topic Re: Fast camera recommendations for birding/action in EOS DSLR & Mirrorless Cameras

Fast camera recommendations for birding/action

TareqPhoto — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 13:42:12 GMT

Hi all,

I have some old cameras i was using for sports and they're fast for birds, but because they are old models i am thinking about to upgrade them to something new, so what are your recommendations for birding/wildlife and sports/action cameras?

The cameras are 1DX/1D3/30D.

Re: Fast Cameras for birding/action

p4pictures — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 07:00:11 GMT

A lot will depend on your budget, but the top performing current model similar to your 1DX / 1D3 would be the EOS R3. If that exceeds your budget threshold then consider an EOS R6 Mark II.

A similar replacement of the EOS 30D would be the EOS R6 Mark II or EOS R10 depending on your budget.

You can use old EF lenses on the new models using the EF EOS R lens mount adapter.

Re: Fast Cameras for birding/action

Tintype_18 — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 12:03:28 GMT

What cameras do you have now? Are you looking for more lens speed? The community can judge what capabilities they have and go from there.

Re: Fast Cameras for birding/action

TareqPhoto — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 15:27:07 GMT

Thank you Brian!

I am surprised that you didn't mention something like R5 or even R7, in fact i am very much looking at R7 as a replacement or upgrade to 1D3 and 30D first, then later i can think about something either Canon R3 or another brand like Sony as replacement for 1DX, i am still happy with 1DX, but 1D3 is already so outdated and i am very rarely using it.

If i go with something like R3 or R5 or R7, then how fast my EF lenses can be, i mean i might not replace the lenses, but i will try to know what i can do or decide, if i can win a lottery or sell my house then i can buy big lenses, but is the future now only for mirrorless so i don't hold any longer on DSLRs?

Re: Fast Cameras for birding/action

TareqPhoto — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 15:32:28 GMT

John, thanks for reply!

I have many cameras but all are old, my main landscape and Portraits is Sony A7R which i will replace to another Sony latest one and also Hasselblad digital medium format, but my first cameras were all Canon such as 1DX which i still have and want to replace it, and 1D3, 5D1, 30D, 1Ds3/1Ds2, i believe i will replace them all, in fact my A7R replaced all my Canon full frame, i use 1DX for sports, but it is outdated anyway.

The only lens i have for sports are EF 300mm f2.8IS mk1, 70-200 f2.8IS mkII, 135 f2 and 85 f1.8, other lenses aren't much of use such as 100 macro and 100-400 mk1, i stopped photography back in 2015-2016 due to many issues in my life, and now i am trying to upgrade to latest i can for another decade maybe, i don't do much of photography so i am not after new models always, but i think like 8-10 years is long enough to hold anything and time to upgrade for another long time, and i will try to get back to photography and sport photography also.

Re: Fast camera recommendations for birding/action

Waddizzle — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 15:42:53 GMT

You still have not stated a budget. I recommend the R3, to you. Older L Series lenses may not be able to take full advantage of the highly advanced AF and subject tracking features in camera bodies with Dual Pixel AF image sensors. Expect degraded performance if you do not disable the advanced tracking features.

Re: Fast camera recommendations for birding/action

ebiggs1 — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 15:42:59 GMT

A little different take, but any of the new R series are up to this task of birding and BIF. It does not take a super camera to do this. I would advise to look more in to the lens than the camera made. Personally I would prefer the best lens I could get over the best camera. You can have the best camera in the world and stick it with a mediocre lens and cripple it.

Secondarily, make sure you use raw format and get a good editor. If you don't do that part you can pretty much forget good bird or BIF photos. Both of these are not budget dependent if you get Canon's free editor DPP4 and raw is a simple camera setting. Of course if you decide to go the best in class editor and get Photoshop there is a monthly fee.

Re: Fast Cameras for birding/action

p4pictures — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 16:20:31 GMT

EOS R7 is a suitable update, but the resolution on the smaller APS-C sensor means that it is less capable in low light than the full frame models.

EOS R5 is widely expected to be due for replacement by an updated model in the near future, so while it is a good choice that's why I didn't mention it. Also it has the least sophisticated AF of the models mentioned.

Yes you can use your existing lenses, they will operate as fast as they are capable. The RF lenses may be faster depending on the models being compared. I've kept many of my EF lenses and use them on the mirrorless cameras just fine.

The last DSLR introduced by Canon was the EOS Rebel T8i in February 2020 and the EOS-1D X Mark III in January 2020. It's clear that no more new DSLRs will be developed.

Re: Fast Cameras for birding/action

TareqPhoto — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 16:29:30 GMT

Ah ok, now i understand, then i better not rush and think about R5, and for R7 in fact it is a new camera so the ISO capability is definitely much better than old models, i try to stay maximum ISO 3200 even under low light, i use it in the field so i try not crank ISO so high, and with f2.8 lens i can even live with ISO2000 maximum, those new cameras are regards for as high as ISO20000 also, that is a lot of exposure crank, even in the worst lighting in the stadium i rarely go as high as ISO 6400, and the main thing about R7 is that it is a crop factor camera, i always crop with my 1D3 which is also 1.3x and i crop a lot with my 1DX, so R7 with its higher MP and crop factor could be better, but i have to listen to you.

I saw two of old press photographers i know moved from DSLRs to R3, i am sure they moved to R3 for a reason, so you mentioned that camera, in fact R3 is an upgrade to 1DX to me, while for 1D3 or even the sold 1D2N i used to have i don't need to go with a full frame camera, and i always use two bodies where one is having 300mm and the other is either 70-200 or 24-70/24-105/16-35 depends on the situations, i think the prime is always fast with many bodies so i use it with 1DX, while my new 70-200 mkii with 1D3, i think this 70-200 will shine with R7, but i will look at R6II, not interested in R10.

