MIRROR, MIRRORLESS ON THE WALL…

Mirror, Mirrorless on the wall…

Review: Martin Parker, Robert Gordon University Aberdeen
Camera: Canon R5

One of the recent benefits of the ACPME Special Interest Group online meetings, is the ability of members to speak directly with suppliers and sponsors.

The Photography SIG which usually meets online every two weeks and is chaired by Stephen McCann, University of Glasgow has regularly had presentations and speakers from the world of photography.

A presentation by Nathan Dua, Education Sector Manager of Canon last year on 7th October, was of particular interest to me as he was talking about Canon’s range of mirrorless cameras; especially the Canon R5 which was being highlighted during the presentation.

As a long term Canon user for over 35 years and a Canon 5D owner for probably the last 15 years I was very interested in seeing the camera that some people were saying was a mirrorless successor to the 5D series. Suffice it to say that even before his presentation had finished I messaged Nathan to take him up on his loan offer of a Canon R5 and a couple of weeks later it arrived.

I have to admit that out of the box the R5 feels like an extremely well made camera. It felt solid and well balanced and the controls and displays were familiar to a long time Canon user. It has a lot of new features at a touch of those buttons including an all-new sensor in the EOS R5 that comes paired with a Digic X processor that’s related to the processor in the EOS-1D X Mark III. The sensor offers an expansive 45 million pixels of resolution and dynamic range gets a boost as well. The sensor and processor combo enables burst speeds of up to 12 fps with the mechanical shutter and 20 fps using the electronic shutter with full autoexposure and autofocus.

Apparently the R5 is the first ‘consumer-level’ camera to offer 8K video capture in Raw, All-I or IPB compression, topping out at 30fps (24 and 23.98fps are also available) if you wanted to use it to capture moving images as well.

One of the first things that struck me about the R5 was the incredibly crystal-clear, view finder; which actually felt like looking at a Hi-definition (no pixel) tv screen; incredibly clear and detailed. There is also a live-view panel on the back which is touchscreen for a whole more functionality. The Camera I borrowed came with a RF 28-70mm F2 L lens; it was a great everyday working lens; an excellent all rounder for most things.

So for the next few days I took it with me everywhere and used it in a lot of quite low light conditions due to the time of year. I was very impressed with both how it handled and the quality of the images. I think I may have been converted to mirrorless cameras. see pics https://www.canon.co.uk/cameras/eos-r5/

A good website for more techie details: https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/canon-eos-r5-review

Martin

Camera loan courtesy of:
Nathan Dua
Education Sector Manager, Professional Imaging Sales Team
Imaging Technologies & Communication Group
Mobile: +447800701516
Email: nathan.dua@cuk.canon.co.uk

Virtual conference prize draw winner Greg Cowper, Heriot Watt University, having an Adventure with his prize Lumix S1R

Review: Greg Cowper, Heriot-Watt University
Camera: Panasonic Lumix SR1

Having trained on Mamiya RZ67’s Nikon FM’s and old Blads, I was somewhat nervous, yet excited, when I heard the news of my good fortune in the conference Prize draw.

My current DSLR is a 20-year-old Fuji FinePix S2 and so it would be an understatement to say the Lumix S1R is a bit of a step up in both resolution and technology.

First thoughts when I opened the box was one of relief, as I was able to confirm it was supplied with a 24–100mm zoom lens. I’d spent the evening before looking at lenses on the Web to realise that it might be a while before I built up a new lens collection.

On picking up the camera I was somewhat surprised by the weight, this is a heavy camera, but not an uncomfortable weight. The balance was good, and it felt comfortable to hold.

I must admit that in the past I have always tended to use my cameras on the manual settings but not with this gem, and as a result it is taking me quite a while to get used to focal points, aperture control and depths of field. The depth of field on wider apertures seem more acute than the lenses I am used to, perhaps due to the high resolution and sensitivity of the photo receptor.

But the picture quality is phenomenal, the sharpness is obvious, (even when I have the focal point wrong). The back screen is bright and sharp, and although I haven’t really had the opportunity to use it in bright daylight, (blame the Scottish weather in January) I believe it will be just as usable in these conditions. I was really impressed by the ISO range; I don’t think I’ve seen a rating of 25600ASA. The automatic switch from back screen to view finder is a really nice touch and makes using the camera so easy. The controls, although taking time to get used to are well positioned and easy to locate when using the view finder.

I haven’t, as yet, tested out the video option but I am looking forward to that. There is so much technology to explore on this camera I really don’t know where to begin, but I know that the coming months will be more than an adventure but an exciting journey.

A good website for more details: https://www.dpreview.com/reviews/panasonic-lumix-dc-s1r-review

Greg

Julian Hollingshead | Business Development Manager – Imaging
Mobile: 07825 843 431
Email : julian.hollingshead@eu.panasonic.com

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