So I bit the bullet and purchased the Canon R5

If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).

marklangner

Well-known member
Supporting Member
Marketplace
So just went to the camera store and bought my R5, after much consternation, along with the 1.4 TC, and the EF to RF converter. I don't think I bought the "wrong camera", just the best given my current situation. Had the R3 provided greater megapixels I would have gone with what is hoped for in a faster focus auto focus circuit....but guys like Jan Wegener have videos showing how awesome the bird eye focus tracking is in the R5...it is at 45 MP, so while I try full frame, I don't live in a bird filled world...I live in a "hey, finally I saw this one bird, and my distance isn't perfect" world...so while I HATE cropping....it's for now a tool. I gave up on my backordered EF 600mm F4 from B&H after three months and put a deposit on the RF 600mm F4 from Mike's Cameras in Sacramento...so if I can at least get it by year end I'll be happy.....I'm number one on the list. We all choose our gear based on cost, brand affiliation preferences, and personal preferences, but I'm really hopeful this camera will take me to the next level. The bird eye focus tracking, upgrading from 7 frames per second to 20 frames per second, and the upgrade from 30MP to 45MP alone seem to enhance my art. I'm so stoked....just sitting here waiting for the battery to charge....which by the way since I bought the battery grip, got screwed again by supply chain issues...a second battery is on backorder :(. All of this communities input was received very gratefully and helped me in my purchase choice, so thank you all very much.
 
Congrats. That camera (and the 100-500mm) got me to switch from Nikon. If you're not a fan of cropping big raw files I recommend setting a button so you can switch between full frame and 1.6x cropped mode so you don't have a huge file for a tiny bird when it's way out there. I know folks aren't always fans of 3rd party batteries but I've got 4 BM batteries from Amazon with a multi-charger for about $100 and I see no difference in battery life.

Enjoy!!
 
Thx Steve.Thats it & I hope to have it in my hand by next month :)

i ordered mine too today :)
it was a long and arduous process to get there But in the end, there is no way I cou,d get a Z9 before the workshops I scheduled this winter, and the R5 as good as it is (it truly is) has some limitations that canon won’t be able to improve upon - I am amazed at what they squeezed out of a sensor that reads at 1/60s but ultimately, that’s the limit while the A1 can get better still. I also am not a fan of the 100-500, optically superb but it has limitations that I didnt enjoy when I shot with it.
But ultimately you know what sold me, of all things? I got to handle a Sony 600mm f:4 on an A9ii this afternoon... and that lens is incredible. It’s lighter and better balanced than the Nikon 500 f;4 E FL I long after. It’s also more expensive but ultimately, this can easily be the lens for a lifetime. The focusing speed on the A9ii is insane, so I can’t wait to rent one and put it on the A1.

i promised myself I wouldnt trust Sony again but here I am, I will give them another chance. But I am not selling my most used Nikon gear quite yet (but I do have a lot of gear I don’t use much which will go soon).
 
i ordered mine too today :)
it was a long and arduous process to get there But in the end, there is no way I cou,d get a Z9 before the workshops I scheduled this winter, and the R5 as good as it is (it truly is) has some limitations that canon won’t be able to improve upon - I am amazed at what they squeezed out of a sensor that reads at 1/60s but ultimately, that’s the limit while the A1 can get better still. I also am not a fan of the 100-500, optically superb but it has limitations that I didnt enjoy when I shot with it.
But ultimately you know what sold me, of all things? I got to handle a Sony 600mm f:4 on an A9ii this afternoon... and that lens is incredible. It’s lighter and better balanced than the Nikon 500 f;4 E FL I long after. It’s also more expensive but ultimately, this can easily be the lens for a lifetime. The focusing speed on the A9ii is insane, so I can’t wait to rent one and put it on the A1.

i promised myself I wouldnt trust Sony again but here I am, I will give them another chance. But I am not selling my most used Nikon gear quite yet (but I do have a lot of gear I don’t use much which will go soon).
I’d suggest the grip for the a1. It’s well worth the money.
 
What about the extra weight ?Also for people who don't have big hands ( like me) will it create any issues?

I am shooting a D850 with grip and EN-EL18 battery so weight will be actually down 350g with the gripped A1 - which is welcome since the 200-600 is about 700g more than the 500pf (but with greater reach too).

All in all, I figured A1 (non gripped) + 200-600 will be equal in weight to D850 + grip + 500pf + TC1.4 which I am quite familiar and comfortable with; and when I put the grip on the A1 it will add about 350g to the weight of my current gear but be about 350 g less than D850 + grip + Tamron 150-600 G2 I also use, but with the benefit of much better weight balance for Sony (non extending zoom vs Tamron). Time will tell but I think this will be quite manageable.

What I am really looking forward to is trying the gripped A1 with the 600f:4 - I tried it last weekend on the Sony A7R4 for a short while and I was throughly impressed by the handling and weight balance - much better than any 600 f:4 I have handled before (that includes all Canon generations and the latest Nikon). It's almost 1kg lighter than the latest Nikon, and although much closer to the Canon R600 f:4, the Sony felt less front weighted and strained the arms a lot less when hand-holding (more weight towards the chest is better because you can have the weight lean "into you"). It's funny because everybody talks about the A1 (for good reasons) but little is said about the 600 f:4 and I almost feel that the 600mm is almost a bigger reason to switch to Sony (if you have the need for that lens obviously). Again, that was a first impression based on a short use but I don't remember ever being this shocked when grabbing a 600 f:4 (I usually dread it).
 
I am shooting a D850 with grip and EN-EL18 battery so weight will be actually down 350g with the gripped A1 - which is welcome since the 200-600 is about 700g more than the 500pf (but with greater reach too).

All in all, I figured A1 (non gripped) + 200-600 will be equal in weight to D850 + grip + 500pf + TC1.4 which I am quite familiar and comfortable with; and when I put the grip on the A1 it will add about 350g to the weight of my current gear but be about 350 g less than D850 + grip + Tamron 150-600 G2 I also use, but with the benefit of much better weight balance for Sony (non extending zoom vs Tamron). Time will tell but I think this will be quite manageable.

What I am really looking forward to is trying the gripped A1 with the 600f:4 - I tried it last weekend on the Sony A7R4 for a short while and I was throughly impressed by the handling and weight balance - much better than any 600 f:4 I have handled before (that includes all Canon generations and the latest Nikon). It's almost 1kg lighter than the latest Nikon, and although much closer to the Canon R600 f:4, the Sony felt less front weighted and strained the arms a lot less when hand-holding (more weight towards the chest is better because you can have the weight lean "into you"). It's funny because everybody talks about the A1 (for good reasons) but little is said about the 600 f:4 and I almost feel that the 600mm is almost a bigger reason to switch to Sony (if you have the need for that lens obviously). Again, that was a first impression based on a short use but I don't remember ever being this shocked when grabbing a 600 f:4 (I usually dread it).
Funny you mention this. Investing in a 600f4 is what prompted me to give the a1 a try. Well combined with the ability of the a1 I just didn't want to spend that much money on a 600 in an F mount to have it obsolete in a couple of years when the Z mount and the new bodies come out. I have heard many converts mention that it is sharper than Canon and Nikon which is pretty impressive. Mine is on order :)
 
Back
Top