R7 for bird photography and birds in flight (3 Viewers)

[njlarsen]

The only cure for rolling shutter is to have a camera with a 'global' sensor, where the whole image is scanned at the same time, rather than in bands. These cameras are few and far between and are expensive.

Somewhere in between can also be done. The OM1 is slightly more expensive than the R7, but has a scanning speed four times faster (using 1/125 s for a scan), making rolling shutter that much less likely.
Niels

 

[Barred Wobbler]

A few from a couple of locations in recent days. R7 & RF 100-500

 

[Evan Atkinson]

I have managed to sort out a few photos from my short time photographing the sand martins at Reculver on the Kent coast. The first image was definitely the best of the day because its about as sharp as I could get it. These were all shot on the R7 and Canon EF 100-400 IS II USM lens. The first one was at 1/2000 and ISO 1000 I believe and the other 2 were at 1/3200 and ISO 400. I do have more photos on another SD card so will try and find those later in the day.

Evan

 

[Farnboro John]

I have managed to sort out a few photos from my short time photographing the sand martins at Reculver on the Kent coast. The first image was definitely the best of the day because its about as sharp as I could get it. These were all shot on the R7 and Canon EF 100-400 IS II USM lens. The first one was at 1/2000 and ISO 1000 I believe and the other 2 were at 1/3200 and ISO 400. I do have more photos on another SD card so will try and find those later in the day.

Evan

That first one is a belter. Having tried to do such things without the benefit of an R7 in the past I'd have to say the equipment improvement is obvious.

John

 

[Evan Atkinson]

That first one is a belter. Having tried to do such things without the benefit of an R7 in the past I'd have to say the equipment improvement is obvious.

John

Thank you for the kindness John! I think the 7dmkii (as much as it's a cracking camera) would have struggled a lot with these birds. The R7 was hit and miss as well don't get me wrong but when the camera found the bird the autofocus just stuck to it like super glue.

Evan

 

[davids]

Thank you for the kindness John! I think the 7dmkii (as much as it's a cracking camera) would have struggled a lot with these birds. The R7 was hit and miss as well don't get me wrong but when the camera found the bird the autofocus just stuck to it like super glue.

Evan

Evan

Great pictures! I was struggling to photograph/focus on Sand Martins only yesterday! What focus zone were you using, Whole Area AF? Also were you using tracking and eye detection? There are times when I've thought both have slowed down the AF and I am better off just using subject animal detection. I would appreciate your thoughts.

Cheers

David

 

[Evan Atkinson]

Evan

Great pictures! I was struggling to photograph/focus on Sand Martins only yesterday! What focus zone were you using, Whole Area AF? Also were you using tracking and eye detection? There are times when I've thought both have slowed down the AF and I am better off just using subject animal detection. I would appreciate your thoughts.

Cheers

David

Hi David, attached below is the AF settings he has on.

 

[davids]

Hi David, attached below is the AF settings he has on.

Thanks Evan. I notice your screen doesn't show the AF area which is different to how the menu appears on my R7. Mine shows the focus area : spot, single point, whole, etc

 

[Evan Atkinson]

Thanks Evan. I notice your screen doesn't show the AF area which is different to how the menu appears on my R7. Mine shows the focus area : spot, single point, whole, etc

Hi David, it might just be a few pages along. I will try and get another photo from him as the camera isn’t mine lol.

 

[davids]

Hi David, it might just be a few pages along. I will try and get another photo from him as the camera isn’t mine lol.

Thanks for your help, I hadn’t appreciated it wasn’t your camera. It’s the line just above the subject tracking option I was referring to. On my R7 it displays the chosen AF area. I’m not sure why it is different on your friend’s R7.

Cheers

David

 

[Evan Atkinson]

Hello all, found some older photos from when I first took the R7 out and these 2 were my favourite for sure. The camera did a great job at tracking the birds in flight, and at around the 15-20m range, it would pick up the eye ad lock onto the bird, however this only happened in good light and the AF usually just stayed on the head of the bird. These are not pin sharp but definitely a few that I was happy taking.

Evan

 

[S_Man]

Thanks Evan. I notice your screen doesn't show the AF area which is different to how the menu appears on my R7. Mine shows the focus area : spot, single point, whole, etc

Might be an older Firmware... I'm on 1.2.0 and it shows the selected area.

