robrory Loc: Coatesville, PA

I'm looking to upgrade from my 50D and am wondering which to choose. I shoot mostly portraits and landscape, very little action. I see very good prices for brand new. I already own 3 EF lenses.

robertjerl Loc: Corona, California

5dII has the pro build and features but the 6D is newer tech better IQ, esp in low light. And if used right the 6D can do action/BIF, just more care and technique with a lower keeper rate due to the more basic AF.

MT Shooter Loc: Montana

With your posted needs the 6D will yield higher quality images.

Wendy2 Loc: California

I have both and prefer the 6D because it is lighter with newer technology. Beautiful in low light.

Gifted One Loc: S. E. Idaho

I went from 60D to 6D and love it. I did consider the Mar 2. Pricing is great on the 6D and it was a no brainer. As a senior I am now a fair weather shooter so the weatherization matter little. I now have a great crop and FF kits.

J. R.

Gifted One Loc: S. E. Idaho

OH! By the way, the light weight of my 6D is off set by the BG-13 Battery grip and L Plate. I love the feel and balance, with either the Canon 24-105 f/4 L or Tokina 16-28 f/2.8.

J. R.

rpavich Loc: West Virginia

I'm going to buck the trend and ask:

1.) What specific thing WON'T your 50D do that you need it to do?

Also, I'd look for a used 5D classic. A great camera at a great price (if you are hell bent on spending money)

heyjoe Loc: cincinnati ohio

both are a big upgrade,you will see the difference,

Wickspics Loc: Detroits Northwest Side. Cody High School.

I have the 6D and it's the best I ever used. Sure works great.

Nelson.I Loc: Monument, Colorado, USA

Y'all STOP IT! You're makin' me start to break out in GAS! Stop it, stop it, STOP IT!!!


Argh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! TOO LATE!

speters Loc: Grangeville/Idaho

Both cameras are very similar, the 6D is much better in low light, but a "new" Mark II can be bought for about half price!

Gifted One Loc: S. E. Idaho

Can you source that? Not challenging, well guess I am, but interested.

J. R.

Bill Emmett Loc: Bow, New Hampshire

Personally I'd go with the 6D. First, it is of course newer technology. Secondly, it is still in production by Canon, and if bought new carries a warranty. Third, the camera is light weight, can shoot at high ISO with less noise. Price wise, the 6D can be had as little as $999 on Canon Price Watch.com. The 5D is of course older, and a new one will be hard to find, or impossible. You may find a refurbished one on a shelf somewhere. If you want a used, or refurbished camera, look at the 5D Mark III, there are plenty of them around, but will cost a bit more. Keep in mind also, both the 6D, and 5D Mark III is rumored to be replaced by newer models in the near future. This will prompt a price drop when the model is replaced. If there is nothing wrong with your 50D, why not wait for the new 6D II, or 5D IV to hit the streets and really save some money on a leftover 6D?

B

amfoto1 Loc: San Jose, Calif. USA

IMO, the biggest and most important difference between the two is their AF systems.

The 6D uses a fairly simplistic 11-point AF system. It's similar in many respects to your 50Ds.... same general functionality. Some differences:

6D has a newer version of Micro Focus Adjustment than 50D. It can accommodate up to 40 lenses (your 50D can do up to 20). It also allows for two adjustments with a zoom lens, one at each end of the zoom range (your 50D can only apply a single adjusment to any lens, prime or zoom... so if a zoom needs different adjustment at the two ends of it's range, you would need to choose one end to favor or average the adjustment). Also, the 6D's MFA recognizes individual lenses by their serial number (in comparison, your 50D only recognizes lenses by model, so if you dial in an adjustment for one EF 50mm f1.4 USM it will apply that to all EF 50/1.4 USM lenses fitted to the camera... might be a concern if you use more than one copy of a particular lens. I have two 28-135s, for example).

Many consider the 6D one of the best low light/high ISO cameras from Canon, to date. It's AF system also is more sensitive than most Canon cameras. The center point only can still focus around -3 EV (full moonlight is -2 EV, for example). Your 50D probably can only focus to around -1 or -0.5 EV, which is typical of most Canon cameras, including most other current models.

Not such a good thing, the 6D only has one "better", more sensitive cross-type AF sensor, at the center. The other 10 are single axis and most users say that while they are fine for stationary subjects (portraits and landscapes), they are really not up to shooting moving subjects (sports and other action). In comparison, your 50D has all nine AF points the better cross-type.

Overall, the 5DIII has a far more sophisticated AF system than either camera. 61-point AF system has up to 41 cross-type (the number is reduced a little with a few particular lenses).

