Professional wildlife photographer and Canon ambassador Andy Rouse has been dropping hints over the past several days that he’s currently testing some new camera equipment, sparking speculation that Canon may be gearing up to announce a new pro camera — one that can shoot at 30fps.
[Update: It seems that theories of this mysterious camera being an upcoming Canon body have been shot down. See update below.]
In a photo posted to Twitter on May 3rd, Rouse wrote that he’s currently testing some “new kit” while saying he isn’t currently able to share any more details about it.
A little gift for you all this weekend. Shot last night, it’s a very different image of a cuckoo using some new kit. No questions yet as I won’t answer!!! Just enjoy the pic. pic.twitter.com/YeBFPoJCCX
— Andy Rouse (@wildmanrouse) May 3, 2019
A couple of days later, Rouse shared the same photo on Instagram and suggested that the camera’s high continuous shooting speed allowed him to capture what he previously couldn’t.
“Sometimes you dream and dream and dream of a shot but never get it,” he writes in the caption. “Other times you just keep working hard, chipping away and making the most of new technology to achieve your dreams. This shot most definitely ticks all those boxes.
“Shot last week, a stunning Cuckoo in all its glory. Some great technology helped me get it as I’ve never been able to shoot the whole landing sequence before and pick the best image.”
The photo was captured with a 300mm f/4 lens (presumably Canon’s) at f/4, ISO 800, and 1/1000s.
This post suggests the camera performs well at locking autofocus on fast-moving subjects in low-light situations.
“[…] I’ve been really working hard testing and evaluating kit,” Rouse writes. “One of the hardest tests I do is the low light AF test, where I deliberately shoot in tough conditions and push the camera to the limits. I’m looking for the ability to track AF and hold a subject, vital to what I do, plus keeping noise levels acceptable too at a decent ISO. I’m not very kind to cameras!
“So here’s one of the results, a backlit cuckoo, and damn they are fast. I’ve never managed to lock on to one before in such conditions, it’s all been pre-focus and hope. Well it wasn’t here, I locked into several sequences and was frankly amazed as lately I’ve been frustrated at not being able to shoot such action.”
Another post suggests that Rouse may be testing a mirrorless camera:
“Mirrorless cameras really suit my creativity,” Rouse writes.
A May 9th post is the one in which Rouse mentions 30fps.
“By the end of the encounter I had to take the motor drive speed down from 30 fps to 5fps as I was taking too many sharp shots,” the photographer writes.
“So what could he be teasing and/or testing? The obvious answer would be the upcoming Canon EOS-1D X Mark III,” writes Canon Rumors. “Andy was one of the early testers of the Canon EOS-1D X Mark II, so that’s not too much of a leap to assume. We were told back in February that testing had begun on the EOS-1D X Mark II replacement.
“Is it possible that the EOS-1D X Mark III will shoot 30fps with the mirror locked up?”
But if it’s a mirrorless camera that Rouse is testing, then it could be the flagship professional mirrorless EOS R camera that Canon shooters have been looking forward to ever since the mid-tier EOS R was announced.
Update: While Rouse’s website states that he’s a Canon Explorer, it seems he’s not testing Canon equipment in this case. In the comments of the posts above, Rouse revealed that it’s not a Canon kit he’s shooting with. But he says he “hasn’t dumped anyone for anyone,” and that it wouldn’t even be Sony if he did.
I haven’t dumped anyone for anyone and it wouldn’t be Sony anyway
— Andy Rouse (@wildmanrouse) May 3, 2019
It any case, it now seems like the speculation over Rouse’s enigmatic photos and captions was off the mark, and they didn’t have to do with an upcoming Canon launch after all…
