Getting my first mirrorless camera: A Canon R5

I bought this amazing camera to take with me to The Arctic thanks to the generosity of a cash gift from Michael in tribute to Sue.  I was absolutely blown away by the camera, especially by it's incredible face recognition and eye tracking. It automatically focuses in on the eye of an animal or bird, allowing you to concentrate on the composure of the shot instead. It allowed me to get amazing photos of polar bears and birds in flight. It really is ground break technology that allows you to take wildlife photography to a new level.

I bought a series of lenses to go with the camera. My favourite is the 100 - 500 mm lens which is an incredible wildlife lens. It focuses really quickly and is wonderfully sharp.

Specifications

• Sensor: 45-megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor
• Image Stabilization: 5-axis in-body image stabilization that provides up to 8 stops of shake correction
• Subject Tracking: Deep learning technology to detect humans, animals (dogs, cats, birds), and vehicles
•  Up to 12 fps with the mechanical shutter and 20 fps with the electronic (silent) shutter
• Video Capabilities: 8K Recording
• Viewfinder: 5.76-million-dot OLED electronic viewfinder with a 120 fps refresh rate
• Rear Screen: 3.2-inch fully articulating touchscreen with 2.1 million dots
• Storage: Dual memory card slots featuring one CFexpress slot and one UHS-II SD slot
• Build: Weather-sealed magnesium alloy body
• Weight: Approx. 650 g (body only) or 738 g with battery and card

Canon RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1L IS USM

The Canon RF 15-35mm f/2.8L IS USM 

Canon RF 24-240mm f/4-6.3 IS USM

 Canon RF 100-400mm f/5.6-8 IS USM

The wonderful Tamron 16 - 300 mm lens

The Tamron provides an incredible focal range, providing excellent versatility without needing to replace lenses. I used to much prefer prime lenses for sharpness, but am now sold on wide zooms like this one.  It's aperture is f/3.5-6.3 and it can even focus, allowing macro photography.

Canon EF 500 F4

This lens was my greatest ever extravagance. I lusted after it for months, reading all the reviews. I bought it in a massive rush of dopamine. It took sublime photos of birds, but was so bulky and heavy, I hardly used it.  I ended up selling it to my photography friend, Craig, but obviously for less than I paid for it.

 

Birding at Bicentennial Park with my new 500 mm F4 lens

I had a successful morning of birding at the Sydney Olympic Park. Some of the land has been reclaimed including Belverdere Lake (part of Bicentennial Park). I got to take some nice pictures (see below) and also saw three new bird species: Chestnut Teal, Brown Honeyeater and Red Whiskered Bulbul.

Baby Stilts doing the ballet (aren't they cute!)

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Adult Stilts (nice reflection!)
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Welcome Swallow (saying goodmorning)
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Splendid Fairy Wrens (Females).

Male Superb Fairywren
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Red Whiskered Bulbul (beautiful)
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Brown Honeyeater 

.Silver Gull  
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Little Pied Cormorant

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Crested Pigeon

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Chestnut Teal

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Pacific Black Duck

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Willie wagtail.
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The lake where I took the photos

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Down the barrel of my lens.

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Bigger is better! Well perhaps not for my back...

My, how my cameras have grown as my photography passion has grown. OK, so I am showing my largest bird lens here, but you get the picture. From ixus i to camera S21S to canon 30d with a mega 300 2.8 lens. Its heavy, but then as the saying goes, one has to suffer for one's art.

My first digital SLR: A Canon 30D

I bought the SLR camera in Hong Kong and the lenses in Sydney. What a wonderful camera. It's revolutionising my photography, especially my bird photos with my powerful 300 mm and 400 mm lens.

Specifications

• Sensor: 8.2 MP APS-C CMOS sensor (22.5 x 15.0mm) with a 1.6x focal length multiplier.
• Image Processor: DIGIC II image processor.
• ISO Range: 100 to 1600 in 1/3-stop increments, expandable to ISO 3200.
• Autofocus: 9-point AF system featuring a high-precision center cross-type point (f/2.8 compatible).
• Continuous Shooting: 5 fps or 3 fps selectable modes, supporting bursts up to 30 large JPEGs or 11 RAW files.
• Shutter Speed: 30 seconds to 1/8000 second plus Bulb, with a durability rated up to 100,000 cycles.
• Metering: 35-zone evaluative, partial (center-weighted), spot, and center-weighted average metering.
• Display: 2.5-inch LCD monitor with approximately 230,000 pixels and a 170° viewing angle.
• Body Construction: Sturdy magnesium alloy cladding.
• Storage: CompactFlash (CF) card slot (Type I and II).
• Video Recording: None (stills only).
• Dimensions & Weight: Approx. 144 x 106 x 73.5 mm and 700 grams (body only).

Lenses

Canon 17-55mm f/2.8

Canon EF-S 10-22mm f/3.5-4.5 USM Lens

Canon EF 100mm f2.8 L Macro IS USM

The Canon EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS USM

Canon EF 400mm f/5.6L USM 

Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L USM