The Challenge of Africa: first shot with a Canon EOS RP full-frame mirrorless camera

Photographer Hergo Kajimer tested the Canon EOS RP and used it to capture incredible views of South Africa in a variety of lighting conditions, including a starry night.

By David Clark

Full review of the Canon EOS R mirrorless camera

Canon EOS RP system has 5 axis image stabilization, which eliminates the possibility of camera shake when shooting handheld. &copy Fergus Kennedy

“For me, photography is closely connected with nature and hiking,” says photographer Hergo Kajimer. – I love being outdoors, whenever I get the chance, I try to capture the moment and share it with others. I also see this as a way to express myself, because the subjects I choose to photograph are also the ones that tell a story about me. It’s like showing people the world from my perspective.

Gergo is an analyst in the fraud prevention department of an online bank in Munich, Germany, but on weekends and holidays he likes to get outdoors with his camera. These journeys, which he sometimes takes friends on, can last a day or a couple of weeks. His photos of nature and landscapes are quite popular: there are about 10,000 people subscribed to his Instagram profile, the photographer himself successfully sells images on Getty Images, and one of his photos is even used as a preset wallpaper on the iPhone. His passion is to visit completely different parts of the world, and most recently he traveled to the Western Cape province of South Africa to capture the stunning local scenery. It was his first time there, and he said the scenery was unlike anything he had seen before.

“It’s an incredible place,” he says. – I’m willing to say it was one of the best experiences of my life, and I’m not exaggerating.”.

&copy Hergo Kajimer. Canon EOS RP with Canon EF 100-400mm f/4 lens.5-5.6L IS II USM

Hergo not only went in search of new landscapes, but also became one of the first photographers to try out the Canon EOS RP. This full-frame mirrorless camera features a 26.2 MP full-frame image sensor in a compact and lightweight body, making it the perfect companion for travel and camping enthusiasts. It’s a compact addition to the Canon EOS R lineup and features a tilt-adjustable touchscreen and 4,799 available AF points. “The biggest advantage of this camera for me personally has definitely been the touch screen it’s very useful with my shooting style,” Gergo says.

Like a professional Canon EOS R, it can be used with both innovative usa lenses and existing EF and EF-S lenses through any of three adapters without any loss of optical quality. Gergo found that after using the Canon EOS 6D it was easy to get used to the new camera, and to use both his existing lenses and new usa lenses with it.

“When I first picked up this camera, the feeling was very pleasant because I felt the familiar ergonomic design of a Canon camera,” he says. – I had already tried the EOS R in business, and the EOS RP is similar to it, but more compact. comfortable to hold and really easy to use. Even the menu structure is 90% similar to what I’m used to.”.

&copy Hergo Kajimer. Canon EOS RP with Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM:

400mm, 1/80 sec., f/5.6 and ISO 1600.

The beginning of professional activity

Gergo was born in Hungary, and according to the photographer, he became fascinated with nature at an early age when he traveled with his parents to various countries. “I was always looking for a place where we could stop and spend some time, like near a lake or at the foot of a mountain,” he recalls.

Gergo began his journey as a photographer in 2009, when he purchased a Canon EOS 500D. Over the next few years, he reconsidered his hobby and started taking it more seriously, and started hiking for the purpose of taking pictures. As his skills developed, he realized he needed a more capable camera.

He was comfortable with the intuitive menus and ergonomic design of Canon cameras, so in 2014 he purchased a full-frame 20-megapixel EOS 6D almost as soon as it was on sale, and added the purchase of several full-frame camera lenses, including the Canon EF 70-200mm f/4L IS USM.

&copy Hergo Kajimer. Canon EOS RP with EF 100mm f/2 lenses.8L Macro IS USM and usa 35mm F1.8 MACRO IS STM

“I wanted to buy a versatile and light-intensive camera with a quality full-frame image sensor with more megapixels to produce higher quality images.”.

Creating photos in his favorite setting, he said, is a great way to abstract away the stress that accompanies his day job.

“All week long I sit at my computer and stare at my monitor screen. And on weekends and holidays I go to the countryside. That way, I can get rid of unnecessary thoughts and focus on something else, as well as relax and let my creativity flow.”.

