“For content creators who dare to dream the impossible, we have the perfect tool for them, the EOS R5 Mark II. With this camera, they now possess the ability to turn their imagination into reality. The EOS R5 Mark II, with its new upgrades and functions, is truly for the creative visionaries of tomorrow”, said David Yeo, Senior Marketing Manager of Consumer Business, Singapore Operations, Canon Singapore.

My visual storytelling/photography journeys with Canon EOS 5 Series and EOS R5

My visual storytelling/photography journeys with the Canon EOS 5 series began with the Canon EOS 5D Mark III in 2010, followed by EOS 5DS, EOS 5DS R, EOS 5D Mark IV and the EOS R5. The Canon EOS 5 series is not just esteemed, they are a trusted and well-received camera series used by both professionals and serious enthusiasts. 

In my personal opinion, the EOS R5 that was launched in 2020 along with the EOS R6, set the standards, pace and tone of Canon’s full-frame mirrorless EOS R family growth, with this tagline for EOS R5 and EOS R6 – “Born to Rule”. Both EOS R5 and EOS R6 were impressive in terms of specifications and performance. 

With the announcement of the EOS R5 Mark II, this new and powerful camera would pick up the baton and continue the legacy of Canon’s esteemed EOS 5 series and the Canon EOS R full-frame mirrorless family into the next generation of both stills photography and videography.

Canon EOS R5 Mark II

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II has groundbreaking features that makes it outperform its predecessor EOS R5. 

Power-packed New Core for Unprecedented Performance

The EOS R5 Mark II is powered by the new 45-megapixel back-illuminated (BSI) stacked CMOS sensor, leading the host of feature upgrades. 

The new Accelerated Capture System, consisting of the all-new DIGIC Accelerator and the DIGIC X image processor, can process high volumes of data at unprecedented speeds. Together, the two pave the way for powerful new features and enable resource-intensive processing that sets new standards for AF performance.

Dual Pixel Intelligent AF for Smarter Subject Detection and Tracking

Dual Pixel Intelligent AF system

Like the EOS R1, the EOS R5 Mark II is also equipped with the Dual Pixel Intelligent AF system, which leverages the Accelerated Capture system and deep learning. This system greatly improves subject tracking and detection during video and stills shooting. It is highly accurate and capable of tracking the subject even for scenes that were challenging for the EOS R3, like when subjects cross each other and block the main subject. 

Register People Priority Function

Videographers and photographers shooting events and concerts will benefit from the Register People Priority function, as it prioritises a preregistered person for subject detection and tracking even when they are in a crowd and have their face turned sideways. The new Action Priority AF mode will automatically switch the focus point to subjects that are shooting, passing, or heading, helping sports photographers capture decisive moments during dynamic, fast-paced sports such as soccer, basketball, and volleyball.

Intuitive and Highly Responsive AF Control

For the first time ever on a “5 series” camera, Eye Control AF allows user to shift the AF frame by simply looking at their new subject to focus on. Updated optics and an improved line-of-sight detection algorithm have doubled the detection frame rate as compared to the EOS R3, thus allowing faster, steadier eye movement detection.

Both photographers and videographers can also store and recall a specific focus position by utilising the focus preset function, which was only previously available on super telephoto lenses. They can register and recall up to six different AF-related settings, which allows for a quicker response to different situations. 

Cinema Industry Standards for Next Level Video Production

In addition to the creative flexibility offered by its internal 8K DCI 60p RAW video recording support, the camera also provides ample industry-standard recording modes and options. Several professional production-oriented Cinema EOS system features were also included for professional filmmaking and video production needs. 

The new 4K DCI 60p SRAW recording option uses the camera’s full horizontal angle of view and provides a less resource-intensive option for projects requiring RAW video’s post-production latitude. Users can simultaneously record smaller 2K, a newly included function or Full HD proxy video files to the camera’s SD card slot and 8K or 4K main files to the CFexpress Type B slot. 

This allows users to edit footage more efficiently. The EOS R5 Mark II possesses the ability to create spectacular 4K videos with oversampled 8K sensor output and 2K/FHD videos from oversampled 4K. In addition, the camera showcases beautiful slow-motion scenes in 4K quality (up to 5x slower) or in Full HD (up to 10x slower) with the 4K 120p or Full HD 240p. 

Elevate Your Visual Storytelling

Both the EOS R1 and EOS R5 Mark II are the first EOS system cameras to offer 10-bit Canon Log 2, which provides more vivid colour reproduction. Favoured by many filmmakers for its wider dynamic range (16+ stops) and better preservation of shadow detail, Canon Log 2 expands the possibilities of post-production to meet your boundless artistic visions. 

Besides the existing Picture Style colour profiles, the EOS R5 Mark II is also equipped with the Cinema EOS system’s Custom Pictures. The latter allows LUTs (lookup tables), including custom 3D LUTs for Cinema EOS to be applied in-camera even when recording in Canon Log 2/Log 3, or HDR formats so users can better visualise the output video while shooting.

