Digic 5 vs Digic 6: Which One is the Better Processor?

It’s super confusing! 

Well, we’re talking about so many processor models with consecutive numbers. You see, even review forums don’t help when people are only arguing over their favorites. 

So, which one to pick if it comes to Digic 5 vs Digic 6?

The Digic 6 processor provides better performance compared to Digic 5 processor. It performs better in terms of noise reduction, low light, frame rate, etc. However, the Digic 5 provides higher adjustments than digic 6. Therefore, it adjusts lighting and provides a natural-looking image. 

But that’s only the preview. We’ll discuss more in the next sections. 

So, stay with us for more essentials!

Canon Digic 5 vs Digic 6: Quick Comparison

Wondering what’s the difference between Digic 5 and Digic 6 processors?

Here’s a quick comparison of some important features. Such as low light sensor, fps, noise reduction and night vision, etc. These factors will help you compare which wins between a Digic 5 processor and a Digic 6 sensor. 

Let’s have a quick look-

Factors	Digic 5	Digic 6
Release year	Introduced in 2011	Introduced in 2013
Low light performance	Provides lower low light performance	Provides higher low light performance
Frame rate	Has a lower capture rate and frame rate. Can’t increase the frame rate.	Has a higher capture rate and frame rate. Can increase frame rate at certain mode.
Noise Reduction	Has lower noise reduction in photos	Has higher noise reduction in photos
Autofocus	No improved autofocus and reduced lags	Improved autofocus and reduced lags
Price	Order Now!	Order Now!

Well, whether you love numbers or not, I bet you’ll love the following chart. Because here we’ve rated the two processors on a 1-5 range for your better understanding!

Let’s take a look-

Things will get more interesting from here. So let’s explore everything in the following sections-

Canon Digic 6 vs Digic 5: Head to Head

Source: https://www.dienmayxanh.com/

We all want the best out of our DSLR cameras. When you’re spending tons on a camera, you’d expect movie-like photographs. 

Of course, skills are important. Plus, you need to maintain a few facts. Such as lighting, accurate positioning and therefore, tripod with proper screwing, etc. 

But your camera matters even more. It should do at least half the job. Your pictures are where specs make the difference. 

Now you might be wondering. Would you get that from a Canon Digic 5 image processor Or from a Digic 6 processor?

Here are the features that make the difference between them – 

FPS & Modes

The Digic 5 point and shoot is at a rate of 10.3 frames/second. This feature is available in compact cameras of Canon.

This frame rate can be achieved in full resolution in specific modes. For example, full HD 1080p videos, high-speed burst HQ. And lastly, intelligent image stabilization. So, this would be a great deal if you’re a novice. 

On the other hand, the Digic 6 point and shoot allows you to take shots up to 14 frames/second. This is basically more than what Digic 5 does. 

So, at 1080p and movie mode, the Digic 6 increases the frame rate to 60 fps. You see, high fps offers smooth pictures. That’s why Digic 6 has the upper hand here.

Nevertheless, you can pair it with a metering timer, and go crazy.

Therefore, Digic 6 would be a great choice for both newbies and professionals. 

Here’s a YouTube video that’s showing the shots by Canon EOS 80D with its Digic 6 image processor. Let’s watch it-

Winner: Digic 6. 

Noise Reduction

As mentioned earlier, Digic 5 produces lower grains and noise. Because it reduces noise appearance by up to 75%. Compared to its predecessor the Digic 4, it is 6x faster.

The Digic 6 can reduce noise at 30 fps, in 720p videos. It has enhanced noise reduction. So you’re getting- faster and higher quality video shooting, with equivalent noise reduction.

In short, Digic 6 drinks up notably more power than Digic 5. Therefore, it has the capacity to automatically perform noise reduction to minimum 720p video. 

Sometimes in 1080p videos as well, however not in the Canon S120. Nonetheless, it’s an amazing feature that’ll help in night video shooting. Moreover, you don’t even need to highly post-process your contents.

Furthermore, you can connect your Digic 6 camera to your PC with the help of a tethering cable. In that case, you can have the live view of your shots. And thus, edit or reduce noise and grains instantly.

So, here are some best quality tethering cable for your convenience- 

Products	How’s it good?	Price
USB Interface Data Transfer Cable	10% faster than any other alternatives	Grab it Now!
USB IFC-400PCU Data Transfer Interface Cable	Reasonable and fast enough	Grab it Now!

Winner: Digic 6.

Light Sensitivity & Night Vision

Source: https://yaoota.com/

The Digic 5 provides up to ISO 1600 to its host devices. So, your pictures will have fewer grains. But this might not be the best choice for taking pictures at night. 

You see, there are devices with higher light sensitivity. In this case, Digic 6 gets the upper hand. Why? 

Because, in the Digic 6 devices, light sensitivity is up to ISO 6400. Also, according to most of the canon Digic 6 review, unlike Digic 5, they perform great in low light. Thus, producing great photos taken at night. 

However, you can slightly up your game with digic 5 in low by getting Speedlite or ring light kit. Some of the light kit you can totally rely on are given below-

• Neewer Ring Light Kit– very durable and compatible with most cameras
• Meike LED Macro Ring Flash– meets higher photography needs

Winner: Digic 6.

White Balance

Digic 5 image processors have an excellent white balance system. It can adjust the light from multiple light sources in a picture. 

Also, this processor is capable of adjusting the light and dark areas to accentuate the subject. And the background as well.

On the other hand, Digic 6 image processor has a conventional white balance system. Also, its higher ISO can produce pictures with more grain and light in the daytime. 

However, its conventional white balance won’t be enough like Digic 5 to fix the contrast of photos. In that case, what we normally do is we pair the camera with a whit balance filter. This actually helps a lot to get your job done smoothly.

So, to help you with we’ve listed some top-notch white balance filter. Let’s take a look- 

JJC Hand-held White Balance Filter	Try Now!
ExpoDisc Professional White Balance Filter	Try Now!

Winner: Digic 5.

Which One to Pick?

Source: https://thenewcamera.com/

If you ask us, we would actually prefer Digic 6. It wins over the Digic 5 in some very important features- light sensitivity, noise reduction, and fps.

The Digic 5 only shines under its white balances system. If you’re looking to get a new processor between these two, go for Digic 6. 

And who makes Digic 6 processors? It’s Canon.

Despite its conventional white balance, it is decently capable of adjusting the light in photos. Unless you’re an expert, you will barely notice the differences. 

So, let’s briefly revise everything again. At this point, undoubtedly you can choose the right one for you. So, let’s take the last call-

Processor	Performance	Price
Digic 5	Better white balance	Shop Now!
Digic 6	Faster processing	Shop Now!

FAQ

What is a Digic Processor?

Digic is an image processor made by Canon. It’s currently used as an ASIC (application-specific integrated circuit) for fast signal processing. Also for operation controlling in its host device. 

How Important is a Processor for Cameras?

Processors have many uses. To summarize, the speed of autofocus and image sensor can affect the overall image quality. Higher the speed of the processor, the more time it spends on image processing. 

What Does a Digic processor Do?

The Digic processor was made by Canon. It adds features such as digital lens optimization, time-lapse movies, and panning mode. Overall, it gives your camera premium features and performance.

Conclusion

And that’s my take on digic 5 vs digic 6 processors.

Lastly, I have a tip for you.

You can switch off your long exposure noise reduction. And you won’t have to wait to see your long exposure photos. This is great for taking raw pictures.

See you next time!