Hergo specializes in nature photography around the world, and most of his work is set in Europe and Scandinavia. He says he is constantly learning and trying to improve his skills

The Canon EOS RP features an innovative usa mount, allowing you to use usa lenses as well as existing EF and EF-S lenses via an adapter . &copy Fergus Kennedy

“Most people just take pictures of landscapes, but I’m always looking for something more,” he says. ” I like to use telephoto lenses to isolate individual subjects from their surroundings, but I also keep a close eye on the foreground so I don’t miss details that draw the eye in and give the image depth. I never hurry when creating and processing photos, because I want everything to be perfect.

South Africa and the Canon EOS RP

On this trip, Hergo traveled to the Western Cape province of South Africa. He photographed the countryside near the town of Stellenbosch, and explored the local lush mountains and valleys in Yonkershok National Park. He also hiked in Cederberg National Park, 300 kilometers north of Cape Town.

It was a beautiful scene, but it was not without its challenges. “I witnessed a beautiful sunset on the first day and expected it to be the same on the following days, but it wasn’t to be,” says Gergo. – I was greeted time and time again by a clear blue sky – no clouds or special shades of color. When that happens, I try to leave as little of the sky in the frame as possible and turn to the terrestrial elements of the landscape.”.

“The scenery in Yonkershok was very beautiful for me there’s a lot of greenery, and not a lot of rocky surfaces in the mountains. I shot all day, even when the lighting was not very good. There was much less vegetation in Cederberg, but you could see these very special rock formations, which turned into a wonderful color when the sun came up over the horizon.

“Here I was also able to do some night sky photography and capture the Milky Way around midnight. The electronic viewfinder was a serious advantage – with its help I could clearly see what was going on even in the dark, as well as adjust the exposure.

Among the low-light capabilities of the Canon EOS RP are accurate autofocus down to -5EV* between moonlight and starlight , an ISO range of up to 40,000 or 102,400 in extended mode , and a 2.36 million-dot electronic viewfinder that lets you see what the shot will look like even in near total darkness.

Gergo found that the low weight of the Canon EOS RP – just 485g including battery and memory card – allowed him to save energy when hiking. He especially liked the tiltable touch screen, as it allowed him to control the camera and shoot from any angle. The tiltable screen gave him the flexibility he needed, allowing him to shoot from angles he’d never been able to capture before.

Even with the electronic viewfinder, he pressed the screen with his thumb to work in precise and fast focus, selecting the focus point from the 4799 available.

“You can slide your thumb across the screen and select the focus point – it’s a very useful feature. It speeds up the work and I used it a lot. This is one of the newer features, but I got used to it after just a couple of tries,” says Gergo. – You can choose the exact focus point you want, and that’s a real revelation for me it worked with a very high degree of precision.

Gergo took advantage of the Canon EOS RP’s tilt-adjustable touch screen and lightweight design to shoot from a low angle and get as close to nature as possible while traveling in South Africa. &copy Fergus Kennedy

Working with filters on the Canon EOS RP

The main lens he used during the shoot was the Canon usa 24-105mm F4L IS USM. “It’s a pretty compact lens that’s quite ergonomic with the camera,” says Gergo. – It provides great clarity, and I enjoyed working with it. When I need a longer focal length, especially for shooting wildlife, I use the Canon EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS II USM. It’s a bit heavy, but it’s a top quality lens, and its range of focal lengths is really impressive.”.

Hergo also tried out the optional EF-EOS R mount adapter with a plug-in filter, which lets you use filters without having to attach them to the front of the lens. He used both a variable neutral filter and a circular polarizer.

“The power of the filter can be changed with a special dial this was the first time I’d ever tried this function,” explains the photographer. – Unlike some of the filters for the front of the lens, these filters provided the desired effect throughout the frame.”.

“It’s much more comfortable to work with because you just have to put a filter in the lens. It also saves money because these filters are easier to use and smaller in size.”.

According to Gergo, his first experience with the Canon EOS RP was extremely successful, and he believes that the portability of this full-frame mirrorless camera makes it ideal for travelers and landscape and nature photographers like himself.

Gergo is optimistic about his future. He plans to keep combining his passion for photography with his day job, but wants to take the next step and become a professional nature photographer someday. “I’ve been contemplating a career in photography for a long time now,” says Gergo. “I like taking on new challenges, and I’ve always moved to another country as soon as I got a better offer. Maybe that’s what will happen to my photography career. I can’t predict the future, but focusing solely on photography would be really great.”.