Wildlife photography and switching to mirrorless
Monday 22 May 2023, 16:32 by Evert Doorn | 4,602 views | 7 commentsThis article was translated from Dutch with the help of AI. Read the original.
The rapid development of mirrorless system cameras can also be seen in wildlife photography. A personal account of my gradual switch.
From film to bits and bytes
Anyone who looks at the old photos by Frans Lanting or other wildlife photography icons has to be impressed. Of course, photos taken on film are a little less sharp and a little grainier than the almost clinical images produced by modern digital cameras.
Despite this, these photographers still managed to correctly expose and focus an image under highly varying conditions and with fast-moving subjects. That is no easy feat when photographing a running cheetah or a bird of prey in a dive.
Since the introduction of the digital camera, an enormous amount has changed, and the rise of mirrorless system cameras has continued that development. While DSLR cameras are more or less fully developed, mirrorless is opening up new paths.
The first steps into mirrorless territory
I have now completely switched to mirrorless too, in my case Canon EOS R5s, both for my daily work here in the Netherlands as a professional photographer and for the wildlife photography trips I organise or lead. But that did not happen overnight.
The first time I consciously took a digital camera on a trip to photograph wildlife was in 2014, in South Africa. I brought the Fuji XT-2, which I had at the time as a camera for personal use. My longest telephoto lens was an old Canon FD 135mm lens with a 2x extender.
The Canon FD 135mm is an old manual focus lens, so in that respect I had even taken a step backwards. The electronic viewfinder on this camera was adequate, but nowhere near as good as the ones in current mirrorless cameras.
On a trip to Africa again in 2017, I took a Canon EOS M5 as an extra camera alongside two EOS 5D mark IVs. A nice addition, but this camera also had its limitations and was not particularly fast when it came to focusing. I mainly used it as a handy small camera for snapshots in between.
Things got a little better when I was allowed to borrow the original Canon EOS R from a rental company in 2018 to write a review of it. I wanted more! Compared with the EOS 5D mark IV, this camera was still missing some functionality and speed when it came to focusing.
There was also no joystick on the back, which I always like to use, but the direct feedback from the electronic viewfinder and the principle of focus tracking, following a subject, did make me enthusiastic. My conclusion in the review was that the camera was still lacking for fast wildlife action, but certainly had its charms.
Mirrorless: a sound choice
When the EOS R5 and EOS R6 came onto the market, it seemed like a good time for me to take the plunge professionally too, because these cameras appeared to be ready for it. My fellow photographers who work with Sony had already reached that conclusion a little earlier.
The first time I got to work seriously with these cameras on a wildlife photography trip was not until late 2021, thanks to Covid. It was a good test of their durability, because the areas I visited then, including Samburu and Amboseli in Kenya, were very dry and sometimes extremely dusty. Fortunately, that proved not to be a problem. System cameras also appear to be well able to withstand the effects of the weather.
Even changing lenses caused few problems with dust on the sensor, because the sensor is covered when the camera is switched off. A blower brush or, if necessary, a wet clean can also get a sensor nice and clean after a trip like that.
In 2022, I was able to repeat that durability test in the Pantanal in Brazil, in extreme heat, 40 degrees in full sun, and the camera passed with flying colours there too.
Mainly advantages, but also some disadvantages
After a recent photography trip to Kenya, where I was travelling with a fellow trip leader, I can now draw a few more conclusions about using mirrorless for wildlife photography.
The electronic viewfinder is what will stand out most to anyone picking up a mirrorless camera for the first time. Such a viewfinder basically shows a digital representation of what the sensor is recording at that moment, a live feed directly in front of your eye. The major advantage is that you can immediately see your exposure.
Very useful, of course, especially in difficult and rapidly changing light conditions, something that happens frequently outdoors in a wildlife setting. One moment it is sunny, and the next it is cloudy. Creating a good silhouette shot also requires careful exposure settings.
You do need to get used to such a viewfinder. Although electronic viewfinders are getting better all the time, with smoother movement and better contrast, I can well imagine that some people, especially at first, have difficulty with them.
