At the end of this article, we would have been able to help you decide which camera is the better option for you between Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III. If nether of these cameras suits your fancy, click here to find other cameras, both DSLRs and Mirrorless Cameras, that you might like.
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| Get the Canon 6D now! | Get the Canon 5D Mark III now! |
The comparison we have for today is quite an interesting one. The naming convention used for these two cameras suggests and their times of release, suggests that the Canon 6D is an improvement on the Canon 5D Mark III.
However, that is not the case, when you look in-depth into the features of these two cameras. Stick with us throughout this article as we highlight all the features in these two cameras. If you do not have time to read through this Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III comparison article, check out our overview below. It contains enough information to enable you make a good decision.
Table of Contents
Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III – Comparison Overview
We’re sure you might have been seeing the Canon 6D as an improvement on the 5D Mark III because the Canon 6D was released some months after the 5D Mark III. Well, that is not entirely the case here.
Looking at these two cameras, you see a pattern. The Canon 6D comes with all the new technological features. Little things here and there that go a long way to make your genera experience of using the camera a lot easier and better. On the other hand, the 5D Mark III does better with the older features, keeping it simple.
The new additions to the Canon 6D include: wireless connection, time-lapse recording, and GPS. All these are features that the Canon 5D Mark III does not possess. However, when you look at key features like continuous shooting rate (4.5 vs 6 frames per second), maximum sensor resolution (20 vs 22 megapixels), you can easily see that the 5D Mark III does better than the Canon 6D.
Now, the biggest difference between these two cameras is their price. The 5D Mark III costs a whole lot more than the Canon 6D. Because of this, we must say that the Canon 6D is a better economic deal. The Canon 6D comes with features that you won’t find in the 5D Mark III. Furthermore, the features where the 5D Mark III does better than the Canon 6D, the difference isn’t much.
So, you’ve seen the facts, you’ve seen the information we provided, which do you think is a better option for you? For us, it’s definitely the more affordable, Canon 6D. If you want more information about the features we’ve mentioned, kindly read through the article.
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Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III – Comparison Of Key Features
Canon 6D |
Canon 5D Mark III | |
| Announcement Date | 17th September 2012 | 2nd March 2012 |
| Battery Life | 1090 shots | 950 shots |
| Continuous Shooting Rate | 4.5 frames per second | 6 frames per second |
| GPS | Yes | No |
| Built-in Wi-fi | Yes | No |
| Weight | 771g | 862g |
| Maximum Sensor Resolution | 20.2 Megapixels | 22.3 Megapixels |
| Time-lapse Recording | Yes | No |
| Headphone Port | No | Yes |
| Storage Slots | 1 | 2 |
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| Get the Canon 6D now! | Get the Canon 5D Mark III now! |
Before we jump into the review we have for today, we’re sure you want to see a hands-on review of these two cameras. In the video below, we see a comparison of Canon 6D vs 5D Mark III, looking at whether the 5D Mark III is worth the extra bucks.
Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III – What Scenario Is What Camera Best For?
Canon 6D |
Canon 5D Mark III |
| Both of these cameras have one scenario where they both flourish exceedingly, reliability. Many can say that these cameras are a bit obsolete now and do not come with the latest modern features, but what you cannot say is that they are not functional. | These cameras have been tested and used by all levels of photographers, from amateurs to professionals, for many years. The singular fact that they’ve not gone out of style and are still heavily purchased by people today tells you how much quality these cameras are. |
| The Canon 6D was released months later than the 5D Mark III. This might not seem like a lot of time, but if you’re into technology, you’ll know how fast things change. Because of that rapid change, this camera comes with some new and improved technological features that the 5D Mark III is not fortunate to possess. | What this camera lacks in new features, it makes up for in the functionality of the old. This camera comes with the most basic functions you need, in the best way possible. You can see this in its 22.3-megapixel sensor, which is higher than the 20.2 that is offered with the Canon 6D. |
| One last thing you need to take into consideration is cost and how it lines up to your budget. The Canon 6D is a lot more affordable that the Canon 5D Mark III. Looking at the fact that there’s not so much difference in the features of these two cameras- Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III, you might want to get this camera if you’re trying to save some money. | If you do have the money to spend, then the Canon 5D Mark III is an option for you. However, honestly speaking, we do not think that we can justify the cost of this camera. Buying a new Canon 5D Mark III in this year, looking at how far it was released and some of its outdated features? We feel there are better cameras for the same price. |
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| Get the Canon 6D now! | Get the Canon 5D Mark III now! |
Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III – Features Common To Both Cameras
Just like we’ve mentioned earlier on, these two cameras- Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III are really similar. They were released in the same year, 2012, by the same company. So, you can see why they bear so many similarities.