Easy integration with Cinema EOS

The EOS R5 Mark II uses the new XF-AVC S/XF-HEVC S file system, which has similar specifications as the Cinema EOS file system. This system enables workflows that are incompatible with the conventional MP4 format and streamlines the multi-camera projects editing process where Cinema EOS cameras are utilised.

Cinema EOS tools that provide detailed exposure information, such as the waveform monitor, false colours, and zebra display, have also been incorporated. Users can fine-tune exposure more accurately on set and improve efficiency on multiple camera shoots where exposures must be matched.

Seize the moment

The pre-recording feature, inherited from Cinema EOS cameras, will benefit users tasked to capture defining moments. This feature captures a scene up to 5 seconds before recording starts, and can be controlled remotely via the Camera Connect mobile app. There is no need to record continuously, which means smaller file sizes, effectively reducing the time users spend reviewing their footage. 

Other significant video features:

• Reduced rolling shutter distortion: The new BSI stacked sensor’s faster readout reduces rolling shutter distortion by approximately 40% compared to the EOS R5. This provides seamless action footage and fast camera movement without wobbly artifacts.
• Apple ProRes RAW external recording up to 8K 30p: This feature is supported through an HDMI Type-A output terminal. Users can simultaneously record 2K DCI proxy files to the CFexpress card.
• Linear PCM 24-bit 4-channel input support: This provides high-quality audio and flexibility for multi-microphone setups that are suitable for interviews and simultaneous ambient noise recording.
• Heat dissipating structure: The camera adopts a structure that dissipates heat buildup, allowing reliable recording even at the highest resolutions.
• Optional cooling fan for longer high-resolution recording: A cooling fan, Cooling Fan CF-R20EP (sold separately) extends 8K recording times, allowing up to 120 or more minutes of 8K 30p video to be recorded. It also enables limitless 4K 60p video recording with no overheating restrictions.
• Support for the latest wireless/wired communication protocols (Wi-Fi 6/6E and 2.5G Base-T wired LAN): These allow high-speed transmission of large photo and video files to a PC or FTP/FTPS/SFTP server, which is suitable for news reporting and editorial work especially with time constraints.

In-Camera Image Enhancements

The EOS R5 Mark II improves workflow efficiency and image quality through in-camera noise reduction and image upscaling that uses deep learning technology. 

• Neural Network Noise Reduction reduces the noise in high-ISO RAW images while retaining detail and resolution.
• In-camera Upscaling function that quadruples the number of pixels in the image, increasing the resolution to up to 179 megapixels with minimal impact on image quality. 

Combine both to generate cleaner, high-quality extreme crops that retain stunning clarity and detail, further empowering users to unleash their creativity.

Other significant still image features:

• Blurred/Out-of-focus image detection: This function is applicable to JPEG and HEIF images shot with the electronic shutter. It detects and rates images with faces that are blurred or out of focus. Users will also find it easier to choose the best shots from the many captured via improved high-speed continuous shooting performance with the electronic shutter.
• Dual Shooting: Users can simultaneously record 16:9, approx. 33.2-megapixel JPEG still images while recording Full HD 30p videos. This improves work efficiency for users who require still photos and videos of the same event when time is limited.

Delightful and reliable to shoot with

Designed to perform reliably on demanding shoots, the EOS R5 Mark II is built like the EOS R5, with similar dust- and drip-resistant weather sealing to withstand challenging weather conditions. For added protection, users may consider pairing it with the new Shoe Cover ER-SC3. The Rain Cover ERC-R5S / ERC-R5L will also come in useful for users shooting with the EOS R5 Mark II under rainy conditions for a prolonged period. The blackout-free EVF is twice as bright as the EOS R5’s and is equipped with superior anti-fog performance, which provides a brighter, clearer view of the scene even in unpredictable weather conditions. The Eyecup ER-KE can be added to provide a better EVF experience by blocking out stray lights to improve visibility and achieve more precise Eye Control AF.

The EOS R5 Mark II features a 5-axis In-Body IS (Image Stabilizer), with a newly designed mechanism and improved algorithms that increase its effectiveness when compared to the EOS R3. When shooting with a compatible RF lens with Optical Image Stabilizer, users can expect up to 8.5 stops’ equivalent image stabilisation so handheld images where tripods are not available will look even better up close.

To meet increased power requirements, the EOS R5 Mark II is powered by a new battery, Battery Pack LP-E6P, which has a higher current discharge but keeps the same form as other LP-E6 series batteries and can be charged with the LC-E6 charger. The USB Power Adapter PD-E2 (sold separately), can also charge the battery inside the camera and supplies more power than the USB Power Adapter PD-E1.

