# 6D or 70D, which has better low light capability or are they about the same?



## grafxman (Nov 9, 2013)

I've been using my 7D with the SigMonster the past two weeks and I now realize I need something better than the 7D when handling high ISO situations. I keep the 6D on the Sigma 50-500mm so, since I haven't heard anything about a 7D mark II, I'm thinking about buying another camera for the SigMonster. I see the 6D and 70D both have the same size 20.2 CMOS sensor. Of course the 6D is full frame and the 70D is APS-C. So I'm wondering if the 70D can handle high ISO situations as well as the 6D? That flip out screen would be mighty handy to have when using the SigMonster because I have to use the view screen to auto focus. Anyone know the answer?


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## DarkShadow (Nov 9, 2013)

Short answer, No way. The 6D is about 1.3 stops better ISO and significantly lower at high ISO. There is no comparison at all to the 70D. The 60D, 70D and 7D are in comparison with each other as far as ISO performance goes.


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## goodguy (Nov 9, 2013)

DarkShadow said:


> Short answer, No way. The 6D is about 1.3 stops better ISO and significantly lower at high ISO. There is no comparison at all to the 70D. The 60D, 70D and 7D are in comparison with each other as far as ISO performance goes.


Nothing much to add, the Canon 6D is a real Cannon in low light, all crop sensor cameras will not be able to compete with that.
When talking about low light performance the 6D is a BEAST!!!


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## grafxman (Nov 9, 2013)

Thanks a lot for the prompt responses. Wouldn't the 70D be substantially better than the 7D at high ISO situations?


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## goodguy (Nov 9, 2013)

grafxman said:


> Thanks a lot for the prompt responses. Wouldn't the 70D be substantially better than the 7D at high ISO situations?


I believe the 70D is better in low light but not by much.


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## Juga (Nov 10, 2013)

goodguy said:


> grafxman said:
> 
> 
> > Thanks a lot for the prompt responses. Wouldn't the 70D be substantially better than the 7D at high ISO situations?
> ...



Actually the 70D's new sensor is much better than the old 18mp sensor. I was able to get good images at 3200 compared to the older 18mp sensor. Even in fine JPEG with NR the images at 12800 weren't all that bad.


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## grafxman (Nov 10, 2013)

Juga said:


> goodguy said:
> 
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> > grafxman said:
> ...



Thanks a lot for that info Juga.


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## ranuy (Nov 11, 2013)

70D is better


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## Juga (Nov 11, 2013)

ranuy said:


> 70D is better



How? The question is subjective. I shoot mostly static objects and the 70D simply will not out perform the 6D in low light...really the only thing the 70D has on the 6D is AF...even the FPS won't outrun the buffer of the 6D in the long run. The OP asked about low light...So let Arnold stick to the one liners.

grafxman you're welcome


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## o hey tyler (Nov 11, 2013)

ranuy said:


> 70D is better


No.


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## Rocketman1978 (Nov 11, 2013)

I had the 7D and now have the 6D, difference is astonishing.  I never planned to go FF since this is merely a hobby for me but my house is so dang dark (high ceilings) and I wanted to rectify that with something that just eats light, hence my 6D purchase.  I could not be happier.


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## grafxman (Nov 11, 2013)

Rocketman1978 said:


> I had the 7D and now have the 6D, difference is astonishing.  I never planned to go FF since this is merely a hobby for me but my house is so dang dark (high ceilings) and I wanted to rectify that with something that just eats light, hence my 6D purchase.  I could not be happier.



Exactly the same experience here. I'm trying to avoid buying another 6D. I prefer using an APS-C camera with my extreme zoomies but the noise situation with the 7D is killing me. I have to use the view screen to focus the SigMonster with a doubler and that's a pain that could possibly be avoided with a 70D. I wouldn't really expect the 70D to do as well in high ISOs as the 6D but I'm hoping it would be substantially better than the 7D. I would really hate to buy a 70D only to discover that it's just marginally better than the 7D at handling high ISOs.


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## DarkShadow (Nov 11, 2013)

ranuy said:


> 70D is better



No. The 6D is full frame Much bigger sensor then crop sensor of 70D for better light gathering and much lower high ISO noise.


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## Juga (Nov 11, 2013)

grafxman said:


> Rocketman1978 said:
> 
> 
> > I had the 7D and now have the 6D, difference is astonishing.  I never planned to go FF since this is merely a hobby for me but my house is so dang dark (high ceilings) and I wanted to rectify that with something that just eats light, hence my 6D purchase.  I could not be happier.
> ...



I can send you some samples if you'd like.


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## grafxman (Nov 11, 2013)

Juga said:


> grafxman said:
> 
> 
> > Rocketman1978 said:
> ...



I wouldn't mind seeing some 70D photos shot in low light at 6400 and 12800 ISO that have not had any noise reduction work done on them or perhaps some before and after noise reduction. Anything over 3200 in the 7D gives large red dots that jaggies the image. I just use Canon's DPP software. When processing thousands of photos like I do I can't muck about with some fancy complicated software. Just post them in flickr if possible so I can see the EXIF info. Thanks in advance Juga.


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## TCampbell (Nov 12, 2013)

You're going to need precisely calibrated scientific testing equipment to notice the difference in ISO performance between a 7D, 70D, 60D, or even a T2i/T3i/T4i/T5i.  It's not that there isn't a difference... it's just that it's so subtle that you're not going to casually notice the difference.  Effectively they will all "seem" to be about the same.

However... the ISO performance of a 5D II, 6D, 5D III, or 1D-X will be extremely obvious.

Part of the reason for this is because is because when it comes down to it... it's the physical size of an individual "photo site" on the sensor that makes the biggest difference and large full-format sensors have physically larger photo-sites.  That makes them more efficient collectors of photons.

This is also one of the motivations behind the idea of "binning".  For example, 2x2 "binning" means you use a 2x2 matrix (four photo-sites in all) and treat them as if they were just one.  Noise elimination is a Poisson distribution/regression.  The ability to knock down noise is based on the square root of the number of samples you take.  The square root of 4 is 2.  Which means if you take 4 samples, you can do twice as good at knocking back the noise.


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## grafxman (Nov 12, 2013)

So Tim, I guess what you're saying is that I should just go ahead, bite the bullet and buy another 6D. My wallet screams in agony. :no smile:


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## TCampbell (Nov 12, 2013)

grafxman said:


> So Tim, I guess what you're saying is that I should just go ahead, bite the bullet and buy another 6D. My wallet screams in agony. :no smile:



Yes, but you have to do things in the correct order.  

FIRST act like you're planning to buy a new 1D X.  Look at the price tag.  THEN buy the 6D and act like you just saved a whole lot of money.  

The amount you spend will still be the same, but for some reason you feel a whole lot better once you realize how much you could have spent.  ;-)

Incidentally... looks like the 7D II is now expected "sometime" in the first half of 2014.


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## grafxman (Nov 12, 2013)

TCampbell said:


> grafxman said:
> 
> 
> > So Tim, I guess what you're saying is that I should just go ahead, bite the bullet and buy another 6D. My wallet screams in agony. :no smile:
> ...



Thanks for the info Tim. I think I'll wait for a while and see what the 7D Mk II looks like.


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