2023 could be another challenge year for myself. After ~3 years of covid lockdown. Finally, almost everyone is back to normal life.
I will be going to have another challenge year with all 2020 postpone tours, 2023 new tours (with everyone want to travel) and most important .. I receive the challenge/award as CANON EOS Master and Gitzo Ambassador.
with very busy tours schedule, let’s plan some activities for Nature Photography.
Here is first outing, even very quiet morning, but manage to have some thought of the Camera with real field experience.
Later I will also share more like ISO testing, AF (think it is more a like a focus little monster like R3 but what I love to see is low light AI animal detection)
1. Black Magpie, 白翅鹊, 白翅鵲, Platysmurus leucopterus leucopterus, クロカケス (leucopterus), BURUNG-KAMBING BARAT
As usual, I amusing
CANON R6II, CANON EF 500mm IS2, 1.4x
– Zone Area, Animal Detect, Eye detect
the focus is amazing fast and accurate as expected. as long as the Zone box tough on the bird. Eye will be detect and lock focus.
for such a black bird with red eye and some backlight, the eye detect work seemless.
a Black-naped Oriole flying around, make a simple test on this bird flying across various background. total 45 frames captured all 45 frames focus spot on.
CANON R3 CANON RF400MM F2.8+ RF 1.4X
Test2
We were waiting tide for waders, and this bird just flying infront of us, so immediate I point my setup toward this Collared Kingfisher.
Total 52 frames captured 4 frames bird disappear from viewfinder but immediate the bird appear. the Focus just continue .
CANON R3, CANON EF500mm IS2
Auto ISO
ISO 1600
1/2000
F 5.6
Test1
Early morning before light coming in, this bird flying infront of us with noisy call. I manage to move my camera toward this bird and continuous follow and press shutter on this Kingfisher.
Total 98 frames captured and 100% focus lock on the bird.
I recently discover the R7, R3 and R6II allow me to customize for very good AF requirement for various environment for my shooting style.
it is so flexible that allow set Servo AF case, Servo, Single point, Track or NOT, Animal/vehicle/Human detect, Eye detection ON/OFF to each shortcut button set ….
why do I sharing this…. asking bird photographers …
1. when bird in flight what’s setting are you using ?
2. when complex environment what’s setting are you using ?
3. in General, do you shoot multiple subjects ? animal, human, vehicle ?
4. do you require auto detection subject (single subject , wide area) or selective (single subject and point)
5. you may also want no eye detection just normal old way of point focus with one button set to this
For me, I feel using Zone to general shooting wildlife is fast and easy, but it is not really fast or need accuracy putting “flying subject” into the box or not work at complex environment (which I always use single point to tough the subject body and eye will be automatic found)
For me, I feel using Zone to general shooting wildlife is fast and easy, but it is not really fast or need accuracy putting “flying subject” into the box or not work at complex environment (which I always use single point to tough the subject body and eye will be automatic found)
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Summary my Wildlife Photography AF Shortcut setup Animal Detect, Eye Detect for all
1. Shutter Button – Zone, General Shooting
(Zone allow me faster detect bird than single point)
2. Shortcut 1 – Wide screen, action (BIF)
(Bigger area allow the Animal in action been detect, if Zone or single point use may require accurate focus area on the bird)
3. Shortcut 2 – Single Point, Complex environment
(for many branches, it is easier to allow Animal eye to be detect)
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After Wide area detect bird or Single point detect bird, after press the shutter button, it will go back to “Zone” it work quite well or transparent
***my current setting will change back to default
AF setting after use the shortcut setup to detect the birds but so far it continue to lock focus on the bird eye and track
***but if you want specify what condition, can just set the shutter button to “metering start” which do not apply default AF setting
Actually This special shortcut setting method
allow us do more eg. Shooting portrait, wildlife with
various button. But this the shutter button not able to
use “meter and AF” else it will go back to the default AF
A feature that I love to have from long ago from CANON.
This is a very useful function for wildlife Photographer.
But for the first time, CANON put this special function into a R7 in a special way.
When I having the Pre-production unit, I am wonder
1. how it work (AF is like other system ? focus only happen on first moment when half press the shutter button)
2. how do we extract ! just from the camera ? why put everything into single file 3. pre record how long ? and now we know it is 0.5s and why ? enough for us ? 4. can we extract all the file within the single RAW Burst file ?
NO … why I am not answering all the question but this sharing is simply show why/when we need this function, how we shoot, how we extract …
I put everything how’s it work into a video..
or another sample while capture this bird with my guests and birder Alex
base on video below
1. the bird is standing a while before further action
2. CANON R7 Raw burst enable and half press shutter button when the bird standing before further action
3. press the shutter after see the bird jump (at the video below flag moment)
4. As the video show at frame 10 (16 frames before I press the shutter button pictures)
Most of the camera nowaday, giving animal eye detection, tracking but limited the AF mode where mostly by either a “zone” or Full screen (mean if we want Bird eye detect, we either limit ourselves either using “dedicated zone/zone size” or “full sensor screen”
*** have a look at the youtube sharing
But Why do I like the AF mode by using different area? single point sometime is very useful when obstacle is infront of subject.
CANON R7 with 32.5-megapixel ASP-C CMOS sensor, such a high megapixel camera always give good details to subject. here is a sharing page for sample full size pictures for your reference
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