In this section of this Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III comparison article, we would be looking at those features that appear in these two cameras. However, in the spirit of the Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III comparison, we would mention it when any of these features have slight differences in these two cameras. Let’s get into it!
They’re Both DSLRs
When these cameras were released, this might not have been a feature to consider. However, in recent times, with the strong market that is “mirrorless cameras”, this is something that we must not fail to mention.
Canon and Nikon are the biggest players in the DSLR industry, hence why it’s no surprise that these two cameras produced by Canon are both DSLRs. The question on many people’s mind with the emergence of mirrorless cameras is whether to jump ship or remain with the old and trusted.
Well, why don’t we look at how DSLRs work and compare them to how mirrorless cameras work, then you can make an informed decision for yourself.
The major difference in the operation of these two camera types is in the way they allow the photographer frame his photos. On a DSLR, there is a mirror, a pentaprism, and an optical viewfinder. When the shutter is closed, light that enters into the camera through the lens hits a mirror.
The mirror then splits this light into two parts. The first part of the light is sent upwards to the pentaprism. The light bounces off this pentaprism and makes it way, horizontally, to the optical viewfinder.
On a mirrorless camera, there is no mirror or pentaprism and instead of an optical viewfinder, you have an electronic viewfinder. When light enters the camera, it hits an electronic sensor. This sensor then converts that light to a digital image which is shown on a miniature display. When you look through the electronic viewfinder, that miniature display of the digital image is what you see.
Why Get A DSLR?
1. Battery Life
The biggest reason to consider getting a DSLR is because of their big batteries. Compared to DSLRs, mirrorless cameras have miserable battery lives. The miserable battery life in mirrorless cameras comes as a result of two main factors.
The first is because they are made a lot smaller than DSLRs. Because of this, they use a reduced battery size. When it comes to batteries, when you reduce the size, you reduce the capacity too.
The second reason is the fact that they have a lot of functions and features that require a lot of power. The biggest of this is the electronic viewfinder and the processing power of these cameras.
So, before you consider dropping DSLRs for mirrorless cameras, look at the battery lives of these two cameras Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III: 1090 vs 950 shots per full charge. We’re not sure you can get that with even the best mirrorless cameras.
2. Autofocus
Although this one is widely debated topic in the professional level, it’s not so in this mid-range level. When comparing mid-range cameras, DSLRs often have better autofocusing than mirrorless cameras. This is simply because DSLRs come with a specific sensor that is responsible for autofocus, while mirrorless cameras have only one sensor for everything.
When you look at the most recent professional mirrorless cameras, the technology used in the one sensor it has makes its autofocus able to capture things as fast as DSLRs. However, when you drop the price down, the technology in the mid-range products is not quite there yet.
Now that we’ve looked at these two cameras as DSLRs, let’s move on to the other similarities that these two cameras- Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III, share.
Full-frame Sensor
Both of these cameras come with a full-frame sensor. The biggest and most visible difference between a full-frame sensor and a cropped sensor is the field of view. A full-frame sensor is described as such because of its resemblance in dimensions to the 35mm film.