 

[Evan Atkinson]

Had the R7 recently and had a lot of mixed emotions about it. I hired it out for some photoshoots for my Photography A level mock exam, one of which was at Sandwich Bay, Kent, and the other at Reculver Towers, also in Kent. At Sandwich the camera had no issues locking on to the black headed gulls and med gulls that were in front of the hide, although I noticed that I was struggling significantly with picking up birds overhead, even if they were right above me. I was using my own Canon EF 100-400 IS II USM lens, but whenever I was trying to focus on the birds that were above me, even if they were just above tree height, it would pulse consistantly and struggle to obtain focus. I was shooting in 15fps electronic, and I noticed that when the camera picked up the bird, there would be a white box around it, but when I pressed the AF-ON button, it would not focus on the bird and would just go straight to the sky. I had all of the AF options (spot af, the 3x3 grid and whole area AF etc etc) enabled but I am not sure why it was struggling to pick the birds up. Presumably it was also user error, but I was pointed on the birds the whole time and the camera would just pulse in and out of focus. I tried using Spot AF which seemed to work somewhat better but became difficult to track them. At Reculver I had much of the same issue, but about 50 times worse because I was trying to photograph sand martins in flight. I've been to that site countless times and have not had an issue with my 7dii locking on to the birds or when using my friends R7. It really confused and frustrated me as to why it was struggling so hard to focus. If anyone has any idea what I was doing wrong, or settings that I can try next time I have an R7 in the hand, it will be greatly appreciated.

Evan

 

[Barred Wobbler]

Not just for flying birds.

I've found that the R7's 4k Video is handy for Flying Scotsmen too. Video with R7, stills with hand-held R5

(put your YouTube viewing quality to 4k for best results)

 

[stevo]

R7 with 500mm f4 mkii & 1.4 extender firmware 1.3.1

 

[S_Man]

...whenever I was trying to focus on the birds that were above me, even if they were just above tree height, it would pulse consistantly and struggle to obtain focus. I was shooting in 15fps electronic, and I noticed that when the camera picked up the bird, there would be a white box around it, but when I pressed the AF-ON button, it would not focus on the bird and would just go straight to the sky....

Evan

I have the same issue, although I've not yet practiced BIF much with it, for very small subjects or far away, it is much worse than with my 7D... I'm talking the kind of photos that I would only use to help ID a bird in flight, not keepers. Even if I'm focusing manually, place the AF area on the bird, then press the shutter, it just starts to pulse widely.
I think these cameras struggle with horizontal lines, the AF needs vertical lines to help focus, at least I read something about it...
For the rest AF is mostly better than the 7D, although it often selects points that are out of the AF area, even with point AF and eye tracking, follow target disabled.

 

[Evan Atkinson]

I have the same issue, although I've not yet practiced BIF much with it, for very small subjects or far away, it is much worse than with my 7D... I'm talking the kind of photos that I would only use to help ID a bird in flight, not keepers. Even if I'm focusing manually, place the AF area on the bird, then press the shutter, it just starts to pulse widely.
I think these cameras struggle with horizontal lines, the AF needs vertical lines to help focus, at least I read something about it...
For the rest AF is mostly better than the 7D, although it often selects points that are out of the AF area, even with point AF and eye tracking, follow target disabled.

I'm unsure if it is the lens that causes the problems or if it is that the camera does not recognise the subject. I presume you were shooting with Animal AF on with eye tracking enabled?

Evan

 

[S_Man]

I'm unsure if it is the lens that causes the problems or if it is that the camera does not recognise the subject. I presume you were shooting with Animal AF on with eye tracking enabled?

Evan

In fact I have set a C custom mode (dial C1/C2/C3) without eye tracking for random BIF, as the birds are far away... I mean sometimes the whole BIF is smaller in the frame than the eye of the subject when you are close!
I have to check with and without animal AF again to see if it makes a difference, but I think I already did, without success then there are several other settings for AF...

 

[Roy C]

R7 + 100-500 Greenfinch in-flight

 

[Frank van Drogen]

Awesome photo!!

As pure curiosity (certainly no criticism!!) is the artifact on the wing feather due to CR3 --> jpg compression or also there in the original photo?