tc | G Dan Mitchell Photography

OK, “torture test” might be overstating things just a bit, but I’ve been meaning to check out a few things related to the capabilities of the autofocus system of my new Canon EOS 5DS R. A few years ago birds, especially winter migratory birds, became one of my photographic passions. While this camera is not really optimized for this sort of photography, I plan to use it for this purpose, as I did my 5DII.

The Landing — A brown pelican joins the flock on a rock along the Pacific coast of California

Most often when I photograph birds I use the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II lens. It usually provides enough reach for my purposes, it focuses accurately and quite quickly, it is sharp, and its flexibility fits my style of photography. (I often pause while photographing the birds and use the lens to photograph landscapes.) It was my understanding that the 5Ds R added the capability to autofocus (AF) at smaller apertures down to f/8. This means that I should be able to add my Canon Extender EF 1.4x III tele-extender to get 560mm at f/8 from this lens.

A few days ago I was doing landscape/seascape photography along the Central California coast between lower Big Sur and San Francisco. On the final afternoon as we drove north we passed a small island where scores of brown pelicans had landed. Continue reading The Canon 5Ds R — Autofocus ‘Torture’ Test →

I’m reposting this information about this Canon Instant Rebate promotion today since a) this offer includes good prices on a lot of great Canon lenses and other equipment and b) it expires in less than 48 hours – this Saturday!

Instant Rebate on Canon Lenses and Speedlites – Up to $300
(Expires September 29, 2012)

Canon is offering another “Instant Rebate” promotion through September 29, 2012, this time on a large selection of lenses and Speedlites. Included are a wide range of lenses (zooms, primes, L, non-L, EFS, wide to telephoto, macro, tilt/shift), tele-extenders (1.4x and 2x), and electronic flashes including the most recent introductions. The following list includes links that you can use to purchase from site-sponsor B&H Photo. (Your purchases through these links are appreciated as they benefit this blog – thanks!)

Telephoto Zooms