-= 90D owners unite! Discuss and Post Photos

I’m currently sitting without a Canon body for birding, to use with my 600 III; previously used a 5D4 and then a 1DX2. Even with the new firmware, the EOS R is nowhere near comparable to either of those bodies. In fact, the 80D is better than the R when it comes to birding. I take the 600 out on the R in the hope that I stumble upon some setting that I overlooked which uncorks its potential, but it just keeps disappointing.

I’m right at the edge of placing an order for the 90D, as it’ll be great shooting the 600 without a TC in order to get the reach I need. The 80D was excellent, aside from the higher ISO shadow noise that wrecked shots. The only thing is, I’m currently shooting the D500, so the 90D has a high bar to meet; if I don’t go with the 90D, there’s a good chance I’ll part with the 600.

MatthewK wrote in post #18933825
I’m currently sitting without a Canon body for birding, to use with my 600 III; previously used a 5D4 and then a 1DX2. Even with the new firmware, the EOS R is nowhere near comparable to either of those bodies. In fact, the 80D is better than the R when it comes to birding. I take the 600 out on the R in the hope that I stumble upon some setting that I overlooked which uncorks its potential, but it just keeps disappointing.

I’m right at the edge of placing an order for the 90D, as it’ll be great shooting the 600 without a TC in order to get the reach I need. The 80D was excellent, aside from the higher ISO shadow noise that wrecked shots. The only thing is, I’m currently shooting the D500, so the 90D has a high bar to meet; if I don’t go with the 90D, there’s a good chance I’ll part with the 600.

The 90D is nice Matt for sure. I do like the cleaner files of the 1dx II as you know seeing you had one. If you liked the 80D, the 90D will treat you well. I should be getting the R tomorrow. I wanted it more for the video but will try it out with still work. I was actually impressed with the tracking of it, especially at the price point. The LV tracking is outstanding. I am hoping they put some of the features in the 1dx III.

robamy wrote in post #18933840
The 90D is nice Matt for sure. I do like the cleaner files of the 1dx II as you know seeing you had one. If you liked the 80D, the 90D will treat you well. I should be getting the R tomorrow. I wanted it more for the video but will try it out with still work. I was actually impressed with the tracking of it, especially at the price point. The LV tracking is outstanding. I am hoping they put some of the features in the 1dx III.

So if you’re shooting a chill bird on a pre-focused perch from a fixed position, and there’s no branches/leaves/sky holes in the background, the R will do perfectly fine.

The 90D vs. 80D... one of the reasons I passed my 80D on, was the lack of the Spot AF, and the propensity for the camera to get tripped up on the same stuff as the R mentioned above. Has the inclusion of Spot AF strengthened the 90D’s AF prowess?

Another thing I have to determine is if 600mm on APSC is too much reach... sometimes it’ll be just right, sometimes it won’t.

Thanks for the update. I was not at all that sure about the 90D, as I really like the 7DII for what it is anyway. But that is with the 400DOII and 1.4ext. What I would go for, is a body that breaths new life into the 400DOII+2.0 ext. And to be honest, since I already have a satisfying APS-C dslr in the 7DII for fast action, I would prefer to step into Canon's mirrorless system if possible. What has held me back so far from getting the EOS-R, has been the reports on AF with long lenses. If that has improved, and it takes the 400DOII+2.0 ext. in a good way, then I will absolutely go for the EOS-R, also because of its high iso performance.
The forums are a great way to help you along. Your images with the 400DOII b.t.w. were first in getting me interested in this lens. It has not been a disappointment. A great, fast, nimble lens that does superbly with the 1.4ext. It is just with the 2.0 ext. where it falls a bit short on the 7DII. So I will be looking out for your reports on the EOS-R!!

robamy wrote in post #18933798
I will let you know. I just sold the 90D today and the Eos R with be here tomorrow, I hope it will be here anyway. I will be able to compare them, seeing I will have hands on with both. Do not let me selling the 90D sway your decision, I actually liked the camera but I like the 1dxII more so it just not fit my needs as much. I still recommend the 90D.

Is the EOS-R also "useless" with spot AF (single point), or does it mainly fail for zone based tracking?
I am looking to add the EOS-R to the 7DII for use with the 400DOII!2.0 ext. for eg. wading birds and such

MatthewK wrote in post #18933887
So if you’re shooting a chill bird on a pre-focused perch from a fixed position, and there’s no branches/leaves/sky holes in the background, the R will do perfectly fine.

The 90D vs. 80D... one of the reasons I passed my 80D on, was the lack of the Spot AF, and the propensity for the camera to get tripped up on the same stuff as the R mentioned above. Has the inclusion of Spot AF strengthened the 90D’s AF prowess?

Another thing I have to determine is if 600mm on APSC is too much reach... sometimes it’ll be just right, sometimes it won’t.

Trying to get my thoughts around my following comment.

Is there a problem with focus accuracy on the 90D between Live View and the optical view finder? Or have I missed the point?

I have taken many comments on board from this thread - from which I am grateful - they really do help to form an opinion.

I am looking for a reason to buy this bit of technology to benefit from the higher pixel density and reach - as compared to my 7DII. I will be using the 100-400 MkII with the 1.4x extender.

In general it seems the construction is not of the same quality as the 7DII. There is no GPS (Poo-Hoo'd in a previous post). No second card slot.

Well I suppose it is not a 7DII or a 5DS or a 5DIV or a 1D??? The 90D, it seems, is what it is. The problem is when comparing it with other and more expensive bodies.