The USB Power Adapter PD-E2 can be combined with the DC Coupler DR-E6P, a new DC coupler for LP-E6 series-type batteries, to supply power directly to the camera during long shoots such as events or time-lapse recording. For enhanced operability such as vertical shooting support, users can combine the EOS R5 Mark II with:

• Battery Grip BG-R20: A battery grip with weight balance, buttons, and multi-controller position optimised for vertical shooting. It is compatible with the EOS R5/ R6 Mark II/ R6.
• Battery Grip BG-R20EP: A battery grip with the same features as BG-R20, with an additional 2.5G Base-T Ethernet port to support high-speed wired communication. This meets the needs of professional users who require wired network compatibility and better support for vertical shooting.

Pricing and Availability

The Canon EOS R5 Mark II will be available at Canon authorised dealers in end August 2024 at the following retail price.

Technical Specifications – Canon EOS R5 Mark II

* Information and pictures courtesy of Canon Singapore and Litmus PR *

The post Canon announced EOS R5 Mark II appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

Canon develops the key imaging system components featured inside its EOS series of digital interchangeable-lens cameras, from the CMOS sensors, image processors and interchangeable lenses- under the core concept of, “Speed, Comfort and High Image Quality”. Canon has put together a wide range of product lineup, from high-performance flagship models that are highly trusted by professionals, to entry level models that allow users to enjoy high image quality shooting with easy operation. Besides that, users have access to a wide and rich selection of RF and EF series lenses that make possible a wealth of creative expression. Canon continues to support the diverse needs of customers.

In September 2003, Canon introduced the EOS Kiss Digital (EOS Digital Rebel or EOS 300D in other regions). This was the dawn of digital SLR cameras, a groundbreaking camera that brought about a breakthrough in the digital SLR market, a competitively priced digital SLR that featured a compact, lightweight design, capturing the top share of the global market and setting the stage for growth in the digital SLR market.

From then on, Canon has continued to grow and develop, launching a range of groundbreaking products, including the professional EOS-1D series and the EOS 5D series, which paved the way for digital SLR video recording. In October 2018, the Canon EOS R System was born from Canon’s desire to construct the ideal lens mount and maximise the appeal of its new RF lenses. Canon has since continued to expand the range of imaging creativity and new possibilities for visual expression, including the release of Canon EOS R5 – the first camera to feature 8K video recording (2) in July 2020.

In 2021, Canon announced the Canon EOS R3 full-frame mirrorless camera (released in November 2021). This camera features the high performance and reliability demanded by professional and enthusiast users, along with eight new RF lenses (3). Through new launches such as the Canon EOS VR System, Canon further expanded its lineup and they managed to secure the No.1 share of the global market for the 19th consecutive year.

Canon will continue to refine its diverse imaging technologies based on its core optical technology while further strengthening and expanding the EOS series of cameras and RF/EF series of lenses, opening up new avenues of image capture to meet the needs of increasingly diverse users and to promote the spread of photo and video culture.

Notes

(1) Based on a Canon survey.

(2) Among digital interchangeable-lens cameras released prior to July 8, 2020.

(3)  In 2021, Canon released the following eight digital interchangeable lenses: RF70-200mm F4 L IS USM (March), RF100mm F2.8 L MACRO IS USM (July), RF400mm F2.8 L IS USM (July), RF600mm F4 L IS USM (July), RF14-35mm F4 L IS USM (September), RF100-400mm F5.6-8 IS USM (October), RF16mm F2.8 STM (October), RF5.2mm F2.8 L DUAL FISHEYE (December). All release months based on Japanese release dates.

* Information and picture courtesy of Canon Singapore and GLOO *

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Hot Air Balloon Ride at Tokachi

Another first time for me, taking a hot air balloon ride! Once the hot air balloon ride was ready for boarding, we split into two groups to go up the hot air balloon ride. While one group was in the air, we took photographs of them from the ground up and vice versa, we helped each other to take photographs when we either up in the air or on the ground! When we were up in the air on the hot air balloon, the weather wasn’t that clear due to the misty autumn/winter weather conditions. Up in the air, while we had a bird’s eye view of the Tokachi area, the cold autumn/winter wind was upon our face and it was quite difficult to face the direction where the cold chilly winds was blowing from!

If you are keen to go on the hot air balloon ride or other outdoor activities in the Tokachi region, here are the contact details of the company running the outdoor activities

Tokachi Nature Center

Minami 12-1-12, Tokachigawa onsen

Otofuke, Hokkaido 〒080-0263 Japan

Tel: 0155-32-6116

Fax: 0155-32-6117

Email: infotnc@nature-tokachi.co.jp

After our hot air balloon ride, we returned back to our hotel Kangetsuen for breakfast and checked out from the hotel. Our travel schedule on the fourth day was to go up the mountain range in Central Hokkaido. It was a bit of a long traveling journey on the road, however, we were blessed with many awesome and gorgeous clear deep blue skies and landscapes!

The Sounkyo area is a real gem in Hokkaido’s tourism and I love this place! If there are hidden gems in landscape photography around the world, they have to visit Sounkyo!

