

What are the Rumours about Canon Full Frame Mirrorless Cameras

It looks like there are two cameras in the pipeline according to Canon Rumors.  One a ‘flagship’ version which will mimic the 5D Mkiii with a 30.4mp sensor. The other is a 24mp version which may be based on the 6D2 sensor. However, considering the stick that this sensor received at launch, it will have to be seriously modified. Launching two cameras is both a good thing and worrying at the same time. One of the big criticisms of Canon in the past has been that they have tried to differentiate their products by ensuring that the more expensive cameras have key features which are omitted from less expensive siblings e.g. the 5Diii has 4k but the 6D2 does not. Users feel short changed by this kind of strategy.

Canon Work to Get it Right

When the M series of mirrorless cameras was launched in 2012 they received a lot of criticism. Sony is the elephant in the room now. Their FF mirrorless cameras are now so advanced and popular, that if Canon go just for catchup it will be a big disappointment. Word is that  Canon has turned to their professional community, Explorers of Light to ensure they get it right.

Summary

This is make or break for Canon, therefore they have to get potential customers onside. I would hope that they engage with users prior to the launch. Watch this space.

 

Where I Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex because I have genuinely found that they offer great advice and customer service.

 

Sony A7 III with Canon Lenses

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Sony A7 III

Sigma MC II Mount Canon Lens to Sony E Mount

Following on from our review of the new Sony A7 III vs the Canon 6D II, it is so apparent that the Sony A7 III is a far more featured camera for the same original retail price as the Canon. So why if you had the choice would you go for the Canon instead?

One good reason is that the 6D II price is now falling faster than a Sumo’s jock strap. In the UK it can be bought at Wex for £1728 less £100 when using a Canon voucher. On the grey market, it is around £1169. In our review, we thought that was great value even for a flawed camera.

Another reason for sticking with Canon may be that you are not yet happy about moving to mirrorless.

  • Mirrorless or CSC cameras are lighter and smaller and so much easier to travel with. However, when you add big glass, that can add a lot of weight and reduce the advantage.
  • Electronic viewfinders on CSC cameras give a better representation of the final image, but it does not have that real optical look of a pentaprism.
  • CSC’s have no mirror to throw about so continuous shooting is way faster. If that is an important consideration? For many photographers 6.5 frames / second is sufficient.
  • With all that electronic wizardry CSC’s drain their batteries fast.

Major Reason for not Switching is Investment in Lenses

Probably the major reason for not switching to Sony is investment in Canon lenses. Yes, you could sell and buy Sony, but that is going to leave you further out of pocket, and the financial advantages switch back to Canon. So how about using Canon lenses on your new Sony camera. Sony has for a long time been an open platform when it comes to lenses. Many photographers use vintage lenses on Sony cameras to good effect.

This video is from Jason Lanier, who seems to have way too many lenses, but uses his largesse to good effect by demonstrating that his Canon lenses work fine with a Sony A7 III. The speed of autofocus is amazing.

The adapter being used is the Sigma MC II adapter which you can buy at Wex or Amazon

 

Being able to use Canon lenses on Sony cameras like the Sony A7 III, just seems like such common sense. Use the lenses you have and love, with a camera that in technology terms is light years ahead of what Canon is likely to offer in this segment of the market for a long time. Even then Sony may well have jumped ahead again with the Sony A7 IV!

 

Where I Buy

I buy my gear from Wex because I have experienced their amazing customer service.

 

 

 

Sony a7 III vs Canon 6D Mark II

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Sony a7 III

Sony has just announced the Sony a7 III. It is a mirrorless full frame camera aimed at the enthusiast, filling the same spot on the dial, and price point as the Canon 6D Mk II. What many reviewers said about the 6D2 when it launched a few months ago, was that it was a missed opportunity. Built down to a price and purposely excluding features available on their more professional cameras like the Canon 5D Mk III. Sony has however embraced the new technology they have available and made it available at this price point. Is the Sony a7 III the camera Canon should have introduced? Let’s have a look at how they compare:

Body

The Sony has a 650 gm magnesium alloy body, the Canon has a 765 gm magnesium alloy chassis with a polycarbonate body. Both are environmentally sealed.

Sensor & Processor

Both cameras are full frame. the Sony is 24 megapixels compared with 26 megapixels from Canon. Both cameras use the latest processors in their camera line up. The BIONZ X (Sony) and DIGIC 7 (Canon). The Exmor X sensor on the a7III provides a claimed 15 stop dynamic range.

