So is the Canon R5 a bird photography body? (2 Viewers)

[colincurry]

Lovely shots, Mike

Went out today looking for the Marsh Harrier using my 'amended' settings. Much more success with BIF and sharper results. Still miss the reach of my 7D2 and the acuity of the optical view finder; but you can't have everything.

Met a chap who had a good shot of a cuckoo on a fencepost. Wandered around a bit more and heard a cuckoo calling from around the same spot. Went to investigate and suddenly a cuckoo shot across my bow 'swifter than the quickest arrow whizzing from a bow' (quote from Champion the Wonderhorse which perhaps Roy might remember) Here is one of the shots, and, am I pleased that I changed my settings:



Did see my first swift this morning. Managed a speeding starling yesterday and looking forward to the swifts and house martins arrival.
.

 

[colincurry]

PS Another from today

 

[mike nesbitt]

Lovely shots, Mike

Went out today looking for the Marsh Harrier using my 'amended' settings. Much more success with BIF and sharper results. Still miss the reach of my 7D2 and the acuity of the optical view finder; but you can't have everything.

Met a chap who had a good shot of a cuckoo on a fencepost. Wandered around a bit more and heard a cuckoo calling from around the same spot. Went to investigate and suddenly a cuckoo shot across my bow 'swifter than the quickest arrow whizzing from a bow' (quote from Champion the Wonderhorse which perhaps Roy might remember) Here is one of the shots, and, am I pleased that I changed my settings:

View attachment 1383884

Did see my first swift this morning. Managed a speeding starling yesterday and looking forward to the swifts and house martins arrival.
.

Good work here.

 

[Roy C]

Just out of interest what settings do you guys use for stationary single birds? Most all of the YouTube stuff I see are of Birds in flight where zone AF is used but do you still use this for non flyers or do you switch to a single point option? thanks in advance

 

[Matt Bell]

I use animal eye detect to get focus on the eye. If it can't lock on (e.g. because object too distant/too small or markings are confusing the system), I use spot AF.

 

[MJN]

Good question Roy and I'm still trying to find the best solution.
Animal eye is really good and when it works it can be very effective indeed, I was photographing a Dotterel just the other day and when they're feeding, they can scurry around at a fair pace. Animal eye was excellent.
When you have a bird in a bush situation, like a warbler flitting around in a bramble, things can get very frustrating indeed. The contrast between general foliage and the subject can be greatly reduced and overall the scene is busy.
In this scenario I've found things to be very hit and miss whether using animal eye, single point or spot and it can get damned annoying at times when the camera just doesn't want to refocus. It can often be rectified by pre focusing or re focusing on something else but quite often the moment has gone and the shot lost. My 1DX2 would have performed much better for this type of shot.
I'd be interested to know if others experience this and how they deal with it.

 

[Barred Wobbler]

I don't use Zone AF on birds in flight. There's no need. The eye detect finds the bird anywhere in the screen, whereas zone only works in the central area marked AFAIK.

These shots taken on Friday are roughly the same crop, 27% by area of the frame in the first of the pair and 30% in the second. The first bird, approaching the camera was pretty central in the frame, but the second bird was in the lower part of the photo with the bottom edge of this crop being the bottom of the frame. I suspect the bird would have been just outside the area that Zone would have covered had I used it, which I didn't (never used it yet).

Bushes and piles of seaweed, and even cut grass are a challenge to the eye detection, especially if the range isn't shortish, as I've said many times in the past, so it's spot for those situations. I do suspect that the 'spot' is larger on the R5 than it was in my 7D II.

 

[MJN]

I don't use Zone AF on birds in flight. There's no need. The eye detect finds the bird anywhere in the screen, whereas zone only works in the central area marked AFAIK.

These shots taken on Friday are roughly the same crop, 27% by area of the frame in the first of the pair and 30% in the second. The first bird, approaching the camera was pretty central in the frame, but the second bird was in the lower part of the photo with the bottom edge of this crop being the bottom of the frame. I suspect the bird would have been just outside the area that Zone would have covered had I used it, which I didn't (never used it yet).

