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Thank you! I knew I'd get some nice colors, the birds were a bonus treat (especially with the warm fall colors as background)!

Thank you for watching! I recently got the R5 Mark II, but I sometimes feel guilty for neglecting my R7 so it needed some love. :)

Hmm, good question! I suppose you could, but I don't think it would really get you anything since you wouldn't be creating any new data that wasn't already in the original image, if that makes sense? The idea behind shooting HDR brackets is to fill in shadow details without boosting noise, and to fill in highlight details that blow out in a single exposure. If those details were there in the single frame, you can get them back via normal editing, no HDR needed. If not, they're just gone (especially for blown highlights). But these days HDR is really only rarely needed, since the sensors have pretty good dynamic range. The main example in my mind is shooting through a window from a relatively dark room--there's a huge difference between the lighting in the room vs outside, and HDR can help balance that. Otherwise, a single frame usually has enough data to work with!

@@wanderland_xyz good explanation, thanks again

I hadn't used it for a while, but I just gave it a try on the R5II and it works fine! With the R5II it works in any drive mode, but on my other cameras it's had to be in one of the self-timer modes and I'd always forget that--that's my guess for why people can't get it to work.

@@wanderland_xyz Excellent, thanks

This has been my experience over the years as well--there's just no reason to pay the exorbitant price for the OEM batteries. The issue with the R5II is that it doesn't like any of the 3rd-party batteries that existed when it came out--as I show in the video, it immediately throws an error and won't function at all. I'm glad it didn't take long for the aftermarket battery makers to get around that!

Is your user name a play on red-eyed vireo? I love it! :) I guess we should have expected some reduction in battery life on the R5II with the stacked sensor, new processor, faster frame rates, etc. Even so, it's definitely a little disappointing--a single battery used to get me through a full day of normal shooting on the R5! It would be nice if they can improve the battery life to some extent via firmware updates, but in the meantime I'm just glad there's a (much!) cheaper option for spare batteries.

Glad someone else from the UK is on here. All the Big on line retailers Have priced fixed the LP-E6P at £119 ripping all of us off Canon's price is £109 funny how all the retailers have stock and canon don't greed is just getting worse

@@snappycanon I am sorry! There's absolutely no reason a simple battery should cost anywhere near that much. It's absolute greed. I hope some 3rd-party options become available there soon!

These Kastar batteries are the first 3rd-party LP-E6Ps I've seen--I figure other manufacturers will soon follow. But yes, the Canon batteries remain a bit hard to find! One of my rebuttals to the anti-3rd-party-battery people is that Canon don't make the cells for their batteries; there are really only a few manufacturers for those, and it's quite possible that the 3rd-party makers use the exact same cell manufacturer. Maybe they are indeed being snapped up by the aftermarket makers. Either way, I am thrilled to get four 3rd-party batteries for less than the cost of a single Canon battery!

I actually hadn't tried that! But I just tried popping both (OEM and Kastar LP-E6P) into my R7, and it powered up and recognized them as LP-E6P, no issues. That's the only other RF camera I have at present, but I would guess the original R5 should be the same!

@@wanderland_xyz Thanks! My R5ii is scheduled to get here tomorrow!

@@edsmileytube Outstanding, I hope you love it! I need to get around to my R5II setup video, but I already have a backlog, which is actually unusual! Maybe this weekend. :)

@@wanderland_xyz Looking forward to it. Need to get all learned on the eye track autofocus and precapture. Thanks for the battery tip. I ordered 4 for less than the price of 1 Canon OEM one.

@@edsmileytube For the eye control, definitely make sure you calibrate and refine several times, preferably in different lighting and in both landscape/portrait orientation. I find it's usually pretty accurate, but does drift now and then as conditions change. Even then I can usually use my eye as a controller to move the focus point, even if it isn't quite where I'm looking. I wish those batteries had become available before I dropped the $80 on a second Canon battery! Part of the price of being an early adopter, I suppose. I like the Llano charger you see in the video too, handy for charging two batteries at once, with the bonus of also working on the go--I can plug it into the car or a power bank. The only niggle I've found about it is that it will indicate 100% charged, but when I put the battery in the camera it says 98% instead. Close enough, I guess!

