Bird Photography with the Canon Mirrorless

I have been fortunate for the last 11 months to shoot extensively with the Canon R5 and R6 mirrorless camera systems with a variety of EF and RF lenses. Most of the outings have been around the Garden route wetlands with waterbirds etc. but I have managed a few sessions in the Kruger National Park.
R6 100 500 F8 2000th F8

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Here are a few of my key thoughts and findings through this extensive testing.

The Camera Body.

  • The ergonomics, grip and “feel” in your hand is great even for someone with bigger than normal hands.
  • Weight is not an issue and is better than the equivalent DSLR body.
  • The menu system, customizable buttons and in view finder options to make changes without lifting your eyes from the viewfinder while tracking subjects incredible.
  • The EVF (Electronic View Finder) exposure simulation lets you see what you will get when capturing the image, when it comes to white birds in tricky light this is a great advantage.
  • The low light capability allows you many more opportunities when looking to capture images in those special minutes of golden light

The technical stuff people ask about.

  • ISO performance is incredible and many of my shots in low light were at 6400 or above.
  • Clarity and overall raw file viewing are an improvement on the older DSLR cameras.
  • The electronic shutter at 20FPS when used correctly can give you a much wider range of subject positions with wings and head placement.
  • The megapixels of the R5 for cropping are a great advantage, but not a deal breaker for me. I would be happy with either of these as my body of choice.

The Biggest question asked, what about the focus system.

  • The eye focus system is a game changer and will turn anyone into a great bird photographer with the correct tracking and panning skills.
  • The system is designed to find an eye but I have found that when it cannot, it will grab the head or the face and then the eye. This enables you to capture sharp images a lot more of the time than on DSLR, where you have to ensure the focus points are on the bird manually.
  • The biggest advantage besides the obvious is that my composition opportunities have increase as I can compose in the field more accurately now.

Lens options.

Let’s talk about the lens options with the three main RF lenses I have used to date, the RF 600 F11, RF 800 F11 and the RF 100-500 F4.5-F7.1

  • The lenses are all light and great to handle with either body attached.
  • F11 is NOT an issue for me, and I understand that to create a product that enables many more people to access a longer fixed lens it had to be done. Mainly to keep costs and weight down.
  • I have not suffered any image quality loss in using this with the two camera bodies.
  • The lens is fast and focus acquisition is more than acceptable.
  • When you look at all the above factors, the bokeh of the 600 F11 and 80F11 images is more than acceptable. If you wanted silky smooth, then you can always go and get a prime lens like the RF 400 F2.8 or RF 600 F4.
  • Lastly the RF 100-500 is a great piece of glass, great options for composition at different focal lengths, sweet bokeh at F7.1. For someone who is into bird photography and wildlife this would be what I recommend.

At the end of the day, the above pieces of equipment give you a wide variety of options for beginners through to advanced photographers. It also gives you a range that will suit everyone’s pocket and budget.

I hope that helps you decide on what you will need. Please drop any questions you may have below, and I will get back to you.

Safari greetings

Andrew Aveley

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