I began my photography journey several years ago with a Canon Rebel t5i. While this was a great camera if you are just starting and want to learn the basics, I quickly discovered it did not provide the quality I wanted to step up my professional game, especially when working with low light. After months of research, I chose a Canon EOS 5D Mark IV. This decision changed everything for me! Here is my Canon EOS 5D Mark IV review and a few of the most significant upgrades it provided me.
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Review From a Family Photographer in Ohio
ISO
Sometimes photographing in-home newborn sessions requires work in low light, which requires me to turn up my ISO, or if I need a fast shutter speed to capture moving children, using flash is not preferable. Turning up the ISO slightly with my previous camera resulted in a lot of grain. I could barely make it past 400 ISO. With the Canon EOS 5D Mark IV, the ISO ranges from 100 – 32,000. I’ve taken images at 6400 with little to no grain. Usually, I don’t go above 1000, but if I need a high ISO in a pinch, I can count on the Canon Mark IV to deliver.
AF Points
Probably my most favorite feature is the 61 AF points. I always use spot focus, and having 61 AF points gives me so much freedom in where to place and compose my subjects. In addition to spot focus, there is 1 point AF, expand AF, expand AF surround, zone AF, large zone AF, and auto selection. You may customize the tracking based on your needs for your session. There are six different types of tracking for scenes where subjects are accelerating or decelerating. When shooting outdoor sessions with little ones, this feature comes in handy!
Customization
The Canon EOS 5D Mark IV allows for easy customization of your buttons. The back button focus and the main dial were two of my most significant changes. In the menu, you can set it to how you want to focus under settings and custom controls. Cameras will default with a half-press of the shutter to focus and then push all the way to capture. The back button focus allows me to focus and shoot without recomposing, saving me time and being able to capture so much faster when working with moving targets.
The main dial is set to adjust your shutter speed while shooting to adapt to a change in lighting. I don’t always want to change my shutter speed, so I added an additional button to hold while using the dial to change my ISO instead. Now I can quickly change my shutter or ISO without even looking. Again, a huge time saver so I don’t miss a moment of family session.
Dynamic Range
Sometimes it happens that I overexpose or underexpose. If it’s an image I want to save, when shooting in RAW, I can quickly bring back shadows and highlights. I find overexposure with Canon is easier to correct than underexposure. From my experience, a Nikon has the ultimate dynamic range with underexposure. I personally go for perfect exposure when shooting.
Downsides to the Canon Mark IV
My only downside to the Canon Mark IV is how big and heavy it is. Most of my sessions are kept around an hour or less, but sometimes with newborns, they can last a few hours. By the end, my arm is shaking. If you are a wedding photographer and shoot all day, you will surely have a sore arm!
Canon EOS 5D Mark IV Review
Right now on Amazon, you can purchase the Canon Mark IV for $2299, which is 15% off, for the body only. I use prime lenses that I purchase separately, starting around $1200. This is an investment for sure. Your camera gear matters if you are transitioning from a hobbyist to a professional. For me, it was the best decision I made!
Before you go, check out other blogs on family sessions and motherhood! Browse through my recommend products and camera gear from Amazon!
- Prenatal Yoga Cleveland Studios for Empowering Classes
- Canon 85mm f/1.4 Review | Why It’s My Must-Have Lens!
- UH Cleveland Medical Center for Compassionate OBGYN Care
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