For macro shots, you need a camera, a macro lens, a tripod and a ring flash. Or do you mean landscape photos? 6d vs 5d2 - definitely 6d. A fair price for new 6d is $1600, for 5d2 it is $ 1400. 6d exceeds 5d2 in almost every aspect. So the total cost for camera and lens (if you get 6d) is $1600 + 800 (canon 100mm f/2.8L) = $2400 If your dad does not like a tripod, try to get something light for him - because DSLR is heavy and hard to hand-hold stable. E-M5 + 60mm macro ($1500 total) is a good choice A crop censor camera like 7d is also a good choice. With a 1.6x crop factor, the effective focal lens is 160mm for a 100mm lens - that means your camera won't block light and you can stand further away from the subject