I can't say I'm a big fan of Canon trying to lock out aftermarket lenses and now batteries too--it's definitely not what I'd call consumer friendly. Thank goodness for aftermarket manufacturers, because US$80 for a simple battery is completely ridiculous to me! Now I just hope Canon don't manage to disable them with a firmware update down the line.

@@wanderland_xyzIndeed - blatant profiteering from Canon in regards to accessories and lenses. The prices are even worse in the UK so we get ripped off more in my opinion. At least they are now allowing Sigma to produce lenses for the crop sensors but I wonder if they will ever allow 3rd party lenses for the full frame cameras?

@@666JGNotts I'm glad they did finally open the RF mount up to 3rd-party autofocus lenses (there have been a number of fully-manual options, like the TTArtisan 50mm f/0.95 I use from time to time). I definitely hope the full-frame Sigma Art series lenses come to RF before long--I have an EF-mount Sigma 50mm f/1.4 that's quite good, and Canon doesn't currently have a 50mm f/1.4 for RF (though I think one is finally coming soon).

Yes, it can export and import settings, which is nice! I should export mine for backup, if nothing else. I'm definitely planning a setup video--not an exhaustive one, menu by menu, but at least the major tweaks I've made to get it where I like it! I think you'll be pleased! Don't expect a jump in image quality compared to the original R5--the new sensor is about speed rather than lower noise or higher dynamic range. But I am definitely finding it more flexible and powerful than the R5.

They definitely made some different control choices on the R7, I know what you mean! I'm hanging on to mine because the crop factor does come in handy sometimes, and it's a nice small and light choice for quick trips sometimes. I'm very interested in seeing what the R7II might offer, whenever Canon get around to that refresh.

I realized I should have added a section to cover my final thoughts on the R5II vs R7 on this outing, so I filmed that and spliced it in. RUclips sadly doesn't have a way to simply replace an existing video, so I had to re-upload as a new one. So this is the same video, with a couple extra minutes of Future Kelly added in near the end. :)

@@wanderland_xyzThanks for the confirmation, I did think that you’d added the extra bit in at the end and posted another comment but deleted it as I didn’t know if that what the case!! You managed to get some spectacular bird photos and a lot of these birds are alien to me as they do not appear in the UK so very interesting to see them as well. I can see you using the R5 mk2 more and more and the R7 only being used on the odd occasion at this rate, I suspect the image quality combined with the sharper AF is quite adictive 😊

@@666JGNotts The R7 definitely still has a place for me, the crop factor is often very useful. Just trying to get comfortable with the new bells and whistles of the R5II--but yes, the upgraded autofocus is pretty awesome! I'll be watching closely for the R7 Mark II, if it adds the improved AF and pre-capture it's going to be amazing too.

Much appreciated, thanks! And me too--Milton thankfully turned out to be not too big a deal for Orlando, but still would have been no fun to sit out. More to come!

I had an R6 (which I sold to get an R5 instead, which I sold to get the R5 Mark II!), but I don't have an R6II. A friend of mine does, though--maybe we can collaborate on an upcoming excursion. :)

@@wanderland_xyz Great. Will forward to it. Loving the new 10-22mm. Will post some samples on my channel soon.

Yes, I was in Orlando when Helene passed by, but that just made for one rainy/windy night. Glad to not be there for Milton's visit! I have tried the pre-capture a bit! It is definitely handy. I'll cover in more detail, but the basics are that it starts buffering when you half-press the shutter, and then when you go to full press it saves the 15 frames prior to that point (plus whatever you shoot with the shutter button held down). So the amount of pre-capture time you get depends on the frame rate: at 30fps, 15 frames is 0.5 seconds, but at 5fps, 15 frames is 3 seconds. I'm hoping Canon will make that more adjustable with a firmware update--I'd like to be able to define the pre-capture time regardless of frame rate, to reduce the number of extra frames saved. You just don't always need 15 frames! The eye-control focus has been impressive to me! I've never touched an R3, but I gather the R5II does it better, and for me it definitely works pretty well. Sometimes it's a little off and doesn't quite put the dot on what I'm looking at, but even then I can use my eye as a controller to move the spot to where I want it, if that makes sense. Definitely handy in certain situations. More content to come, of course! So far my opinion is that the Mark II is a worthy successor, with the main drawback being that its image quality isn't really any better than the R5 (and is sometimes marginally worse, though it cleans up well in post). So the question is whether the extra/updated features make it worth the price of admission, and that's a tough question to answer. No regrets for me so far, at least!

For me the decision was a no-brainer--I really don't need two 45MP full-frame bodies, especially when one fixes pretty much all the weaknesses and quirks of the other. The R7 is still respectable at 30MP, and the crop sensor's extra apparent reach is great for wildlife and macro. Add in that I could get at least twice as much for the used R5 than I would for the R7, and that took a good chunk out of the upgrade cost for me. I am considering passing my R7 on to my daughter at some point, maybe when the R7II comes out. :) I actually hadn't planned to bring my R7 along on this trip, but now that you mention it I think it's a good idea! I definitely want to revisit the wetlands park I loved on my last trip, that would make for a good comparison video. :)

Thanks sir! Lab tests I've seen show the R5II does have slightly lower dynamic range than the original R5--apparently that's the trade-off for the stacked sensor with a faster readout speed. In practice, it does seem a bit noisier to me at high ISOs, depending on the other circumstances (lighting, shutter speed, etc.). But the noise does clean up pretty well in post-processing, especially now that DxO Pure RAW 4 (finally!) supports the R5II. Otherwise I'm loving the camera so far--the AF is definitely more snappy and accurate even in low light, eye-control AF works well when I want it, and the pre-capture should step up my bird photography for action shots. I'm driving down to Florida tomorrow, definitely going to test it out thoroughly over the next week!

@@wanderland_xyz Excellent. Looking forward to seeing and hearing your opinions

It is exciting, especially with autumn just around the corner! I figure they usually try to underpromise and overdeliver--tell people 6 months and then deliver in 3, you know? Still, definitely glad I pre-ordered on day 1. I just wish I'd had the foresight to add a spare battery--I didn't know my 3rd-party batteries wouldn't work at all!

@@wanderland_xyz I think it was only very recently announced that the 3rd party batteries wouldn't work - probably when the first people started getting this camera and trying them. It's a bit naughty of Canon not to announce this sooner and it's not good that they are blocking the 3rd party batteries. I could have understood it more if they'd make the 3rd party batteries have limited usage like your R7 battery.

@@666JGNotts When people were first getting their cameras I saw a couple say the camera wouldn't power up at all with 3rd-party batteries. Mine does power up, but then immediately gives an error that you can't dismiss without shutting the camera off. Definitely a bummer, especially given the price difference between Canon batteries and aftermarket batteries! I was hoping the same as you, that the 3rd-party batteries would at least give the limited functionality, but nope.

Yes, I really need to get out on the water more. It's always a different experience! As I mentioned, I've only had the 100-400mm for a few months, but it is definitely a winner, especially for the price. The f/8 at the long end isn't great, of course, but the tradeoffs are worth it: the lens is relatively small and lightweight, and still quite sharp. The stabilization is good and it's USM focusing, which is nice and snappy. I still adore my 100-500mm L lens, of course, but for excursions like this where I'd rather travel light, I'm glad I picked this one up! Haven't tried it with the 1.4x TC yet, but it does fit (and fits properly, unlike the 100-500mm where it restricts the zoom range)--I will make sure to do that and let you know!

@wanderland_xyz excellent, looking forward to seeing more about this lens 😀

Thanks Cindy! Definitely looking forward to doing this journey again sometime!

It is definitely an amazing place! I believe it has a lot more actual aircraft than the better-known location on the National Mall in DC. I've only had the RF 100-400mm for a month or two, and it's been too hot around here to get out with it much. It certainly served me well on this excursion, even though an indoor museum isn't really its best use case with the f/5.6-8. This morning I took it out kayaking, watch for that video soon (assuming the photos came out well, that is)! I had the Mk II of the EF 100-400mm L lens, and it was a great lens indeed! I doubt the RF 100-400mm is quite as sharp (that's what the RF 100-500mm L is for), but so far I think it's very solid optically, and in terms of size/weight/cost it's definitely a winner. Like I said in the video, that's what I got it for: hikes where the 100-500mm is a bit too much weight to carry, and things like museums/concerts/theme parks where it will easily fit in my shoulder bag. More to come on that one, don't worry!

Hello Adam! I'm using Lightroom Classic via the Creative Cloud (Photography Plan), so currently version 13.4. If it could do focus and exposure stacking I don't think I'd need any other editing software (though I do prefer DxO PureRAW for noise reduction)!

@@wanderland_xyz Thank you very much. Could you please send me the link so I can download it?

@@wanderland_xyz I have the same version 13.4. But i still I can't reduce the noise !

Hello sir! I can't say I've done any testing per se.. just took a look at my SD cards, and all are labeled V30/Class 10, though the 32GB cards indicate 95MB/sec while the 128GB cards indicate 170MB/sec, so that's weird. They're all Sandisk Extreme Pro (as are my CFExpress cards for the R5), which is a brand I've never had trouble with. The only difference I can see other than capacity is that the 32GB cards say SDHC, while the 128GB cards say SDXC, but that makes sense given that SDHC maxes out at 32GB. Speed-wise, I don't do a whole lot of burst shooting, and my video is usually 1080p, so I haven't run into buffer issues or anything but probably wouldn't anyway. :) And a sidenote: Generally speaking, even though I've rarely experienced any sort of card failure, I'm still of the mindset that I never want too many eggs in one basket. So I tend to use 32GB cards for photos, and 64GB or 128GB for video. I'd rather need to swap cards more often than risk losing more data than that on a single card, if that makes sense!

@@wanderland_xyz Thanks. I will probably buy one of the “slower”cards and use that mainly for landscape and flower photography and use the faster one mainly for bird shooting. I feel like I do need 2 cards minimum.

Hello Philip! I honestly didn't expect this particular combo to do as well as it did--with good light and a stable shooting platform it's not bad at all. Good luck! :)

No offense intended, but if you haven't tried mirrorless cameras you literally have no idea what you're missing out on. Can great photos be made with 35mm gear and dSLRs? Of course, and I did the same for years--I still have my AE-1P, Rebel G, 50D and 7D. But technology marches on, and I absolutely think mirrorless has been a game-changer in terms of usability and creativity. Maybe it's just because I suck and needed crutches all along, but I can regularly do things with my mirrorless cameras that I could never (or very rarely) accomplish with older tech. That said, I certainly understand the price concern, especially where Canon is concerned--the RF cameras are generally not cheap, nor are Canon lenses, and only now are the 3rd-party lensmakers like Sigma and Tamron coming into the picture. I do recognize that I'm lucky to be able to blow the cash on Gear Acquisition Syndrome, and many can't. So hey, here's hoping I get the R5II and am greatly disappointed!

Keep the original R5 in mind too--it's still a perfectly good camera, of course, and will be for years to come. Despite my looking forward to the advanced AF of the MkII, that doesn't mean the R5's AF stinks. And of course its image quality is still fantastic, which is the most important thing anyway!

@@wanderland_xyz Have you got the new camera yet?

Thanks for watching! Putting the video together I was like jeez, how did I blather about all this for 20 minutes?! But I hoped someone might find it useful, anyway. Yeah, I was bummed that the price was higher than what had been rumored, like you said, in for a penny, etc. I figure I'll get some good content out of it if I get my hands on the R5II early, so that helps to justify the cost for me. :) I usually start with FB Marketplace to sell gear, if I think the profit is worth the hassle. It's a step above Craigslist, at least--when I get an inquiry I can check the person's profile to see if they're an actual human (and local--too many scams with shipping, so I insist on local cash deals). Hopefully that works out, the used gear shops will probably be flooded in short order!

I live a little southwest of Richmond, so for points east I usually head up into the city to connect with interstate 64, which is the quickest route to places like Williamsburg and what's called the Hampton Roads area (Newport News, Norfolk, Virginia Beach). For Ragged Island I took 64 to Newport News and then crossed the James River Bridge to Ragged Island, which was a little over an hour and a half. Then I stayed on that side of the river and made my way back up towards home, mostly along route 10. I felt like the trip was kind of a dud photographically, but it was fun anyway!

Thanks sir! The 800mm tends to surprise me, as I'm sure I've said. It definitely has its quirks and limitations, but when the light is decent and the focus is right on, it really does produce some fine results. I wouldn't even say it needs a properly sunny day, and in fact overcast is always helpful to keep harsh shadows down. It definitely struggles under forest canopy, though!

Thanks very much! I actually bought the RF 600mm first, but then I got the RF 100-500mm and 1.4x TC, giving me 700mm f/10 and making the 600mm a bit redundant. So I sold that and got the 800mm instead. Not a huge leap over that 700mm combo, but it also works with the TC, making it 1120mm--as I mentioned, I did an earlier video with that setup on the R7 (1792mm effective!), and was actually pretty pleased with the results! I think I'll pick up the handle-shaped foot as well, that would be a lot more comfortable when I'm handholding the beast. :)

I never used to pay much attention to the little birds, because they were always too tough to photograph or identify. Modern gear makes that a lot easier, and some of them are just gorgeous. Loved the Hooded and Canada warblers I saw on this outing! BirdWeather looks neat! Do you have their PUC device? Might have to splurge, though--a Raspberry Pi DIY version would be cheaper, but I imagine also a lot more touchy and unreliable.

@@wanderland_xyz I do. I sent you a link on your facebook site to it. I just don't have the time to nerd out on a Raspberry Pi anymore, so this was a nice, convenient option. We are impressed so far and like that it is portable so we can take it on hikes and as we travel.

Great questions, Marcy! My Audi Q5 is all-wheel-drive, but honestly we didn't come across anything even remotely iffy. The roads start out paved, then turn to crushed gravel. Didn't come across any major ruts, no stream crossings to speak of, really nothing of note at all. I imagine there are side roads that could get dicey, but if you stick with Forest Roads 59, 768, and 812 you'll be fine. The mountain roads are definitely pretty narrow as roads go, so you want to watch the blind curves, but we found plenty of wider spots to pull off to the side as needed. On a Friday traffic was very light--we played leapfrog with a couple other vehicles going the same direction as us, but actually never encountered anyone coming the other way. That said, you can take it from either end, starting at either the Arcadia boat launch or the Sunset Field overlook. I read beforehand (and would agree!) that it's better to start at the Arcadia end, as early as you can manage. That's the lowest point, so the birds there are active early along the river, and then as you climb into the mountains the temperatures are cooler and the birds stay more active as you go. I think I'll write up a blog post on my website with the overview and some more tips--I'll reply with a link once I get that posted!

Here's the blog post! wanderland.xyz/wander-virginias-warbler-road-blue-ridge-parkway/

Most of what we saw was quite new to me as well! Definitely can't recall having seen a Cerulean or Canada warbler before. Most of the rest I've seen, but only rarely, like the Hooded and Black-and-White warblers. And the Cliff swallows were a real bonus, don't think I've seen those before either, let alone been close enough to their nests to get them peeking out like that. Quite a day!

Oh yes, and it seems one announcement may be as early as this week! Definitely have my fingers crossed for the R5II, I plan to order that bad boy as soon as possible! :)

Haha, yes indeed! Thanks again for coming along! :)

Thanks very much! I just did a quick comparison. On the R7 I'd call the square focusing area about 60% of the frame. On the R5 it's more like 40%, as you might expect--a bit more unavailable space at the top and bottom, but moreso on the sides. Still quite useable, but I wonder if it might look different (and better!) on the upcoming R5 Mark II!