Moving up to full-frame
What are the advantages of jumping up to a full-frame Canon DSLR, such as the EOS 6D Mark II?
The EOS DSLR line-up is dominated by APS-C cameras, but there are three bodies that have full-frame sensors: the EOS 6D Mark II, EOS 5D Mark IV and EOS-1D X Mark III.
There’s a number of advantages to going full-frame and a couple of disadvantages. The key benefit of having a bigger sensor inside the camera is the lack of crop factor. This is particularly helpful if you shoot with a wide-angle lens, where every millimetre of focal length can make a big difference to the final image. Attach a 20mm lens to an APS-C camera, for example, and you actually get the equivalent narrower view of a 32mm lens on a full-frame camera. Being able to be frame a scene or subject at closer distances means that it’s also easier to achieve shallow depth of field effects with a full-frame sensor.
The larger surface area of a full-frame sensor means the pixels can be bigger and not crammed as tightly together, which brings the potential for a better high-iso performance. All things being equal, a full-frame sensor will produce cleaner images as you push the sensitivity higher. In fact, outside of Canon’s dedicated astrophotography cameras, the EOS 6D Mark II is one of the best options for shooting the night sky. Its blend of moderately high resolution and full-frame sensor means it offers excellent image quality in the dark. The original EOS 6D also delivers in this respect, but the newer model adds conveniences such as a vari-angle touchscreen, built-in interval timer and 4K timelapse movie recording.
So, what are the disadvantages of using a full-frame DSLR? For
starters, they are bigger and heavier than APS-C DSLRS, although the EOS 6D Mark II and EOS 90D are very close in terms of physical specifications. Full-frame cameras are also generally more expensive but, again, there’s not really a lot in it when you compare the range-topping EOS 90D (around £1300) with the entrylevel full-frame EOS 6D Mark (roughly £1340).
It becomes a little muddier when you compare the EOS 6D Mark II with the entry-level EOS RP mirrorless camera. Both models have a 26.2MP full-frame sensor, but that’s about it in terms of similarities. The EOS RP is smaller and lighter, and, at around £1050 for the body only, notably less expensive. You might prefer the feel of the larger EOS 6D Mark II in your hand, particularly when it’s balanced with a larger lens, but the price difference is not to be sniffed at. That being said, if you want to use EF lenses on the EOS RP, you’re going to need to factor in the cost of an EF-EOS R mount adapter (you’re looking at £120 for the basic Canon model). You might want to price up some additional batteries for the EOS RP, too, because a single LP-E17 only delivers about 250 shots.
Unlike the EOS 6D Mark II, the EOS RP has a next-generation DIGIC 8 processor and 4K video (although this is restricted to a 1.6x crop in the centre of the image and loses the fast and accurate Dual-pixel CMOS AF).
The 26.2MP DSLR has distinct advantages for demanding shoots, though. It has a faster continuous shooting speed of 6.5fps with servo autofocus tracking, for example, compared with 4fps in the mirrorless camera. With a battery life of around 1200 shots, the EOS 6D Mark II is also going to last almost five times as long as the EOS RP before needing a recharge.
“The affordable Canon EOS 6D Mk II is one of the best options for shooting the night sky”