Canon EOS 6D Verdict and Video Review

Just like the BMW 3 series, Canon introduces entry level full frame luxury with the 20 megapixel Canon EOS 6D with a street price under $2000. In the EOS full frame lineup, the Canon EOS 6D is the smallest and least expensive compared to the venerable Canon 5D Mark III and the ultimate Canon flagship, the 1DX.



To the majority of DSLR owners, the lesser expensive APS-C cropped sensor sits comfortably in their camera bag. Why full frame then? Full frame means a true focal length equivalent of your lenses. A wide angle 14mm lens with a full frame sensor will give that extra wide reach for landscapes and architecture. The larger surface area of a full frame sensor produces a dreamier background bokeh with your glass compared to cropped sensors. A must for portrait photographers.



Enough of the "why?" and now more to the "what?"...The Canon EOS 6D touts a 20 megapixel CMOS sensor with a DIGIC 5+ processor to keep up with the 4.5fps shutter rate. The smaller form factor of the Canon 6D is just about the body equivalent of the Canon 60D. Also like the 60D, the Canon 6D has only a single Secure Digital memory card slot. Similar to the rest of Canon full frames, no built in flash. The Canon 6D has a 97% viewfinder coverage with interchangeable screens to satisfy most demanding photographers.



The Canon EOS 6D is the first Canon DSLR with built in Wi-Fi connectivity to mobile devices and GPS capability. With the free Canon EOS Remote App for both Apple and Android operating systems, you can remotely control, capture and view images on your Apple iPad or even a Samsung Galaxy Tablet. For social media fanatics out there, you can photograph in full frame glory and wirelessly transfer your images directly to your Apple iPhone's Camera Roll. Fuzzy cellphone Facebook pictures are now things of the past...



A true test for ISO capability is a tungsten lit portrait at ISO 3200. In the usual Canon fashion, ISO 3200 is nice and clean with wonderful skin tone and detail. The Canon EOS 6D boasts an expandable ISO range of 100 to 102800. Enough range for even the faint of heart...



He shoots, he scores! The Canon EOS 6D has 11 AF points to satisfy most soccer moms and dads. The 11 AF points does not compare to the flagship Canon 1D series, but the sports photography performance of the Canon 6D is decent in my opinion. With my Canon EF 70-200mm f/4 IS lens set at wide open, I was able to track my son with any of the 11 AF points in the viewfinder with no problem.



Now for the video nitty gritty. A dedicated selectable video/still record button gets you up and running for multiple resolution HD video with your choice of ALL-I or IPB compression. The Canon 6D touts the extended record time up to 29 minutes and 29 seconds with built in Time Code. Only one SDHC memory card slot for all those disappointed redundancy fans. Low light video capability? ISO 3200 is nice and clean. The Canon EOS 6D HDMI output is a selectable info overlay cropped 1080i signal that does not black out when you press the record button. An audio input allows external stereo microphones for dual channels of manually adjustable audio but of course no headphone jack to monitor audio like the Canon 5D Mark III. Ugh!



How about aliasing and moire? I pointed the Canon EOS 6D in the direction of busy textured surfaces such as brick walls, patio screens and landscape foliage with no success. Despite all the online reviewers out there, in my honest opinion I found no horrible or distracting aliasing and moire with my practical hands on review. Other than the usual CMOS jello shutter and vertical smearing of fast moving objects, the Canon EOS 6D is a quality FULL HD DSLR.



My Canon EOS 6D video review opinion? The Canon EOS 6D has outstanding full frame video quality but of course no headphone jack for true video fans like the more expensive Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Entry level is entry level, full frame or not...Is almost $1000 a worthy upgrade to the Canon 5D Mark III for audio monitoring ? IMHO, YES!!! For aspiring filmmakers upgrading from a Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D to glorious full frame affordability of the Canon EOS 6D? Of course, an astounding YES !!!.



My Canon EOS 6D verdict? The Canon EOS 6D is a full frame still image powerhouse that caters to old school 35mm photographers. Now considered "Dinosaurs" of our time, still photographers cherish a picture worth a thousand words. Despite all the fancy gadgetry and Full HD video, the Canon EOS 6D shines as a phenomenal still image maker with outstanding resolution and low light capability. The extras are for the other 99%.