Mikuni Touge Pass (三国峠）

While traveling uphill from one area to another area, we were entering from autumn season into winter season! Such is the natural and wonderful beauty of Hokkaido four seasons! I was amazed and went into landscape photography heaven, so beautiful and words can’t do enough justice to the natural landscape beauty of Hokkaido.

I really hope that my landscape photographs that I am sharing will tell the whole world about the hidden natural landscape beauty and gems of Hokkaido!

Stopping by Mikuni Touge Pass, there was a rest point and lookout point. We had a pit stop and we were blown away, our eyes and camera glued to the clear deep blue skyline and the mountain range. It’s so beautiful!

We continued our road trip, surrounded by snow and the mountain range, arriving at our hotel, Sounkyo Kankou Hotel (Sounkyo Onsen). Firstly, we dropped off our luggage and had lunch at Sounkyo Kankou Hotel. During our lunch, Mr. Nakajima-san of Sounkyo Tourist Association was there to visit us and host us for the afternoon! We were also very honoured and happy that a Master Landscape Photographer, Mr. Koetsu Ichinetsu Sensei will be hosting us and showing us around various locations in the Sounkyo area! Mr. Ichinetsu Sensei showed us his collection of landscape photography works and they were so amazing, so beautiful, a highly experienced Master Landscape Photographer, the Best of the Best Landscape Photographers.

Mt. Kuro-dake （黒岳）

The expectations were building up towards our next destination, Mt Kuro-dake, towering 1,984m in height, in the Sounkyo region. We were so amazed and blown away by the beauty of our surroundings and landscapes. After our wonderful lunch at Sounkyo Kankou Hotel, we eagerly traveled to the base of Mt. Kuro-dake, for our ropeway ride up to the middle of Mt. Kuro-dake, part of Daisetsuzan National Park. While waiting for turn to board, Mr. Ichinetsu Sensei brought us to a rest area at the base station and we were treated to some of his awesome and breathe-taking Hokkaido landscapes photographs printed and on display! Mr. Ichinetsu Sensei is truly a Master of Master Landscape Photographers!

Soon, it was time to board for the ropeway journey up the mountain! The photographers soon glued themselves to the glass panel, eagerly waiting to see what the landscapes would be like and getting our cameras ready for action! As the journey up Mt. Kuro-dake began, I was blown away again by the charm, aura and beauty of the landscapes of Mt. Kuro-dake and her surroundings. It is so grand, beautiful and magnificent and I am running out of words to describe them!

I started to visualize how it would be like during Autumn season while taking the ropeway up to Mt. Kuro-dake and I make a promise that I MUST return to Hokkaido during the Autumn season to photograph the bright colours and beauty of Sounkyo.

Upon reaching the mid way point station of Mt. Kuro-dake, we disembarked from the cabin and walked up to the rooftop of the station. We had a bird’s eye view from Mt. Kuro-dake of the landscapes and mountain range of Sounkyo. Our cameras went into crazy action mode, capturing as many different frames, angles and perspectives. It’s a dream come true for landscape/travel photographers to record and share the beauty and charm of Sounkyo.

After taking many photographs at the rooftop, we went down and started trekking a short distance to watch people skiing and snowboarding at Mt. Kuro-dake. We had fun too, taking photographs and playing with snow! Due to time and schedule constraints, we could not explore uphill further.

Waterfall of Meteor （流星の滝）/ Waterfall of Ginga　（銀河の滝）

We began our descent down Mt. Kuro-dake, enjoying our last few minutes’ view of the landscapes and surroundings. Next, we were heading to two famous waterfalls in the Kamikawa region, they are the Waterfall of Meteor （流星の滝）/ Waterfall of Ginga　（銀河の滝）. The Waterfall of Meteor is the female waterfall at 120m in height while the Waterfall of Ginga is the male waterfall at 80m in height. Both the waterfalls were close to fully frozen and it was a very interesting landscape sight. I am sure both waterfalls will be really beautiful during summer season!

Mr. Ichinetsu Sensei was very kind and helpful, sharing his vast local knowledge experience, photography experience and expertise with us, the band of photographers. He was showing us where to stand and how to compose/capture various views and perspectives of the two waterfalls! It was a very humbling experience (especially for me) when Mr. Ichinetsu used our cameras to shoot in order for us to learn and have a better perspective on how to compose landscape photography in Hokkaido!

Mr. Ichinetsu Sensei style of mentoring/sharing his hands-on photography experience strikes a deep chord with me on how I should and can adopt to mentor/share my photography experiences with my photographer friends and my student/disciple under my care!

Daisetsu-Asahigaoka　（大雪高原旭が丘）

After our photography adventure at the two waterfalls, we returned to our limousine mini bus and traveled towards our last official photography destination of the Hokkaido Photographers Invitation Program. This magnificent destination, the Daisetsu-Asahigaoka, is where I got some of my most memorable (and probably my best) landscape photographs of the whole travel adventure. The vast land, covered with snow on the fields, the white clouds moving in the background and the sunset rays shining through the horizon. It was like in heaven and indeed it was due to the altitude of the area.