Re: Fast camera recommendations for birding/action

TareqPhoto — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 16:34:29 GMT

The budget depends on my situations financially, i mean if i manage to sell my 1DX and 1D3/30D at good prices and i save more then i could go up to $3500-5000, but if i sell my house [second one] then i can afford $10k easily, but i try to make a list for now so i know what i decide later when the time is coming with budget.

From the list it sounds only my 70-200 mk2 is compatible, in this case either i buy another prime lens for R cameras or just keep my 1DX or upgrade it to 1DX3 and buy another camera of R series for my 70-200, i don't think i will replace ALL my equipment only to go newer and don't do much photography, i was trying to upgrade one by one, first i have to let 1D3/30D go first with appropriate upgrade, then later i can think about letting 1DX go.

Re: Fast camera recommendations for birding/action

TareqPhoto — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 16:43:04 GMT

I am still not doing birding or BIF at all, but i am willing to start this in my rest of life later, i only depends in cameras i use for sports so it is the same to be used for birding, 1DX was and still my workhorse until now, i know people used to use even slower camera than this in long time ago in the past such as D2 from Nikon or 1D mk1 and 1D2 and 20D and 30D and 7Dmk1, so whatever camera i upgrade to it will definitely do the job, but i have to choose which one rather than getting 2-3 and sell one later.

As for lenses, i was thinking that will be Phase/Stage 2 after buying the camera body, for now i have 70-200 mk2 as my latest lens i bought, it is still holding its performance strong, while for my vintage 300 2.8 mk1 it is time for new one, i don't know if i can go to something like 500-600 lenses, but i can get a zoom lens for that 500-600mm end, and i saw some new zoom models that are nice enough and can be affordable more over excellent primes, i dreamed in the past about 400mm f2.8 and 600mm f4, now the dream is gone forever, even if i sell my house i don't think i have to run to buy 400 and 600 and leave them for dust, also if i can make staged photography of birds then i can use manual optics, i have telescopes that can go to any focal length, even 2700mm, i have two telescopes that can be used like lenses, one with 540mm focal length and the other is 700mm native [f6 and f6.6], for birds in still they can be used, speed isn't important, only BIF i need AF magic, and i used manual through years with experience, with practice on some spots i can manage manual focus, my garden has a lot of trees brunches i can focus on, and with f6-f8 it will give enough DOF and BG isolation.

Re: Fast camera recommendations for birding/action

TareqPhoto — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 16:46:57 GMT

The point is, if i can't wait a big budget then my maximum budget i can spend for a body this year is around $2000-3000 maximum and only brand NEW, if i manage to sell my cameras i might increase it a bit to $4000-5000 but not sure, so i won't stress myself to have a very latest expensive bodies yet while i am not back into photography, this season sport photography is gone for me, but i will talk with them later so they can manage access for me to do next season, that will start in Sept-Oct, so i hope by that time i could have something upgraded, not necessarily everything, i have another hobby or interest to fund also.

Re: Fast camera recommendations for birding/action

Waddizzle — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 19:11:00 GMT

R6 Mark II with the BG-R10 battery grip.

Re: Fast camera recommendations for birding/action

TareqPhoto — Sat, 16 Mar 2024 19:51:18 GMT

Ok, i will try to look at enough images of sports and birds done by R6 Mark II if possible, if it is same as or even better than 1DX or R3 or R5 then i am sold.

Thank you very much

Re: Fast camera recommendations for birding/action

ebiggs1 — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 14:14:27 GMT

"... such as D2 from Nikon or 1D mk1 and 1D2 and 20D and 30D and 7Dmk1, ..."

Your own words prove you don't need the latest greatest. Believe it or not we even did birding and BIF well before even those oldies were on the drawing board.

"R6 Mark II with the BG-R10 battery grip."

This is a very good suggestion.

Re: Fast camera recommendations for birding/action

TareqPhoto — Sun, 17 Mar 2024 15:31:41 GMT

I know that, but this is life, we keep going, i don't see people here using like iPhone 4 or 5 or even 8, and also old cars, so same with cameras, in fact i hated my 1D3 because of 1DX, i even sold my 1D2n because of 1DX, it was big difference, even from 1Ds2 to 1Ds3 was a difference, so i just can't stop now, i already didn't buy another fast camera since 1DX for over 10 years and A7R also my last camera i bought for photography, so i feel like i can upgrade now if possible but not as a must.

The prices of R7 and R6II are manageable, so i will think clearly about it, i wanted R7 because of the crop factor, i always crop my images from 1D3 and 1DX, and both has less mp, but it sounds that R7 has less votes here or in general, i saw more images from R5 or even RP than from R6 Mark II.

Re: Fast camera recommendations for birding/action

ebiggs1 — Tue, 19 Mar 2024 14:27:14 GMT

" i even sold my 1D2n because of 1DX, it was big difference, even from 1Ds2 to 1Ds3 was a difference, ..."

Well everyone believes what they want to believe. You must go with that to make your choices and decisions.

Re: Fast camera recommendations for birding/action

TareqPhoto — Mon, 18 Mar 2024 17:04:36 GMT

Yes indeed!

Re: Fast Cameras for birding/action

1EagleDave — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 00:46:39 GMT

R7 amazing paired with the rf 800mm f11 great choice you will love this pair period

Re: Fast Cameras for birding/action

1EagleDave — Thu, 08 Aug 2024 00:48:16 GMT

Myself I get awesome low light photos with my R7 love them i had the same outlook until i tried and wow!! amazing like i say bought it with the lens kit 18-150 even better