Bushes and piles of seaweed, and even cut grass are a challenge to the eye detection, especially if the range isn't shortish, as I've said many times in the past, so it's spot for those situations. I do suspect that the 'spot' is larger on the R5 than it was in my 7D II.

Very nice images barred wobbler a testimony to Eye af - which I also endorse as being exceptional.
You seem to have a deep seated antipathy towards Zone af despite the fact that by your own admission, you've never tried it. That is quite bizarre but each to their own.
For the record I don't advocate zone as being the panacea for all imaging problems, It just works for me in certain situations. I do try every option as I'd like to maximise the potential of the camera.
Cheers, Mike

 

[colincurry]

Still finding my feet. For birds in the bush, I use Tracking and animal eye focus where possible; but where the background is confusing, I use Spot which I find more precise. Currently using Tracking and animal eye focus for BIF and seems to lock on OK - the birds are usually silhouetted against the sky which helps. Been practicing on starlings which are starting to hunt flies and almost hover at the top of the approach to the fly. Think I got a reasonable swift today but had not had chance to process the shots. Not so successful the other day with a hovering kestrel against foliage - but we were in a hurry to catch the bus.

 

[colincurry]

PS I think the deep learning capacity in AF is beginning to help with my BIF shots - maybe wishful thinking but I believe that is what it is supposed to do

 

[Barred Wobbler]

MJN, I don't have any 'deep-seated antipathy' towards zone or any other method. I just don't see that it is worthwhile trying to use it with its limited screen coverage to capture a bird that would be caught anyway by eye detection that covers not much short of 100% of the screen. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. Eye detection found this grouse.

I've got zone activated as an option on my menu for if I need it, I just haven't happened to need it for birds or any other subject so far in something over 16,000 shutter actuations. (EDIT - As of today, 16,966 - The mockingbird clocked up a few shots on Friday)

 

[Roy C]

I went out yesterday with the 100-400 mkII attached to my full frame camera (5d3) just to remind myself of the perceived 'reach' as opposed to the 7D2. I had forgot just how small the birds were in the viewfinder compared to the 1.6 cropper -(I had not used the full frame for birds for several years now). If I did much photography other than mostly distant birds I would not hesitate in buying the R5 but at the moment I am yearning for a R7 (APS-C) with around 30mp !!!!.
The cash is burning a hole in my pocket

 

[Bafty]

I shoot entirely in manual tweaking when needed viewing the histogram, other than that when out I don't mess around changing the camera settings preferring to use a custom setting assigned to the MFn button, one press and boom...the ISO/shutter/f-stop are all changed, instantly including to the electronic shutter at 20fps. Custom settings on the 7D and 5D series is via the turn top knob is so slow, on many occasions unless your counting you'l get the wrong one, it's totally crap!

This image was taken yesterday one image in a two second burst at 20 fps of a male Cuckoo landing on a post, I would point out face tracking and eye detection doesn't even enter the equation as it all happens so quick.

Edit: one custom settings is assigned with a 1.6 crop which still kills the 7DII

 

[colincurry]

Lovely shot, Paul

I too use custom settings via the Mfn button. Have not set one for the 1.6 crop. Did you use that for this cuckoo shot? Not that impressed with face tracking and eye detection unless the subject is out in the open and on its own. OK for Bald Eagles but not birds in the bush. I am using a 100-400mk2 with a 1.4 tc mk3 but don't think it is quite as sharp for more distant subjects than my 7D2 without the tc, despite what is said online. On the other hand, I did manage sharpish shots of a hobby hawking above the surface of a lake which I don't think I would have got with the 7D2. Perhaps I should try the R5 minus the tc; but then I would have hardly any reach.

Is anyone else using the 100-400 with tc; and, if so, how do you find it?