I am now in a winter dreamland, a paradise on Earth. I always have a soft spot for traveling to Japan and Hokkaido really took my heart, mind and soul and planted it there. I really wanted to continue photographing many of the beautiful and magnificent landscapes in the Kamikawa and Sounkyo regions.

While we were immersing ourselves into the Daisetsu-Asahigaoka gorgeous and magnificent landscape, Mr. Ichinetsu Sensei was just as enthusiastic and energetic as us! Mr. Ichinetsu Sensei was leading us to various spots around there and sharing with us tips, angles, perspectives, composing and framing the landscape photography shots! The Landscape Photography Master was walking pretty fast on the snow covered ground, leading us to various spots and we had a fun time chasing after him, rather awkwardly because we were not used to running on snow covered grounds! We ran and we left our footprints, our hearts, mind and soul at the Daisetsu-Asahigaoka（大雪高原旭が丘).

As the Hokkaido sun sets over the Daisetsu-Asahigaoka horizon, we packed our gears and waved goodbye. This was the last official photography destination on the Hokkaido Photographers Invitation Program and we left with heavy hearts for she stole our photography hearts! It was an omen that Daisetsu-Asahigaoka was sending out to us, the band of photographers that we had to return one day, we must return one day!

Ice Pavilion（アイスパビリオン）

On our way back to our hotel, we had a stop at the Ice Pavilion and had some fun inside there! We were treated to a temperature of -41 degrees Celsius, the lowest temperature ever recorded in Hokkaido! We also had a chance to play on the ice/snow playground that they created! There was so much fun sliding down the ice slope/slide!

Do check out their website for more information and details!

Sounkyo Kankou Hotel (Sounkyo Onsen)

Returning back to our hotel, we rested and changed to the yukata, getting ready for our dinner. The hotel owner, Mr. Morita Shigenori, General Manager, Mdm. Chida Tamami and Chief of Reserved Seat Mr. Yasuhito Toda, hosted us to a grand and sumptuous Japanese Kaiseki Dinner. We were touched by the warm Japanese hospitality and we learned so much more about Japanese traditions and cuisines!

One of Hokkaido’s most iconic dishes is their snow crab. This was my maiden experience eating a Hokkaido snow crab in my lifetime till date and I confessed that I don’t know how to cut open and eat it properly. I was struggling and a bit lost, Dennis helped me out by telling me how to cut it and dip in the sauce. I must be a slow learner in eating crabs and Mdm. Chida Tamami saw that I was lost in the world of Hokkaido crabs. Mdm. Chida Tamami decided to take good care of me and showed me how to cut open the snow crab and how to eat it properly, with translation help from Moe-san, sat beside me. Mdm. Chida Tamami was such a great host with heartwarming Japanese hospitality!

It was a lively and fun dinner, accompanied by the sumptuous Japanese cuisines. Mr. Ichinetsu Sensei was sharing with us his photography equipment and experiences; we were amazed by his vintage Linhoff film camera. Being a photography buff and film SLR user many years ago, I could not resist asking Mr. Ichinetsu for permission to touch and feel his Linhoff film camera! It was a priceless nostalgic photography experience! Mr. Ichinetsu Sensei was also sharing with us about his thoughts when he was the group during the afternoon; we were very humbled and honoured by his warmth, hospitality, and enthusiasm. That was something about Mr. Ichinetsu Sensei that got me even more in awe of this Master Landscape Photographer; he is 75 years old and still going strong!

During the dinner, Mr. Morita Shigenori shared with us that Sounkyo Kankou Hotel is expanding their outdoor onsen and it is scheduled to open in Fall 2015, around end of August 2015! I am excited and hope to be able to enjoy at their outdoor onsen when it opens in Fall 2015!

It kind of fits nicely to my plan (hopefully it can come true!) to visit Hokkaido during autumn in mid October 2015 and Sounkyo/Kamikawa (and visit the new outdoor Sounkyo Onsen) are inside my travel schedule agenda!

All good things must come to an end; Mr. Ichinetsu Sensei had to leave early from the dinner because he had to prepare for another visit the following morning. Mr. Ichinetsu Sensei shook hands and hug with each of us before making his leave. A true master photographer that commands so much respect among the community and his humility, priceless and a great example to learn and follow. I had a light-hearted moment with Mr. Ichinetsu Sensei when he touched my belly in a friendly way (yes, I had too much good food in Hokkaido). I promised myself to slim down my tummy before I return to Hokkaido in the near future!

Our Last Photo Shoot Outing

After our dinner ended, we the band of photographers decided to head out and check out Sounkyo night sky and go for night photography/star trail photography. We walked to the ropeway base station of Mt. Kuro-dake and spent some time there photographing the night landscapes and star trails. While our works couldn’t match up to the ones we managed to capture at Lake Akan on our second night in Hokkaido, all of us had a fun time to bond and take photographs together for one final night together in Hokkaido.

