canon eos r — BLOG — Jason Lanier Photography

Welcome to the Canon Project Part #3- in this episode we look at how the Canon EOS R performs with LED lighting. This all takes place at a workshop I taught for the Georgia Professional Photographers of America at the North Georgia Tech College in March 2019.

This shoot represented the demonstration portion of the workshop where I was helping the attendees understand how to blend and balance artificial lighting with the available ambient lighting to create results that mimic what Hollywood does with their lighting set ups.

So what does it mean to blend and balance light to match ambient settings? This is a subject that some photographers struggle a little bit to understand and I’m hoping that the blog article and especially the video help to explain it for people who are eager to learn.

In essence this is the process of bringing down the power of your artificial lighting and pulling up the exposure in your camera to make the two exposure levels blend and balance together. This usually means increasing your ISO while turning down the power on your flash or LED light. To see the demonstration of this please check out the video to see how it’s done.

Below are images taken with the Rotolight Aeos using the Canon EOS R with the

RF 50mm f/1.2 and RF 28-70mm f/2 lenses.

Below are images taken with the Rotolight Neo 2 using the Canon EOS R with the RF 50mm f/1.2 lens.

So how did the Canon perform in this shoot? It did really well. I did most of the shoot using the Canon RF 50mm f/1.2 and a few using the RF 28-70mm f/2. I’m really impressed with the sharpness of these lenses and as to be expected the camera performed great with the Rotolight system as all the mirrorless cameras do. Can you use the Rotolights with non mirroress systems? Of course you can, but they perform the best with mirrorless cameras thanks to WYSIWYG (What you see is what you get).

I really liked the colors coming out of the Canon EOS R as I have with all of the shoots we have coming out. So drop a comment down below and let me know what you think!

To see the entire Canon Project videos please visit:

www.jasonlanier.com/canonproject

**LINKS TO GEAR**

*Canon EOS R- https://bhpho.to/2FPwh7P

*Canon RF 50mm f/1.2- https://bhpho.to/2FUvfr5

*Canon RF 28-70mm f/2- https://bhpho.to/2FCH9pI

**ROTOLIGHT PRODUCTS**

During the month of April 2019 there is a HUGE sale on the Rotolight Neo 2 and the Rotolight Aeos. If you visit www.rotolight.com/jasonoffers you can get significant savings off of these two lights plus free batteries and free shipping.

If you are viewing this AFTER April 2019 you can still receive a discount on all rotolight products visiting www.rotolight.com and after selecting your products, use the promo code: JASONLANIER10 to get 10% off all products and accessories as well as free shipping to most countries around the world.

I really hope this video helps photographers out there. Thank you in advance for watching and thanks for being here!

If you haven't already make sure to check out Parts 1 and 2 of the Canon project where we review the Canon EOS R in natural light and strobe shooting scenarios.

Jason

2 Comments

2019 has been a fun year for me so far. While I’m a long time Sony user I’ve been able to try out many of the new mirrorless cameras that are hitting the marketplace. I’m a big believer in mirrorless cameras .and have been for years. This year alone I’ve already tried out the Nikon Z7 and the Olympus OMD ii. So now it was Canon’s turn.

Partnering with B&H Photo I am able to try out gear for longer than a 1 time shoot. That’s critical for this experiment. See, I’m not a big believer at all in the concept of getting a camera in your hands for 1 day, trying it out, and then compiling a review and assessment on that camera.

It takes longer. To really know a camera you need to do at least 4 or 5 shoots with it. You have to use it over an extended period of time. You have to get to know what you really love about it and what you really hate about it.

So this is video number 1 of the 7 or 8 shoots that I’ve done with the Canon over the past month and a half all over the world. This was done in Death Valley, one of the most scenic places on earth. And we did this one shooting natural light so we could how the camera performed without adding any lighting to set a baseline for it’s performance.

We’re calling this our Canon Project. A comprehensive look at this camera in a variety of different challenging shooting conditions that most photographers would use this camera in…and a few many wouldn’t.

Once we’ve released all of the videos with the Canon you will see a final review which will encompass all of the knowledge gained from the shoots that we did. This will represent the most thorough comprehensive review anywhere on this camera. And we really put it through it’s paces using the RF 24-105mm, the RF 50mm, and the RF 28-70mm.

I purposely did this shoot with the Canon RF 24-105mm lens only. This is the perfect focal length zoom to use in a place like Death Valley where I can go from very wide shots to very tight shots with a simple twist of the wrist. I’ve never been a huge fan of that focal length but I’ll tell you what, I was pretty blown away by that lens. Below are the shots from the shoot and to say that I was impressed with the colors is an understatement.

Issues with the camera on this particular shoot? Well, really just the buffer was an issue. I was pretty surprised by how fast I’d hit the buffer and the camera wouldn’t be able to continue shooting. This happened when I put it into High continuous drive mode to grab some shots of Emily as the wind made her dress and a sheet that she was holding blow.

The focus wasn’t as fast as I get with my Sony cameras but I don’t think anything will be. That is where Sony reigns supreme. That being said it did very well and really was a lot of fun to shoot.

The performance from a portrait photographer’s standpoint was pretty awesome. The colors are noticeably different in the camera even when reviewing pics on location. I edited these shots using the same manner that I edit my Sony images and they do seem to be richer in the colors than what I get from my Sony cameras.

The 24-105mm lens? I really enjoyed using it. Focus was fast and consistent and you’ll even see that in the video because I included video footage shot with the Canon as well. I think you’ll also notice the colors in that footage as well because it’s completely ungraded and shows you what the camera was producing without any editing. I could see this lens being a big seller for wedding photographers out there especially for things like the ceremony. It will struggle in lower light like at reception due to it being f/4, but for well lit places it really performs like a champ and is very well made.

Does this mean that I’m switching brands and no longer shooting Sony? No, it doesn’t. I filmed this entire series on my Sony cameras and they did amazingly well. What it means is I now have the ability to shoot whatever I want and am able to connect and relate to all of my followers no matter what brand they shoot.

I also gotta tell you that it’s very fun for me. I’m very curious by nature and to be able to try out so many different cameras and lenses is a hoot. It also helps me as a photography educator to be able to relate to anyone coming to my workshops and to have a strong knowledge base in their camera systems as well so I am better prepared to help them.

A HUGE THANKS to my partner in crime Emily Rinaldo for the amazing styling she did to make this shoot possible. She’s a creative lightning bolt and is such a tremendous muse who helps me to create this work. Please give her a follow on Instagram at www.instagram.com/em.explores

For links to gear please see below:

*Canon EOS R- https://bhpho.to/2U8W4Cd

*Canon RF 24-105mm lens- https://bhpho.to/2FFqnWX

Thanks again for following along on this adventure of mine in the world of photography. There’s never a dull moment and I’m so grateful for all of your support as I seek to unravel some of the mysteries that exist out there and share them with all of you.

Until next time, never give up on your dreams, find the right gear that works for you and remember, you only have one chance to get it right.

XOXO

Jason

7 Comments

BLOG

Canon Project Part #3- Blending and Balancing Artificial and Ambient Light Using the EOS R by Jason Lanier

The Canon Project Part #1- Natural Light Shoot at Death Valley with the Canon EOS R Mirrorless using the RF 24-105mm lens by Jason Lanier

For links to gear please see below:

*Canon EOS R- https://bhpho.to/2U8W4Cd

*Canon RF 24-105mm lens- https://bhpho.to/2FFqnWX