The Best Camera for Landscape Photography?

OK - so full disclosure - it's the one I own so you might expect it, but I've tried a few and think this has to be the main contender. Plus we're really talking Canon here, the Nikon equivalent is the D610, but when I started looking for the right landscape photography camera I was already in the Canon world.

I've now been using the Canon EOS 6D regularly for 3 years and it's been a brilliant tool to capture landscape photography and a host of other situations. You might say 'Wait!...what about Sony?' and I would say yup, if you want to buy a Sony A7r then get one.

The truth is you can capture a really great landscape photo with all sorts of cameras including your phone or whatever camera you have with you - and if Trey Ratcliff uses Sony for his main camera then who the heck am I to argue with that - but to be honest I want to talk about the Canon 6D because it's been my workhorse and trusty sidekick. Also crucially when you take the price into account, I think it just might be the best camera for landscape photography available, possibly even as an all rounder.

Ergonomics

When you're out and about, the size and weight of a camera is really important. The Canon 6D fits really well in the hand and the grip balances happily on two fingers while I wander around. It's still a full size DSLR so it has some weight, but compared to the 5D it's noticeably lighter. I went on a walk with a 5D for a few hours and I carried it in hand most of the way, it did start to feel really heavy after a while and I noticed a significant difference when I hiked with the 6D.

When you're walking in the hills and you don't need a tripod, then the 6D with a 17-40mm f4 lens is such a nice little combo that you can use for hours without getting tired. OK so the Sony A7r is even lighter, but it's not cheap, just the thought of the weight of all that extra money would be enough to put you off a nice walk...

Image Quality

The thing that swung it for me, was the sensor in the 6D is exactly the same as in the 5D Mark iii. So if you think that extra money for the superior model is buying you more quality then you'd be wrong. What it does buy you is a much better focussing system, a slightly higher burst rate and a headphones socket. For a lot of instances those things are going to be really important, but take both out into the mountains and it's a very different story. If you think the images on this website are high enough quality then you'll be happy with the 6D.

When the sun sets and you're out there with your tripod in ever decreasing light, the 6D will match the 5D in terms of digital noise and focussing ability. In fact, the single focussing point at the centre of the 6D is slightly more advanced than the 5D so it focusses a little bit better in very low light situations. I've used this feature on countless occasions and I can happily confirm it performs extremely well in the dark.

Wast-Water, Lake District, UK. (Canon 6D)

WiFi and GPS

Well.. honestly? Frustrating. Nobody uses them.

OK, to be fair I have connected a few times to my phone and used that as a remote control for the camera, which was actually pretty cool. In situations where you're waiting around for a long time and the camera is down really low, then you can happily shoot and review the shots sitting on a nearby rock. But most of the time you forget your password, the connection process take so long you forget why you're even there and ultimately you just wish it had a flippy-out screen. So lets just keep quiet and forget about that bit.

Cost

The big one. Ultimately this is the reason the 6D exists and possibly the reason why it's the best. It is a 5D really, but Canon just took away some of the more expensive features. What you're left with is most of the body and features of one of the most popular cameras in the world....for $1,000 less!

So the question you're left with is: Am I a sports photographer? Am I a wedding photographer?

If the answer to both those questions is 'No', then you should probably own a 6D.

Conclusion

Travelling to various locations with the Canon 6D over the last few years has been a really great chance to get to know this camera and it's become one of those pieces of gear that you come to rely on without thinking. There were some days when I took an entire backpack of lenses and batteries, but I could have got 90% of the shots just carrying the camera with a 24-105mm lens and throwing it in a smaller bag. It's rugged (like all the pro DSLR's), it's taken a few knocks and been dropped in the snow etc, but it's survived happily and carries on working as good as new producing excellent quality images well passed a 50,000 shutter count.

At night as a landscape camera it carries on works brilliantly and by day it will capture people and wildlife happily (as long as the action isn't too high speed). It's also a fantastic walk-around city camera and with the right selection of lenses it really can be the only camera you'll ever need.

So... all I can say is if you like the images on this site and you're looking for a camera in a mid-range budget, I really don't know what you're waiting for. [Get it on Amazon]

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Canon EOS 6D with 24-105mm Lens

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