Keeper
As those of you who know my work and read my blogs, I have been through a lot of cameras and camera brands. I search for the combination of portability, image quality, ease of use and general enjoyment of having a camera in hand. Many modern mirrorless cameras have qualities that older DSLRs don’t . Many modern mirrorless are more compact, feature rich and easy to use. I can say however that if my house was on fire and I could only take one bag with a camera and lenses in and out of the burning building, it would be the Canon 6D.
It isn’t very new, doesn’t have ibis, large sensor or any computational features. It only has one card slot and 11 focus points but and this is a very big but, I adore using it. It has made some of my favourite images and I will never part with it. It is the consummate landscape camera, lighter than its 5D counterparts, comfortable in hand and simple to operate. Its sensor produces a look I haven’t encountered in any other camera and the images are rich, clean and have an indescribable quality about them.
I have owned three in my turbulent camera buying career (although career shouldn’t imply that I do it for a living!). My current 6D has a very low shutter count, fires up quickly and responsively and is ready when I am. I’ve used a variety of canon lenses and it seems to get the best out of every one. I am expecting a mk1 24-70 f/2.8 L to arrive today as I need it for a photo shoot. It’s the one lens I’ve never owned in the standard zoom range but I’m told it’s worth the now minimal outlay.
I only few native lenses (50 1.8, 40 2.8 and 100 f2), all of which were an absolute steal. In fact, the combination of the 6D and the 40mm f/2.8 is probably the nicest street photography combination I’ve ever used. The Canon EF 17-40mm f/4 l is another cheap and killer combo with the 6D. The 6D is much lighter and smaller than the 5D range but out performs IMHO many of them. It is weather sealed, rugged and portable. The zoom lenses obviously add the weight to the overall package but if you’re smart, you can get away with the smaller zooms such as the 17-40 and 70-200 f/4s as a landscape kit.
I hope to embark on a YouTube channel this year and will need a decent vlogging camera. I currently own an OM System OM-1 which has very capable video specs as well as fantastic computational tools, incredible weather sealing and great image quality. I do wonder however much I enjoy using micro for thirds, if I wouldn’t be better served by just using my 6D for stills and getting a dedicated full frame video camera for my video/youtube work? The obvious solution would be to use an R series camera for videos and adapting older vintage lenses. This blog however isn’t about my work flow and more about an homage to a great camera.
I know there are 6D champions out there, in particular, photographer and YouTuber Martin Castein who have a similar opinion about the 6D. There is something comforting about using an optical viewfinder, having a proper shutter click and not being overwhelmed by an array of in camera features. It allows you to concentrate on composition, light and capturing moments. One of the great qualities of Leica cameras is the simplicity of use. They don’t over complicate things when it comes to photography. They do the simple things well which is what the Canon 6D also manages to achieve. I’m not sure whether Canon intended the 6D to out perform its stable mates but somehow I believe it manages to.
I’m grateful to those of you who read my blogs. I’ve been so wrapped up in house moves/building work/family commitments and worrying about what kit I use, that I have taken my eye off the ball. The joy of just taking photographs, making prints, sharing images and doing photo shoots. I forget why I love photography, how I’ve over complicated things and ended up with too much gear and not enough end product. I’m sorely tempted to ditch the large bulk of my current gear, have a really good clear out and strip down my kit to the bare minimum. I can make images I’m proud now with the 6D and few lenses. I don’t need an exhaustive range of kit to help and indeed ultimately hinder my work. There are features and benefits I would miss but my pleasure would hopefully return. The projects I have will still be possible. The options are still available and I don’t want to shelve these because impetus is the driver of my creativity.
