5D MK IV versus 90D for wildlife

[Tiago C]

Hello,

I'm new to Canon and recently purchased a 5D MK IV to pair with a Sigma 500mm f4 S. I also acquired a 1.4 teleconverter.

I find the camera to works quite welll but I often need more reach. Replacing the lens is not an option at the moment.

Has anyone used both the 5D MK IV and the 90D? How does the autofocus compare? The 90D youtube reviews that aren't sponsered by Canon suggest that the 90D AF is not so reliable.

Any feedback would be much appreciated.

 

[FB101]

I am not a fan of the 90D AF, the camera is just an afterthought that was created as a dSLR version of the M6ii and they slapped a poor AF module on it. You’d be better off with an 80D which has a somewhat better module. The sad story though is that since the 7Dmk2, canon hasn’t produced a top of line APSC camera so your options are very narrow. The AF in the 7Dmk2 is still the best canon ever put in an APSC body but the sensor is long in the tooth and at 20mp it won’t give you any better pixel density than your 5Dmk4. So you only have bad options. Nikon, with all its disregard for APSC lenses at least produced a couple outstanding bodies but canon gave up years ago.
You could wait to see if Canon releases an APSC R mount... I doubt it but who knows.

Out of curiosity, what subject is giving you a hard time with 700mm and 30mpix? That’s some serious magnification already.

 

[Tiago C]

Thanks for your reply, FB01

That sounds like a well informed opinion although I thought the the 90D and 80D used the same AF module.
This is speculative but I've read somewhere that the mirror flip-up-and-flip-down operation of the 90D is quite slow, meaning the camera doesn't have a good chance to study the scene between frames, especially at 10fps. Perhaps wishful thinking here but I was hoping someone would say the AF on the 90D can actually be used for action. The sensor of the 90D is very appealing to me.

700mm is not terrible for the birds I photograph but I'd rather not have to use a teleconverter so there's no loss of light on the AF points and no image degradation (no matter how little). I like to avoid cropping and tend to prefer to shoot near 900mm. Some people say zoom in with your feet but given the option I often would prefer to zoom out with my feet.

The idea of a Canon APSC R mount sounds very interesting. Unfortunately, so far I've read from a few users that the Sigma 500mm f4 S doesn't adapt very well to the R5 and R6.
I've tried the lens on a Sony a6400 using the MC-11 and it adapts quite well even with a TC. However, the lack of a vertical grip option is a no-go for me.

 

[FB101]

You are correct and I forgot to mention the mirror speed which is part of the issue as well.
i tested the 90D, 80D and 7Dmk2 when I was considering going back to canon (I shot canon for 25 years so as much as I love Nikon, it never feels 100% right) and it wasn’t just the tracking that was off with the 90D, first acquisition was not great either. in the end I stayed Nikon because nothing came close to the D500.

did you look into a Fuji XT4, if you are considering adapting to non canon bodies, I wonder how well that works... I have never tried but it’s a good sensor, my daughter uses an XT30 and image quality is excellent. I just don’t know if AF adapts well. The XT4 has a grip option too.

 

[dabhand16]

did you look into a Fuji XT4, if you are considering adapting to non canon bodies, I wonder how well that works... I have never tried but it’s a good sensor, my daughter uses an XT30 and image quality is excellent. I just don’t know if AF adapts well. The XT4 has a grip option too.

I love the Fuji XT series. Got a used XT-1 to see what it was all about, then a used XT-2, and now a new XT-4. Many will say that if you are not into video, the XT-3 makes a great choice and it is so cheap now. It might even get firmware updates to add some XT-4 functions/AF etc. They have done this before with the XT-2 getting XT-3 features.

All XT bodies can accept grips and there are third party ones available for all models too. XF lenses are excellent optically and in build quality and IIRC they have licensed Tamron (and maybe others) to make X mount lenses now so there will be more lens choices soon. Fuji currently do a 100-400, but there is a 70-300 in the pipeline. Neither are fast lenses though. The 40-150 (70-200 equivalent) is f2.8.

Adapters for lenses are available but I think they provide manual focus only. This one seems to give Nikon lenses AF and more on Fuji XT cameras:

Nikon F to Fujifilm X - Fringer smart adapters

www.fringeradapter.com

 

[Tiago C]

Thanks for your replies!
I agree with you both that Fujifilm make very nice cameras. However, there aren't any third party super-telephoto lens options. Even if Fujifilm make a 500mm f4, it will cost 3 or 4x more than my impressive Sigma. And as mentioned, currently Fujifilm doesn't take adapted lenses very well.

It sounds likely that I will keep the 5D mk IV for now.
Thank you

 

[bleirer]

Thanks for your replies!
I agree with you both that Fujifilm make very nice cameras. However, there aren't any third party super-telephoto lens options. Even if Fujifilm make a 500mm f4, it will cost 3 or 4x more than my impressive Sigma. And as mentioned, currently Fujifilm doesn't take adapted lenses very well.

It sounds likely that I will keep the 5D mk IV for now.
Thank you

If you can hold off through 2021 there are some exciting cameras in the rumor mill for Canon this year. A mirrorless replacement for the 90d for one, it will be their first mirrorless aps--c. Also more full frame choices. The r5 and r6 already out, but there is expected to be an even higher resolution version of the r5, as well as replacements for the 5div and the R and also the RP. All your ef lenses would work flawlessly with the adapter. Ef-s lenses work too, but switch the camera to lower resolution crop mode.

 

[dabhand16]

Thanks for your replies!
I agree with you both that Fujifilm make very nice cameras. However, there aren't any third party super-telephoto lens options. Even if Fujifilm make a 500mm f4, it will cost 3 or 4x more than my impressive Sigma. And as mentioned, currently Fujifilm doesn't take adapted lenses very well.

It sounds likely that I will keep the 5D mk IV for now.
Thank you

I now know that the adaptor I linked to is available for Canon and Sony lenses too. The one I've just ordered for my Nikon lenses is compatible with the Tamron 150-600.
I've got a Sigma 150-600 Sport so I hope that one will work, but my 80-200 f2.8 and 300mm f4 should be OK. The 300mm will give me a 450mm f4 with the adaptor.
The compatibility chart also lists various lens and TC combos both 1.4x and 2x