-= Canon EOS R7 owners unite! Post photos and discuss.

Young Bald Eagle

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2omD​ZX6

John Sheehy wrote in post #19492025
I had a similar idea long ago, and thought of it in the framework of a "Sunny-f/x" kind of mode that didn't use the meter except as feedback to signal that the lighting may have changed, and automated any parameters based on an assumed metering. When I shot film on my Voightlander without metering back in the '70s, that's how I worked, but without automation; my pairings of Av and Tv values was always "sunny f/16" in sunlight, "sunny f/whatever" for the type of lighting, etc. I had an old Weston light meter for when I wasn't sure of the light levels, but not for every shot.

While I appreciate metering and automation based on metering for most of what I shoot (birds jumping from sun to shade and back again makes full-manual very risky), I do recognize that there are situations that others spend more time in where small changes due to meter-based automation are counterproductive. Imagine two horses; a white one and a black one playing in even light; why would you want the Av and Tv combo to change depending on which horse was dominating the frame? That doesn't make any sense.

Yes exactly, Sunny f/x still works for me (as I nearly always shoot outside). Though since we are no longer constrained to fixed ISO like in the film days, I now work with a variation of it. Like Lester, I am usually at a constant aperture (normally stopped down one or two thirds from wide open), so I juggle Tv and ISO instead of Tv and Av. At f/5.6, to maximise exposure without clipping for a white bird in full sun in my area, the Tv number needs to be 10 times the ISO number, eg. 1/2000th at ISO 200 or 1/4000th at ISO 400. So at f/4 it's 20 times, at f/8 it's 5 times , f/5 (which I shoot a lot at on R7 to stay just below the diffraction limited aperture) it's 12.5 times etc. When there is cloud, it's back to the Sunny rules: slight high hazy cloud (my favourite!), add a stop; shadows still present but getting a bit indistinct, add two stops; overcast, no shadows, add three stops; heavy overcast or open shade, add four stops. In golden hour and blue hour I just do a few test shots to establish the ratio. All while occasionally chimping for blinkies to check I'm not blowing highlights. Which reminds me: Canon, if you're listening, please add blinkies to magnified images in EVF and LCD, preferably before the shot is taken like with the histogram. Histograms are OK but you can't tell from them if small areas of highlights are clipped; there are just too few pixels to show up on a tiny histogram.

D-Noc wrote in post #19492059
Robin in the morning light.
There was a lot more light on the background than on the Robin so it was difficult light conditions. Had to push the exposure on the bird a bit..
I am still struggling with getting as good results with the R7 as I did/do with my R6, but I still hope I will figure it out.
Soon it will be spring and I will have more opportunities to fiddle with the R7.

And if I don't get the feel for it I guess I will go back to the R6 for wildlife again.

Hosted photo: posted by D-Noc in
./showthread.php?p=194​92059&i=i17931943
forum: Canon Digital Cameras

Nice photo! One way to deal with this situation (much brighter background) is to do exposure bracketing and then blend the best exposed bird with the best exposed background.

Pippan wrote in post #19492220
Nice photo! One way to deal with this situation (much brighter background) is to do exposure bracketing and then blend the best exposed bird with the best exposed background.

Thank you. I am still trying to make friends with my R7. I haven’t tried exposure bracketing yet.
I must admit that I feel frustrated by the R7. I think it has a lot going for it, but it feels like I struggle a lot compared to my R6. I can’t figure out why it feels so much harder for me to get the pictures I want with the R7.
Hopefully spring and the return of the light here in Denmark will help me. If not the R7 will have to go

..but from this thread it is apparent that the R7 IS capable of taken great pictures.

D-Noc wrote in post #19492233
Thank you. I am still trying to make friends with my R7. I haven’t tried exposure bracketing yet.
I must admit that I feel frustrated by the R7. I think it has a lot going for it, but it feels like I struggle a lot compared to my R6. I can’t figure out why it feels so much harder for me to get the pictures I want with the R7.
Hopefully spring and the return of the light here in Denmark will help me. If not the R7 will have to go

..but from this thread it is apparent that the R7 IS capable of taken great pictures.

Yes I think it is certainly capable of great pictures. I don't have an R6 or any other mirrorless so can't compare but I'm very happy with the R7 overall. I resisted jumping to mirrorless for a long time but I have to admit the AF and customisability are awesome.

Pippan wrote in post #19492217
... Histograms are OK but you can't tell from them if small areas of highlights are clipped; there are just too few pixels to show up on a tiny histogram.

So they're not OK. Because of the issue you mention, I ignore the histogram.

With the 2x TC. 4K (3240 x 2160) crop.

Photo from PinholeR5's gallery.
Image hosted by forum (1200903)

Dave63401 wrote in post #19492206
Young Bald Eagle

IMAGE LINK: https://flic.kr/p/2omD​ZX6 DR7C8071_DxO Young Bald Eagle by David Johnson, on Flickr

Terrific capture of the young Bald Eagle, Dave!

I have not used this combo since I love the RF 100-400 on the R7. It certainly makes the R7 noticeably heavier!

Levina de Ruijter wrote in post #19492123
What you all want is something similar to C.fn2 where you can set to auto-adjust ISO or shutter speed with a change of aperture. I shoot full manual but that is a mighty handy function as exposure stays the same when zooming in or out.

That's an interesting feature, and it actually does trade off Av vs Tv as Pippan wishes, but it keeps metering, and part of what Pippan wants is for the camera to not meter, but take his word for it that the ambient light is fixed. Think of the black and white horses; you don't want anything to change in the camera when you point the lens at one and then the other, because you don't want grey horses.

Archibald wrote in post #19492278
So they're not OK. Because of the issue you mention, I ignore the histogram.

Yes, I suppose there may be a place for them but I ignore them too.

PinholeR5 wrote in post #19492293
With the 2x TC. 4K (3240 x 2160) crop.

Gallery photo (hosted):
posted by PinholeR5 originally in forum: Lens Sample Photo Archive

Looks good, a crop too.
How easy was it finding the subject at that focal length.

John Sheehy wrote in post #19492361
That's an interesting feature, and it actually does trade off Av vs Tv as Pippan wishes, but it keeps metering, and part of what Pippan wants is for the camera to not meter, but take his word for it that the ambient light is fixed. Think of the black and white horses; you don't want anything to change in the camera when you point the lens at one and then the other, because you don't want grey horses.

The camera keeps metering anyway, whether you use a function like this or not. So use AE lock.

Lester Wareham wrote in post #19492428
Looks good, a crop too.
How easy was it finding the subject at that focal length.

Yes, at that focal length, it can be tricky. In this particular case, it wasn't too bad.

It was perched on a bare tree and I know it is there often. At most angles, you just get the sky behind the tree so easier to see its silhouette. Then move to the other angle to get the other tree in the background and then point at the tree and follow the branches until you get it.