Using the 5D4 for BIF photography

PatS52 · Feb 23, 2017

I've been using the 7D2 for BIF this last year. Purchased the 5D4 a week ago assuming I would still use the 7D2 for BIF but the 5D4 for landscapes, portraits, etc. After a week of using the 5D I've been impressed with it's abilities as a BIF camera. You don't get the crop camera AOV or the 10fps but the 5D is faster to focus and locks on better. The noise is less and shadow detail and dynamic range overall really exceeds the 7D2. I get more keepers with it. Even cropped to the 7D2 area of view, I prefer the images from the 5D4. I may end up missing the 10 fps for fast birds but so far haven't found it to be an issue. Anyone else using the 5D4 for BIF over the 7D2?

Best,

Pat

EG · Feb 23, 2017

Yup - tried it. I got different results. The 7D2 was quicker to AF and stayed locked on better. And I really miss the 10 fps. Wish it wasn't so. I already sold my backup 7D2 and can't return 5D4. Oh well....

MaxCh · Feb 23, 2017

PatS52 said:
I've been using the 7D2 for BIF this last year. Purchased the 5D4 a week ago assuming I would still use the 7D2 for BIF but the 5D4 for landscapes, portraits, etc. After a week of using the 5D I've been impressed with it's abilities as a BIF camera. You don't get the crop camera AOV or the 10fps but the 5D is faster to focus and locks on better. The noise is less and shadow detail and dynamic range overall really exceeds the 7D2. I get more keepers with it. Even cropped to the 7D2 area of view, I prefer the images from the 5D4. I may end up missing the 10 fps for fast birds but so far haven't found it to be an issue. Anyone else using the 5D4 for BIF over the 7D2?

Best,

Pat

I also just purchased 5D4 after using 7D2 for two years. 5D4 is a fantastic camera but I would not use it for action photography (although I don't shoot birds ). I personally miss 10FPs and I do think it makes the difference in some situations.

I would stick with 7D2 for BIF and use 5D4 for everything else.

zoom65 · Feb 23, 2017

PatS52 said:
I've been using the 7D2 for BIF this last year. Purchased the 5D4 a week ago assuming I would still use the 7D2 for BIF but the 5D4 for landscapes, portraits, etc. After a week of using the 5D I've been impressed with it's abilities as a BIF camera. You don't get the crop camera AOV or the 10fps but the 5D is faster to focus and locks on better. The noise is less and shadow detail and dynamic range overall really exceeds the 7D2. I get more keepers with it. Even cropped to the 7D2 area of view, I prefer the images from the 5D4. I may end up missing the 10 fps for fast birds but so far haven't found it to be an issue. Anyone else using the 5D4 for BIF over the 7D2?

Best,

Pat

Your experience pretty much mirrors my own. I find the focus to be faster and as you say, it locks on noticeably better when set up properly. Also nice to have all focus point sat f/8 as I use the 1.4TC a lot. I do however miss the faster frame rate. Larger, slower flying birds aren't a problem but the small, fast birds I try to image definitely need the faster fps. The 7D mkII and the 5D MKiv are a great combination to have.

MaxCh · Feb 23, 2017

zoom65 said:
PatS52 said:

I've been using the 7D2 for BIF this last year. Purchased the 5D4 a week ago assuming I would still use the 7D2 for BIF but the 5D4 for landscapes, portraits, etc. After a week of using the 5D I've been impressed with it's abilities as a BIF camera. You don't get the crop camera AOV or the 10fps but the 5D is faster to focus and locks on better. The noise is less and shadow detail and dynamic range overall really exceeds the 7D2. I get more keepers with it. Even cropped to the 7D2 area of view, I prefer the images from the 5D4. I may end up missing the 10 fps for fast birds but so far haven't found it to be an issue. Anyone else using the 5D4 for BIF over the 7D2?

Best,

Pat

Click to expand...

Your experience pretty much mirrors my own. I find the focus to be faster and as you say, it locks on noticeably better when set up properly. Also nice to have all focus point sat f/8 as I use the 1.4TC a lot. I do however miss the faster frame rate. Larger, slower flying birds aren't a problem but the small, fast birds I try to image definitely need the faster fps. The 7D mkII and the 5D MKiv are a great combination to have.

