# Advice needed: AF of 5DSR for wildlife sufficient?



## xps (Nov 18, 2015)

Can someone tell me, if the AF of the 5DS R is sufficient for photographing wildlife (birds, deer,...) too? 
Lenses: 100-400 II, 70-200 II, 600mm 4.0 II (in a few days 8) )
I need a new body, but I do not want to wait another year to wait for the 5D IV. As the first tests of the 5DSR are quite good, I wonder, if this body would be the right one for me. 

Thanks


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## FEBS (Nov 18, 2015)

I don't have the 5Ds(R), however I was looking at it a few months back. I wanted to do my next safari with 3 cameras. 600f4+1.4, 300/2.8+sometimes 1.4, 70-200/2.8. 300 for Bif on a 1Dx. 70-200 on a 5D3. Then what about 600? I didn't want to use 3 different ones. Problem with 5D3 is the auto-iso and EC in manual mode. So a second 5D3 was not in my mind. A 5Ds(RF)? yes for AF as I never had any problems with the AF of the 5D3 and I didn't see any comment on the AF of the 5Ds(R). However, the fact that this high mp camera would need very high shutterspeeds and for sure on a 840mm, was the reason I decided at the end to go for a second 1Dx body. I Didn't regret that. 

I know a lot of people tell over here that just this high mp is an advantage which gives deeper cropping possibility. Wildlife is mostly seen in dusk and down, so not the most light available at that moment. That all together was a push for the 1Dx choice. The AF would be no problem. The low fps and the high mp might. Just my 2c.


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## Halfrack (Nov 18, 2015)

Rent one and try it out. What other gear are you shooting with?

BIF is really not a strong point, but neither would be the 5D mk IV. 1Dx or 7D mk II would be the cameras of choice. Deer and other animals out during daylight would be fine - but it'll come down to your technique.



FEBS said:


> Wildlife is mostly seen in dusk and down, so not the most light available at that moment.[/quote ]
> 
> +1000 Keep in mind that the silent shutter is really nice if you're near animals that spook easily (not an option on the 1Dx).


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## takesome1 (Nov 18, 2015)

Yes it is a good wildlife camera and now stays on my 500mm II. I would choose it as my prefered body for most wildlife situations.

The resolution gives you a bit of an edge in cropping. 
A well framed shot that requires no cropping is awesome.

Everyone will throw out the Dawn and Dusk ISO comparison. The only body that this matters in this comparison is the 1Dx. Really you are not gaining as much as the hype might lead you to believe. I have timed it several times and at sunrise and sunset you are only gaining 10 minutes or so.

BIF you would be better off with a 1Dx for the frame rate.

The AF system of the 5Ds R is excellent and very capable.


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## Deleted member 91053 (Nov 18, 2015)

I am very far from an expert on the 5DSr but when I tried one out the AF seemed very good, not quite 1DX perhaps but very good nonetheless.

takesome1 makes a good point "Everyone will throw out the Dawn and Dusk ISO comparison. The only body that this matters in this comparison is the 1Dx. Really you are not gaining as much as the hype might lead you to believe. I have timed it several times and at sunrise and sunset you are only gaining 10 minutes or so."

However that 10 minutes can be important - ask any deerstalker! More importantly lighting conditions can very enormously with a slight change in the subject's location or a new subject appears. For example last spring I was photographing Long Tailed Tits and my (Auto) ISO was around 400. Suddenly a Water Rail appeared below the tree that the Tits were in. The subjects were less than 3/4 meters apart yet the ISO went from 400 to between 10,000 and 12,800 due to the different lighting. Additionally the AF of the 1DX will definitely show benefits with flying birds.

The 5DSr is a fine camera that is more than up to the job of wildlife photography, the 1DX is more adaptable, much faster and more versatile but with a lower mp sensor as well as greater weight and cost. Your personal priorities will dictate the best camera for you. My preference is the 1DX but that doesn't mean that it is the best for you.


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## StudentOfLight (Nov 18, 2015)

With those modern, image-stabilized, series-II *L* lenses it will be awesome! 

P.S. For me (besides the massive resolution), the biggest advantage for wildlife is the mirror-drive improvements. In high speed continuous drive the 5Ds R sounds similar to how the 5D-III sounds in quiet mode, it's just faster. For wildlife (small birds in particular) I feel that this is a massive benefit.


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## bholliman (Nov 19, 2015)

takesome1 said:


> Yes it is a good wildlife camera and now stays on my 500mm II. I would choose it as my prefered body for most wildlife situations.
> 
> The resolution gives you a bit of an edge in cropping.
> A well framed shot that requires no cropping is awesome.
> ...



+1 I've been impressed with the AF on my 5DsR when shooting larger birds (herons, turkeys and raptors) and deer. The only downside I've run into is that the buffer fills quickly when shooting RAW, so I either am selective with my bursts or shoot in JPG or sRAW.


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## Mt Spokane Photography (Nov 20, 2015)

Photographers have been shooting photos of wildlife and sports for well over 100 years. It used to be 5 X 7, 8 X 10, or even 12 X 14 glass plates, and you would count time to change those in frames per 5 minutes.

There is little doubt that having faster and more accurate focus and exposure has opened up photography to more and more people, but Its really not necessary, it just makes it easier.


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## Don Haines (Nov 20, 2015)

Any camera that has an AF system capable of tracking a hyper "bridezilla" with 6 cups of coffee in her should have no problems tracking wildlife.....


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## Eldar (Nov 20, 2015)

I have the 1DX and 5DSR. For birds and wildlife, I now use the 5DSR 75% of the time. Fast action, like birds in flight and low light is still 1DX territory, but I am very happy with the 5DSR. It is also much better in low light than most people (non-users) seem to believe.


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## ichetov (Nov 20, 2015)

In my experience 5DsR AF with proper tuning is somewhat better than 5DmkIII&7dMkII (which were stellar to begin with). I got rid of all my other bodies within a month after getting 5DsR. No issues whatsoever with larger animals, but smaller birds in flight are challenging regardless the camera you use...

P.S. This is based on use with 100-400 II and 500/4 II


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