New camera time?
 

Hi,
Currently I have a Canon 700D crop sensor camera.
It's served me well, I love using it and it's been all over the world with me.
Mostly coupled to a rather flexible Tamron super zoom lens. (10-200)
Sometimes I shoot macro and rather more recently a Sigma 10-20 lens, which I do not like so much. The images never seem very sharp.

I love to shoot at night, stars, traffic, towns and cities, as well as the sea and dramatic waves. I use ND filters a lot as really enjoy long exposure photography.

About a month ago, my trusty 700D got soaked. I was photographing a stormy sea when a wave took me by surprise. My own fault and lesson learned.
Since then there are spots on some of my images. I clean them up in photoshop so it's no big issue, but knowing the effects of salt on circuit boards, I don't hold out much hope for the future of my camera.

So, having had the 700D for nearly three years, I've been thinking of upgrading and here I come looking for advice.

I want to see an improvement in my photos by upgrading.
By that I mean so I can actually see and justify the costs involved!
I want a weather sealed body for shooting by the sea and better noise control.
I have my eye on a Canon 6D Mk2, but at £1400 I want to be sure I'm doing the right thing.
I know that I need to consider weather sealed lenses as well.

Any advice?

Hi Phil,

Just remember when you go full frame you won't be able to use EF-S lenses if you have any.
If you do upgrade to weather sealed 'L' lenses that would be good but also not sure how weather sealed your choice of camera body is. Might be worth investigating if you haven't already.

Having just got a full frame body myself........I'm pretty sure you will not regret it:}

P.s. Have you tried cleaning your sensor?
Might get rid of the spots on your images.

It's been 5 years since I sold a camera, and have not followed updates so am very rusty in terms of specs. but I will throw my tuppence worth in (and what I would have advised when I was selling).

I may be wrong with the 6Dmk2 but the current and last gen 5 and 6Ds are not weather proof (most weather proofing came via the lens (in the form of rubber seals on the L series). From my own experience, you will be reluctant to be using them in anything more than a slight shower, so weather proofing should be well down on your list of spec. Besides, there are many 'rain covers' for doing this though, one coming to mind by a brand called Kata . I have one, but it is a bit of a faff. Whilst at the GP last year during a very heavy downpour, I used a good quality carrier bag with a decent rubber band and a hole for the lens to poke through. It worked very well, and suggest carrying in your camera bag as they take up less space than the Kata type ones.

Again I may be wrong, but way back when ...... , the 5D was the higher model, and for what you shoot, I would give greater consideration on the 5 rather than the 6, as it is (or rather was) geared towards portrait and landscape shooting, with the 6 being more of a compromise for the enthusiast. For long exposures, the 5D mk2 was considered better than the 6D (mk1 - remember 5 years ago lol). the 6D being an entry into full frame, with the 5D being aimed more at the pro and semi pro market. Whether this still applies I do not know, but can imagine it does.

As Jeff states any EFS lenses will not work(you will actually damage the mirror), although you will be able to use the Sigma and Tamron, they will be heavily compromised at wide ends. I would factor in a 24-70, and 70-200 lens.

And again as Jeff says, consider cleaning the sensor, but as it is salt water, make sure you use a very good quality wet cleaning system, the salt could still easily scratch the sensor. (I know you are concerned about the circuitry inside, but it would do no harm to have a back up or secondary camera in the bag).

Incidentally, to get the best out of the 10-20 Sigma, it really needs to be used in the middle of the aperture range, from around f11 - 18. From memory it falls off quickly outside this range.

Thanks very much for the replies guys.
I've done quite a bit of reading up and from what I've read, the 6d Mark 2 does have weather sealing on a par with the 5d.
I wouldn't be shooting in the rain anyway, it's more moisture from the sea that worries me.
Often when I'm shooting anywhere near the sea my lens gets quite salty, as do my glasses.
So really, it's to safeguard it from that.

I have two crop sensor lenses, the kit lens my 700d came with and my wide angle sigma 10-20.
My other lenses are all full frame.

I was thinking about getting a 24-105 L canon lens and primarily using that.
It's just all incredibly expensive.


I know I will use it and enjoy it though. I love my 700d to bits but there's just some things I can't do with it very well. (star photography...)
If it was weather sealed, had better ISO control then I'd be happy with it and not be thinking about changing it.


Regarding my sigma 10-20 lens, I use it normally at F11. Nothing is ever really crisp.

Hi Phil, no one has mentioned this, but if you check the camera and lens on YouTube for weather sealing, you might see some examples of the camera/lenses being put through its paces. I have only ever had one bad experience of using a Sony Video Camera on motor boat in the rain out on a lake and the LCD screen packed up. It had to be replaced, it was not weather sealed. As you live close to the sea, I can understand your concerns. Happy hunting :}

I have a 5D MkII and it’s an excellent camera. Granted I don’t shoot next to the sea but I shoot with a 17-40mm L and 24-105mm L now as EF-S won’t work as Jeff pointed out.
Modern cameras are cheap and plastic now, the old robust magnesium bodies went out after the 50D. As daft as it sounds, when I’m sat in the rain waiting for the Kingfisher, a sandwich bag and elastic bands works as well as you need.
In all honesty, the 700D is still more than a capable unit for what you’re doing, I’d have it professionally cleaned and in the meantime start saving for its replacement in a year or two. Aside from looking through a massive full frame viewfinder, and greater ISO, the 6D is gonna be a big investment with EF lenses

I have a Pentax KS-2 it is weather sealed very compact and take very good photos, it is well made very compact, and can be used with all Pentax manual lenses, no other manufacturer offers this. Also consider the K-70, also a great camera, and if money is no object my choice will be a K-1 legendary super camera, everything you want in a super strong magnesium alloy body with every feature that you will ever need.

Thanks a lot guys.
I did actually see a video of some guy pouring water into the lens mount to show just how unwater resistant they are...
Seems a strange thing for someone to do, I can only assume the camera was already broken.. I certainly hope so.


I have no plans to part with the 700D and plan to use it as a secondary camera.
I will also be getting the sensor cleaned when I can find a local photography place to do it.

I think I'm pretty confident with my camera and like to think I know what I'm doing, so will I see better quality images by switching full frame?
The attraction of being able to use ISO over 400 seems pretty attractive.

Sorry, I missed your post.

I've not really looked at Pentax before.
Based on what you've said I will have to read up.
What's lens availability like?

I have heard that they are very well made.

In a word (or two).................Oh Yes;)