The 6D is clearly aimed at tempting APS-C owners to upgrade to full frame, but here Canon has given itself another problem. Its EF-S lenses simply won’t fit on the 6D, so users with a decent collection – perhaps the 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM, 15-85mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM and 60mm f/2.8 Macro USM – will have to buy a new lens set to use with it. At which point the barrier to switching systems becomes rather lower, and the temptation to change brands stronger. On the other hand, let’s not forget that Canon’s EF lens lineup is very strong indeed, with a large number of reasonably-affordable fast primes to go alongside the workhorse ‘L’ series zooms, and more-esoteric optics such as the unique MP-E 65mm f/2.5 1-5x Macro.

Overall, though, it’s difficult to shake the feeling that the EOS 6D simply lacks the ‘wow’ factor of its main rival. Whereas Nikon seems to have taken the approach of taking away as little as possible from D800 when creating the D600, Canon appears almost to have gone the other way, removing as much as it thinks it can get away with at the price. The result is the kind of conservative, slightly unimaginative design that’s become the company’s hallmark. It’s still bound to be a very good camera, of course; just perhaps not quite as good as it could be.

Still looks like a pretty solid upgrade from my Rebel T2i. (thanks Shawn)