Big test
PERFORMANCE: EXPOSURE LATITUDE
extra work. The +1EV recovered fully and looked fine. Underexposure was dealt with more effectively, but it’s true that both the -3EV and -2EV shots showed some graining in the shadows. Yet, the results were acceptable overall. No problem with the -1EV shot. The EOS R10’s Raws showed good – but not exceptional – tolerance to exposure abuse.
A variety of lighting situations were shot with the EOS R10, to check out the exposure tolerance of its Raw files. Images were exposure corrected in Lightroom. This was a high-contrast, backlit scene with the outbuilding in heavy shadow. With overexposure, the +3EV scene did not fare too well and highlights looked unacceptably poor, but the +2EV did much better. Although the highlights would need
-3EV
-2EV
-1EV
0EV
+1EV
+2EV
+3EV
though, the EOS R10’s handling was very good. The EOS R10’s shutter is noisy and was rather click-clacky for a mirrorless. There was little difference in volume between the mechanical and electronic first curtain options. Capture in continuous shooting modes and noise is significant. With the electronic shutter, there’s no sound, and just a shimmering outline frame in the monitor/EVF as exposures are made. Autofocusing, with features cascaded down from the EOS R3/ R5, is impressive for an entry-level model. Plus, there’s a wide range of focus area settings, with spot and zone, eye detection, case studies and subject tracking – including people, animals and vehicles. In vehicle mode, a spot focus option means the system will try to pick up the rider or driver’s helmet. I mostly used smaller or single-zone AF, wide zone/tracking and subject detection. The EOS R10, just like its bigger siblings with longer lenses, did “IN VEHICLE MODE, A SPOT FOCUS OPTION TRIES TO PICK UP THE DRIVER’S HELMET”
rather than sustained, bursts – you could capture a great many shots at higher drive speeds. A Raw burst mode option is available, giving you 30fps and a 75% crop. In this mode, images are recorded as a movie file and you can select the image you want in-camera, saving it as a Raw, HEIF or JPEG. For a ten-second sequence in Raw burst mode, I ended up with three files giving 60, 22 and 13 shots at 30fps. Saved and opened images with this crop measure 4512x3008 pixels or 38.2x25.47cm at 300ppi, rather than the usual 6000x4000pixels. In Raw burst mode, there is the addition of preshot mode. For this, the camera starts recording 0.5sec before shooting begins with partial pressure on the shutter release. Shots are only recorded when the shutter release is fully held down. I tested the EOS R10 with the 18-45mm, but also the RF 24-105mm f/4, RF 100mm f/2.8 macro and RF 100-500mm f/4.5-7.1 – covering general shooting, scenics and nature. The EOS R10 does not have IBIS, but many RF lenses have IS. Full-frame RF lenses on the EOS R10 are a little strange because they are so big – or the body so small. Canon will add more RF-S lenses to the two available right now. Although the full-frame system has a few gaps that need filling, so it’s a question of priority. Regardless of the fitted lens,
It’s worth saying, though, that the EOS R10’s buffer is not very big. At 23fps, I got just 13 Raws, 19 CRAWs or 38 large JPEGs before the camera showed signs of grinding to a halt. I stopped shooting as soon as the camera slowed down, but the buffer cleared quickly and the LED write light extinguished in just over two seconds. With some shutter button management – ie shooting in short,
GET IN THERE The EOS R10’s 1.6x crop factor is great news for nature workers, giving a more effective focal length. This silver-washed fritillary was shot with a 100-500mm lens at 500mm on the EOS R10, providing an effective 800mm in the 35mm format. Exposure was 1/200sec at f/11 and ISO 800
ROUND THE BACK Control layout and functionality rate highly for a camera at this price. The large and user-friendly multi-selector joystick is a good example. One negative is the dioptre slider under the EVF eyepiece, which is too easily moved
REAR VIEW Depending on your hand size, the short body might mean minor handling issues, especially if you prefer to adjust settings while the camera is up to the eye
Photography News | Issue 101
48
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