I love Canon cameras and have tried others, but ended up going back because of Canon’s user friendly menu screen and phenomenal colors. Their full frame cameras are rugged and tolerate my abuse (most of the time!)
When I was ready to upgrade I purchased the R5 because of the quality of images, lighter weight and mostly for the flip screen! I take a lot of low angle shots and having the screen flip up makes it so much easier on my neck and body.
Camera Bodies:
Canon R5 and Canon 5D Mark IV
Canon R5
Canon 5D Mark IV
Lenses:
Deciding on a camera system is a major investment. Usually, the lenses last through a few camera bodies and even though the R5 uses new RF lenses, Canon makes an adaptor ring so that my eF lenses still work on the new camera body. That being said, I just added the RF 15-35mm lens and look forward to giving it a go!
*Favorite Lens: Canon EF 11-24mm f/4L USM
This is a big, heavy lens, but I love the wide angle perspective it gives! It accompanies me on most locations; even backpacking trips! If backpacking, I usually leave the dinner plate size filters at home and make the best of it! The RF 15-35mm largest aperture is 2.8 which will make shooting the night sky or aurora borealis better than the 11-24mm lens with the widest aperture only f4. I might opt to take the 15-35mm on backpacking trips instead as it is lighter and smaller than the 11-24mm lens.
Canon 11-24mm f/4.0 lens
Canon EF to R Adaptor Ring
Canon’s EF to R Adaptor makes using my old lenses with the new mirrorless R5 body possible which doesn’t add a lot of weight at .25lbs. Capturing mid range shots a staple lens is the Canon EF 24-70 f2.8L II that adds 1.77 lbs to my bag. It is a sharp, fast lens that I love for mid-range shots. Another favorite is the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM lens. This is a beast at 3.6 lbs that I sometimes leave behind on long hikes, but love the sharp, compressed images that it provides. In looking at the new R lens line-up the 100-500mm lens may end up replacing this lens. Canon’s EF to R Adaptor makes using my old lenses with the new mirrorless R5 body possible which doesn’t add a lot of weight at .25lbs
Canon EF 24-70mm
Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6
Accessories:
Other essentials include cleaning cloths and the rocket air blaster. This works great and doesn’t smudge my lenses and weighs almost nothing.
SD cards are essential. I keep one in the camera and a few extra in a waterproof container like a small Pelican case. I try to find camera deals that include SD cards or extras like batteries, but did have to purchase a new SD card for my R5.
I use filters less and less, but always have a polarizer and 5 and 10 stop neutral density filters. A polarizer reduces reflections in the water and the ND filters decrease the amount of light in a scene to allow for longer exposure times which gives water an ethereal feel.
Rocket Blaster
Photo Bag:
I’m always looking for the better bag without being too big and heavy! I love trying out new bags, and thinking about how to organize for efficiency and weight considerations. Bags I’ve used in the past include f-stop bags and most recently Shimoda Designs bags. I like bags that include an area to stuff warm layers and these bags are perfectly designed for that and have plenty of extra pockets to stow gadgets.
Stay tuned for other articles featuring adventure gear, and specifically suited for cold weather.