With an electronic viewfinder, you can do more than just look. You can of course also use it to focus on your subject. And that brings us to another fundamental change compared with DSLR cameras.
Following a subject with focus points that are active across almost the entire frame, recognising eyes, including animal eyes, and the many options for fine-tuning the focus exactly as you want make working with a mirrorless camera a real dream for wildlife photographers.
This is especially fantastic with moving animals. A lion walking towards you or a herd of elephants passing by stay in focus while you can simply keep your composition.
There is still room for improvement. For example, I have noticed that eye focus can still be a challenge with striped and spotted big cats. This applies to the EOS R5.
I also hear this from Canon EOS R3 and Nikon Z9 users, but we are still far from finished when it comes to the development of autofocus technology.
Another striking aspect of mirrorless is the electronic shutter, which means that no mechanical blades are used. In certain situations where absolute silence is essential, this is a very valuable addition.
The fact that many images per second are possible, more than with a mechanical shutter, also makes this interesting for scenes with lots of action. It is important to check whether the camera model in question can still suffer from rolling shutter, or possibly banding under artificial lighting, although that will generally not be an issue in wildlife photography.
The higher-segment cameras no longer really have any problems with this, and I expect that in a few years we will only see electronic shutters in new models.
I noticed one disadvantage of shooting at a high number of frames per second on my last trip. There was a lot of action, and I came home with more than 23,000 images after two weeks.
That also means you need extra memory cards. On trips, I always make back-ups to an external SSD via my laptop anyway.
What works less well is the fact that mirrorless cameras use a lot of power. That is quite logical given all the technology, but it means you get through your batteries much faster than with a DSLR. This means you need to invest in extra batteries, and you also have to charge them more often.
During a day of wildlife photography, I can easily get through four batteries. Most of the places I visit, including in the bush, do have charging points, whether or not powered by solar energy, and many safari vehicles even have a power socket for connecting a charger to the battery. But the fact is that I have to do more battery management than before.
Finally, a quick word about video. Although DSLR cameras can also record video, mirrorless cameras take this to a higher level. Focus tracking also works well in video, and thanks to the many choices in image quality and formats, mirrorless gives you plenty to work with as a hybrid image-maker.
These days, I often make video clips of wildlife with the R5 when I feel that taking photos is less interesting.
Is mirrorless more expensive?
Are mirrorless cameras more expensive than DSLRs? Perhaps they are in absolute terms. The shortage of chips and components, along with the substantial inflation of recent years, will undoubtedly play a role here. But in my opinion, a mirrorless camera can also do considerably more than a DSLR, so you get a lot for your money.
When it was launched, the Canon EOS R5 cost a few hundred euros more than the EOS 5D mark IV did at launch. That is not unreasonable given that there were four years between the releases, and you do get a camera that is a major step forward in many areas.
Fortunately, all manufacturers are also smart enough to make models that are considerably more affordable than the top models, without limiting you too much in terms of what they can do.
Anyone switching to mirrorless may also want to buy new lenses designed specifically for the system. These are often quite expensive, especially the top models.
Those new lenses are wonderful, but you can also use an older model, whether second-hand or not, with an adapter and give it a new lease of life. All camera manufacturers offer an adapter so that you can also use older lenses, often without any loss of functionality.
For a while, I used an older EF 100-400L II zoom lens on the EOS R5, as well as an EF 500mm f/4L telephoto lens with an adapter. They did their job more than excellently. The new lenses do often make slightly better use of the extra pins for communication, so they focus a fraction better and faster.
Conclusion
The fact that I see so many wildlife photographers around me working with mirrorless seems to confirm that the era of DSLR cameras is definitely over.
That is certainly not limited to more serious hobbyists or professional photographers. On the photography trips I lead with my colleague Simone Janssen, we also see beginners working happily with mirrorless systems.
I certainly would not want to go back, and I am very curious to see where mirrorless technology will take us in about ten years, not to mention developments such as AI.