You can view more pictures and videos in my Canon EOS 6D Verdict and Video Review Gallery shot with the Canon EOS 6D paired with the Canon EF 35mm f/1.4L, EF 24-105mm f/4L IS and the 70-200mm f/4L IS lenses.



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Canon EOS 6D Video Test

Patience is a virtue. The lure of full frame sensor DSLRs is now a step closer to reality for all those drooling APS-C sensor owners. The new Canon EOS 6D is the latest addition to Canon's full frame DSLR lineup along with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III and the flagship Canon EOS 1DX.



Categorized as an entry level full frame DSLR in a compact form factor, the Canon EOS 6D packs a mighty punch with a 20 megapixel sensor, DIGIC 5+ processor, 4.5fps shutter, 1080p video with full manual control and selectable compression and the first Canon DSLR built in Wi-Fi and GPS connectivity. Enough of the pleasantries, more of the good stuff later in my upcoming Canon EOS 6D Verdict and Video Review. Let us move on to video!



My brief Canon EOS 6D experience was the direct result from my friends at North Tampa Photography. With Canon EOS 6D in hand, I quickly shot some video to get some hands on time with this Canon 60D sized body with a full frame sensor. A big sensor means wonderful and dreamy bokeh with a true lens focal length equivalent in the viewfinder. A must for popping portraits and wide detailed landscapes. Full frame ROCKS !



Now for the video nitty gritty. A dedicated selectable video/still record button gets you up and running for multiple resolution HD video with your choice of ALL-I or IPB compression. The Canon 6D touts the extended record time up to 29 minutes and 29 seconds with built in Time Code. Only one SDHC memory card slot for all those disappointed redundancy fans. Low light capability? ISO 3200 is nice and clean. The Canon EOS 6D HDMI output is a selectable info overlay cropped 1080i signal that does not black out when you press the record button. An audio input allows external stereo microphones for dual channels of manually adjustable audio but of course no headphone jack to monitor audio like the Canon 5D Mark III. Ugh!



How about aliasing and moire? I pointed the Canon EOS 6D in the direction of busy textured surfaces such as brick walls, patio screens and landscape foliage with no success. Despite all the online reviewers out there, in my honest opinion I found no horrible or distracting aliasing and moire with my practical hands on review. Other than the usual CMOS jello shutter and vertical smearing of fast moving objects, the Canon EOS 6D is a quality FULL HD DSLR.



My Canon EOS 6D video review conclusion? The Canon EOS 6D has outstanding full frame video quality but of course no headphone jack for true video fans like the more expensive Canon EOS 5D Mark III. Entry level is entry level, full frame or not...Is almost $1000 a worthy upgrade to the Canon 5D Mark III for audio monitoring ? IMHO, YES!!! For aspiring filmmakers upgrading from a Canon EOS Rebel T4i/650D to glorious full frame affordability of the Canon EOS 6D? Of course, an astounding YES !!!.



There is more full frame goodness of the new Canon EOS 6D in my upcoming Canon EOS 6D Verdict and Video Review. Stay updated with the latest Canon 6D updates by Becoming a Fan on my Facebook Fan Page and following me on Twitter!

***UPDATE***

My Canon EOS 6D Verdict and Video Review is posted with my full evaluation with ISO comparisons, more images and video tests.

Click here for more...Canon EOS 6D Verdict and Video Review

Apple iPhone 4S Experience and Video Test

Where did everybody go? The Apple iPhone 4S launch day did not have the crowds, lines and chaos like last year. My early morning trip discovered a vast empty wasteland at the AT&T store. I walked in and was immediately helped by a salesperson to my long awaited Apple iPhone 4S. No line, no wait and no chaos.



The record one million Apple iPhone 4S online preorders may have sucked all the potential Apple mobs from retail stores including the local Apple Store. My failed online preorder at the Apple website forced my iPhone 4S purchase at AT&T. My pleasant AT&T store experience was in stark contrast to last year's 3 hour and 45 minute wait at the Apple Store for the previous iPhone 4 release.



What is all the buzz about? The new Apple iPhone 4S with the new iOS 5 operating system has over 200 new features. The new iPhone 4S has the new dual core A5 processor like the iPad 2. For photographers, the new iPhone 4S sports a 8 megapixel camera with a f/2.4 lens. On top of that, the dual core A5 chip with iOS 5 enables an amazing camera one half second recycle rate. I know it is not 10 fps but for all those Facebook photographers, it is a welcome new feature. For HD DSLR purists, the new iPhone 4S features 1080p video with built in image stabilization.