Upon returning back to Sounkyo Kankou Hotel, we sat together and rested with hot beverages from the drinks vending machine in the hotel lobby. The hot beverages warmed us up from the cold chilly Hokkaido winter night. We, this particular band of photographers, were able to bond very well, having pretty good chemistry and teamwork during the whole Hokkaido Photographers Invitation Program. I am very happy to be traveling and photographing with them for this whole program.

After a while, we went back to our rooms and headed to the onsen, to enjoy and relax from an exciting Day 4 of the Hokkaido Photographer Invitation Program. As I sat and relax inside the onsen, reflecting back on my Hokkaido trip, it was very amazing and it wasn’t a dream, I am in Hokkaido and I managed to photograph and share some of Hokkaido’s finest beauty in the Central and Eastern regions. Personally, I felt that I got my best landscape shot of my Hokkaido Photographer Invitation Program on Day 4 here in Kamikawa/Sounkyo region.

An amazing day and a great finale to mark the end of Day 4 in Hokkaido! Now I will let my photographs do the talking instead.

The post Central/Eastern Hokkaido Day 4 – Kamikawa, Sounkyo appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

Yes, it was getting colder with the snowing and strong winds!! We all got pretty excited with the snow falling down on us; it’s lovely and magical!! While it was not my first time experiencing snow, I loved playing with the snow!! We started our Day 2 journey by making a quick pit stop at Utoro harbour. It was snowing and with sea winds blowing, it was cold!

Mr. Tsuyoshi Kato was our Professional Japanese Photographer guide (he’s also our photo guide, translator and driver for our entire adventure) for our Day 2 schedule and he was very awesome, he knew when and where to stop for photographers to take photographs because he is a photographer himself!

Road to Heaven（天に続く道）

In this area, Shari, Hokkaido, there is a road named “Road to Heaven”. Why is this road so special? Road to Heaven is distinctively Hokkaido, it is the Route 334/244, Shari-cho, Shari Hokkaido, Japan / 17km straight route. The Road to Heaven is straight, with leading lines that ends at the sea. My photographer friend David, who visited Hokkaido before, shared with me about the Road to Heaven, how uniquely it is to Hokkaido and the best time to photograph Road to Heaven is during Autumn (the time that I visited) when the leaves had fallen down and the whole Road to Heaven is very distinct! While we were up there enjoying the top of Road to Heaven, we, the band of photographers had a fun time doing and taking jump shots!

As we continued driving along the road to our next stop, Lake Kussharo, we were mesmerized by the snow conditions. Along the road, Mr. Kato-san found a nice spot and stopped his mini-bus, we came down, took photographs of the snow filled landscape on the fields and trees. Mr. Kato-san also built a snowman and we took turns to hold the cute snowman for a photo! I had a fun time playing with the snow!

Lake Kussharo (屈斜路湖）

Driving on from Shari to Teshikaga, our next stop was at Lake Kussharo. The road trip was special and unique, on one side of the Hokkaido roads, it was filled with snowfall, while on the other side of the road, and it was autumn colours. The unique natural beauty of Hokkaido, two seasons, autumn and winter side by side.

Lake Kussharo is the caldera lake in Akan National Park, upon reaching Lake Kussharo; we can feel the cold autumn/winter weather with strong winds blowing ast us. I wasn’t wearing gloves when taking photographs and it can really be tough on my hands! I recommend photographers to get gloves when visiting countries during winter season! The beautiful and cute swans at Lake Kussharo were pretty friendly and not afraid of human beings! We were pretty close to them and took some close up shots of the swans!

Mt. Iou（硫黄山）

Continuing on with our travel schedule, we departed from Lake Kussharo and drove towards our next stop Mt Iou. It is an active volcano, one of the mountains in Akan National Park. With the smell of sulphur in the air and on the rocks, we spent some time there taking photos at the sulphur rocks with steam coming out from the ground and rocks.

Teshikaga-Ramen（弟子屈ラーメン）

I was told this was the best Ramen in Hokkaido (if not one of the best) and I was very eagerly looking forward to eating Ramen in Hokkaido. Nothing beats eating Ramen in Japan! Here are the details for Teshikaga-Ramen –

1-1-18 Mashu, Teshikaga-cho, Hokkaido, JAPAN

Tel: (+81)(0)15-482-5511

Opening Hours: 11:00-20:00 (Everyday)

I love Ramen and Teshikaga-Ramen was delicious and tasty! You have to try it if you have the chance!

Lake Mashu （摩周湖）

After our tasty and delicious Ramen lunch at Teshikaga-Ramen, we continued with our schedule, traveling up to Lake Mashu. This is similar to Lake Kussharo, Lake Mashu is the caldera lake in Akan National Park and Lake Mashu has the reputation of the cleanest lake in the world. It was snowing at the top of Lake Mashu, snow was covering the tracks, lookout point and visitor centre. It was rather misty due to the weather; nevertheless, we were able to view the beautiful Lake Mashu from the top.

