Asian Diver and Scuba Diver No. 2/2019 Volume 153 | Page 3

ADVERTORIAL
The Canon EOS R:
Capturing Underwater Wonders
By: Nirupam Nigam, biologist and underwater photography guide
Northern feather dusters (Eudistylia vancouveri) with various anemone species,
Canon EOS R, f/6.3, 1/1250s, ISO640
This spring, I had the lucky opportunity to be one of the
first photographers to take the full-frame mirrorless
Canon EOS R underwater. The day after it arrived on
my doorstep, I eagerly took it to my favourite dive
destination – the cold waters of the Salish Sea in the
Pacific Northwest of the United States. With some of
the year’s best tides that weekend, I braved the region’s
wildest currents in search of rainbow-coloured walls
packed with invertebrate life. Not only did the diving
deliver, the Canon EOS R managed to capture it all!
For underwater photographers, the Canon EOS R stands
out with a 30.3 megapixel full-frame CMOS sensor and
Dual Pixel CMOS AF capability with 5,655 selectable
autofocus (AF) points. After diving extensively with
various cameras, I think the Canon EOS R is the most
useable underwater full-frame mirrorless camera
on the market.
A combination of ergonomics, build, and high-speed
AF make the Canon EOS R an enticing option for someone
looking to jump into the full-frame mirrorless world. The
Canon EOS R also outshines its competitors in underwater
ergonomics. You can customise 14 different camera
controls for stills shooting. The Q menu on the Canon
EOS R allows for easy access to almost all the important
settings you need during your dive. Customisation is
essential for adapting the camera to underwater housing
controls, especially when it comes to choosing focusing
modes, back button focus, and ISO changes. My EF lenses,
used together with mount adapters, worked great with the
EOS R and I can’t wait to try out the new RF lenses on my
next diving trip!
The highlight of the Canon EOS R is Dual Pixel CMOS
AF, which can achieve focus in as fast as 0.05
seconds and offers effective AF tracking. The low-light
AF sensitivity is spectacular, which was beneficial to me
A wolf eel (Anarrhichthys ocellatus) curiously eyes the camera, Canon EOS R, f/8, 1/160s, ISO400
when I photographed quick wolf eels in dark, green water.
In fact, when I took the Canon EOS R underwater, I almost
felt like I didn’t need a focus light.
Most importantly, I found the underwater image quality
on the Canon EOS R to be top tier. I couldn’t believe the
level of detail in my images when I enlarged them on
my computer, especially the photos of wolf eels and
colourful walls of corals. A 30.3-megapixel sensor is
great for shooting tiny subjects like nudibranchs and
cropping to your heart’s desire in post-processing. The
ISO performance in low light was great with very little
noise in my images even when shooting at higher ISOs.
Any noise in the image was easy to remove in post-
processing due to the fine grain size. As with most Canon
cameras, the colour rendering was spot on with more
striking red tones and accurate blue tones. This was
especially important when I was shooting 4K video. Overall,
I could not ask for better image quality, autofocus
capability, and ergonomics in an underwater camera. 
To find out more visit:
• 30.3MP full-frame CMOS Sensor
• Up to 0.05secs autofocusing speed
• 5,655 selectable autofocus points
• Low-light sensitivity up to EV –6
• Dual Sensing IS and Combination IS
• Dust- and drip-resistant
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 .com
https://asia.canon