The Canon 5DS R
The megapixel magic that Canon have developed in this model full frame DSLR has made it a truly incredible piece of photographic equipment in the market place today. I have had the privilege of being the first local Nature photographer to put this incredible machine through some serious situations over the last several months . It has only been 1 of the 2 beta versions in South Africa testing started prior to the launch of the production models in South Africa on the 15th June 2015 and so my results are based on that and not the final top quality retail product .
My personal aim has been to use the camera in as many varying genre and conditions to see just how it can slot into my camera stable and professional work needs of the future. I have a few various posts on them and will start today with just some of my personal thoughts .
Part one :
Click on image for the FULL list of product specifications from Canon Europe
Canon 5DS R
So the first few things that I would like to share without to much genre specific commentry …
- The physical layout , buttons and build quality are substantial like my 5D MK III and also the new 7D MK II. It makes the switching between various bodies in the field very quick and streamline.
- The battery for this DSLR is the same as a number of other models and means when I travel I only need to take one charger when travelling into the bush when space and weight on flights is limited. I can also have spare batteries which are interchangeable between models
- In camera cropping option with the view finder lets me see what could be done in post processing helping with composition in the field. I have set a custom button which greys out the various options from 1.3x crop , 1.6x crop and even a square crop option.
- The bulb mode allows you to set a specific exposure time in camera and no need for any external plug in devices. So I can now set 5 , 20 , 60 or even 120 minute exposures , trip the shutter and let the magic develop.
- A new mirror lockup system gives you 5 time delay settings after you have locked the mirror before tripping the shutter . This allows you to get even less vibrations when you start the exposure.
- The megapixel count when using images for print enable you to keep detail without having to upsize the files with third party software. File size and quality is phenomenal to say the least.
- Due to the increase exponential effect of camera shake / motion because of the mega pixel count , one needs to ensure stability and a compact shooting style to minimise the knock on effect. Keeper rates in the beginning were lower than I expected but once I had adapted and used simple techniques it was not an issue at all for me personally.
- Results with a wide range of lens options helped me see that the sensor design will benefit more the newer age glass due to better technology and transfer of light. (only for those that really want to pixel peep)
- The power of processing the large files in camera when shooting burst does become frustrating when you do not use a very high speed SD or CF card. Having to wait to reset the buffer can be frustrating for those action shooters.
- I cannot comment on the ISO or FOCUS systems as it was Beta model and not the final production version but am happy with results and function of the Beta unit.
So this is just a short and brief overview and I will next share some examples of Avian , Wildlife , Landscape , Studio & Location , Macro and one or two hybrid enviroments. Please feel free to direct any questions on specific genre of photography.
Peace and Light – AA