Tsurui Village (Aza Nakasetsuri Minami, Tsurui-mura, Akan-gun, Hokkaido, JAPAN)

Arriving at Tsurui Village, we visited and stopped by a private park, where the owners reserved it for Japan’s national icon, the red-crown crane, known as the tancho zuru. The birds were given space to rest and feed at the park, away from the human beings. We were able to watch and observe the red-crown cranes from behind a wooden fence.

I took out my EF 400mm f5.6 prime lens (Thanks to David for lending me for this trip!) and attached it to the Canon EOS 7D Mark II for bird photography action. It was a pretty good combination; lightweight and portable, ideal for bringing it for travel overseas.

With my interest in avian photography, my experiences came in handy and I took a number of shots of the red-crown cranes in action. I was hoping for the cranes in flight, however, luck wasn’t on my side! However, I did manage to get a red-crown crane landing though!

We then drove to an open field near the river and was waiting patiently for the red-crown cranes to fly over here during the evening where they will be resting after feeding at other locations. We were not able to spot any of the red-crown cranes in flight and due to sunset and lighting conditions, we had to leave and drive to our next destination, Akankosou, our hotel for the second night.

Akankosou （阿寒湖荘）

Our hotel for the second night of our travel itinerary, my maiden experience experiencing a traditional Japanese accommodation!

This was also my maiden experience with Kaiseki, a traditional Japanese dinner! If you have the opportunity to experience Kaiseki in Japan, go for it!

Here are the details for Akankosou

〒085-0467 1-5-10 Akanko-Onsen, Akan-cho, Kushiro Hokkaido, JAPAN

Tel: (+81)(0)154-67-2231

The Japanese food dishes that we had during the Kaiseki, it was really awesome, beyond any more words to describe them. Our food photographs and priceless expressions after tasting the food would be the best testimonial to the amazing quality and standards of Japanese cuisine. We were in Food Heaven!

Mt Hakuto（白湯山）

Before heading into onsen, we, this band of photographers decided to go out for a night Star Trail/Milky Way shoot (after official itinerary photography outing). Akankosou was kind enough to provide us with a guide and car to bring us out! With their local knowledge experience, the guide brought us to this location known as Mt. Hakuto; 5mins drive from Akankosou, at a height of 950m.

When we stepped out of the car and looked up into the Lake Akan night sky, we were immediately blown away by the amount of beautiful shining stars right above us. The stars brightened the dark Lake Akan skyline up and it was such a memorable experience for all of us! At times, we just wanted to lie down and do star gazing instead of photographing the Star Trails/Milky Way. We played with light painting and long night exposure photography too!

Returning back to our hotel, Akankosou, we went to enjoy the onsen and relax for the night. Day 2 of our travel program had been very fun and it was one of the most memorable travel days out of the 4 days.

The post Central/Eastern Hokkaido Day 2 – Shari, Teshikaga, Tsurui, Akan appeared first on TGH Photography and Travel Portal/Blog.

Moe Anan – our beautiful and kawaii tour coordinator, translator

Dennis Seow of Superadrianme.com

Jensen Chua of Jensen Chua Photography

Yip Weng Seng of YipWengSeng Photography

Manami Iwatani, the pretty and bubbly Ran-san of Ninja Girls

Departing on Japan Airlines JL36 to Haneda Airport, Tokyo at 2200hrs Singapore time, we arrived at Haneda Airport at around 0530hrs Japan time. It was a pretty smooth flight to Tokyo and we cleared immigration and customs, proceed to domestic flights section for a bus ride to the domestic terminal at Haneda Airport for Japan Airlines JL1183 to Memambetsu Airport in Hokkaido at 0700hrs Japan time. The domestic flight from Tokyo to Hokkaido was smooth, arriving at around 0830hrs Japan time. During our descent to Memambetsu Airport, we had our first glimpse of the beautiful Hokkaido from the air! Walking out of the plane onto the aerobridge, we can feel the chilly cold autumn transiting into winter weather. The warmth inside Memambetsu Airport was most welcome for us!

At the arrival hall, our local Japanese hosts met us for our Central/Eastern Hokkaido Familiarisation Trip –

Mr. Higasa Kazuma – General Manager, International Travel Division of Nippon Travel Agency Hokkaido Co Ltd.

Mr. Tsuyoshi Kato – Hokkaido Photo Guide, Travel Planner, Photographer, Translator and Driver.

We went to the washroom and change to warm winter attire first before we formally exchanged greetings, formalities and name cards with Mr Higasa Kazuma and Mr Tsuyoshi Kato. After the introduction and briefing, we loaded our luggage into the mini bus for our start to Central/Eastern Hokkaido photography exploration! Our first destination was the Utoro area in the Northeastern part of Hokkaido, the journey from Memambetsu Aiport was around two hours and this was our first taste of long travel between destinations that we were visiting in Hokkaido. During our drive to Utoro, we were introduced to Mt. Shari-dake, with the peak at 1,545m!

