Settings for Wildlife Photography

There aren’t necessarily right or wrong settings—there are settings that work well for you and your specific shooting situation. I chose the following video because it perfectly explains my approach and settings to wildlife photography.

The Best Canon Mirrorless Cameras for Wildlife and Sport Photography

In this article I will do my best to create a list of Canon cameras that I believe are ideal for wildlife and sports photography. I'll also share my personal recommendations based on my experience and specific needs.

• Canon EOS R1, Recommended for Professionals Only, Full Frame, 24.2 MP stacked sensor, New ($6299), Used (),  Expected to be released in Nov 2024. Canon Flagship. The overall opinion is that this is the best Canon Camera that money can buy but the differences between this camera and the R3 are not substantial and most photographers would probably buy the R3 and save almost $2000. Big and Heavy. Uses a new Digic Accelerator ship optimized to minimize rolling shutter, and enables up to 40 fps with the electronic shutter. Dual Card Slot. Includes Action Priority, a new feature that allows to enhance AF when used at Sport Events. Includes Eye Control. Includes In Body Stabilization.Good Low Light Performance. 40 FPS in Electronic Mode.It uses a different battery than the R5, R6 and R7: LP-E19. No Rolling Shutter. Full weather sealed.
• Canon EOS R3, Recommended for Professionals, Full Frame, 24.1 MP stacked sensor, New ($4499), Used ($4000), before the release of the R1 this was Canon's Flagship. Big and Heavy. Dual Card Slot. Includes Eye Control but it's not as sophisticated as the one used in the new R1 and R5 Mark II.  Includes In Body Stabilization. Good Low Light Performance. 30 FPS in Electronic Mode. It uses a different battery than the R5, R6 and R7: LP-E19. No Rolling Shutter. Full weather sealed.
• Canon EOS R5 Mark I, Recommended if you do not want or can't pay for the R5 Mark II. Full Frame, 45 MP non stacked sensor , Hard to find New ($2999), Used ($2480), Dual Card Slot: CFexpress and SD Card. CFexpress are the faster cards available and this will add an extra cost if you decide to buy this camera. Includes In Body Stabilization. Good Low Light Performance. 20 FPS in Electronic Mode. Very low  Rolling Shutter. No fully weather sealed.
• Canon EOS R5 Mark II, Recommended, Full Frame, 45 MP stacked sensor, New ($4299), No available Used (), Uses a new Digic Accelerator ship optimized to minimize rolling shutter, and enables up to 30 fps with the electronic shutter. Dual Card Slot: CFexpress and SD Card. CFexpress are the faster cards available and this will add an extra cost if you decide to buy this camera. Uses a new type of battery LP-E6P that will add cost if you buy this camera. The old battery LP-E6NH used in R5, R6, R7 will still work with some limitations. Includes Action Priority, a new feature that allows to enhance AF when used at Sport Events. Includes Eye Control. Includes In Body Stabilization. Good Low Light Performance but reports indicate that the R5 Mark I performs better. 30 FPS in Electronic Mode. No Rolling Shutter.  No fully weather sealed.
• Canon EOS R6 Mark I, A good option if you do not want to pay for the R6 Mark II or the R5 Mark II. Full Frame, 20.1 MP non stacked sensor , Hard to find New ($1799), Used ($1499). This is the camera that I'm currently using. Dual Card Slot using SD Cards. Includes In Body Stabilization. Good Low Light Performance. 20 FPS in Electronic Mode. It uses the LP-E6NH Battery. Some  Rolling Shutter. No fully weather sealed.
• Canon EOS R6 Mark II, Recommended, Full Frame, 24.1 MP non stacked sensor , New ($1999), Used ($2029-$1949), Dual Card Slot. Includes In Body Stabilization. Good Low Light Performance. Auto Focus in this camera is more sophisticated than the one included in the R6 Mark I. 30 FPS in Electronic Mode. It uses the LP-E6NH Battery. Very low Rolling Shutter. No fully weather sealed. 
• Canon EOS R7, Recommended for Beginners and Amateurs, Crop Sensor, 32.5 MP non stacked sensor, New ($1399), Used ($1159), Dual Card Slot: Both SD Cards. Includes In Body Stabilization. Low Light Performance is not as good as the other cameras included in this list. Suffers from a heavy Rolling Shutter. It uses the LP-E6NH Battery. No fully weather sealed.
• Canon EOS R8, Recommended for Beginners and Amateurs, Full Frame, 24.2 MP non stacked sensor, New ($1299), Used ($1174), Single Card Slot, this is a negative point. Does not Include In Body Stabilization. Good Low Light Performance.Uses LP-E17 Canon Battery, smaller battery than the rest of the R cameras. Does not have a joystick in the back of the camera, a feature that help a lot in your image composition. Very low Rolling Shutter. No fully weather sealed.

Please note that there are other Canon mirrorless cameras on the market that are not included in my list. The reason for their exclusion is that their characteristics and features make them less suitable for wildlife and sports photography. However, this does not mean they are bad cameras; in fact, they may be ideal for other types of photography, such as portrait, family, landscape, or travel photography. 

In the Canon R ecosystem, the lower is the number, the better is the camera (E.g. R1 is the flagship, R8 is considered a Beginner camera).

