Adventure Filmmaker’s Thoughts on the Canon EOS R System After 24 Hours
This post is brought to you by Canon and the Canon EOS R. To learn more about the new EOS R system, visit Canon’s website.
It was a crisp fall morning when Nick Nelson set off to capture his latest adventure story. With the new Canon EOS R camera in hand, he was on his way to record an extreme sport called Highlining. One step away from tightrope walking, Highlining is when someone crosses over a large gap on a narrow strap, high above the ground. That gap is where the extreme part comes in. It was Nick’s challenge to capture two of his friends as they traverse across a gap 150 feet above a creek.
It would be one thing if Nick shot from the sidelines, but instead, he dons a climbing harness and joins in. With camera in hand, Nick takes the same risk as the climbers but still needs to capture the story. “I just love telling stories,” Nick explains when asked why he makes videos. An adventurer at heart, Nick is all about capturing each person’s individual story the best way he can. He has a passion for telling stories of both travel and adventure, and it’s in these situations where his skill and his tools are put to the test.
Along with adventure videos, Nick has had the opportunity to work with Visit California, shooting footage for their advertising campaign. It allowed him to shoot all up and down the Golden State. At 23, Nick traveled the state to tell the story of the land, the people and his experiences. In an upcoming trip, Nick will travel to Bolivia to give voice to a woman who has been sexually abused. Nick’s aim for his work and social advocacy is to “hopefully, create change in the world”.
Through his work on a Visit California advertising campaign, Nick’s had the chance to shoot much bigger and more expensive cameras: “I’ve carried a heavy camera or two for remote shooting. But you don’t need a huge camera to tell a good story and capture a beautiful image.” For the Highlining shoot, Nick was equipped a bit differently — he was shooting with the new Canon EOS R system.
Nick had never used the EOS R system before that morning. He was equipped with the full EOS R system, which included the camera body and two native lenses: the Canon RF 50mm F1.2 L USM and the Canon RF 24–105mm F4 L IS USM. But because the EOS R camera can use Canon EF lenses with an adapter, Nick also paired the Canon Control Ring Mount Adapter EF-EOS R with the Canon EF 16–35mm f/2.8L III USM lens for a wider field of view.
“We hiked into the spot [we were going to shoot] and when you’re hiking, you don’t carry around something heavy … it’s a light camera; it’s easy to hold.” He continues, “The reality is, when you’re getting into filmmaking, you don’t need a big cinema camera. What you need is a lightweight camera that shoots 4K.”
In addition to a lightweight form factor, the EOS R camera also shoots internal C-log and offers a shoot assist for those who aren’t used to the flat look of log. “When I was setting up, I set up C-log and got to see it in-camera,” Nick says, “it was just amazing.” The fully articulating swivel touchscreen LCD made a big impact, as well. “When I’m shooting in the middle of a climb, the flip of the screen makes all the difference. You can’t move much, so being able to get the screen where you need it, so you can get the shot you want, is such a big asset.”
But for Nick, the standout feature was the added control ring on the native lenses and on the EF to RF lens adapter. “I set it to control ISO,” he explains, “and for the rest of the day, I didn’t need to look down to make adjustments.” The new control ring found on all of the RF lenses can be customized to control just about anything you want.
Nick’s time with the EOS R system was short, but he had a great day capturing his friends Highline adventure. The shoot resulted in, as he puts it, “amazing-looking footage.”
To learn more about the EOS R system, the new lenses and the EF to RF lens adapter visit usa.canon.com/eosrsystem.