There are more Apple employees than customers on launch day. Apple prepared this year for the onslaught of questions of all the new iPhone 4S features like the virtual assistant "Siri". I even looked around the corner of the Apple Store for a waiting hidden crowd but I just saw vast emptiness. The Apple store went through the early morning crowd of at least 100 people very quickly. Kudos!



Now for the good stuff. I manage to capture some quick images and video clips with the new Apple iPhone 4S today. I wanted to try the new f/2.4 lens and the 8 megapixel resolution for still pictures. Completely handheld for all the shots, I wanted to test the new built in "image stabilization" feature for 1080p video as well.



The Apple iPhone 4S 8 megapixel camera verdict on image quality is quite amazing to say the least. The color, sharpness and resolution are all there in my test shots. I was expecting soft, excessive color fringing on highlights and not so great phone pictures. The Apple iPhone 4S still images are equal to or better than budget point and shoot digital cameras. You will be impressed.



As for my Apple iPhone 4S video verdict, I give a thumbs up on 1080p video quality but a disappointing thumbs down on the new "image stabilization" feature. I was expecting stabilization like in my Canon ELPH 300 HS point and shoot but all I got was a very minimal stabilizing effect on my Apple iPhone 4S video capture. I already ordered a $20 Apple iPhone 4S tripod mount to solve this problem.



Despite the lack of considerable in camera stabilization for video, the 1080p video quality is breathtaking. The 1080p video above was shot completely handheld with the Apple iPhone 4S at 30fps and edited with Apple iMovie'09. I used Quicktime to compress a 600mb h264 video file for Youtube. I apologize for the shakiness but as soon as my iPhone 4S tripod mount comes in, I will shoot a better video.



You can view more pictures and videos for yourself in my Apple iPhone 4S Experience and Video Test Gallery. You can be the judge whether the new Apple iPhone 4S is worth your coin. The 1080p video and 8 megapixel images got me sold.



Stay updated with the latest gear like the new Apple iPhone 4S by becoming a Fan on my Facebook Fan Page and following me on Twitter!

Newly Announced Apple iPhone 4S

Apple CEO, Tim Cook announced the much anticipated Apple iPhone 4S today from Cupertino, California. To everybody's surprise, the successor to the iPhone 4 was not called iPhone 5. Just like previous generations of the iPhone, the "S" designation for "speed" is just tacked on the end of the fourth generation label. All the fanfare and hoopla preceding the iPhone event makes the new iPhone 4S name very anti climactic.



As you noticed, the pictures above are from the last Apple iPhone 4 release. I used the pictures because the new iPhone 4S has the same exact body. Same glass front and back with the same button placement. The good news is your iPhone 4 case will fit the new iPhone 4S. Hooray!



Now for the nitty gritty. The new iPhone 4S has the new dual core A5 processor like the iPad 2. For photographers, the new iPhone 4S sports a 8 megapixel camera with a f/2.4 lens. On top of that, the dual core A5 chip with iOS 5 enables an amazing camera one half second recycle rate. I know it is not 10 fps but for all those Facebook photographers, it is a welcome new feature. For HD DSLR purists, the new iPhone 4S features 1080p video with built in image stabilization. Wow! The new optics combined with the new noise reduction feature should give an astounding HD video and not so grainy high resolution pictures.



Convinced yet? You will have to preorder on October 7th, 2011 and wait in line for your iPhone 4S at your local Apple store on October 14th, 2011. All the high res pics and HD video will not overload your iPhone because there is finally a 64gb model to soak up all that goodness. So, the 64gb iPhone 4S is $399, the 32gb iPhone 4S is $299 and the 16gb iPhone 4S is $199. The best news is the previous iPhone 4 8gb is now $99 and the very old iPhone 3GS 8gb is now free with new contract. What a bargain!



I will probably be waiting in line with the rest of the world on October 14th for the new "World" iPhone 4S. The new Apple iPhone 4S has both GSM and CDMA built in, so it can reach all wireless carriers like AT&T, Sprint and Verizon. Former Apple CEO Steve Jobs may have gotten his ultimate wish for every man, woman and child to have an iPhone in their hand. My children certainly agree!



Here is my Apple iPhone 4 unboxing Youtube video from a year ago. Your new Apple iPhone 4S will look exactly the same.