A full-frame sensor offers you more dynamic range on your images. Dynamic range basically refers to how well your camera does with both the lightest and the darkest parts of your images. Basically, a camera with good dynamic range prevents the really bright parts of the image from blurring out, and the really dark parts of the image from turning into pure black.
Furthermore, with a bigger sensor, there is more light entering into the camera, which in turn means more light sensitivity. This is what makes full-frame sensors best for great low-light performance. Also, because the sensors are really wide, they make use of tilt and shift lenses which makes them really good for taking architectural photos.
Finally, if you take the same image with a full-frame and a cropped sensor with all the same settings, the image shot with the full-frame will have a shallower depth of field than the image shot with the cropped sensor.
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Good Maximum Sensor Resolution
Both of these cameras come with really good maximum sensor resolution (megapixels). Yes, we can already hear you screaming at us that a good camera is not determined only by having high megapixels, and you’re right.
However, a good maximum sensor resolution does bear a lot of benefits and determines to a large extent, how good a camera is. The higher the sensor resolution, the more pixels is processed by the camera, the clearer the image comes out to be.
While having a crazy number of megapixels is usually just for the spec-sheet, many professional photographers believe that a good camera should have about 20 megapixels. With this number, you can get really clear images that contain a lot of information.
The biggest importance of having really high megapixels appears when you’re trying to print the pictures. When you want to print your images on really large prints, an image taken with more megapixels has more pixels on it, therefore, it’s less likely to get pixelated. This can also be seen when you zoom into the image. The higher the maximum sensor resolution, the more zoom you can get into the pictures without it getting pixelated.
ISO: 100 – 25,600
Both of these cameras come with an ISO (extended) range of 100 – 25,600. ISO basically refers to the light sensitivity of your camera. The higher you set it, the more sensitive your camera is to light. This is important when taking pictures in low-light conditions.
The confidence with having an ISO range this wide is that you’re sure that your camera can capture a bright enough image, no matter the lighting conditions. The area might look pitch black to you, but your camera will still capture what is hidden in the darkness.
One thing you have to worry about, though, is noise levels on your images. The one drawback to using extended ISO settings is that with increased light sensitivity comes more noise on your images. This noise is more noticeable when your camera has really good sensor resolution.
Optical Viewfinder
Because both of these cameras- Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III are DSLRs. Because of that, they come with optical viewfinders. Optical viewfinders help the photographer to frame his photos properly. However, we must be honest and say that they do have some drawbacks when compared to electronic viewfinders.
Optical viewfinders see raw light, just like your eyes are seeing, hence the name, “optical”. On the other hand, electronic viewfinders see a digital image that has been created by the camera’s electronic sensor. The major difference between these two is that the digital image gives you a preview of the exact outcome of your image.
With an electronic viewfinder, changes to settings like exposure, focus, and ISO, can be seen before the picture is taken. This makes it really easy for amateurs who haven’t mastered all these settings yet to make changes because they’ll be able to see what their changes will do to the image in real time. Whereas with optical viewfinders, you only get to see the changes after the image has been taken when you get into the camera.
One advantage that optical viewfinders have over electronic viewfinders, though, is that the camera doesn’t need to be turned on for you to use it. Because optical viewfinders do not consume battery, the battery of your camera lasts long, no matter how much you use the viewfinder.
RAW Image Storage
The best way to get the cleanest and best photos from your camera is to save the image in its RAW format. Yes, RAW is an image saving format, just like JPEG. All digital cameras initially capture images in their RAW format. However, some cameras do not let you save the image in this format. Rather they edit the image, compress it, and then convert it to JPEG before saving it.
This process of editing and compressing reduces the quality of the image because it reduces the information on the image. This is why professional photographers would rather save their images RAW and then convert it to JPEG themselves, when they’re done editing.
If you’re one of those professionals, then you’re in luck because both of these cameras- Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III, allow you to do just that.
