This test mainly concentrate on AF tracking (on subject – bird). Even I dont have enough chance to shoot many AF tracking and this is not my normal testing AF condition. Where I normally test AF, AF tracking with “un-plan” flying subject. Where I do not have any idea where the bird flying from-to and just use camera reaction to lock focus and track to capture the pictures.
This is a “pre-known” the bird will flying toward us or left/right.
i. lock focus the Bird eye
ii. AI Servo
iii. tracking enable
From the series pictures show, the bird is focus in every frame and also can see the tree is out of focus slowly at last few frame where the bird flying away from the tree. This show the bird tracking is working perfectly
I am glad been given a chance to use the new CANON mirrorless camera R7 with RF600mm F4 for 3 days.
When I have the camera with such period, I know I can’t try everything I want to try but for another successor after R5/6/3 think most of the people will have same believe and doubt as me
1. AF should be as good as the R5/6/3
2. such high megapixel, how’s the ISO performance
3. Image Stabilizer – as think this is one good camera for bird watchers who normally shoot handheld
– should have more time to try with RF100-500, RF100-400, EF 100-400, EF400 F5.6 etc
4. video quality, overheat concern
5. buffer as only SD card supported
6. Video AF
7. Battery life
###
For me, I am concentrate on few above which I “worry” about
AF
ISO performance
Image Stabilizer (which affect the Image quality – ISO)
Battery life
Video Quality (after recent so many good video hybrid camera)
###
Here is my 3days real field experience for above mentioned concerns
update 20220618
4. Image Stabilizer
– this is one most important criteria for most of Bird Photographer as in many cases we do require to handheld to shoot with smaller lens and most of this situations when we inside forest which also having lowlight.
– if the IS efficiency is high, mean we can get higher success rate picture with lower shutter speed .
– I am using R7 with CANON RF 100-500mm which also 160-800mm (35mm equivalent) and I tested all with 500mm (800mm 35mm equivalent). without any tripod, monopod just handheld with various shutter speed and 10-50 shots (average)
– due to work nature, I am capturing still and video handheld 90%. So IS always one of my very important criteria to choose my “working birding equipment”
– another quick test how’s the IS for video with CANON R7
– one of the amazing battery life mirrorless camera so far
– 3 days in the row, shooting from 7am – 2-3pm without power off the camera
~1200 pictures
~10-30 video (4k)
ALL 3 days still have >50% battery remain
2. AF
– without any doubt or different, the AF capability to find subject eye (bird eye) simply awesome. AS GOOD AS R3, R5 and R6 for bird eye detect, I dont have enough time for flying tracking (only very quick tried)
– the best part is this camera use R3 AF method e.g. when use ZONE or single point in R5/6 the eye detect cannot be use. So most of us use method of either
a. let’s the camera find the bird eye in full screen – some of us just don’t trust the camera. So dont border of using this method but for me this is very fast and 90% trusted method
b. use one button for single point focus than AD-ON (any other button) eye detect
– this is a much slower way of AF which require single point to point to the bird than need press a button to have eye detect than follow by shutter button for picture capture !!!!!!! not only slow with so many button pressing more camera shake created
– now, we can use single button set to single point, zone, full screen as long as the point, zone or camera found the bird. The “eye” will be focus and track
###
3. ISO performance
with such high megapxiel 32.5 MP, think everyone most worry is the ISO management.
here are some pictures sharing
series of picture (full size) 800-10000 (sorry for accidentally deleted ISO400 pictures and due to environment here we seldom use anything lower than ISO800
I also make a simple Topaz Denoise (default auto) to have a look with minimum post processing result.
###
Series 1
RAW – JPEG (direct from Adobe camera RAW no noise reduction)
My personal view, for such a high megapixel APS-C camera as expected it provided so much details and with noise when ISO increase.
Based on the simple noise reduction (one click) the picture image quality seem well balance with details+noise at ~ISO3200. Extra post processing should able to produce more clean picture.
I am glad to be chosen to test this new Fujifilm new Camera and lens for actual field test here (Tropical forest) which also included Borneo – (Sepilok, Danum Valley, Kinabatangan River) for ~2months.
*** all pictures and videos captured with Fujifilm X-H2s pre-Production unit
For pass 2 months, I putting the system into various enviromennts
1. Tropical forest – real dark, complex environment
2. mangrove – hot and open area
3. river cruise – mainly shoot from shaky boat handheld
4. beach, mudflat – open hot area
As I am not able to open the RAW file and some firmware limitation, I am shooting mostly JPEG. So I am concentrate my testing on
1. New Autofocus system
– animal (bird) eye detection
– AF tracking
2. Size, Weight & Image Stabilizer
– as the system just weight 2.4 KG for 900mm (35 mm equivalent) so this is a good handheld system. So good IS is require.
3. Image Quality
– only based on JPEG
– New lens Focal length and new camera
#####
Size, Weight & Image Stabilizer
The new system just weight 2.4KG which allow us to shoot 150-600mm (225-900mm 35mm equivalent) which is one best available
sample of 225mm vs 900mm
– you can see how far we can reach with the 900mm
– most of the pictures and videos captured handheld. This system allow me have >50% success rate 1/125 at 900mm which is my recommended minimum shutter speed for handheld.
900mm225mm
###
New Autofocus system
For the Auto-focus, I think this is a huge upgrade compare previous X series. The Animal Detection just simple amazing
– refer 0:40:00″ – 1:48:00″ of the Video for how the Bird eye detect and focus in various situation
1:49:00 – 2:17:00 for how the eye detect work in lowlight (night time with torch)
And for AF tracking, please refer “1:50:00 – 2:18:00” for how the fast flying woodswallow flying tracking performance
###
Image Quality
not able to open any RAW file so all captured in JPEG, picture with crop, denoise (Topaz) (if you want to have a look at the without denoise feel free drop me an message)
lets have a look at the picture and click to view larger size
1.
Handheld on Boat ISO800 F8.0 1/120 420.3 mm
2.
Handheld ISO3200 F6.4 1/70 264.7 mm Denoise Topaz
3.
Tripod ISO1000 F8.0 1/25 600 mm Denoise Topaz
4.
Tripod ISO1250 F7.1 1/20 351.8 mm Denoise Topaz
5.
Handheld ISO1250 F8.0 1/140 600 mm
6.
Handheld ISO200 F7.1 1/320 377.7 mm Topaz Denoise
7.
Handheld ISO800 F8.0 1/125 600 mm Topaz Denoise
8.
Handheld ISO800 F8.0 1/1500 520.2 mm Topaz Denoise
9.
Handheld ISO3200 F8.0 1/800 451.3 mm Topaz Denoise
10.
Tripod
ISO2000
F7.1
1/8
391.4 mm
Topaz Denoise
Some videos captured with this setup
1.
2.
3.
####
I will slowly update other experience of this setup on new post, if I have chance to test on the production system.
Stay tune
Overall my experience on this new setup on Wildlife Photography, this combo is very light and have long reach. even the aperture is small but we always can not shooting at maximum focal length so we can have slight bigger aperture. eg. shooting at 400mm (600mm 35mm equivalent) with F7.1
with the lens and In-Body-Stabilizer, it allow me capture 900mm at 1/125s with high success rate. (>50%). Anything lower, I would suggest to use tripod (as mentioned I am using pre-production camera the actual camera may different)
The AF is fast and accurate (on bird eye), it may not best in market but it is very good and accurate even at low-light & complex environment.
Tracking is good as long as non complex background, the track is give very good success rate too.
Weather resistant, I am shooting at various environment … raining, humid tropical forest and under hot sun beach etc
This is one of main reason of why R6 is so powerful for Wildlife Photography.
*** I will slowly update here with various testing environment
I am purely using
1. full screen AF “Tracking”
2. Servo AF – AUTO
3. Animals detect
4. Eye detection
5. Continuous AF
6. I can’t use my viewfinder while I am using Atomos Ninja so the movement may not smooth like my normal tracking and sometime I just can;t locate the
bird fast without viewfinder
#############################
– another sample of how fast the Full sensor eye detection AF from CANON EOS R6
#############################
LOW LIGHT AF – ANIMAL Detection, Eye Detection
– a very lucky night outing nearby my house area, just hope for some nightjar but hear this owl calling and manage to locate it and did some Low Light AF with screen recorded
– 非常幸运的晚上，在家附近以为找只夜鹰展示R6的晚上对焦能力。竟然遇到这猫头鹰。
看看，R6对焦能力。在这么暗的情况。也轻易找到动物+眼。
#############################
AF TRACKING
1. this is simply one out of many test going to share … how the AF work on Bird in flight (moderate) .
用Atomos Ninja 錄佳能 R6 的取景器。希望讓更多朋友看看，它的對焦能力。
– can see how is the AF lock and track the heron even it accelerate and change direction but the R6 just continuous focus and track
Both the still and video AF performance are different in almost all the camera. Here is one of the video AF with
– CANON EOS R6, CANON EF 500mm F4 IS2, CANON 1.4x, CANON EF=EOS-R adapter
– Tripod
– AF method : the only method using Full sensor area in R6
+Tracking
– Subject to detect : Animals ; Eye detection : On
The AF seem slower lock focus to the object compare to still AF. which normally require 1-4 seconds to lock the object. After locked focus, the tracking seem work well but still 20-40% chance lost focus especially bird eye/head not detectable. But it will get the object refocus very fast as long as we able to follow the bird movement.
After use the powerful R3, which it is almost not missing to find a bird when the bird within the sensor. (we dont use AF point to focus to the bird but let’s the camera to find the bird/bird eye and lock focus than track). Glad that I am able to get R5/R6 for more test on this entry level of full frame camera.
