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Canon 5DSR For Bird Photography?

After fussing between either upgrading my next landscape camera to either a Sony A7RII or a Canon 5DSR (I’ll cover that saga in a future post), I finally pulled the trigger and received my new Canon this weekend. While I’ll primary use this 50 mega pixel monster for large resolution landscape images (wall sized prints, anyone?), I wanted to see if/how it would handle (albeit simple) bird photography. After spending a half hour with it in my front yard, chimping on the rear LCD, I was blown away.

An anna's hummingbird perches on a thin branch, Belmont, CA
An anna’s hummingbird perches on a thin branch, Belmont, CA

First of all, the auto-focus is fast and accurate – exactly what you’d expect from such an expensive camera. Maximum frame rate is low due to the huge image size, but that is not a concern with its intended use (my typical landscape frame rate is about 1 shot per minute!) The noise level looks better than my 7D Mk II, which is great given the pixel density of the sensor. All images in this post were shot at ISO 500 with no noise reduction – buttery smooth backgrounds.

But where this camera really shines is its gigantic 50 MP sensor – this largest ever released for a 35mm DSLR. Even better than just packing in so many pixels however, is the fact that at 1:1 zoom, the details are tack sharp. Below is a 1:1 crop of the above image.

Headshot portrait of an anna's hummingbird, Belmont, CA
Headshot portrait of an anna’s hummingbird, Belmont, CA

As you can see, the details are extremely sharp. I’ve seen other sensors that look sharp right out of the camera, but once you zoom in to 1:1, the details are a bit mushy.

Head and shoulders portrait of a house finch, Belmont, CA
Head and shoulders portrait of a house finch, Belmont, CA

If I’m not concerned about printing wall size, the vast amount of resolution I have at my disposal opens up new cropping opportunities. Here I’ve included a few more yard birds I shot during my morning test. I’ve given each a massive crop to see what kinds of portraits I could create with these tiny birds, without having to shoot them with a macro lens (which would be nearly impossible with these fast movers).

A chestnut-backed chickadee finishes eating seed, Belmont, CA
A chestnut-backed chickadee finishes eating seed, Belmont, CA

The main areas that will limit this camera as a great bird photography setup is a low frame rate and full frame sensor. But with patience and careful technique, it could produce some amazing results. I’ll see what it can pull off for birds in flight in the future.

A lesser goldfinch perches on a narrow branch, Belmont, CA
A lesser goldfinch perches on a narrow branch, Belmont, CA

Previously I’ve only been able to get head-and-shoulder portraits with much larger birds. But these tests tell me that I’ll likely be bringing this camera along on my next bird shoot. It won’t replace my primary body for now, but if I come across a docile bird that lets me get relatively close, I’m definitely going to pull out my 5DSR and capture some of those insane details this camera is able to resolve.

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Great Stone-Curlew

A great stone-curlew stands alone on a rock in a shallow lake, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, India
A great stone-curlew stands alone on a rock in a shallow lake, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, India

The great stone-curlew (also known as the great thick-knee) is a large wader, frequently seen along the shores of slow moving bodies of water. These birds are typically nocturnal, but can sometimes be seen during the day, moving slowly and deliberately. They can be quite skittish, often not allowing a close approach. In this case I was photographing from a small boat, so that likely helped me get close without spooking the bird.

A great stone-curlew stands alone on a rock in a shallow lake, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, India
A great stone-curlew stands alone on a rock in a shallow lake, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, India

When photographing this bird, I was able to circle the rock on which it was standing. This gave me typical front-lit lighting (with the sun directly behind me), as well as back-lighting (with the sun behind the subject).

A great stone-curlew stands alone on a rock in a shallow lake, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, India
A great stone-curlew stands alone on a rock in a shallow lake, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, India

As I was finishing up photographing this bird, I could tell it was quite comfortable with my presence. Soon it stopped pacing and sat down on the rock to rest in the sun.

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Royal Tern

A royal tern stands among a flock of shorebirds, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
A royal tern stands among a flock of shorebirds, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

Whenever I’m at the beach I take a close look at any shorebirds I see, scanning to see if there is an uncommon species in the bunch. On a recent trip to Mexico, I was rewarded with great views (and photographs) of a Royal Tern. This is not necessarily an uncommon species, but one that I don’t get to see often.

When I see a target bird among a larger group, I do my best to isolate it photographically so that it will stand out as a well defined main subject. In this case I wasn’t able to photograph it away from a multitude of sandpipers, but by using the largest aperture I had available, I was able to isolate the tern using depth of field. By focusing on its eye, I made sure it was the only bird it focus, drawing the viewers eye to it.

A royal tern flies low over a flock of shorebirds, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico
A royal tern flies low over a flock of shorebirds, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico

It is also a good idea to be patient, as you never know when you’re going to see action. In this case, I spent some time focused on the tern and was rewarded when it suddenly took flight. I was ready to go, and got several sharp in-flight photos before it disappeared.

The next time you see a large group of shorebirds clustered together, spend a little time picking through the crowd. You might just be surprised what you find!

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Black-headed Ibis Feeding Chicks

A black-headed ibis feeds two large chicks, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, India
A black-headed ibis feeds two large chicks, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, India

My recent trip to India was timed well with getting to see chicks feeding from their parent. By this time in their lives, the chicks were nearly as large as the adult, however they still relied on the parent to feed and shelter them.

A black-headed ibis feeds two large chicks, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, India
A black-headed ibis feeds two large chicks, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, India

Although I had never seen a black-headed ibis before, I was familiar with the feeding behavior of this size of bird. Typically the adult will eat food away from the nest and then bring it back, regurgitating the food for consumption by the juvenile.

This photo shows just how far the chick will insert its beak into that of the parent. During this feeding, only one of the chicks got food, pushing its sibling away from the parent with its wing. This survival of the fittest instinct is common amongst siblings – sometimes they go so far as to push each other out of the nest so that they themselves have a better chance at survival.

A black-headed ibis stands on a large rock in a shallow lake, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, India
A black-headed ibis stands on a large rock in a shallow lake, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, India

Although the Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary was technically off season for the peak of bird activity, there were many ibis in and around the water. Most were nesting in trees and feeding their young, but several were out in the open, offering nice portrait opportunities.

A black-headed ibis stands on a large rock in a shallow lake, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, India
A black-headed ibis stands on a large rock in a shallow lake, Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary, India

While not a beautiful bird by any means, it was great to get up close and personal with a new species. Appreciation of even the most common birds brings forward interesting and previously unseen details, allowing for much greater enjoyment of the natural world.