Face Detection Focus
This is a pretty basic feature that almost every camera comes with nowadays. What it does it that once it notices a face in the frame of the picture, it focuses on the face. This is really helpful for you when you’re taking portrait photos.
Microphone Port
If you’ve ever recorded any audio with your camera’s microphone before, you’ll know just how bad those things are. So you don’t have to have that same bad quality sound with either of these cameras, they both come with a microphone port.
A microphone port allows you connect your camera to an external microphone to your camera. This is what then enables you record high-quality audio, through this external microphone of choice.
Environmental Sealing
When shooting outside, one thing we often have to worry about is the weather. We always wish for clear skies so we can shoot without any hiccup. But what happens when that wish doesn’t come? Well, with some other cameras, you’ll have to cut short your shoot, whether you like it or not. However, with these two cameras, you have a weather sealing feature.
These two cameras are made with magnesium alloy frame. Because of that, they are both moisture and dust resistant. This means that you can keep using either of these cameras, even when it’s windy or it’s raining. Isn’t that great?
Top LCD Display
This camera comes with a top LCD display. With this, you can easily view and edit settings easily.
AE Bracketing
Exposure is something that you need to get right before you can get a good photo. This importance is what makes photographers do something called exposure bracketing. Basically, what this means is taking a group of pictures of the same scene with different exposure settings. This then helps the photographer find out which image has the best exposure and keeps that one.
If you haven’t already figured it out, exposure bracketing is quite tedious to achieve. You have to keep the frame exactly the same for the different shots you’ll take, changing the exposure setting every time. This is why Auto Exposure Bracketing was introduced.
With this feature, all you have to do is set the different exposure settings you want for the image. These settings usually range from underexposed to overexposed in equal margin. Once you set the different exposure settings, you click the shutter button once and it takes different images with those different preset exposure settings.
Apart from helping you make exposure bracketing easier and faster, Auto Exposure Bracketing also enables you create HDR photos. An HDR photo is basically a combination of these different photos with their different exposure settings, to form one perfectly exposed image.
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| Get the Canon 6D now! | Get the Canon 5D Mark III now! |
Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III – Features Unique To Each Camera
Alright! It’s that time that you’ve all been waiting for, we’re sure. In this section of this Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III comparison article, we would be looking at the features that either of these cameras comes with that the other doesn’t. After that, we would be looking at the pros and cons of these two cameras.
Features Unique To The Canon 6D
Wireless Connection
In this day and age, a
With the wireless connectivity feature that comes with this camera, you can do that efficiently. You can now send files straight from your camera to the internet. The process is fast and seamless. Another huge benefit of the wireless connection feature that comes with this camera is that it helps you send files and receive files from other devices.
You no longer need to remove the SD card to transfer files into your laptop, you can do that easily with the wireless connection feature that this camera comes with.
GPS Feature
This camera comes with a GPS feature. This might not be a lot, but it’s a really cool feature to have. With this, you can find your camera in the unforeseeable future that it gets lost or stolen.
Well, that’s the serious part of this feature. The really cool part is that you can geotag your photos. If you’re a travel photographer, this is really nice to show your audience that you’re really where you say you are. It builds trust.
Time-lapse Recording
A time-lapse is a group of photos that are joined together to make a video that shows the passage of time. It usually contains a great number of pictures taken automatically by the camera at set intervals. When these images are played in one sequence, these images form a video that shows the changes made to a particular scene with time.
This is a really creative way to shoot and it’s nice that this camera comes with that feature. With the Canon 5D Mark III, you cannot shoot time-lapses, which is pretty sad.
Smartphone As Remote Control
This camera comes with a feature that enables you use your smartphone as a remote control for your camera. This is really nice considering how often we’re on our phones these days. Plus, smartphones are pretty easy and intuitive to use, which makes them really nice remote controls.