My problem is mainly if I buy it now, is there likely to be better spec'd body in the pipeline for the very near future.

MatthewK wrote in post #18933887
So if you’re shooting a chill bird on a pre-focused perch from a fixed position, and there’s no branches/leaves/sky holes in the background, the R will do perfectly fine.

The 90D vs. 80D... one of the reasons I passed my 80D on, was the lack of the Spot AF, and the propensity for the camera to get tripped up on the same stuff as the R mentioned above. Has the inclusion of Spot AF strengthened the 90D’s AF prowess?

Another thing I have to determine is if 600mm on APSC is too much reach... sometimes it’ll be just right, sometimes it won’t.

After spending some time with the 90D shooting birds in trees and bushes, it seems more capable than the 7D2, with much less tendency to hunt way out of focus at f/8. If feel less like I need to drop back from 2x to 1.4x to maintain AF ability.

Preliminary results from first afternoon of shooting with the 90D. This is shot with the EF 100-400 II plus a Kenko 1.4X extender using center point SPOT AF. This JPG was processed using Raw Therapee 5.7 from DNG conversions from the original uncompressed CR3 file.

John Sheehy wrote in post #18934084
After spending some time with the 90D shooting birds in trees and bushes, it seems more capable than the 7D2, with much less tendency to hunt way out of focus at f/8. If feel less like I need to drop back from 2x to 1.4x to maintain AF ability.

Good to know...can I ask which lens/converter combo you were using at F8?

Chris1966 wrote in post #18934057
Is the EOS-R also "useless" with spot AF (single point), or does it mainly fail for zone based tracking?
I am looking to add the EOS-R to the 7DII for use with the 400DOII!2.0 ext. for eg. wading birds and such

For shooting in less obstructed settings, I think you'll do fine w/ the R. I'd wholly suggest renting it first.

For shooting in the woods, trying to get the R to lock onto jittery, small birds has been a frustrating endeavour. If you work on prefocusing and are in the general vicinity, there is hope, but heaven forbid you miss and the R catches the background. I've missed many shots because of this.

Another thing is that the R doesn't seem to do well at all w/ the 1.4 extender on the 600. AF responsiveness slows to a crawl, and the already dodgy accuracy takes a huge hit as well.

John Sheehy wrote in post #18934084
After spending some time with the 90D shooting birds in trees and bushes, it seems more capable than the 7D2, with much less tendency to hunt way out of focus at f/8. If feel less like I need to drop back from 2x to 1.4x to maintain AF ability.

Awesome, John, thank you for the succint comparison, just what I'm looking for.

russbecker wrote in post #18934087
Preliminary results from first afternoon of shooting with the 90D. This is shot with the EF 100-400 II plus a Kenko 1.4X extender using center point SPOT AF. This JPG was processed using Raw Therapee 5.7 from DNG conversions from the original uncompressed CR3 file.

Hosted photo: posted by russbecker in
./showthread.php?p=189​34087&i=i57821624
forum: Canon Digital Cameras

and a 100 per cent crop of the above. Focus was on the yellow stamens of the zinnia.

Hosted photo: posted by russbecker in
./showthread.php?p=189​34087&i=i151037142
forum: Canon Digital Cameras

Going to spend more time with it today, try to find some more cooperative birds. I did shoot a series of an American Restart but they were at ISO 10000 and are best used for archival purposes. Interesting test of RAW converters though, PhotoNinja vs Raw Therapee.

My initial reaction is the 90D is capable of showing more detail than either the 7D2 or the 80D (with your best glass), but you need to nail focus more closely and use a bit higher SS; neither is unexpected. Seems to have less tendency to overexpose reds compared to my previous Canon APS-C cameras.

American Redstarts are insanely challenging birds to photograph! How well did you find the AF able to keep up with their acrobatics? This is the exact use case I'd expect to apply a 90D to

The noise profile on your shots at ISO 1600 looks similar to the 80D, especially in the OOF foreground highlighted area. Am really curious to see how well it responds to noise reduction efforts.

re bif,
why does live view focus work better than the ovf?

Hey so just got the 90D and i have a few observations that i wonder if others share too. First is when i take a photo it seems to take a good 2 seconds for the image to show up on the display even with image optimizer and stuff turned off. Coming from a 6D which shows it nearly instantly it feels really slow. Second is that when moving the joystick there seems to a quiet squeaking noise. Thanks

TPatS wrote in post #18934170
Hey so just got the 90D and i have a few observations that i wonder if others share too. First is when i take a photo it seems to take a good 2 seconds for the image to show up on the display even with image optimizer and stuff turned off. Coming from a 6D which shows it nearly instantly it feels really slow. Second is that when moving the joystick there seems to a quiet squeaking noise. Thanks

If you are using a UHS-I card, that’s going to account for the slower response most likely. Regarding the joystick, no squeak here.

TPatS wrote in post #18934170
Hey so just got the 90D and i have a few observations that i wonder if others share too. First is when i take a photo it seems to take a good 2 seconds for the image to show up on the display even with image optimizer and stuff turned off. Coming from a 6D which shows it nearly instantly it feels really slow. Second is that when moving the joystick there seems to a quiet squeaking noise. Thanks

No squeaking on any controller for me - just the standard slight “click” as it spins.

I would have never ever noticed the display delay as I’ve never had image review “ON” but I do have the same 2 seconds or so delay on image preview appearing. But I’m currently shooting with an rather slow UHS-1 Card rated at just 45MB/sec...

No issues with the joystick. The preview delay is slow regardless which class card you use.