I must admit I did not think the 3FPS would make that much difference but I have certainly missed some good shots because of it. 5D4 is an amazing camera but I do wish the frame rate would be a bit higher.

another thing I miss (and I am embarrassed to say it) is the pop up flash. I usually have my 430ex with me, but I've had few cases where being able to just use the internal flash would have been easier, faster and quiet sufficient for my purposes.

not the showstopper though...as I still have my 7d2 when I need it.

sfnorton · Feb 23, 2017

I have been finding the same thing myself. I too kept my 7dmII thinking I'd use it for long telephoto with my 100-400II for birds, other animals, etc. But I'm finding that with the 5dmIV, the image quality, crop-ability, shadow recovery, and focus accuracy far surpass that of the 7dmII. Even when I use a 1.4III teleconverter, the 5DmIV is much better. Sad news for my 7DmII but this is what my eyes are telling me.

Zeee · Feb 23, 2017

I'm also a 7D2 owner and in the same boat. My 1.4 lives on my 100-400II and 5D4 where it mostly lived in my camera bag, I have yet to really test out BIF as this time of year decent ones are scarce.

Cropping down has proven to not be a worry for me yet.

Colin Franks · Feb 23, 2017

A timely thread, as I've been thinking about this the last day or two. I asked someone who has used 'em all: If they could only have one body for bird photography, would it be a 1DX, a 5DSR, a 5D4, or a 7DII, they said a 5D4.

While I can understand that the 5D4 is superior in higher ISO, dynamic range, and a higher MP count, I can't get my head around that huge loss of reach. I know that whenever I pop my 6D onto my birding lens, I'm shocked at how much reach is lost. There's simply more pixels on the bird with a 1.6 crop, and that should be better than cropping a FF file, and perhaps it is, but only in good light(?)

I'd sure like to do some testing, for having one body for everything (landscapes, portrait etc) would be nice, although if I sold my 6D and 7DII, I would have no back-up.

7 FPS is not too far from 10, but the 4.5 on my 6D is painful.

Zeee · Feb 23, 2017

Colin Franks said:
A timely thread, as I've been thinking about this the last day or two. I asked someone who has used 'em all: If they could only have one body for bird photography, would it be a 1DX, a 5DSR, a 5D4, or a 7DII, they said a 5D4.

While I can understand that the 5D4 is superior in higher ISO, dynamic range, and a higher MP count, I can't get my head around that huge loss of reach. I know that whenever I pop my 6D onto my birding lens, I'm shocked at how much reach is lost. There's simply more pixels on the bird with a 1.6 crop, and that should be better than cropping a FF file, and perhaps it is, but only in good light(?)

I'd sure like to do some testing, for having one body for everything (landscapes, portrait etc) would be nice, although if I sold my 6D and 7DII, I would have no back-up.

7 FPS is not too far from 10, but the 4.5 on my 6D is painful.

Technically it is not reach but we all refer to it that way. You may find this interesting.

Loading…

arihazeghiphotography.com

Colin Franks · Feb 23, 2017

Here's another point of view/opinion:

sfnorton · Feb 23, 2017

Colin Franks said:
A timely thread, as I've been thinking about this the last day or two. I asked someone who has used 'em all: If they could only have one body for bird photography, would it be a 1DX, a 5DSR, a 5D4, or a 7DII, they said a 5D4.

While I can understand that the 5D4 is superior in higher ISO, dynamic range, and a higher MP count, I can't get my head around that huge loss of reach. I know that whenever I pop my 6D onto my birding lens, I'm shocked at how much reach is lost. There's simply more pixels on the bird with a 1.6 crop, and that should be better than cropping a FF file, and perhaps it is, but only in good light(?)

I'd sure like to do some testing, for having one body for everything (landscapes, portrait etc) would be nice, although if I sold my 6D and 7DII, I would have no back-up.

7 FPS is not too far from 10, but the 4.5 on my 6D is painful.

What I'm saying is that my 5DmIV images, cropped down to the same field of view (or smaller!) as the 7DmII, are apparently better thus eliminating the apparent reach deficit. I'm not ready to dump my 7DmII yet but it certainly is gathering dust.