We can keep talking and talking for hours but we’re sure you won’t be convinced about this camera until you actually see how it shoots. With that in our mind, we found the video below, just for you. It’s a video that features everything you need to know about the Canon 6D, including test shots. Check it out:
Features Unique To The Canon 5D Mark III
Headphone Port
When recording audio with an external microphone, it’s good practice to monitor the audio as you’re recording so you maintain the quality you want. To do this, you need a headphone port.
It is this headphone port that allows you connect a headphone to your camera. With this headphone, you’ll be able to listen live to what your audio recording sounds like. That way, you can always tweak things and get the best audio quality possible.
Flash Sync Port
Flash photography is something that a lot photographers do. If you’re one of these photographers and you want to get the best lighting possible, you very well know that you can’t get this with an on-camera flash. On-camera flashes are great, but most times, they don’t give you as much as you want.
This is why this feature is important. A flash sync port lets you connect your camera to an off-camera flash. This off-camera flash is best to provide you with enough light for flash photography.
2 Storage Slots
This camera comes with an extra storage slot. With this, you have extra storage space and storage flexibility. There are two times when this extra storage slot becomes very important. The first is when space in the first memory card has finished.
Since you’re shooting in RAW, your storage space is bound to finish a lot sooner so this is really nice to have. Another time when this is important is for safety. If the first memory card gets corrupted midway through a shot, instead of being stuck, you can simply switch to saving on the second storage. It’s especially great if you’re shooting for a client, so you don’t lose all their stuff.
We’re sure you want to see what this camera looks like and how it shoots. Watch the video below to check out a hands-on approach to the Canon 5D Mark III review:
Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III – Unique Pros
Canon 6D
- This camera comes with a built-in wireless connection. This helps you transfer files straight from your camera to the internet, or to other devices.
- The Canon 6D comes with built-in GPS. With this feature, you can now find your camera wherever it is, and geotag your photos when you want to.
- The battery life of this camera is capable of shooting 1090 shots per full charge, which is slightly better than the 5D Mark III, which is only capable of 950 shots per full charge.
- With this camera, you can shoot a time-lapse, which is a really creative way of shooting that shows the passage of time.
- You can also use your camera to smartphone as a remote control for the Canon 6D.
- Finally, and maybe most importantly, the Canon 6D is a lot more affordable than the 5D Mark III.
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| Get the Canon 6D now! | Get the Canon 5D Mark III now! |
Canon 5D Mark III
- The maximum sensor resolution on this camera is 22 megapixels, which is 2 more than the Canon 6D.
- The shutter speed of this camera is faster than that of the Canon 6D.
- The Canon 5D Mark III has a continuous shooting rate of 6 frames per second, which is 1.5 more than the continuous shooting rate of the Canon 6D.
- This camera comes with a headphone port that lets you monitor the audio that your camera is recording.
- There is a flash sync port on this camera that allows you connect your camera to an off-camera flash.
- This camera comes with a second storage slot for flexibility and safety.
Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III – Unique Cons
Canon 6D
- This camera does not come with a headphone port. Therefore, you cannot hear how your audio sounds until you finish recording.
- There is only one storage slot in this camera.
- The continuous shooting rate of this camera is only 4.5 frames per second, which is pretty disappointing.
Canon 5D Mark III
- There is no wireless connection on this camera.
- You cannot shoot a time-lapse with this camera.
- There is no built-in GPS with this camera, so you cannot geotag your photos or find them when they get lost.
- This camera is quite expensive.
- You can’t use a smartphone as a remote control for this camera.
Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III – Pros Common To Both Cameras
Canon 6D |
Canon 5D Mark III | |
| Good Image Framing And Control | Both of these cameras come with optical viewfinders. With viewfinders, it’s easy to frame your photos and do it properly. Furthermore, you can use | Same as the Canon 6D. |
| Better Image Quality | Both of these cameras allow you to get great image quality because they let you save your images in RAW format. Basically, RAW is the format that all photos taken by digital cameras are initially captured in. So, saving them in this format makes sure that all the information in this image remains, which keeps it at its highest quality. | Same as the Canon 6D. |
| Face Detection Focus | With this, your camera focuses on a face when it is in focus, making it really good for portrait photos. | Same as the Canon 6D. |
| Good Sensor Resolution | Both of these cameras come with good sensor resolution. With a sensor resolution this good, you can print really large images without them getting pixelated. There is a difference between these two cameras though, the Canon 6D comes with 20 megapixels as its maximum sensor resolution. | When it comes to maximum sensor resolution, this camera does a little better with its 22-megapixel sensor. |
| Microphone Port | If you want to record good audio with your camera, you definitely need an external microphone, the built-in microphone that comes with the camera just won’t suffice. To attach the external microphone to your camera, you need this microphone port. | Same as the Canon 6D. |
| They Both Work Well No Matter The Weather | Both of these cameras come with a weather sealing feature. This prevents both dust and moisture from getting into the camera. If you love shooting outdoors, you don’t need to worry too much about the weather conditions as your camera will definitely be able to endure them. | Same as the Canon 6D. |
| AE Bracketing | Both of these cameras allow auto exposure bracketing. This is an easy and effective way to get the right exposure for all your images. | Same as the Canon 6D. |
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| Get the Canon 6D now! | Get the Canon 5D Mark III now! |
Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III – Cons Common To Both Products?
Canon 6D |
Canon 5D Mark III | |
| No built-in Image Stabilization | Neither of these cameras come with image stabilization technology. This means that you have to try your best to keep your hands as still as possible. If you do not, your images and videos will end up blurry and shaky as a result of mild camera lens movement. | Same as the Canon 6D. |
| No Articulating Screen | Neither of these cameras come with articulating screens. This means that you cannot frame your photos when shooting in certain awkward positions that you won’t be able to use your viewfinders in. | Same as the Canon 6D. |
| No Built-in Flash | Neither of these cameras come with a built-in flash. Without this, you have to carry an external flash wherever you go and this just adds more load to your camera kit. | Same as the Canon 6D. |
| No Bluetooth Connectivity | Neither of these cameras come with Bluetooth connectivity. With Bluetooth connectivity it would have been easier and faster to connect to other devices that come with Bluetooth connectivity. | Same as the Canon 6D. |
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| Get the Canon 6D now! | Get the Canon 5D Mark III now! |
Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III – General Feeling Amongst Users
Canon 6D |
Canon 5D Mark III |
| People who bought this camera really liked what they got for their money. That’s the first reason why a lot of people went for this camera over the 5D Mark III, it’s a lot more affordable. | Although this camera was a bit expensive, people who did not have a problem with the price really liked this camera. |
| Another reason people got this camera is the way it interacts with your smartphone. Apart from remotely clicking the shutter from your smartphone, this camera also enables you to view shots you’ve taken on your camera with your smartphone, without having to transfer the image first. This really helps with shots that you would want to later on share to people who will view it using their mobile devices. If that’s the case, you definitely want to see what the picture looks like on a mobile device, to make sure you’re getting everything right. | People really love the general feel of this camera on the hands. One customer commented that the contours on the body of this camera have been designed to fit your hands properly. This gives you a firm camera Another thing people liked was |
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| Get the Canon 6D now! | Get the Canon 5D Mark III now! |
Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III – What Do We Think?
While many people would have felt like the Canon 6D is an improvement on the 5D Mark III, it definitely isn’t. As we’ve consistently seen throughout this Canon 6D Vs 5D Mark III comparison article, these cameras are closely matched.
If we were to choose one, we would have to pick the Canon 6D. This is because after looking at how closely matched these two cameras are, there is no justification for spending that much more money on the Canon 5D Mark III.
Canon 6D |
Canon 5D Mark III |
| Get the Canon 6D now! | Get the Canon 5D Mark III now! |
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