Winging It with My New R5

[Tronhard]

Down under in NZ we have been been hit by the Delta COVID variant, and the high transmissibility level has been exacerbated by complacency by a proportion of the population that, despite government pleas, did not follow preventative measures like wearing masks in enclosed public places or scanning in to locations. So, in Auckland, I have been in a one-person bubble for the last seven weeks, but the government has been pushing vaccination to try to get us out of this. So, with a slightly more relaxed regime, fine weather, two Pfizer jabs, and a mask, I took myself to the local gannet colony at Muriwai to see how the gannets were doing and to try out my birthday present, a Canon R5.

Obviously, I had plenty of time to read the manual and to configure the camera with different custom settings for wildlife, people and general photography. So I went off with my RF 100-500 unit to see how it would all work.

I suspected that there would be a lot of people, and the car park was pretty full: but more from surfers than anything else as I arrived around 9:45am. I am glad I did go earlier as over the next hour or so the masses turned up, and as the old musical hall quip goes "if the lady in front of me hadn't had her ears pierced, I wouldn't have seen a thing!"

The other thing was that the wind really started to increase, so the birds were wheeling around, and at times almost stationary but once they were with the wind they rocketed along. It was a good test of the tracking system. So here are some results.

I was really impressed with the animal eye tracking, it gave me a very high keeper rate.

Canon EOS R5, RF 100-500@200mm, f/6.3, 1/1000sec, ISO-200

Uncropped Image

Same image at 100% crop

Image after cropping

[FloridaDrafter]

Great shot, Trevor!

I love my R5, but I use the ring adapter and an EF 100-400 L II. My targets are mostly birds, and usually in dark canopy, so the R5's tolerance of higher ISO's makes it a tremendous asset when shooting tiny birds that flit and twitch and just won't sit still, LOL. That allows me to raise my shutter speed to better freeze them.

I haven't tried BIF yet, but look forward to giving it a go with the R5. I've been using a 7D mark II and 5D mark IV for that.

Newton

[Tronhard]

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@FloridaDrafter wrote:

Great shot, Trevor!

I love my R5, but I use the ring adapter and an EF 100-400 L II. My targets are mostly birds, and usually in dark canopy, so the R5's tolerance of higher ISO's makes it a tremendous asset when shooting tiny birds that flit and twitch and just won't sit still, LOL. That allows me to raise my shutter speed to better freeze them.

I haven't tried BIF yet, but look forward to giving it a go with the R5. I've been using a 7D mark II and 5D mark IV for that.

Newton

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Hi Newton:

Thanks for your comment.  I have tried quite a few legacy lenses with the R5 and R6 bodies.  All three of the Canon 70-300 lenses, both 70-200L USM MkII lenses (f/2.8 and 4.0), the 100-400MkII and the Sigma 150-600c and 60-600s lenses.  All have performed flawlessly with the EF adapters.  Our NZ birds like to stay in the dark recesses of the bush too, so I have total sympathy for  your challenges.  Right now, we are in lockdown, so trips to the bus are pretty much vetoed.  The trip to the gannet colony was OK because of the on-shore winds and I was wearing a mask at all times too.

[Edward1064]

Tronhard,

Those are great shots of a beautiful bird. I need to get one of those R5s. And I would love to go down to the South Island location (near Dunedin?) where the Royal Albatrosses nest.  I have never seen one of those huge birds.

Enjoy that great new camera and lens.

Ed

California

[Tronhard]

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@Edward1064 wrote:

Tronhard,

Those are great shots of a beautiful bird. I need to get one of those R5s. And I would love to go down to the South Island location (near Dunedin?) where the Royal Albatrosses nest.  I have never seen one of those huge birds.

Enjoy that great new camera and lens.

Ed

California

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Thanks Ed.

Yes the wandering Royal Albatross (Toroa) nests on the peninsula near Dunedin.  There is actually a live camera that shows the nesting are in real time, courtesy of the Dept of Conservation: Royal Cam: Royal albatross/toroa (doc.govt.nz)

Sadly their numbers are decreasing and they are an endangered species now, because of changing climate and resultant movement of some of their food species further south, and being caught in long line fishing or nets from commercial trawlers - many of which are not based in NZ.

[Edward1064]

Trevor,

You must also have heard of Wisdom, the Laysan albatross that nests annually on Midway Island. She is the world's oldest banded bird, and at least 70 now. You talk about long-line fishing, it is amazing that she has avoided all this and other dangers over her long life. 

Ed

[Tronhard]

I actually hadn't heard of Wisdom!

I think one of the risk factors is that the southern ocean is so rich in fish that it is a magnet for trawlers, especially in a time when fish stocks in some other parts of the world are becoming depleted.
NZ has one of the largest ocean protection zones in the world, yet one of the smallest navies and air forces to monitor it. Australia has the same issues, but it has many more resources to cover its management zone.

[Tronhard]

Some more photos.  This time I went for more portrait style shots

All from the R5, RF 100-500 IS USM, hand-held

[Tintype_18]

The close-ups of the head are extraordinary! Colors are crisp and brilliant. My complements.

[Tronhard]

Thank you!   I am hoping to get out to photograph some of NZ's very colourful native species, once we have a bit more access.