Cambridge Family Photography
Doug took a big leap of faith this month and sold his precious 1DX Mk2 DSLR in order to switch to the new Canon R5 mirrorless camera. It was a big decision, the 1DX was still performing brilliantly and was reliable. What Doug wanted however was the ability of the R5 and it’s new technology with its promise of amazing auto focus. The camera claimed to track a subjects eye and keep that focus automatically even if the subject was moving around so no need to constantly manually refocus. The camera is 45 megapixel and like all our cameras, backs everything up to two card slots which is vital for weddings. As Doug also shoots commercial work including birds and animals it seemed the ideal all round camera for him. He had one on trial last month and it tracked the eyes of wildlife so well he went ahead and purchased. I wasn’t sure about it when it arrived, it is very small compared to the 1DX and it was a little strange at first as I am used to seeing Doug with a big camera in his hand. I have to admit though it is more portable, easier to fit in a small camera bag and lighter. He is planning on getting a grip for the R5 as it is a little tiny, only because he is used to something chunkier and he uses a lot of chunky lenses. On the subject of lenses if you want to utilise the lenses you already have you need to purchase an extra adapter. I was coming round to the R5 but the ultimate test was to also try it out on people, I needed to see the skin tones were good. I arranged a mini Portrait shoot so he could really put it through its paces and convince me. I admit, I was nervous he would be disappointed with the results. I never change my camera gear as it always delivers but Doug likes new technology. I needn’t have worried though, the new camera performed brilliantly and the articulated screen is a great addition. In fact it performed so brilliantly that I would also like one and am now considering the switch or maybe have it as an extra. If you are a newbie and think the camera will do everything for you I would like to point out the obvious which is you still need to search for good light, lines, textures and think about your backgrounds and what your subject is doing. It does make some of the technical side of a Portrait shoot a little easier though.
The first seven shots below were Doug’s Canon R5 shots with the Canon EF 70-200mm f2.8 Mk2 zoom. I have included a few I took below those using my faithful Canon 5D MK3 and Canon EF70-200mm f4 zoom lens. I think it demonstrates that getting lovely shots is not all about the camera but even so I am very tempted.