It also has additional AF "patterns". Your 50D and the 6D have two: All Points/Auto Selection and Single Point/Manual Selection. The 5DIII has those, plus a couple Zone Focus patterns (sort of like a reduced size form of All Points), and a couple Expansion Points patterns. Expansion is different in that it starts with one point, then can move to use adjacent ones if need be.

The 5DIII (as well as both 7D models, 1DX and the 5DS models), has what Canon calls an "Intelligent Viewfinder"... Basically it's got a transmissive LCD layer in there that reconfigures itself to the different focus patterns. Unlike your 50D and the 6D, all the AF points aren't displayed all the time (unless you choose to have them).... only the active ones are displayed. This makes for a slight loss of light, but is a handy feature in most respects, considering all the different focus patterns available.

There also are a bunch of other tweaks possible with the 5DIII's AF system, to fine tune it for different situations. All these make it a better "action" AF system, than the 6D offers. You'd want the 5DIII if you shoot a lot of sports or birds in flight, for example. (Your 50D is pretty good for those purposes, too.)

5DIII has the same form of lens Micro Focus Adjust as 6D. It also has -3 EV capable AF (limited to five central AF points).

Besides the AF system, 6D is a bit smaller and lighter model, while 5DIII is more metal-clad and has a bit more weather resistant sealing. 5DIII has higher durability rated shutter and a slightly bigger 100% viewfinder (compared to 97% on 6D). 5DIII has shutter speeds from 30 seconds to 1/8000 and flash sync of 1/200. The 6D's shutter speeds top out at 1/4000 and it has 1/180 flash sync. (Note, if you use studio strobes for portraiture and other things, you'll find the sync with those is usually reduced a bit.... I know 5DII's is 1/125 with most of those types of lights.) None of the Canon full frame models have a built-in flash, like your 50D does.

6D has built-in WiFi, while the 5DIII doesn't. It instead uses a rather pricey but considerably more powerful, separate Wireless File Transfer module. The range of the 6D's WiFi is about 30 feet. The range of the WFT is more like 400 feet. Besides downloading images (5DIII w/WFT will generally be faster and more reliable), both these also can give remote wireless camera control. I think the 6D also has GPS, while the 5DIII needs another, separate module for that, too. (Note: There is a 6D version sold without WiFi and GPS, but I don't believe it's ever been offered in N. America and may only be available in limited markets.)

6D has a single SD memory card slot. 5DIII has dual slots: one SD and one CF. Both cameras use LP-E6/E6N batteries that have a lot higher capacity than your 50D's BP511/511A, but probably get about the same number of shots per charge.

6D's control layout is more similar to 60D. It doesn't have the "joystick" found on your 50D or the 5DIII. The battery grip for the 5DIII has a second "joystick" as part of it's vertical controls, which is nice, but is one reason it costs more than the battery grip for the 6D.

You can do some side by side comparisons on the-digital-image.com and the B&H Photos websites, which might highlight some other differences I've forgotten.

Hope this helps!

EDIT: Damn! I need to read more carefully.... you asked for comparison of 5DII with 6D, not the 5DIII! So, ignore most of the above.

5DII is almost the same as your 50D in layout and AF system, but like 6D it only has a single cross-type AF point at the center. It actually has an AF Expansion mode, that enables six more "hidden" AF points clustered close around the center one, to make it like the entire Spot Focus circle acts like one big AF point. And two of those additional points are the better cross type. But this mode only works in AI Servo (sports/action, moving subjects) and the camera really isn't all that great for that purpose. But, just like the 6D, it would fine for your portrait and landscape purposes... just not as low light capable as either the 6D or 5DIII... only about -1 EV, same as your 50D.

Yes, the 6D probably has higher usable ISO.... it's one of the best high ISO cameras from anyone. It's probably good for at least one stop higher usable ISO. I'll sometimes use my crop sensor 7Ds to ISO 3200, with some noise reduction in post processing, and only rarely above that... In comparison I'll use my 5DII to 6400 without much concern. I've seen images shot at ISO 12800 and even higher with 6D, that really look great.... that appear at least as good as my 5DII at 6400. Most folks feel it's the "low light" king of Canon cameras right now.

5DII uses the same MFA system as your 50D, too.

5DII is still a great camera, 6D was sort of more of the same but with some modest improvements.... and the 5DIII was a more extensive upgrade, especially in the AF department.

LFingar Loc: Claverack, NY

6D, no contest. Even in comparison to the 5DIII, for landscape and portraits, the 6D will do the same job for less money.