About the author
Evert Doorn is professioneel fotograaf en gespecialiseerd in fotografie op locatie. Hij maakt portretten, evenementverslagen en commercieel beeld voor bedrijven en instellingen; daarnaast maakt hij trouwreportages voor particulieren.
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7 comments
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PixelDude Raoul
wrote on Tuesday 23 May 2023 at 12:01
| reply
In 2015, with my retirement in sight in 2018 (with a lot more time, sic), I thought photography was quite an interesting pastime. I started searching on the internet and reading comments and was fairly quickly convinced that mirror (even then) was passé and that the system camera was ‘the’ better choice. What I also found important was the weight I would have to lug around as a retiree. 4/3 was therefore the best solution for me … a lot lighter (and cheaper) than a FF. I chose the Olympus E-M1. In the meantime I also have an extra E-M1, which I had converted to full spectrum for infrared photography, an Olympus TG-6 and an Olympus E-M1X. All fantastic devices. The name Olympus has meanwhile disappeared from the market, but Olympus technology passed into the hands of OM systems, which is successful.
Translated from Dutch.
At the moment I also read and see that the largest number of nature and wildlife photographers have switched to mirrorless and some even to 4/3, which is so much easier to handle than a FF. Quite a few bird photographers have learned to appreciate that by now.
What surprises me about the author is that he chose a Canon, while other well-known brands have a big lead over Canon in terms of mirrorless technology. But yes, once you are attached to a top brand, you can find it difficult(er) to accept that they are no longer at the top. -
Cor wrote on Tuesday 23 May 2023 at 12:01 | replyNice report, I think I'll wait a little longer before buying another camera.
Translated from Dutch. -
Evert wrote on Tuesday 23 May 2023 at 12:20 | replyHi Raoul, thanks for your response. My wife shoots with Olympus and that is certainly a wonderful system too (and indeed nice and compact and light). What I like is that there are actually no bad mirrorless cameras anymore when you look at what has appeared on the market over the past few years, but one model will suit someone's personal wishes and preferences better than another brand/type.
Translated from Dutch.
And well, personally I think Canon is doing an excellent job (especially the autofocus), so I think that big lead is not too bad (especially since the release of the R5/R6 and everything that came after). In the end, I can shoot the pictures with it that can be seen above and the result is what matters to me. -
Cor wrote on Tuesday 23 May 2023 at 12:25 | reply
I do understand why you stick with one brand, I've bought lenses for a fair fortune since 1978, a Canon 400mm 1.2L is still a wonderful lens to photograph with, or the 85mm 1.2L
Translated from Dutch. -
PixelDude Raoul
wrote on Tuesday 23 May 2023 at 13:28
| reply
@ Cor. You hit the nail on the head. Photographers who have been around for much longer have indeed built up a fortune in FF lenses that you can't use on a 4/3 system. Switching is then ... difficult because you have to part with quite a small fortune.
Translated from Dutch.
For newcomers I would say, go for the brands with smaller sensors. A lot cheaper, not so much for the body but enormously in the price of lenses because the glass is much smaller, easier to grind, so a lot cheaper. And those smaller sensors really can hold their own against FF. The smaller sensors have advantages and disadvantages compared to FF but for my photography 4/3 only has advantages. -
PixelDude Raoul
wrote on Tuesday 23 May 2023 at 14:36
| reply
I even dare to go a step further. Within a few years, the glory days of FF will also be over. Just as many years ago the switch was made from medium format to FF and FF was demonized by many. First, several more years will pass in which FF enthusiasts want to destroy the existence of smaller sensors. But someday FF too will bite the dust.
Translated from Dutch. -
Donald Willemsen wrote on Tuesday 23 May 2023 at 16:18 | replyMirrorless has it all. Last October I switched from the DSLR to the Canon Eos R7. I find the autofocus of the R7 a blessing. In my case, the percentage of sharp photos has increased considerably.
Translated from Dutch.
I don't want to go back to the DSLR.
The R7 may be a crop camera, but that is an advantage in wildlife photography. Add to that a few functions that the R5 doesn't have.
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