Canon 6D Showing Hideous Moire Problems in Video

Though we are still working on our review of the Canon 6D, Gizmodo just published their Lightning Review and besides the expected nods to the high quality of the stills, the unexpected moire issues they found in video have me frowning.

Gizmodo says that though the still quality is great, "Video, however, is another story. All signs pointed toward the 6D sharing the same great video quality of the 5D MK3. The thing that the 5D3 does so well—that no other DSLR has accomplished—is reducing moire patterns (rainbow-like bands along detailed surfaces). But the 6D fails where the 5D3 prevailed. Moire is rampant. This single failure ruins the 6D as a viable alternative to the 5D3 for professional video."

Blegh. I agree. That looks terrible. We'll keep an eye on this as we wrap up our review of Canon's new body.

[Via Gizmodo]

Jaron Schneider's picture

Jaron Schneider is an Fstoppers Contributor and an internationally published writer and cinematographer from San Francisco, California. His clients include Maurice Lacroix, HD Supply, SmugMug, the USAF Thunderbirds and a host of industry professionals.

Log in or register to post comments
16 Comments

Jeez. How long has Canon been making video cameras?

Long enough to not allow this to happen if they already solved it in another sensor. I'm really disappointed. 

Or better to say, this is intentional... They don't want from you to buy 6D if you can pay for MarkIII ;)

 Considering they also deliberately left out a headphone jack, this is probably true.

if both full frame why is the 5d wider than the 6d?

agree which changes the relationship betwenn lines skipped and lines kept in high requency detail areas. Bad testing, although obviously moire is present

The sensor in the 6D actually measures a few mm shorter than Canons FF sensors. An oddity that has been rather unnoticed in everything other than video

That's disgusting. I don't understand why they keep reintroducing the same flaws over and over again.

Yes, I see the moire.  I also see the same moire on a 5D Mark II.  Interesting how one day the 5D Mark II is the best DSLR for video and the next day its replacement (that offers near identical picture quality) is total crap.  Personally I don't shoot a lot of brick walls so I don't see that much moire.

More importantly, it's unclear whether this video is shot at 1080 or 720.  I tend to see a lot more aliasing ugliness at 720.  Also, it's clear that the 6D is shooting with a sharper in-camera setting.  Knocking the in-camera sharpening all the way down and shooting in a lower contrast picture setting  will likely help as well.

There is also a reason that the 6D costs $1000 less than the 5D Mark III

I'm a 7D owner, very much interested in my first full frame dslr. Is the 5D 2 still a good option or should I just continue my work till I can afford the 5d Mark 3? (God Bless rentals. )

 :) I suggest renting a 5d II body and seeing how you and it mesh. :) A cheaper way to find out if ya like the 5dII, and 5dmkiii.

Just a thought.

Russ

I am suggestion Nikon!

... Magic Lantern ...

D4 has horrible aliasing, D800 has horrible noise performance. The 5D3 is the best video DSLR to date, but is still not exactly "high quality" video. As long as you never point it at a resolution chart, the 5D3 is fine.

Yeah, 250% crop. That's how I watch my videos...

Еven though this looks like moire if stills are ok than it's noise banding which can occur due to higher temperature of the CMOS sensor.

Overheating is logical with video and not so efficient DSLR body.

Additionally - moire is optical issue. That means it should be visible on both stills and video. Something that the Fstoppers say they haven't observed.