Point and Shoot

The Sony a7 III is a mirrorless camera with an electronic viewfinder (EVF). The Canon is a DSLR with a traditional optical pentaprism. Both have 3″ touchscreens, the Canon fully articulates the Sony tilts only.

Stabilisation

Sony Stabilisation

There is 5 axis stabilisation in the Sony a7 III which equates to avoiding camera shake by an additional 5 stops. In the 6D2 there is no in-camera stabilisation for still photography, but it is available for video. Both have image stabilised lenses.

Focusing

There are 693 focus points on the Sony. It is the system derived from the top of the range A9 with 425 contrast detection points. There are 45 cross-type AF points on the Canon. Sony has both face and eye recognition, Canon has face recognition.

Shutter

The Front End LSI pre-processor from the upmarket  Sony a7R III, is incorporated into this camera, taking the drive to 10 fps with big buffers for RAW files as well as JPEG. The Canon can reach 6.5 fps.

The maximum shutter speed is 1/8000th  and 1/4000th respectively.

Sony has 4K video, the Canon has Full HD

ISO

Sony ISO is 100-25,600 which can be boosted to 204,800. The Canon is 100-40,000 which can be boosted to 102,400.

Batteries and Cards

The Sony battery life is 610 shots (using the EVF) vs 1200 shots from Canon. The Sony has two card slots, the Canon has one.

Connectivity

Both have built-in wireless. Canon has GPS

Price

The Sony a7 III will be launched in April at $2000, the Canon 6D Mk ii was launched at $2000 but now retails for $1899.

Summary

Sony with a consumer electronics background is well used to developing new technology, and looking to the market (the new Fujifilm X-H1 for example) to lead new product development. This provides great value for consumers, who in the Sony a7 III gain a cutting edge at a bargain price. Canon is more introspective, used to a two-horse race with Nikon. For them, it is more about just keeping up. However, Canon may soon find this is not enough.

Where to Buy

I buy my equipment from Wex because I have found they offer great customer service.

 

Canon EOS 6D Mark II Review of Reviews

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Canon EOS 6D Mark II

 

When the Canon EOS 6D was launched, it was a massively popular camera, full frame detail, and brilliance at a price the enthusiast could afford. In August 2017 after a five year wait, it’s successor the Canon EOS 6D Mark II was launched, and frankly, it was a disappointment. Does this camera deserve the slating it has had? Is this camera as poor as critics have made out? Let’s look at the reviews to try to understand what went wrong, and try to understand whether the doom merchants were proved right.

In July last year, the wait was over the 6DII which had been heavily trailed on Canon rumour sites and forums was finally released.

Canon EOS 6D Mark II: Digital Trends Review

Digital Trends was one of the first to review the camera based on a Canon sponsored trip to the Grand Canyon to test beta models prior to release. They were impressed by the new spec’ compared with the old Canon EOS 6D.

  • Digic 7 processor vs Digic 5 in the 6D.
  • An all new 26.2 megapixel full-frame sensor vs a 20 megapixel full frame sensor
  • ISO increased from 25,600 to 40,000
  • Burst rate from 4.5 frames per second (fps) to 6.5.
  • GPS is built in for automatic geotagging without requiring a mobile app as in the 6D
  • The 6D 11 point AF system with one cross-type sensor, is replaced by a 45 point all cross type AF sensor
  • New Dual Pixel autofocus (DPAF) technology
  • New articulating three-inch touchscreen with a 1.4-million dot resolution.

However, they were disappointed that there was no 4K video. Furthermore, despite Canon’s hospitality, there were already the first hints of the disenchantment to come:

After waiting some four-and-half years, it would have been nice to see the 6D take a bigger leap forward, rather than just play catch up to the rest of the product line.

Canon EOS 6D Mark II: Pocket-Lint Review

Pocket-lint were one of the next reviewers on the block. They praised the versatility of the camera, especially with the articulating screen and pointed out how light the camera was compared to the 5D IV, and Nikon.

They were impressed:

  • The 6D 75g is lighter than the Nikon D750.
  • The Dual Pixel AF technology = fast focusing
  • The 7560 RGB+IR metering sensor performed well
  • There was now Bluetooth

However, it was mixed with reservations:

  • The viewfinder only covers 98% field of view, meaning you are likely to be cropping the edges. With the 5D IV it is a 100% field of view.
  • There are 45 autofocus points all cross type, more than the 11 with just one cross type in the 6D, but less than the 61 in the 5D IV.
  • The burst rate of 6.5fps is half a frame slower than the 5D IV.
  • There is only one card slot compared to two on the 5D IV. An annoying restriction for wedding and professional photographers.

