R6, RF800, Animal Eye AF,...

My primary camera is the 7DII, but while I'm still waiting/hoping for an "R7" to create a more convenient mirrorless APS-C kit around, I recently lost patience trying Animal Eye AF and purchased an R6 and the RF800. And I just thought I would share a few of my results with this combo...

Animal Eye AF was a great help shooting these. Especially the cat with the catch. The cat was just 2-3m from me when it suddenly made a long jump into a bush, and out it came with the mouse/vole in its mouth. But sitting with my RF800mm attached, at first the cat was much to close to focus on or frame with its catch. Luckily it decided to walk a little away and look back at me for a moment. And it walked just far enough away, for me to be able to focus and frame the "portrait". However having to concentrate on holding the lens steady, getting everything in frame (the result is not cropped vertically at all) and getting focus perfect on eyes in a second before the cat turned away again, would probably be practically impossible without the automatic eye-detect focusing.

Btw, [most of] the deers are shot close to sunset, with only a few rays from the late autumn sun finding its way through some surrounding trees. So while f/11 doesn't make it easier, it is not impossible to get (in my opinion) good shots in low light with this lens. Actually ISO is higher on my daylight photos here (though I think it was grey overcast days, not really bright days). I guess the later deer shots learned me I shouldn't be too afraid of slowing down the shutter a bit, at least for this kind of photos.

Nice pictures Stig + glad you’re liking the R6/RF800 combo.  I initially tried the the 800 but it was just too much magnification for me ie trickier to pick up birds in flight or small ones in bushes etc so traded it in for the 600 which also benefits from about a 1.5 metre closer focus distance.

Still wish I had the 800mm though for some distant shots + good luck with yours.

Thanks. The thoughts behind choosing the 800mm over the 600mm was mostly something like "if it has to be f/11, then at least get it as powerful as I can"
But I definitely understand your choice too. Sometimes it is simply too long or you are too close to your subject. And catching a bird in flight is very difficult (also because of the limited AF-area, I don't know if AF-area is equally limited with the 600mm?).
But still, lots of fun and new possibilities. Ironically I now have longer reach with my fullframe than with my APS-C camera

Thanks

Well, being there is a good first step. A very nice scenery with a few late rays of sun slipping through the trees hitting the deers for example...

BobKnDP wrote:

I don't own one, but the 600 is claimed to have the same autofocus box as the 800.

I have the 600, and it does.

Stig Nygaard wrote:

……….And catching a bird in flight is very difficult (also because of the limited AF-area, I don't know if AF-area is equally limited with the 600mm?).
But still, lots of fun and new possibilities. Ironically I now have longer reach with my fullframe than with my APS-C camera

Yes, it’s hard enough getting it in view (even with the 600mm) and then getting it in the limited AF area and keeping it there if in flight etc! Good practice for your aiming though and, as you say, good fun + can confirm the 600mm has the same limited AF area.
PS….I’ve a mate who uses his 800mm with a 2x extender (on a tripod) and that’s certainly more reach than I’ve ever had with an APS-C!