Asian Diver and Scuba Diver Issue 03-2019 (116) | Page 3

ADVERTORIAL
Tubbataha Reef & the Canon EOS R
By: William Tan
I test shot the Canon EOS R for four days in July at the
remote Tubbataha Reef, UNESCO World Heritage Site
of the Philippines. My camera rig was complete with
underwater housing, strobes, and the Control Ring Mount
Adapter EF-EOS R, provides compatibility with my existing
Canon EF lenses. As mirrorless cameras work very
differently from the DSLRs I am used to, there was lots to
learn within a short time. Isolated and without Internet help,
I resorted to shooting mostly with factory-set functions.
Fortunately, this camera performed well and was brilliant
in several key areas.
As a DSLR shooter, one of the concerns I had with
mirrorless systems was the quality of the viewfinder. It
became apparent after just the first dive that the Canon
EOS R’s high-quality electronic viewfinder produces quite
a realistic rendition of the scenes unfolding in front of me,
unlike the flat static fuzz I’d witnessed in other mirrorless
systems. I really appreciated the viewfinder being able to
playback images and also display numerous camera settings.
This allowed me to keep perfectly still when confirming
exposures, reducing the risk of scaring away skittish
subjects, since I didn’t have to lift my head and fumble about
to check the camera’s LCD. 
 As always, getting correct exposure is essential with this
camera. For example, a RAW file that is shot way too dark
and pushed in post-processing to look brighter will show
visible noise in the shadow areas in any camera. Nowadays, it
seems low-light performance topside is a common yardstick
to measure a sensor’s robustness. But for underwater work,
how a camera handles low-light conditions can be even more
important since we always have less light below the waves. 
Again, I was able to take advantage of the features of the
Canon EOS R to review the exposure of the resulting images
straight from the viewfinder. There was no unnecessary
movement to frighten the subject, so I took my time to get the
shot I wanted.
The underwater world can be a challenge for any
camera. Wrapping up my time diving along the stunning Tubbataha Reef, I turned my attention to my laptop and
began a close review of the image files. The Canon EOS R
has a 30.3-megapixel full-frame sensor, giving us plenty
of resolution to work with. I can say now that the images
take very well to cropping. Colours are clean and natural,
comparable even to the EOS-1D X series, but with more
dynamic and beautiful saturations. I know that’s a bold
claim but I have shot these cameras for years and was very
impressed the Canon EOS R was at that level. I can’t wait for
the opportunity to spend even more time with this camera, as
it felt like I had experienced just the tip of the iceberg.
As we descended the wall of Tubbataha’s pristine coral reef, I found my subject and
moved in slowly. The Canon EOS R’s Dual Pixel CMOS AF system, with up to 5,655
selectable autofocus (AF) positions, had no trouble locking onto this low-contrast
variegated lizardfish (Synodus variegatus). Canon EOS R, f/11, 1/250s, ISO100 During a very strong current dive, I only had one chance to shoot when quickly
drifting past this scene. The sensor recorded the colours of the crinoids and
soft corals brilliantly.
Canon EOS R, f/7.1, 1/200s, ISO250
FULL-FRAME MIRRORLESS
• 30.3MP full-frame CMOS Sensor
• As fast as 0.05 sec autofocusing speed
• Up to 5,655 selectable AF positions
• AF low light sensitivity up to EV –6
• Dual Sensing IS and Combination IS
• Dust- and drip-resistant
• Large 54mm diameter lens mount
• 4K UHD 30p/25p video shooting
To find out more visit:
https://snapshot.canon-asia.com/eosr
h t t p s : // s n a p s h o t.c a n o n -a s i a .c o m
https://asia.canon