Important Features for Wildlife and Sport Photography:

• In Body Stabilization. This is a very important point if you are using a lens that does not include stabilization or you are shooting without using a tripod.
  
• Dual Card Slot. Keep in mind that those cameras using CFExpress will add an extra cost to the initial price to pay for the camera. Keep in mind that Canon cameras do not include memory cards in the box.
• Low Light Performance.  While this point is important we need to say that this can be remediated by using Noise Reduction Software such as DXO PureRaw and Topaz Denoise.
  
• Auto Focus (AF) features and speed. 
• Staked Sensor, this feature will resolve Rolling Shutter issue when shutting in Electronic Shutter Mode. 
• Maximum FPS in Burst Mode. Useful when shooting fast action such as Birds in Flight.
  
• Sensor Format, Full Frame or Crop Sensor. Crop Sensors will give you an extra reach if you are using a full frame lens. They are also cheaper than Full Frame cameras. Full Frame cameras will perform better in low light and usually will give you better image quality. 
• Picture Resolution in Megapixels (MP). A higher resolution does not mean better images but having a higher resolution will give you more room to crop your image in post editing. Higher resolution results in more time in post processing and the need of more storage space to keep your files. If you are not cropping a lot I would say that 24 Megapixels the sweet spot.
  
• Weather sealing.
  

Summary

 As you can see, I’ve recommended the Canon R6 Mark II, R5 Mark II, R3, and R1. For those starting out, the R6 Mark II is my top pick. If you’re looking to save some money, the original R6 (used) is a solid choice. Typically, you’ll find that previous versions of any camera come at a more affordable price than the latest release. Once you’re confident that photography is a hobby you want to pursue, upgrading to the R6 Mark II would be a smart move.

If your budget allows, starting with the R5 Mark II is a fantastic option, especially if you're interested in wildlife or sports photography. The R3 and R1, with their higher price points, are ideal for professionals who rely on their cameras to make a living.

The R7 and R8 are good cameras, but they don’t quite match the power of the others in this lineup. While they’ll get the job done, you might soon find yourself wanting more, leading to an upgrade to the R6 or R5.

For those considering the used market, buying from eBay is an option if you want to pay the lowest price possible, but it does come with certain risks. I prefer companies like MPB or KEH, which offer a 6-month warranty on any used camera. When you purchase a camera from them labeled as "Like New" or "Excellent," you’re likely to get a camera in excellent condition, tested by their expert teams.

Lastly, the most important thing: go outside and enjoy your camera, whichever one you choose from my list. That’s what truly matters.

I got lucky this weekend

 This weekend, I photographed a Speckled Pigeon— a bird I never expected to see in Florida.

 

Normally, this pigeon is found in Africa, so it seems likely that it either escaped from a private owner or a zoo. It's a beautiful bird, isn't it?

Is the R5 Mark II a good camera for Safaris?

There’s nothing better than getting an expert opinion on the Canon R5 Mark II, especially from someone with authority in African safaris. But the question remains: Is the Canon R5 Mark II the right camera to take on an African safari?

In the right place at the right time

 Being in the right place at the right time and being ready to take the shot are just as important in wildlife photography as having the right gear and camera settings.

Squirrel looking at me from the nest. See EXIF by clicking on the picture. 

I took the above picture while hiking at Crews Lake Park in Pasco County. As I was walking away from the pier, I noticed a squirrel running toward a tree and disappearing into a hole. I thought that was the end of it until I saw its head sticking out of the hole, looking right at me.

This experience highlights an important lesson: you can’t make animals pose for you. Instead, you need to be ready to seize every opportunity nature presents. Knowing your camera and its settings is crucial—you should be able to adjust them quickly, almost instinctively, to capture those fleeting moments.

Comparing cameras for wildlife photography, what is in the market.

The first video, from Tony & Chelsea, is a 2 years old video comparing the Canon R5, Sony A1 and the Nikon Z9. Since then the 3 companies have released new version of these cameras or new cameras like the Canon R3, Canon R5 Mark II, R6 , Canon R6 Mark II, R8 and R7. Still a good video to have an idea of what are you looking for if you are in the market for a camera for wildlife photography. 
 

The second video from Duade Paton is around 7 months old and compare a large variety of cameras and lenses from the same perspective of Wildlife photography.

Duade was impressed by Nikon Z9 with a price tag of around $5500  but many other reviewers have expressed that Nikon cameras tend to "hunt" a lot when trying to capture birds in flight including Chelsea in her video mentioned here. 

Chelsea in her end voted for the Sony A1. And no doubt about it, the A1 is a super camera with a price tag of $6500. The Sony A1 is the flagship from Sony and two years ago when I decided to switch from Sony to Canon it was the only camera from Sony offering bird eye auto focus. A feature that Canon was including in the Canon R7 which was selling for around $1500. 

Conclusion: In my opinion, currently if you are looking to start shooting wildlife or bird photography, Canon ecosystem is the one that offers  better prices with more features dedicated to this genre. But to keep the cost low you may need to use the old EF lenses adapted to the new RF mount. Canon RF lenses are overpriced. No question about it. As you can see from these two videos, the market is full of options so go and get your camera which ever brand you pick and start shooting wildlife.