I am trying to sharing different kind of environment to lets the Camera find the bird itself and this may keep update later.
Condition 1 : Bird with contrast again Backgroung
– CANON EOS R6, CANON EF 500mm F4 IS2, CANON 1.4x, CANON EF=EOS-R adapter
– M mode, Auto ISO, F5.6 (biggest aperture), 1/200
– Handheld
– AF method : the only method using Full sensor area in R5/6
+Tracking
– Subject to detect : Animals ; Eye detection : On
THE FOCUS almost immediate lock on the bird head/eye and track.
#
Condition 2 : closer Bird with lesser contrast again Background
– CANON EOS R6, CANON EF 500mm F4 IS2, CANON 1.4x, CANON EF=EOS-R adapter
– M mode, Auto ISO, F5.6 (biggest aperture), 1/200
– Handheld
– AF method : the only method using Full sensor area in R5/6
+Tracking
– Subject to detect : Animals ; Eye detection : On
THE FOCUS almost immediate lock on the bird head/eye and track.
#
Condition 3 :further Bird with lesser contrast again Background
– CANON EOS R6, CANON EF 500mm F4 IS2, CANON 1.4x, CANON EF=EOS-R adapter
– M mode, Auto ISO, F5.6 (biggest aperture), 1/200
– Handheld
– AF method : the only method using Full sensor area in R5/6
+Tracking
– Subject to detect : Animals ; Eye detection : On
THE FOCUS require a bit time to look for a bird but very quick to get the bird focus locked and track on the head and eye
#
Condition 4 : small bird low contrast over the similar and messy Background
– CANON EOS R6, CANON EF 500mm F4 IS2, CANON 1.4x, CANON EF=EOS-R adapter
– M mode, Auto ISO, F5.6 (biggest aperture), 1/200
– Handheld
– AF method : the only method using Full sensor area in R5/6
+Tracking
– Subject to detect : Animals ; Eye detection : On
THE FOCUS almost not possible to find the bird (trying to moving the camera at various position of the sensor). What we need to do just move the focus ring so the focus area near the bird than very soon it will be get the Bird/Bird eye focus and track.
R3 can easily use eye-Control AF to resolve this or I found R3 capable to find the even at this kind of environment.
#
Condition 4 : very small bird with contrast
– CANON EOS R5, CANON EF 500mm F4 IS2, CANON 1.4x, CANON EF=EOS-R adapter
– M mode, Auto ISO, F5.6 (biggest aperture), 1/200
– Handheld
– AF method : the only method using Full sensor area in R5/6
+Tracking
– Subject to detect : Animals ; Eye detection : On
THE FOCUS almost not possible to find the bird (trying to moving the camera at various position of the sensor). What we need to do just move the focus ring so the focus area near the bird than very soon it will be get the Bird/Bird eye focus and track.
it is another series of picture captured while I am testing the CANON EOS R3
this bird sudden flying from sea toward mangrove, with the canon R3.. it is effortless just lock focus and track the bird even flying backlit BG and different BG
#
– video clip create from a series of pictures captured with CANON R3
– while I am shooting Tern flying at Selangor coastal area. this Heron sudden flying from beach toward mangrove area.
Spend another morning for test one of the most difficult photograph objects, swift and swallow.
*** I will updating all the swift AF test here.
There are some setting that I change for this fast moving object which I think it may affect the performance
CANON R3, CANON EF 500mm F4 IS2, EF 1.4x TC III
AF area (whole sensor)
AFC, eye-control AF off
Drive mode: H (15fps) and H+ (30fps)
AI Servo (AF-C)
cRAW and use DPP straight convert to JPEG and resize.
No CROP
Len set to >10m which anything near than 10m will not be focus
no feeding, no fix location/direction for the bird. Everything here just a bird flying and I just point my Len direction and lets the camera lock the focus (on bird) and track by following the flying direction
few test, trying to show
i. near object
ii. far object
iii. flying at same Background (Green, sky)
iv. flying cross various background
– can see below, the birds will flying crossing sky, water surface, green etc
I am glad to given a chance to have a unit CANON EOS R3 to have a series of test on Birds/Nature Photography.
As for other camera, I plan to have series of tests which related to Tropical forest birds Photographer concerns eg. ISO performance, AF performance, Raw files dynamics range etc.
After days of basic understanding the camera (actually it is like a upgraded version of my old CANON EOS 1dxm2). I will try share other view of the camera later in other posts, here lets share one of the major concern : AF performance.
For this test, I am using
CANON EOS R3
CANON EF 500mm F4 IS2
CANON 1.4x TC III
No feeding, No nesting and no idea what bird flying to/from which directions. Just base on what you see and trying the Camera capability to focus and capture.
Setting
AF area (whole sensor)
AFC, eye-control AF off
Drive mode: H (15fps)
AI Servo (AF-C)
RAW and use DPP straight convert to JPEG and resize.
+Tracking