At launch, there was around one thousand pounds difference in price between the Canon EOS 6D II, and the Canon EOS 5D IV. However, the reviewers questioned whether for all customers the additional £1000 was worth the few additional features.

For many it will fulfill every need at a far lower price than buying a 5D Mark IV, which gives this full-framer considerable appeal.

Canon EOS Mark II: Ken Rockwell

I respect Ken Rockwell. His reviews are detailed, and he seems to be dead straight, there are none of the current biases e.g. mirrorless vs DSLR, Canon vs Nikon vs Sony, Fujifilm vs the world. I bought the Canon 6D based on his recommendation, so what are his views and comments about the 6DII.

  • The image quality is the same, but it may take more time and trouble to change settings than with more expensive cameras.
  • The 6DII is light compared with Sony’s top full-frame mirrorless cameras which aren’t much lighter.
  • High quality domestic Japanese production, not offshored to China or Thailand like Sony or Nikon.
  • There is no facial recognition, which now comes as standard with most mirrorless cameras
  • There is at least some weather sealing
  • “The rubbery grip material is the best in the industry. It’s super grippy, yet firm. It’s as if it’s made of the same nanomaterial as the footpads of a lizard that grip anything without being sticky”
  • Ken Rockwell has shot the same scene at various ISOs and his conclusion is that the high ISO performance is state of the art and matches other current full-frame cameras like the Sony A7R Mk III.

The review is summed up by some encouraging words.

The original Canon 6D has always been the world’s best low-cost full-frame DSLR, and this new 6D Mark II is even better.

The 6D Mk II is excellent for most DSLR uses like landscapes, however for people pictures I prefer a camera with facial recognition for regular viewfinder shooting, like a mirrorless camera or a higher-end Canon DSLR.

Canon EOS Mark II: Dpreview

Dpreview is another respected source. Here are some of their views and comments that we have not picked up in previous reviews:

  • There is face detect in Live View using the articulated screen rather than the viewfinder.
  •  Not having a flash is not a big disadvantage because the high ISO performance is so good.
  • Canon’s metering system tends to underexpose backlit shots.
  • Subject tracking AF is not up with the best, meaning that there could be some out of focus shots in the middle of a burst
  • The 45 point AF is centred, which can be a disadvantage if you want to compose off centre.

However, the review picks up on the main flaw in the 6DII, which is that the new 26 megapixel sensor is not sensitive at low ISOs especially in terms of dynamic range, which means that recovering detail from dark shadow in RAW is compromised. Images appear noisy which means that the flexibility you might expect in post processing is not there.  Tests by Dpreview show that it is the new sensor that is adding the noise. They conclude that:

the benefits that appeared in the sensors used in the EOS 80D and EOS 5D IV have not been applied to the latest EOS 6D

Sensor performance they claim falls well behind competitors and is no better than the original 6D. So in conclusion:

Let’s be clear: The EOS 6D Mark II is, like so many other cameras, capable of outstanding images in the right hands. But even considering all the traditional Canon bonuses like great color, ease of use for video capture and comprehensive lens ecosystem, the 6D II falls too far short for us to recommend it over the competition, and therefore it doesn’t merit our highest awards.

Canon EOS Mark II: DXOMARK

For definitive laboratory type sensor testing go to DXOMARK.

Picture quality is based on two factors, sensor quality and the quality of the lens you can afford. Here we are looking at one half of the equation. DXOMARK give an overall mark based on their tests of sensor performance. The Canon 6DII gets a score of 85. By comparison, other Canon full frame cameras get a higher score due to their more advanced sensors.  The Canon EOS 1D x Mark II launched in 2016 scores 88, and the Canon EOS 5D MarkIV scores 91. Canon has the technology, but chose not to use it on the 6DII.

In 2012 when the 6D was launched the major competition came from Nikon, but times have changed. Now even the Sony a6300 which is not even full frame, but an APS-C format sensor, scores 85. The full frame Sony A7R launched in 2013 and now priced well below the 6DII scores a whopping 95, and it’s successor the Sony A7R III scores an even more whopping 100. Imagine that with the latest Sony G glass. Read about it.

