R7 for bird photography and birds in flight (1 Viewer)

[edenwatcher]

To counterbalance this I still have a love/hate relationship with the R7, it just does not work for me despite taking some really nice photos - it will be coming up for sale shortly. Spot focus is woefully inaccurate, particularly with swimming birds so I just have to aim at the junction of water and bird or it back focusses. A significant percentage of images seem to need huge amounts of post-processing - I really don't like having to do that.
Having come into some money I bought an R5 and RF100-500 - now I'm far happier!

Rob

 

[Farnboro John]

So am I, see "From Dusk till Dawn" (illustrated) in the Vacational Trips section.

John

 

[MGT]

As an ex 7D Mk2 owner I naturally took an analytical interest in the 7R and decided to avoid it like the plague. I like the R6 Mk2 (crop sensor) and especially the R5 (full frame), however, I don't rate the RF 100-500 lens, the issue of having to have the lens extended with a TC attached and the limitations of the lens as a consequence of this issue. I decided to take the leap over to Sony where I was more content with the lens choice which ultimately swayed my decision.

 

[mike nesbitt]

Still enjoying the R7, here a couple from last week taken with the R7 and RF100-500 + 1.4x extender (so 1120mm FOV)

Very nice Roy.
I'm leaning towards an R7 myself lately. I like to do BIF and the R5 + 1.4X on the 100-500 is not really viable - too soft and too slow for fast action. My thoughts are that using an R7 + 100-500 I could ditch the 1.4X that I currently use with the R5 and 100-500 and end up with similar effective reach, a stop faster and af that matches or even betters the R5 set up. It wouldn't replace but it would perhaps be a viable alternative.

 

[mike nesbitt]

As an ex 7D Mk2 owner I naturally took an analytical interest in the 7R and decided to avoid it like the plague. I like the R6 Mk2 (crop sensor) and especially the R5 (full frame), however, I don't rate the RF 100-500 lens, the issue of having to have the lens extended with a TC attached and the limitations of the lens as a consequence of this issue. I decided to take the leap over to Sony where I was more content with the lens choice which ultimately swayed my decision.

The 100-500 is a great lens but I can get that it doesn't suit everyone. I'm a little confused about the R6 Mk2 crop sensor. I was under the impression it was full frame.

 

[MGT]

The 100-500 is a great lens but I can get that it doesn't suit everyone. I'm a little confused about the R6 Mk2 crop sensor. I was under the impression it was full frame.

Apologies, I stand corrected, I still like the camera.

 

[Roy C]

Very nice Roy.
I'm leaning towards an R7 myself lately. I like to do BIF and the R5 + 1.4X on the 100-500 is not really viable - too soft and too slow for fast action. My thoughts are that using an R7 + 100-500 I could ditch the 1.4X that I currently use with the R5 and 100-500 and end up with similar effective reach, a stop faster and af that matches or even betters the R5 set up. It wouldn't replace but it would perhaps be a viable alternative.

Thanks Mike, I have not done a lot of BIF with the R7 and only had the 100-500 for a few weeks, the addition of the 1.4x extender certainly slows down the AF a bit but is still fine for perched birds. I am going to have a crack at some Swallows in flight soon but will not be using the 1.4x , not only because of the slower AF but also to give more space to be able to pick the bird up in the viewfinder/AF area.

 

[Evan Atkinson]

Still enjoying the R7, here a couple from last week taken with the R7 and RF100-500 + 1.4x extender (so 1120mm FOV)

Cracking shots Roy! Found out about the new Camera Raw Noise Reduction AI a few days ago and it's really good. Unfortunately only available on Photoshop 2023 and Lightroom 2023. Hoping to take the R7 to Spain and have a go at the hirundines and swifts.

 

[Roy C]

Thank you Ev4. I do not use Lightroom but only a very old version of Photoshop (CS6). For noise reduction I use Topaz Denoise AI as a plugin in CS6 which works great. I have no problems up to ISO 6400 on the R7 and even ISO 12800 is workable but I avoid going over that.

 

[Barred Wobbler]

These Little Swifts certainly weren't the easiest of subjects as they whizzed around the colony earlier this month, but the R7 and 100-500 were well up for it.

Knocked the old 7Dii I used for over 6 years from the first day of that model's issue in 2014 right into touch.

 

[mike nesbitt]

These Little Swifts certainly weren't the easiest of subjects as they whizzed around the colony earlier this month, but the R7 and 100-500 were well up for it.

Knocked the old 7Dii I used for over 6 years from the first day of that model's issue in 2014 right into touch.

Good work, the combo looks to up to the task for sure and it's for exactly this sort of scenario that the R7 interests me. Where were the shots taken please.

 

[Barred Wobbler]

South-western Spain.

 

[Barred Wobbler]

And some Lesser Kestrels. Same kit.

 

[Barred Wobbler]

Booted Eagles arriving from Africa

 

[dabut101]

Little experiment
Canon R7
Canon 100 400 usm II
Sigma X2 converter
pic only cropped and denoiseView attachment 4E2A6658-topaz-denoise - Copy.JPG

 

[stevo]

I find the raw conversions from photoshop not very good with the R7,I get better results using DXO raw 2.

 

[Barred Wobbler]

Honey Buzzards arriving, 8th & 10th May 23.

 

[Barred Wobbler]

I tended to use full Electronic Shutter, rather than my preferred and more usual First Curtain Electronic for these Collared Pratincoles, to cope with the rapid speed of their approach and passing.

 

[Frank van Drogen]

These look stunning, very nice flight pictures!

 

[Barred Wobbler]

Thanks Frank.