Creativity Inspired by the New Canon EOS 5D Mark IV
As a professional underwater photographer, I am very familiar with the Canon EOS 5D series – my first camera was a Canon EOS 5D Mark II, from which I transitioned to the Canon EOS 5D Mark III.
But recently, I upgraded to the brand-new Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. The beauty of this series is that, through all of its iterations, it has maintained its design integrity, which means that every new model is immediately familiar. Although the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV may look very similar to the Canon EOS 5D Mark III, it is a radically more powerful machine.
As a videographer, one of the most exciting developments with the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV is the ability to not only record video in 4K, but also to record in 4K at either 24p or 30p or Full HD at 50p! Shooting while freediving means that I am often recording on fast ascents, going from deeper, darker water up to brighter conditions. This can make it challenging to capture consistent footage, but I was amazed at the dynamic range performance of the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV – I had absolutely no problems with highlights, and my footage was exceptional. This, combined with the stunning AF speed and higher image quality, now gives me far more creative freedom than any other camera in the market.
Before I shot this image in Bali, I first went freediving without the camera and I remember thinking it would be almost impossible to capture all the intricate colours and textures of this magnificent underwater sculpture. When I went back underwater with the camera, I came back from the shoot realising that the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV had not delivered my original vision, but had gone even further, and returned noise-free images that revealed a whole new world of details and precise colours that I hadn’t even noticed.
The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV has received substantial upgrades, including a higher-resolution 30.4MP CMOS sensor, and this, combined with the DIGIC 6+ processor, results in an outstanding dynamic range and incredible performance in image quality in low light conditions. The autofocus (AF) system is faster than any other camera I have ever used, and uses 61 AF points. Bringing all this power underwater pays off quickly.