The future of wildlife photography: first shoot with the Canon EOS R5 Mark II

At an undisclosed location on the Atlantic coast of France, Canon Ambassador Robert Marc Lehmann undertook a special mission. A qualified marine biologist, he has filmed and photographed wildlife around the world, from Peru to Papua New Guinea, usually with a conservationist aim in mind. On this occasion, Robert was out to shoot the breadth of wildlife he comes across. He was particularly looking forward to documenting rare, elusive and endangered porbeagle sharks, and other wildlife in this region.

The trip was also his first opportunity to use the Canon EOS R5 Mark II. At the time, the camera was too new to have an underwater housing, so he couldn't shoot sharks with it. Instead, he used the EOS R5 Mark II to capture the wildlife on the shoreline, such as the soaring seabirds, diving cormorants and chubby seals he spotted lazing on the rocks.

His verdict?

"This camera is going to allow us to document wildlife in ways we've never been able to before, pushing the boundaries of what's possible in conservation photography and videography," he says. "It's a tool that's truly built for the future."

Robert's work as a conservationist has taken him to risky places, and he has frequently worked in dangerous situations, including documenting the illegal wildlife trade and other animal abuses. It isn't the danger that concerns him, however, but the urgency. Whether photographing a rare animal or filming undercover, he says, sometimes you have only a second or two to get the shot – and in particular, to choose between stills or video.

"I'm a hybrid shooter and always in-between,” Robert says. “Over the last 20 years, I've learned to discern and say, 'OK, this is better for film, or this is better for photography’. But sometimes, my heart breaks – because I wanted to take the video but had to have the image as well."

"This feature is particularly useful in fast-paced wildlife scenarios where every moment counts," he says. "This camera allows me to focus more on my creativity and less on technical limitations."

Another of the features that stood out to Robert was the Canon EOS R5 Mark II's pre-continuous shooting function. With the camera set to continuous shooting and AF on, you can half-press the shutter button and point the camera to where you expect the action to be taking place. When you fully press the button, the EOS R5 Mark II doesn't just start taking photos – at a blazing speed of up to 30fps – but it also saves the 15 frames just before the full-press, with full AE and AF tracking. If you're shooting at 3fps, that's a whole five seconds of shots.

The great thing about this function is that it gives shooters peace of mind. Whereas before you'd have to take a shot 'just in case', pre-continuous shooting means you capture everything beforehand too. Even if your reactions aren't the fastest, this gives you the best chance yet of capturing that fleeting, unrepeatable moment like birds flying from their nests.

And unlike the pre-capture option available in some other EOS R System models using RAW Burst mode, the EOS R5 Mark II feature operates when you're shooting JPEG or HEIF as well as RAW.

"Using this feature means I hardly miss any shots now. It's revolutionary," Robert says. "It's an absolute highlight for me as a wildlife shooter."

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II offers a similar feature for video capture, which is just as valuable for hybrid shooters like Robert: Movie Pre-recording. With this feature, you can set the EOS R5 Mark II to continually record when the camera is switched on and in standby mode; then, when you manually start recording, it will save the previous 3 seconds or 5 seconds of the footage in the buffer.

"Let's say you're on a boat, you're expecting a whale to show up, and so you point the camera," Robert explains. "As soon as you see the whale, you press the record button. But you've missed the instant when the whale comes up and the first gust of air comes out its blowhole.

"Now, the camera is capturing those moments, which is an amazing thing for wildlife videography. It changes everything."

In the past, Robert explains, the only alternative was to start recording in the hope that the action you want will take place. As a result, he says, "you end up with hours and hours and hours of filming, creating terabytes and terabytes of senseless nothing. Those times are over. This is a big advantage."

• Autofocus and Eye-Tracking: In addition to the DIGIC X image processor found in other EOS R System cameras, the Canon EOS R5 Mark II also has a newly-developed DIGIC Accelerator. The two processors work together to deliver unprecedented autofocus performance using deep learning, with faster acquisition and improved subject tracking even if the subject is momentarily obscured from view. The improved AF works with animals as well as people or even vehicles, and for Robert it was particularly useful for capturing birds in flight.
  
  "The autofocus locked on to flying birds instantly, something that used to take years of practice," he says. "It frees me up to think about composition and storytelling rather than just trying to get the shot."
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• Eye Control AF: The Canon EOS R3 introduced the Eye Control AF feature, which can set or switch the AF point by detecting what you are looking at in the viewfinder. In the EOS R5 Mark II, newly developed compact optics and a revised line-of-sight detection algorithm take the system even further, with improved detection range and accuracy. This feature could be invaluable in wildlife photography when, for example, taking the camera away from your eye in order to move the AF point could mean missing the fast-moving action or the sudden behaviour you want to capture.

• 4K 120fps video: The Canon EOS R5 Mark II's capability to record video at a fast frame rate and high resolution makes it possible to capture fast-paced action with exceptional clarity and create smooth slow-motion effects to highlight the power and agility of wildlife. "4K 120fps video with sound is an amazing feature for capturing wildlife in their natural habitat," Robert says. "You're making incredibly smooth videos with sound, which is a game-changer for capturing natural sounds and actions."
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• Rugged design: The Canon EOS R5 Mark II's durable construction proved invaluable during the shoot, as Robert faced some harsh weather conditions. "The camera's rugged design and improved battery life are crucial for long days in the field," he notes.
  Moreover, compared to the EOS R5, Robert says, "the camera's power management is greatly improved. One battery lasted all day on the boat."

Robert says being able to deliver both video and stills has paid off for him. His powerful images and advocacy have contributed to changing EU laws on fur farming and shark finning, and his YouTube channel has 861K subscribers. According to Robert, news agencies and publishers don't just want a still image any longer. To resonate today, even newspapers need video material – so that their stories can be told in multiple formats, on many platforms, including social media. Now more than ever, it's important for wildlife photographers to harness these channels, as these are the spaces where people can mobilise and enact change.

So, for Robert, the most compelling technical advance in the EOS R5 Mark II is the ability to capture both video and still images simultaneously, meaning he'll never again have to compromise and settle for just one of the two.

"For journalists covering politics, or for war photographers, and other, similar professions, to have both photo and video at the same time… it's incredible," he says. "This really changes everything for journalism. In 5-10 years, everyone will be a hybrid shooter because of advances like this."

"Wildlife photography is now more achievable with greater accessibility to such high-end features," Robert concludes. "I think this camera is the most significant advancement Canon has made. It's going to be the most successful camera for wildlife photography and videography. The combination of features is unparalleled."