Camera technology in practical comparison, old versus new – c’t Fotografie issue 5/2023

In the current c’t Photography, Katja Seidel clarifies the question of whether it always has to be the latest technology to take impressive photos. In issue 5/2023, she compares the current Canon EOS R6 Mark II (current market price: around 2,900 euros) with its siblings, the Canon EOS 6D and EOS 70D, which are around ten years older (current used prices: around 300 to 450 euros each). Disciplines compete against each other. She is not interested in exact laboratory results, but rather in real experiences and tips from practice. Seidel compares the performance of the cameras in astrophotography, wildlife photography and sports photography. Depending on the subject, the sensors are tested and their signal amplification, the performance of the autofocus and the limits of the live view compared to the optical viewfinder.

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Even if the camera is ten years old, it doesn’t have to go into electronic waste. If you know how, you can still take good photos even with old technology.

How pronounced the image noise is depends, among other things, on the size of the sensor as well as the size and distance of the pixels (pixel pitch or pixel element pitch). Full-frame sensors with low to medium resolution often have an advantage in this discipline. But does this also apply if there are ten years of technical development between two cameras? To do this, she compares a night shot of the Canon EOS 6D with 20.2 megapixels (pixel pitch: 6.6 µm) with that of the Canon EOS R6 Mark II with an effective 24.2 megapixels (pixel pitch: 6.0 µm).

Although clouds and fog are enemies in astrophotography, they were quite practical for the comparison because the image noise is particularly pronounced in such image areas. The first thing that is noticeable is that – when using the same lens and identical settings – the unprocessed raw of the EOS R6 II is slightly brighter than that of the EOS 6D. This effect increases with increasing ISO values, which ultimately leads to a greater brightening of the shadows in dark areas of the image and thus more visible noise with the more modern camera.

Regardless of this, the noise behavior of both cameras is almost identical in the astrotypical ISO ranges between ISO 1600 and ISO 6400. The camera, which is almost ten times as expensive, has no advantage over the “oldie” in this discipline.

You can read how the cameras fare in other comparisons in the current issue of c’t Fotografie.

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Portfolio: Vanessa Leißring

With Petrol Stations, Vanessa Leißring documents gas stations as mythical transit places at night. Your images shine and impress with their clarity and color.

Other topics in the issue

wilderness in the city. Wildlife photographers often travel long distances. This is often unnecessary because the biodiversity in the city is surprisingly high and the lighting conditions are different than in the country.

Insider tips for the X-Mount. Fujifilm’s range of lenses for the X bayonet is extensive. Almost all optics offer excellent imaging performance, but are expensive. We looked at cheap alternatives.

Perfect light with reflectors. A folding reflector is inexpensive, light and belongs in every camera bag. You can use it to improve the lighting effect in your recordings in no time at all.

Choose the right reflector. The range of reflectors and diffusers is large. The price range extends from less than ten euros to the four-digit range. We advise on the purchase.

You can get the current issue of c’t Fotografie (5/2023) for 12.90 euros in the heise shop. There you will also see a complete overview of the contents and information about the exclusive online additional material that we offer via a clearly designed user interface, as well as preview images and the editorial. The ePaper and the edition for Amazon Kindle each cost 12.49 euros.

Tip: Anyone who subscribes to c’t Photography can receive our newsletter every Saturday upon request. Registration here.

(tho)

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