Sharon's second time around

[Dave Williams]

Are you using the R5 in these shots? How are you finding it?

[shazdwn]

9 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

Are you using the R5 in these shots? How are you finding it?

Yes I am. I like it but it has been a bit of an adjustment. The digital viewfinder took a bit of getting used to. Plus I need to read up on the focus a bit more, it works but doesn’t always behave as I’m expecting. 
 

How are you finding it?

[Dave Williams]

The animal eye focus certainly works and I didn't think it would distinguish but when I tried it on a human face it didn't work until I switched to people. It's not 100% but it's exceptionally good and so is the tracking that covers the whole of the screen. The battery life isn't a problem so far. I shot 920 images and still had 50% life left but maybe it depends what mode you use, I was using electronic. I haven't reached any conclusions on which is best for what but the electronic one is a bit insane and you have taken lots of near identical images before realising it! A bit of a pain deleting them. 

My biggest concern at the moment is noise. It's not harsh ugly noise but a finer noise which appears even at ISO 3200. I'm not sure how to deal with that other than to reduce ISO but then you have to compromise with shutter speed and aperture. It's certainly dissuaded me from buying the RF800 f11 lens and also made me think the substantial cost of changing my 100-400 to 100-500, especially if I were to buy the RF1.4TC, isn't going to be worth it. I'll wait for now and see what other lenses appear in the RF range.

There are though some huge benefits. Weight, the tracking, the 45mp which allow huge crops ( but are they also responsible for revealing noise and motion blur too?) , the in viewfinder histogram, the ability to control all three major elements..shutter speed, aperture and ISO on each of three wheels/dials, the ease of swopping custom functions compared to all bar 1D series Canon cameras.

There is no doubt it's a huge leap forward in technology and the ability to customise your camera. I am a long way from getting it just right for my needs and still finding minor irritations such as every time I take out the CFexpress card to download the images, the camera switches to the SD card and I forget to manually swop back. There is probably an answer, I just haven't got around to finding it yet but I'm one of those idiots who having got so far, puts down the instruction book and never opens it again.

Oh, and talking of instruction book it's not the best, largely incomplete and you have to download the advanced user one to find the solutions to some problems...if you can find them. The index is far from perfect too.

 

Overall though, I'm very pleased I bought it but in hindsight wouldn't have spent the extra for the control ring adapter which I was advised to get by a friend. It's of little use to me to be honest, in fact none at all!

[shazdwn]

@Dave Williams yes I agree the eye tracking is good for larger birds and animals, but not for small birds in trees or long grass - but I get that that would be asking a lot!!

 

 I’m sure I haven’t tapped into a fraction of its capacity yet. 
 

Interesting comment on the adapter, I just got the basic one. I haven’t tried any of the RF lenses yet but have a friend who swears by them (but she is a wedding/portrait photographer so has different requirements).

[Dave Williams]

Oh, and I should have mentioned I also love the ability to swop from single point to eye detect and back again at the press of a button. 

[Soukous]

19 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

minor irritations such as every time I take out the CFexpress card to download the images, the camera switches to the SD card and I forget to manually swop back.

 

does it do this even if the camera is switched off when you remove and re-insert the CFX card?

[Dave Williams]

15 minutes ago, Soukous said:

 

does it do this even if the camera is switched off when you remove and re-insert the CFX card?

 

Not sure, I'll give it a go.

[Dave Williams]

5 minutes ago, Dave Williams said:

 

Not sure, I'll give it a go.

@Soukous  Problem solved, thanks Martin. I'll remember to switch off the power when I take a card out in future!!

[PeterHG]

Your tree definitely beats our garden feeders! Beautiful!

[michael-ibk]

Can I have that tree? Please? Beautiful photos, nicely framed!

[Peter Connan]

Your tree has just gotten very popular. Here's another fan.

[shazdwn]

Thanks for all the umbrella tree love, its so awesome I thought I'd share another shot.  This bird I listed last year as the blue-faced honeyeater, but since then there has been a species split so I now introduce you to the newly named 

 

34/NT 34 - White-quilled honeyeater - Darwin, NT, Australia - 21/02/21

 

[shazdwn]

And a few from a fishing/birding trip in Darwin Harbour yesterday

 

35/NT35 - Terek Sandpiper - Darwin, NT, Australia - 21/02/21

 

 

[shazdwn]

I just have to share this sequence...

 

36/NT 36 - Common Tern (smaller birds) and 37/NT37 - Lesser Crested Tern - Darwin, NT, Australia - 21/02/21

 

Incoming

 

Ready to land

 

FAIL!!!!

 

I'm ok, I'm ok

 

Do you think anyone noticed?

[shazdwn]

38/NT 38 - Osprey  - Darwin, NT, Australia - 21/02/21

[shazdwn]

39/NT 39 - Masked Lapwing - Darwin, NT, Australia - 21/02/21

 

[shazdwn]

40/NT 40 - White-bellied Sea-eagle - Darwin, NT, Australia - 21/02/21

 

[Zim Girl]

I like the sandpipers in the tree and the osprey is a great shot.

Fun tern sequence!

[Peter Connan]

Lovely sequence, Lapwing, Osprey and Honeyeater. The Terek Sandpipers on the branch is quite interesting too.

[shazdwn]

1 minute ago, Peter Connan said:

The Terek Sandpipers on the branch is quite interesting too.

Yeah I was pretty surprised, I’ve only ever seen them on the beach before 

[Kitsafari]

Hilarious series of the terns. that honeyeater is a good-looker!

[PeterHG]

Great new additions! I agree on the Terek Sandpipers, quite an unusual sight (well even one of them wherever it would land, would be a very unusual sight. I've only ever seen one)

[xelas]

Nice, very nice!

[Galana]

Great Tern "Oops" landing shots.

[elefromoz]

Nice Tereks, Ive only seen them in isolation, amongst other shorebirds and on the beach. There's usually an odd one here in Alfred Cove but not this year as far as I know. Ive heard its been a very good "wet" this season.