I bought a Canon R3 – but I've never used it for the camera's intended purpose!

My first shot with the Canon R3 on Dartmoor UK. It was a complete fumble using a new camera in the dark but the results were masterful. (Image credit: David Clapp)

Over the last 20 years of photography I have used lots of alternative equipment to capture my images. In the late noughties, I was adapting anything and everything onto my Canon EOS 1Ds Mk3 DSLR – a Nikon AF-S 14-24mm f/2.8, a Contax 35-70mm, a Contax 28mm f/2 for astro, an Olympus 35mm shift lens for architecture. It gave me an edge and different thinking.

The same goes for camera bodies. In 2014 I bought a Canon EOS 1Dx for tours in the arctic, which became my goto weather sealed camera for professional shoots. It never saw a bird or a sports car, but there is something about professional Canon bodies that empowers me.

Simply holding them in anticipation of releasing that shutter is so special, but it goes way deeper than that. It’s about intuitive response to all fleeting moments - not lost shots thanks to a camera-shaped technological hurdle

My new camera has opened doors to new genres and ways of thinking. This was one of my first ever attempts at wildlife. (Image credit: David Clapp)

My most recent body, the Canon EOS R3, has also never been used for its intended purpose. The same week I bought it, back in March 2023, I went out shooting aurora on Dartmoor. Firstly, I looked towards the R3 for its true stills / video hybrid workflow. Although initially I was focused on IBIS, high ISO stills and low light focusing, I knew nothing about video production and felt it was time to dive in.

I watched many YouTube setup tutorials. Wedding photographers helped me fine tune its hybrid settings. Last year I made a short film ‘A Dartmoor Springtime’. The shoot took three weeks and I laboured over every detail. This opened the door to the art of audio field recording, learning more skills. I became a 100 fps slow motion addict, beginning my journey with DaVinci Resolve 18. I hope to sell the film to the Dartmoor National Park.

(Image credit: Canon)

Many other photographers were surprised I didn't buy a Canon R5, but I am no fan. I prefer large pixels, not large megapixels.

A mantra I have used for many years - ‘look around at what everyone else is doing and DON’T do that’.

The camera continues to called me onwards - in 2025 I am going to explore wildlife photography, but for now my skill level could be described as ‘roadkill’.