However, lets leave the last word on the sensor to DXOMARK:

[The score] is a result of notably lower dynamic range recorded by the 6D Mark II at base ISO, which is a concern for photographers after the best image quality in good light. From ISO 800, dynamic range is much closer to the performance of semi pro rivals such as the Nikon D750 and Sony A7 II however, and with good color sensitivity at all settings and well-controlled noise the 6D Mark II lends itself better to low light photography.

Canon EOS 6D Mark II: Conclusion

The 6DII was never going to be a sports or a wildlife camera, the burst rate is too slow and the AF too clunky to follow the action. As a people shooting camera, the lack of face recognition and the centre positioned auto focus make it difficult to use creatively. However, the camera is on paper ideal for landscape and nature, the higher resolution full frame sensor, the weather sealing, and the flippy screen make working on a tripod a breeze. However, lift the hood and the engine has not got the grunt in terms of dynamic range that serious RAW landscape and nature photographers might expect.

Canon EOS 6D Mark II: The Good News and the Bad News

However, in reviewing the 6DII there is good news and bad news. Let’s get the bad news out of the way first. Canon have been too cautious with the 6DII. Keeping it purposely not quite as good as the 5DIV to maintain parity across the product line. The 6DII has taken 5 years to develop and was designed by a committee. During which time it was overtaken by the likes of Sony, and their old rival Nikon, with the matchless Nikon D850.   

Now for the good news. The bad press has actually turned the situation around, and as a result the price of the 6DII is falling. At launch, the purchase price in the UK was £1999. The current price at the time of writing (Jan 2018) is £1728, compared with the Canon 5DIV, which is now almost twice the price at £3229.

If you shop around you can get the 6DII for an amazing £1185.  Ok, the 6DII is a flawed camera, but at that price, it is a great camera.

Where to Buy

I buy all my equipment at Wex because they have great customer service

 

 

 

 

Canon EOS M3 Review

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I thought I would explore mirrorless cameras. Will they take over from DSLRs or are they just a jumped up compact camera?

I chose the Canon EOS M3 because it was on offer at a great price at Amazon and these are my notes. I am doing a lot of street photography and I wanted a camera that was discrete, and which I could use without raising it to my eye. The EOS M3 fitted the bill with its neat articulated screen. The camera is also so small that it is lot less noticeable than a big DSLR.

How did I get on.

  • The 24MP APS-C CMOS sensor coupled with the EF-M 15-45 zoom lens capture excellent detail, as can be seen from the image above. Especially considering there has been some of cropping involved.
  • A big plus is that there is an adapter that joins the camera to your big DSLR lenses so your investment in Canon glass is safe.
  • The handling is easy, it is smaller than a DSLR but bigger than many of the compact cameras we have all used, so it’s size is not as big a deal as many commentators make out. I did not miss the viewfinder, although an external EVF (Electronic Viewfinder) can be bought separately which clips onto the hot shoe.
  • I have big hands and the camera felt comfortable. The build quality is good and the grip was nicely proportioned.
  • I loved the flippy screen, which articulates to 180 degrees. OK not much can be made out in strong sunshine, but it is convenient and covert enough for street photography.
  • There has been criticism of the battery life, but I think that must be when used for video, I had no issues on a photographic shoot.
  • Autofocus is an issue. Reviews complain that it is too slow. My reservation is about the inconsistency and accuracy. Often a shot would be brilliantly in focus, and then another would be off. Perhaps it was the complexity of a street scene, but even when I used the touch control on the screen it often did not pick up the focus zone.
  • Another issue is the small buffer when shooting continuously in RAW, the camera almost starts to pant with exhaustion after a few shots.
  • It is a bit unfair because the sensor is getting a bit long in the tooth, but the dynamic range is challenging. Digging for detail in RAW that just is not there in post processing.

So what is the conclusion? I like cameras this size and weight that can produce fabulous images just like those from a good DSLR. So I want to explore going mirrorless. My issue with the Canon EOS M3 is that it is inconsistent. I cannot guarantee good results in the quickfire arena that is street photography. However, if you are thinking of buying a good walkabout camera to record family and events, forget those little compact cameras with their small sensors and lenses and instead look no further. For less than £500 it is a steal.

 

Where to Buy Your Equipment

I buy my equipment from Wex because of their exceptional customer service. I once returned a camera after 30 days, and the next day they called to return my money to my account. Their prices are always competitive and they offer good prices on the trade in of your used gear.