If I own the R8, is it worth getting the R7 as an extra body for wildlife?

[marcce]

Hey all, I currently have an R8 and I love it. Bought it for travel and own a bunch if the staple primes and also the new rf 28-70mm and I recently purchased 100-400mm. I'm loving that lens at the moment and use it for birding but mainly some local surfers that I've been sending the pics to. I'm wondering if the extra megapixels and reach would be beneficial to purchase the R7 and keep as a secondary, primarily for wildlife. I'm interested to hear everyone's opinion.

Thank you!

[ctitanic]

When you own and get accustomed to a full-frame camera, transitioning to a crop-sensor model can often feel like a compromise. One of the main reasons is the difference in low-light performance. Crop sensors generally don’t handle low light as well as full-frame sensors. The smaller sensor size captures less light, which can result in increased noise and graininess in challenging lighting conditions. Switching to a crop-sensor camera often requires adjusting your settings and expectations accordingly.

As someone who primarily shoots wildlife, I owned the Canon R7 for two years. I appreciated its benefits, particularly the extended reach and high-resolution sensor, which were advantageous for photographing distant subjects. However, there are limitations. A high-resolution crop sensor typically underperforms in low light compared to a full-frame sensor with similar resolution. The smaller pixels on a crop sensor collect less light, reducing overall image quality in dim environments, even with the benefit of higher resolution.

When paired with the RF100-400 lens, the R7 often produced extremely noisy images. I achieved better results by adapting the EF100-400L Mk II lens, which seemed to manage the sensor’s limitations more effectively.

Another factor to consider is the autofocus performance. While the R7’s autofocus system is capable, it’s not as reliable as the one found in the Canon R8. This can be a significant drawback when photographing fast-moving wildlife. If you're considering the R7, I recommend researching its performance, including common autofocus issues. A quick Google search for “R7 performance issues” will provide useful insights.

Interestingly, there are rumors of Canon releasing an R7 Mark II this year. If you’re contemplating a crop-sensor camera, it may be worth waiting for this updated version. Canon also offers excellent crop-sensor DSLRs, but given your investment in RF lenses, sticking to mirrorless options like the R7 or its successor would likely be a better choice.

You posted your question about three days ago and haven't received any responses yet. The reason might lie in what I just mentioned.