Canon M5 Staff Photo Competition

Canon M5 Staff Photo Competition

At the start of the year Canon challenged staff members at Castle Cameras to take their interpretation of the best photo with the Canon M5. The winner wins the camera! We only had one camera between us, but all had a fair go with it and the results really put the M5 through its paces!

Low light, long exposures, sunny days, rainy days, and close up. The M5 does it all! And that’s just with the 15-45mm kit lens! Dan (our Canon rep) finally narrowed it down to 3 finalists. Here are the stories behind their ideas and the technical skills they achieved to create their final shot.

Debra - Winner

Was this a planned shot or spontaneous?

I had a specific shot in mind when I borrowed the M5. However, nothing went to plan! The day was incredibly windy and wet and I didn’t get the photos I wanted. On the way home I got stuck in traffic! So while I was waiting I started playing around with the camera (I wasn’t the one driving!) I noticed that the rain on the window was creating some nice effects. So I waited until the car brake lights turned on and a man walked past to take the shot. It took 4 – 5 shots to achieve this one. The camera was set to automatic.

Why did you pick this particular shot?

Because everything came together in this one shot. The man walking past and the lights all worked very nicely together.

Were you happy with the results?

YES! It won me the camera.

Benefits of M5 - Debra

Size
Being able to use canon lenses with the adaptor (though this shot was taken using the kit lens)
Metered beautifully on auto.

Hugh - Finalist

What was the idea behind the photo?

I like to control the light and isolate my subjects to create interesting and unique photographs. The skull was lying around my house and I thought it would make a striking shot. With a complex shape it creates interesting highlights when using flash at close quarters.

How did you achieve the photo?

I took the photo in my bathroom. The skull was sitting on a makeshift stand. The camera was on a tripod. I held the shower head in one hand (to create the water droplet effect) and the flash in the other. I pre-focused the camera manually, then turned the lights off ready for the shot. The external flash was on low power about 20cm away from the skull. The M5 was on a 6 second exposure at f16. I activated the camera and held the flash in different places to achieve the best effect.

Why did you pick this particular shot?

I took a variety of different shots, experimenting with multiple exposures and other props. I felt that this photo was well exposed and not super weird. This shot was crisp and sharp with striking but subtle water droplets. I was pleasantly surprised that the 15-45 managed this level of sharpness considering it’s just a kit lens!

Are you happy with what the M5 achieved with your idea?

With the situation I was in (makeshift stand, not enough hands for the job) I was happy with the result I got.

Benefits of M5 - Hugh

Lightweight
Nice to have a kit lens that’s wider than the standard.
Long exposure noise reduction works well

Russell - Finalist

What was the idea behind your photo?

I am fascinated by space and like experimenting with astro photography. I thought this would be a good opportunity to do some more and test the M5’s capabilities.

How did you achieve the photo?

I traveled to Hengistbury Head and set the camera up on a tripod. The camera was set at 25 seconds, f4, ISO speed at 1600. I traveled to many different locations to achieve the best results.

What made you choose that photo?

I couldn’t decide between a couple of photos, so had help from my colleagues who chose the photo based on the interesting composition and the best starry sky.

Are you happy with what the M5 achieved with your idea?

I was happy with how the image turned out considering what the M5 can do compared to a full frame camera. What I wasn’t happy with was the incredibly cloudy skies we had the duration of my time with the canon!

Benefits of M5 - Russell