I have abandoned all my Canon gears and moved on to this Epson R-D1s digital rangefinder camera, and it is now my bird photography gear.

Let me describe how it is different from my Canon gears and how it will improve my bird/wildlife photography:

- More compact in size and weight compare to my Canon 7D2, so less weight-lifting and more longer distance walking to build some cardio and find some rare species!

- Old school CCD sensor vs. the modern day CMOS sensor. CCD sensor is known to have the film-like look and grain, which people try to replicate with the modern sensors. No need to do filters in post-processing anymore; just straight out of the camera.

- Way way way less megapixel, so less pixel peeping, less reliance on cropping, less storage space, more emphasis on composing to maximize that full frame and faster image processing time on the computer.

- Manual focusing via rangefinder system vs. 65+ points phase detection autofocus. Those who are familiar with zone focusing or hyperfocal focusing know that it is the fastest focusing technique in the world; practically instantaneous and no need to wait for milliseconds to acquire focus anymore!

- Rangefinder viewfinder uses framelines to correct parallax error, but it also allow me to see outside the framelines while looking at the viewfinder, so that I will not miss the opportunity when the subject enters into the frame. Also, no momentarily blackout as seen in SLRs or even some of the latest mirrorless cameras.

- Manual shutter crank (I can probably do 1 to 1.5 fps) vs. automated 10+ fps on the latest cameras. Therefore, less wasteful images, less chimping, and less storage space needed. It's all about Henri Cartier-Bresson's "Decisive Moment", rather than "spray and pray".

- ISO can only go up to 1600. Time to take a break in low light or at dusk, rather than cranking up the ISO and staying out there in the dark or late at night (and possibly get mugged in the dark).

- I have been testing this cheapo 50mm (75mm equivalent on the APS-C sensor) vintage Soviet lens, the Industar-61, which I have recently acquired for about $20, and it's surprisingly decent and significantly cheaper than a super-telephoto lens (costing upper thousands to tens of thousands of dollars). With such lens, that means I will be stepping into the birds' or wildlife's "circle of fear" to take their candid photos (and may block and /or piss off other photographers' with their super-tele lenses). A wiseman (Robert Capa) once said, "If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough"!
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Happy April Fool's Day. I do hope to get back into bird/wildlife photography soon, and of course with the appropriate gears. However, what I have described above are somewhat true when shooting another genre of photography.

Tags:   Epson R-D1 R-D1s Rangefinder Camera Vintage Soviet Industar Industar61

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Thorhild County, AB, Canada.

7D2 and 300/2.8L + 2x | 1/1000 sec., f/7.1, ISO 1000; handheld.
Processed with Snapseed and VSCO.

Enjoy!

Tags:   Great Gray Owl Great Gray Ghost Phantom of the North Cinereous Owl Spectral Owl Lapland Owl Spruce Owl Bearded Owl Sooty Owl Strix nebulosa Raptors Bird of Prey Birds Wildlife Nature Outdoor Animals Winter Avian Photography Photographer Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM Clyde Thorhild County Edmonton YEG Alberta Canada

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Strathcona County, AB, Canada.
7D2 and 300/2.8L + 2x | 1/1600 sec., f/7.1, ISO 800; handheld.
Processed with Snapseed.

Tags:   Mule Deer Odocoileus virginianus Buck Doe Animals Wildlife Nature Winter Cold Outdoor Photography Photographer Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM Fort Saskatchewan Josephburg Partridge Hill Community Hall Strathcona County YEG Edmonton Alberta Canada

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Murray Marsh, Sturgeon County, AB, Canada

Tags:   Merlin Falco columbarius Portrait Closeup Falcon Birds of Prey Raptors Birds Animals Wildlife Nature Fall Autumn Outdoor Avian Photography Photographer Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM Murray Marsh Sturgeon County YEG Edmonton Alberta Canada

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Murray Marsh, Sturgeon County, AB, Canada.

Mixed flock of Greater White-fronted and Canada Geese.

Tags:   Greater White-fronted Canada Geese Anser albifrons Branta canadensis BIF Flight Flying Landing Birds Animals Wildlife Nature Outdoor Avian Photography Photographer Fall Autumn Black and White Monochrome Silhouette Canon EOS 7D Mark II Canon EF 300mm f/2.8L IS USM YEG Edmonton Alberta Canada

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