Winter in the Arctic with the Canon EOS R6
Recently I travelled to Tromsø, Norway, taking my Canon EOS R6; the RF 24-105 f4 L lens, the RF 100-400mm f5.6-8 USM lens and a small Sirui A-1005 tripod. This kit combination was best suited for what I needed and to enjoy carrying around with me.
I upgraded my camera kit last year to an Canon EOS R6 (a mirrorless camera) from a Canon EOS 5D mk III (a traditional DSLR). I found the DSLR very heavy and would always find that boosting the ISO at a low level, the photographs would get quite grainy, and the camera did not work terribly well in lower light conditions. When taking the R6 out with me, I have found that there are vast improvements in quality in lower light conditions; there is no fear of using the camera and boosting the ISO to higher levels. The weight difference between the two setups is incredible, when carrying my new equipment around it is half the weight, which makes such a pleasant change.
As I went to Norway during the polar night season, there was only really 2 hours of daylight. Before travelling I was a little bit nervous of how this may affect the photographs. However, I need not have worried. It was easy shooting with my Canon EOS R6, most of the time I had the ISO set between 800-6000 or slightly more depending on what time of day it was. As I said, the light appeared for 2 hours and then it was pitch black at 2pm. I could have easily had a tripod set up but moving around a lot this was not the case. The weather was incredibly challenging with snow, rain, and wind-the lot! I was pleased I had planned ahead and bought an emergency rain cover; this was a game changer.
Unfortunately, due to the weather I did not get to make it to see the polar lights, aka the Aurora Borealis. However, I had the chance to explore the Sami culture in Norway and visit the reindeer. I had set up the auto focus setting to track and focus on animals. When photographing the reindeer I found this extremely helpful to ensure that their eyes were pin sharp even when there was movement.
When I first arrived, I played around with the white balance, as the snow was very reflective especially when there were white reindeer in the mix. I found that by having the white balance setting set to shade, this rendered the colours more accurately. Trying out different angles whilst photographing, getting down to the same level as the reindeer, ensuring that the background showed a straight horizon and the arctic landscape in the background.
The Canon RF 24-105mm is great piece of kit if a varied focal length is needed. Perfect for everyday use, starting from a wide angle to a focal length that will reach most subjects in the near distance. The only disadvantage I found is that when I wanted to photograph and focus on the wider landscape the width was not quite wide enough for me. A fixed 16mm would have been a fantastic addition and something that is on the wish list to add to my kit.
Here are a few photographs that I took on my travels- enjoy!
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Posted by Cleola
6th February 2025
