11 October 2024

Low flying grey heron in foggy conditions, Woodbridge Island

Bird in Flight : Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6 USM Lens

Grey Heron : Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6 Copyright Vernon Chalmers
Grey Heron in Flight : Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm, Woodbridge Island

This image was created with my 10-year old Canon EOS 7D Mark II / EF 400mm f/5.6 lens pairing (year of lens release: 1993). 500 000 actuations on the body is a conservative estimation – never been serviced with one sensor clean probably 6 years ago.
Canon EOS 7D Mark II Long-Term Use and Experience

The at-distance image is no big achievement, but a significant part of my decision-making that there is no real compelling reason for migrating to a comparative mirrorless option (yet). I am fortunate to often work with a wide range of photographers and seen / worked with almost the full range of Canon EOS R mirrorless bodies.

Some of Canon EOS R these bodies are at the pinnacle of its respective functional and optical engineering capabilities, which I appreciate and respect, but for the premium I find it difficult to justify the cost vs. value proposition (for me).

2025 may be a promising year for an eventual upgrade for my Birds in Flight workhorse, but until then I am more than content with my current pairing for all my Birds in Flight photography around the Cape Peninsula.
Canon EOS R Cameras to be Released 2024 - 2025

Just for context: I use quite a few different camera / lens pairings for various genres, so the decision to ‘upgrade’ and the fact the I shoot in generally good light during the day / and tripod at night, I simply just enjoy the older technology for its creations and durability.

Grey heron image at Woodbridge Island, Cape Town. Exposure / Focus Settings
  • Manual Mode
  • Aperture (f/5.6) 
  • Auto-ISO (640)
  • Shutter Speeds (1/3200s)
  • No Image Stabilisation
  • Handheld

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