PatS52 · Feb 23, 2017

Colin Franks said:
Here's another point of view/opinion:

I had seen that before and was one of the reasons I hesitated to buy the 5D4. Other pros disagreed with him and I'm glad I went ahead and purchased it. I have no plans however of selling the 7D2. As someone else pointed out, they make a fine combination that will cover just about everything I want to do.

Best,

Pat

Zeee · Feb 23, 2017

sfnorton said:
Colin Franks said:

A timely thread, as I've been thinking about this the last day or two. I asked someone who has used 'em all: If they could only have one body for bird photography, would it be a 1DX, a 5DSR, a 5D4, or a 7DII, they said a 5D4.

While I can understand that the 5D4 is superior in higher ISO, dynamic range, and a higher MP count, I can't get my head around that huge loss of reach. I know that whenever I pop my 6D onto my birding lens, I'm shocked at how much reach is lost. There's simply more pixels on the bird with a 1.6 crop, and that should be better than cropping a FF file, and perhaps it is, but only in good light(?)

I'd sure like to do some testing, for having one body for everything (landscapes, portrait etc) would be nice, although if I sold my 6D and 7DII, I would have no back-up.

7 FPS is not too far from 10, but the 4.5 on my 6D is painful.

Click to expand...

What I'm saying is that my 5DmIV images, cropped down to the same field of view (or smaller!) as the 7DmII, are apparently better thus eliminating the apparent reach deficit. I'm not ready to dump my 7DmII yet but it certainly is gathering dust.

So is mine.

BirdShooter7 · Feb 23, 2017

Pat,

Thanks for your experience, sounds very promising. If it isn't too much trouble would you mind posting a few of your 5d4 flight shots? What lens(s) are you using?

Rahto · Feb 23, 2017

Funny thing is I just tried this experiment this week. Last Sunday I put the Canon 500 F4 IS with the 1.4x III converter on the 5D4 and shot some Gulls fishing on the river. I was surprised how well the 5d4 tracked the fast moving Gulls even with the converter. Yesterday I went back to the river with the 7D2 and the 500 F4 without the converter. The combination worked fine but the tracking is not as good and I prefer the images from the 5D4.

PatS52 · Feb 23, 2017

BirdShooter7 said:
Pat,

Thanks for your experience, sounds very promising. If it isn't too much trouble would you mind posting a few of your 5d4 flight shots? What lens(s) are you using?

I've been using the 100-400L II. Haven't tried it with the TC 1.4 yet, hope to go out tomorrow to test that out, weather permitting.

Best,

Pat

BirdShooter7 · Feb 23, 2017

Thanks for sharing. Do you notice this mostly at higher ISO settings or is it at all ISO's?

I agree that the step down in pixel density seems to be a disadvantage but maybe the newer sensor is just that much better.

Interestingly enough I have noticed that I get a higher percentage of optimally focused shots with my 80d than I get with my 7d mk2 which makes zero sense to me. I have spent a huge amount of time reading the white papers, manuals and testing the various settings on the 7d mk2 and even had the service center check the body.

The only thing I could come up with is that maybe the slower frame rate is giving more data for the AF system to work with. I tried to test that hypothesis by shooting the 7d mk2 at a lower frame rate but the results are inconclusive.

Anyway, this is a very interesting thread, I'm glad to hear about the experiences of others on this topic.

BirdShooter7 · Feb 23, 2017

Apparently Artie Morris is of the opinion that the 5d mk4 is the best Canon body for bird photography. I had sort of dismissed his opinion because he always seems to think that the latest model is his favorite but maybe there is something more to it this time.

BirdShooter7 · Feb 23, 2017

Thanks very much. What sorts of birds do you typically shoot?

BirdShooter7 · Feb 23, 2017

Out of curiosity, are you setting up the AF the same way on both bodies (for example using the same case...)? I would have guessed the 7d mk2 would have a big advantage since it doesn't have the TC. It is very impressive that the 5d mk4 still beats it.

Using the 5D4 for BIF photography

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