Other than the Leica M, the Canon EOS 6D is the smallest full frame DSLR, much smaller than the Nikon D800/800 E and comes as an answer to Nikon’s D600. It is a stripped down version of the 5D Mark lll and can be considered as the 35mm equivalent of the EOS 60 D. We managed to get our hands on the 6D and this is what we think.

The camera comes in the typical Canon packing, nothing fancy like the Leica M9 or the Fujifilm X100. It fits perfectly with the other EOSs in design and the button positions are pretty much retained. All the control features that were introduced in the flagship products are available and this comes as a surprise. The power switch is built into the mode selector and the LCD on the top right gives you all the details about the current settings. When you compare it with the 5D, you’ll see the striking similarities. It also has a depth of field preview button and an IR receiver for remote trigger. The 6D grips well in your hands and it weighs just 27.16 ounces. You can also add an extra battery grip, which has a shutter button for easy portrait mode shooting. The Canon 6D also has HDMI, A/V support and a port to connect a stereo microphone.

When you switch it on, the LCD on the back pops into life and with the million pixels, it is sharp. Like every other ESO, the 6D has TV, AV, and P and M modes for shooting. Since it is an entry level full frame camera, Canon seems to have added other easy shooting modes like portraits and sports. There are 11 focal points (the 5D Mark lll has 51) and when you compare it to other full frame EOS models, the auto focus system is a bit slow. The 6D doesn’t have an auto focus illuminator and you need to use an external flash if you want illumination under low light conditions.

Under the highest quality settings, the Canon 6D produces images at 20 mega pixels and the Digic 5+ image processor allows you to shoot up to 5 frames per second. Mirrors are not used in the view finder system and neither is it an electronic view finder, rather, the Canon 6D uses a penta-prism and this gives you a very bright view of what the lens sees. The shutter speeds on this camera go from 1/4000 of a second to 30 seconds (plus bulb). One of the notable features of the Canon 6D is its ISO range. It can shoot from ISO 100 to ISO 25600 under standard settings. The onboard flash syncs at 1/180 of a second and has a range up to 5 meters. You have a hot shoe and additional flashes and speed lights can be attached to the camera. Other than this, the Canon 6D can also shoot videos at 1080 pixels.

In short, the Canon 6D is a good entry level full frame camera and people who wanted to enter 35mm digital photography now have a choice between the Nikon D600 and the Canon 6D. If you are already using an ESO, then the lenses designed for the APS-C sensors don’t work on this camera and you will have to buy new ones.

This is a guest post is brought to you by Samantha Kirk, a writer for AT&T U Verse. Samantha provides up to date content and information for AT&T.

Tags | Cannon, Digital Camera, DSLR, EOS, Photography, Technology News