Vernon Chalmers Photography: Canon Photography Session at Kirstenbosch Garden

27 May 2025

Canon Photography Session at Kirstenbosch Garden

Canon EOS 6D Mark II and EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS USM Lens

Grey Squirrel Kirstenbosch Garden Copyright Vernon Chalmers Photography

Grey Squirrel : Kirstenbosch Garden, Cape Town

Introduction

During December 2024 I acquired a Canon EOS 6D Mark II as a direct upgrade replacement for my 10 -year old Canon EOS 6D. The 6D delivered great images with no technical issues. It is still being used, paired with an EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens. I purchased the Canon EOS 6D Mark II Full-Frame body from a long-standing client of mine - with less than a 1000 actuations and excellent condition. After a few personal test shoots with the Canon EOS 6D Mark II and some of my own EF lenses it was a relatively easy decision to upgrade from my Canon EOS 6D. Part of the transaction was a Canon EF 24-105mm f.4L IS USM lens. Also in excellent condition / and the lens was recently serviced at Orms in Cape Town, The EOS 6D is now almost permanently paired with the EF 24-105 f.4L IS USM lens. A great combination for landscape, seascape, long exposure, street and garden photography.

Purpose of Acquiring the Canon EOS 6D Mark II

The main purpose of acquiring the Canon EOS 6D Mark II was to exclusively pair the camera with my EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6L IS USM lens for using it as my main Kirstenbosch Garden photography lens. I explored various options as a dedicated pairing for Kirstenbosch Garden - and this pairing is ideal for most of my butterfly, bird and flower photography at Kirstenbosch. Also, with the objective to be used with the Canon EF25 II Canon Extension Tube / or the Canon 500D Close-up Lens as front of main lens screw-on magnifying lens adapter. I'm yet to use these close-up lens accessories.

Main feature differences between the Canon EOS 6D Mark II vs. Canon EOS 6D

Continuous Burst Rate: 6.5fps vs 4.5fps
Improved Megapixels: 26.2 MP vs. 20.2 MP
DIGIC Image Processor: DIGIC 5+ vs. DIGIC 7
ISO Range : ISO 40,000 vs. ISO 25,600 (improvement on low light noise levels)
Improved Autofocus System: 45 cross-type AF Points (with Zones) vs. 11 AF Points
LCD: Articulating touch-sensitive LCD vs. fix and non-touch
Improved Connectivity: Bluetooth / Wi-Fi / NFC vs. Wi-Fi only
Multi-Function Button: For changing i.e. AF Modes vs. None
Weather Sealing: 6D Mark II has more extensive weather sealing

Visit to Kirstenbosch Botanical Garden

We spent a few hours roaming the garden on Tuesday morning. As normal, during late autumn in Cape Town, there are less flower species around, but the garden looked fresh and appealing in search of butterflies, small birds and wildflowers. A crisp and clear day provided some exquisite light for trying out my latest camera acquisition (and intended body / lens pairing).

In less than two hours I captured a few butterflies, wildflowers, birds and a hungry squirrel. The last two bird images down below were less than ideal as they were feeding in the low undergrowth - at least I can add them to my growing Kirstenbosch Garden Bird Index.

During late December 2024 visits to the small town of Philadelphia (with the EF 24-70mm f/4L IS USM lens) for street photography and Woodbridge Island (with the EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens and EF 400mm f/5.6L USM lens for birds in flight) I was quite confident that the Canon EOS 6D Mark II / EF 100-400mm 4.5-5.6 L IS USM Lens will become my go-to choice pairing for Kirstenbosch Garden's subject variety.

Kirstenbosch Garden a Jewel in Cape Town's Crown

Some of the images captured during the Kirstenbosch Garden visit: