Renting R5 mark II - my thoughts and results vs. R7 and R6ii

[Jan1977]

You know, I was actually thinking pretty much the same thing. Because as much as you like a certain piece of gear there’s no guarantee others will feel the same. We are all different shooters so you never know. I get nervous when somebody purchases something because of what I said!

Luckily we only provide solid and good advice

I'm always trying not to advice but just mention my experience, because there are so many things that come into play that it is hard to give advice over the internet. Your reservations are a good thing. On some forums there are specific sub-forums on buying advice and although I read them, I never reply on them. Often there are broadly 3 types of replies:
1. Tell us more what you need or intend to do, so we can properly help out
2. You need to buy the most expensive gear, the rest is utterly crap
3. I got a great shot with cheap gear, so there is no need for expensive gear

The first is proper and valid, but usually the opening post finds it too much work to give details or the thread got high jacked by 2 and 3 arguing with each other always seeing the same arguments

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

Luckily we only provide solid and good advice

Oh absolutely!

I'm always trying not to advice but just mention my experience, because there are so many things that come into play that it is hard to give advice over the internet. Your reservations are a good thing. On some forums there are specific sub-forums on buying advice and although I read them, I never reply on them. Often there are broadly 3 types of replies:
1. Tell us more what you need or intend to do, so we can properly help out
2. You need to buy the most expensive gear, the rest is utterly crap
3. I got a great shot with cheap gear, so there is no need for expensive gear

The first is proper and valid, but usually the opening post finds it too much work to give details or the thread got high jacked by 2 and 3 arguing with each other always seeing the same arguments

There's a fourth type of reply: people recommending what they themselves shoot with, no matter what the person asking for advice actually said s/he was looking for. No, buy what I have because you will love it.

 

[Jeff WX1USN]

You know, I was actually thinking pretty much the same thing. Because as much as you like a certain piece of gear there’s no guarantee others will feel the same. We are all different shooters so you never know. I get nervous when somebody purchases something because of what I said!

That is why I always try to rent first

Still have my R6ii, using it right now in the garden as it is raining out and very dark

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

That is why I always try to rent first

Still have my R6ii, using it right now in the garden as it is raining out and very dark

I haven't decided yet. I haven't shot with the R6II after getting the R5II but the R6II is such a good camera that I'm not sure I want to sell it. It would be wise to sell it though and better now than later, because as soon as an R6III is launched, prices of used R6II's will drop.

 

[Jeff WX1USN]

@Jan1977 @Levina de Ruijter

another cruddy day, rain and thick clouds, very dark an inch of rain so far. I was going to use the R5ii but even at 1/250th I was at ISO 5000!

I am now using my R6ii and shooting at 1/1000 and ISO 5000 but the R6ii can handle that high ISO no problem. Where we get so many overcast days especially in the spring I am seriously thinking of keeping the R6ii for low light shooting! Probably also for indoor in very low light.
the R5ii can handle some high ISO depending on the scene, but the higher you go the more detail you lose. The R6ii gives good results up to 12,800 although at that high ISO it does depend on the sceen to some degree.

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

@Jan1977 @Levina de Ruijter

another cruddy day, rain and thick clouds, very dark an inch of rain so far. I was going to use the R5ii but even at 1/250th I was at ISO 5000!

I am now using my R6ii and shooting at 1/1000 and ISO 5000 but the R6ii can handle that high ISO no problem. Where we get so many overcast days especially in the spring I am seriously thinking of keeping the R6ii for low light shooting! Probably also for indoor in very low light.
the R5ii can handle some high ISO depending on the scene, but the higher you go the more detail you lose. The R6ii gives good results up to 12,800 although at that high ISO it does depend on the sceen to some degree.

It's not a bad idea to have the two cameras for different conditions. I'm not shooting much at the moment but I'm still hesitating to sell my R6m2 for exactly this reason as I too deal with a lot of dark days, bad light. So yeah that's where the R6m2 wins but not sure if it's a major difference though.

 

[Jeff WX1USN]

It's not a bad idea to have the two cameras for different conditions. I'm not shooting much at the moment but I'm still hesitating to sell my R6m2 for exactly this reason as I too deal with a lot of dark days, bad light. So yeah that's where the R6m2 wins but not sure if it's a major difference though.

I think there is quite a difference as you go up in ISO, with the R6ii I have not qualms about shooting ISO 6400 and 8000 and even 12800 but with the R5ii as I get over 3200 I start noticing much more noise and at 6400 and 8000 it is really noticeable. Software helps but for crisp shots the R5ii cannot go as high as the R6ii (and the R7 is the worst LOL).

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

I think there is quite a difference as you go up in ISO, with the R6ii I have not qualms about shooting ISO 6400 and 8000 and even 12800 but with the R5ii as I get over 3200 I start noticing much more noise and at 6400 and 8000 it is really noticeable. Software helps but for crisp shots the R5ii cannot go as high as the R6ii (and the R7 is the worst LOL).

I absolutely take your word for it because I wouldn't know first hand as I always try to stay below ISO 3200. I will go to ISO 4000 or ISO 5000 but that's about it.

On another note: I just got shat on by a gull! I was doing some shooting practice from home and he let one loose as he flew over. I got the brunt of it. And what didn't land on me landed on the floor. I had to take a shower, wash my hair, clean my room.

 

[Jeff WX1USN]

I absolutely take your word for it because I wouldn't know first hand as I always try to stay below ISO 3200. I will go to ISO 4000 or ISO 5000 but that's about it.

On another note: I just got shat on by a gull! I was doing some shooting practice from home and he let one loose as he flew over. I got the brunt of it. And what didn't land on me landed on the floor. I had to take a shower, wash my hair, clean my room.

My wife attracts that stuff! One time in Disney she got it in her shirt pocket, what a shot!

 

[Levina de Ruijter]

My wife attracts that stuff! One time in Disney she got it in her shirt pocket, what a shot!

Really?

I've been shooting birds for 15 years, first time for me. And wow, it's really disgusting...

 

[Jan1977]

@Jan1977 @Levina de Ruijter

another cruddy day, rain and thick clouds, very dark an inch of rain so far. I was going to use the R5ii but even at 1/250th I was at ISO 5000!

I am now using my R6ii and shooting at 1/1000 and ISO 5000 but the R6ii can handle that high ISO no problem. Where we get so many overcast days especially in the spring I am seriously thinking of keeping the R6ii for low light shooting! Probably also for indoor in very low light.
the R5ii can handle some high ISO depending on the scene, but the higher you go the more detail you lose. The R6ii gives good results up to 12,800 although at that high ISO it does depend on the sceen to some degree.

I myself don't hesitate to shoot higher ISO's, but that may also be because I 'have' to shoot at that moment, for example a sports match in dim light. If I were to pick a R6 or a R5 in poor light and know I will fill the frame, I would pick the R6. I think (mostly because of what I read on forums) that if you downscale the R5 image to 24 or 20 MP of the R6 the difference is not that big.
I don't have a R6 anymore and only R5's so nothing to chose anymore between lower MP's or the 45 MP's. But on higher ISO's and with DXO I feel I'm still able to do some cropping, which is a big part of my post processing.
If I were you I would hold on the R6 ii as a back-up of a better suited tool in certain conditions. I now have 3 cameras, but I for sure would not want to go back to 1 body.

 

[Jeff WX1USN]

@Jan1977 I have 3 mirrorless bodies that I use and the 7Dii for lending to my son to take on the ocean or out in the rain as well as an old 5D classic that hardly gets used.

I like the mirrorless as I can review the images in the EVF since fixing my cataracts I need reading glasses to see up close so to review on the screen I have to put the camera down and put on reading glasses (if I have them with me) to see the screen but the EVF it is sharp as a tack, a DSLR you can't do that.

Since it is another overcast rainy day I will shoot some comparisons out the window both cameras at 1/640 f/10 iso 6400 and see what I get and some at 12800