You can also check out my Apple iPhone 4 Unboxing Gallery.

Stay updated on this Apple iPhone 4S product release, become a Fan on my Facebook Fan Page and follow me on Twitter!

Canon EOS Rebel T3i Video Preview

It is no coincidence that today's delivery of the new Canon EOS Rebel T3i from my friends at North Tampa Photography marks the identical delivery date of the Canon EOS Rebel T2i a year ago on February 25th. A year makes a big difference. Introducing the top of the line Canon Rebel series HD DSLR, the T3i/600D. I quickly snapped some iPhone 4 pictures and captured some iPhone 4 video to quickly post to my waiting ChadSorianoPhotoBlog fans.



The most obvious feature to the top of the line Rebel is the articulation screen. At first exclusive to the Canon HD DSLR 60D, the very useful multi-angle LCD gives the small form factor Rebel a great feature.



In addition to the articulating Hi-Res LCD, the Canon EOS Rebel T3i has remote flash control like the 60D and the 7D. On top of that, you also get 1080p fully manual video capture and fully manual audio control. Unbelievable!



I edited the iPhone 4 video of the new Canon EOS Rebel T3i with Adobe Premiere Elements 9. I used Quicktime at best quality to compress a 160mb h264 video file.
Stay updated by becoming a Fan on my Facebook page and following me on Twitter for the upcoming review of the new Canon EOS Rebel T3i on ChadSorianoPhotoBlog.

UPDATE: My Canon EOS Rebel T3i Verdict and Video Review is complete.

iPhone 4 JailBreak Has Arrived !!!

Finally! iPhone 4 users are no longer prisoners of their own smartphone. iPhone 4 firmware 4.0.1 put a stronghold on current iPhone owners who wanted to break free from AT&T and Apple iTunes Store. If you go to JailBreakMe.com on your Apple device with Safari, you can download and JailBreak your iPhone 4 with a quick slide of the unlock bar.



On June 24, 2010 the iPhone 4 was released to the masses across the nation at local Apple Stores, Best Buys, AT&T Stores and other outlets. I personally waited over 4 hours in line for my pre-ordered iPhone 4. You can see the photos and videos in my iPhone 4 Unboxing at Apple Store Gallery.



Good luck and have a happy iPhone 4 JailBreak!

Happy Birthday Madeline !

At exactly 3:35pm my life changed into something I could never have imagined. Only 6 months prior to this defining moment of my daughter's arrival, I could merely see shadows and outlines.



Happy Birthday Madeline! Special could only describe the overwhelming feeling of seeing your smile for the first time. Your constant beaming from birth until this very day shines with your forever kindness and good will.



Fairy Tales do come true and my Princess has arrived to my Kingdom wearing a jeweled crown and a pink gown. You are forever mine.



Best of friends illustrates your bond with your younger brother. He desires your knowledge on how to manipulate Mommy and Daddy for wanton tasks.



You have matured into a beautiful young girl with a gorgeous smile and an affable personality. I am blessed to be your Father and to have you as the daughter of our family.



Your Mom unconditionally loves you with all her heart and will do her best to guide you in the most motherly way.



You are the sojourner of everything pink, manicured nails and Yummy House Noodles.



Your family wishes you a very Happy Birthday!



This is a blast from the past! A standard definition 4:3 video shot with the Sony PD150 and edited with Final Cut Pro 4. It was the dawn of affordable 3 CCD video cameras and professional grade non linear editing software for aspiring film makers. We just love everything Hawaii!



And everything Italian! Of course, this video is shot with the Canon EOS Rebel T2i and 5D Mark II in High Definition 1080p quality and edited with Final Cut Pro 6.

iPhone 4 Experience !

4 hours later I finally made it to the final stretch of inside the store to get the long awaited and anticipated Apple iPhone 4. There is way too many to list but the major features I was looking for are the HD 720p video, 5mp camera and the amazing Facetime feature.



My wife was taking the last round of iPhone 3GS photos before its deactivation and posting them on Facebook. My son and daughter were also drooling over the iPhone 4 as well.



The one thing I did bring with me for this 4 hour adventure was my Canon EOS 1D Mark IV. I snapped some shots and recorded some video of the iPhone 4 unboxing. With a quick edit with iMovie'09, I created a 1080p video of my iPhone 4 experience.



You can view photos and videos in my iPhone 4 Experience Gallery.