Lunch was a quick pit stop at a local 7-11 convenience store in a small town along the route to Utoro. We had to rush over to Utoro since we had a professional Japanese Photographer, Mr Junichi Yamamoto, waiting for us at Utoro to bring us around Shiretoko National Park!

Furepe Waterfall (フレペの滝）/ Mt Rausu-dake (羅臼岳）

Our first stop was Furepe Waterfall; it was a short trek inside to the edge of the cliff/plateau, through the forest. During this short trek, we were able to view the beautiful and grand Mt Rausu-dake, standing at a height of 1,661m, with the peaks and ridgelines covered with snow! The landscape was amazing and very beautiful, snow white peaks, blue sky, amazing cloud formations and the foreground of trees, and grassland in autumn weather conditions.

When we reached to the edge of the cliff, there was a lookout point/hut that visitors can go up to catch a better view of the Furepe Waterfall. Initially, I couldn’t see any river flowing down the cliff forming the waterfall. Where is Furepe Waterfall, I ask myself? Soon, it dawned upon me with words from photographer friend of Yamamoto Sensei, who explained to us that the waterfall was from the underneath the rocks formation! Zooming in close with my telephoto lens (Canon EF 70-200mm f4 L USM), I saw for myself Furepe Waterfall!

Mr Yamamoto Sensei brought us to the next destination, not too far away from Furepe Waterfall. While trekking through the forested area, we managed to spot wildlife, the deer! Being in the wild, the animals were very sensitive to human beings and once they sensed us moving close towards them, they would start to move away to somewhere else. It was a very fun experience to be that close to the deer grazing and my Canon EOS 7D Mark II with 70-200mm f/4 L USM is perfect for photographing wildlife while on the move!

Yunohana Waterfall （湯の華の滝）

We continued with our photography and travel exploration to Yunohana Waterfall, not too far down the road from Furepe Waterfall. Trekking to Yunohana Waterfall was very interesting whereby we spotted more wildlife in the forested area. Yunohana Waterfall is very similar to Furepe Waterfall, the waterfall is from the underneath the rocks formation! Mr Yamamoto Sensei was really very nice and showed us good photography spots to take photographs of the Yunohana Waterfall, besides that, Mr Yamamoto Sensei was sharing with us his local knowledge of the wildlife and vegetation, it was very useful learning and very interesting!

Oshinkoshin Waterfall (オシンコシンの滝）

This is a very beautiful waterfall, along the costal road of Utoro. When we reached there, it was getting close to sunset and the sunrays that shined brightly on the slopes of the waterfall, giving it a golden brown landscape and waterfall. At Oshinkoshin Waterfall, we started to experience the cold winter weather coming in and we can feel the coldness! From the steps leading up to Oshinkoshin Waterfall, we were able to have a nice view of the sea and the upcoming Hokkaido sunset. Oshinkoshin Waterfall is really beautiful and we spent a bit more time there!

Hokkaido Sunset (Route 334 between ‘Oronko Rock’ and ‘Base of the Setting Sun’)

I am a photographer that loves taking photographs of sunsets especially when visiting different countries. When I saw the incoming Hokkaido Sunset at Oshinkoshin Waterfall, we knew we were going to get a beautiful Hokkaido Sunset and we were all looking forward to it! There was a bit of rush to this location along Route 334 between ‘Oronko Rock’ and ‘Base of the Setting Sun’. Once we disembarked, the band of photographers started firing away with their cameras. I was very happy to capture a beautiful Hokkaido Sunset and the Hokkaido Sunset memories still stays inside me today!

Landscape photography tips: I shot the Hokkaido Sunset at Utoro using 2 Canon DSLR bodies setup, namely Canon EOS 5D Mark III with EF 16-35mm f4 L IS USM and Canon EOS 7D Mark II with EF 70-200mm f4 L USM. The Canon EOS 5D Mark III combination caters for a really wide angle landscape view while the Canon EOS 7D Mark II caters for a tighter crop landscape photograph especially when the landscape scene is very big!

We said Sayonara to Mr Yamamoto Sensei for spending precious time with us that evening, each of us got nice Hokkaido photography postcards from Mr Yamamoto Sensei for memories! We took a group photograph with Mr Yamamoto Sensei before going to our hotel Shiretoko Daiichi Hotel.

Before we could setup our group photo shot, a Hokkaido wildlife animal came pretty close to us, watching and observing the whole group of us in action, the fox was curious at us human beings and observed us for a while with cute mesmerizing eyes. With the fox that near to us and we all photographers could not resist concentrating our cameras on the fox!

I wonder what did the Hokkaido Fox say?

Shiretoko Daiichi Hotel （知床第一ホテル）

The Shiretoko Daiichi Hotel is a beautiful hotel, nice and comfortable! Love the view from my hotel room! The Shiretoko Daiichi Hotel was also where I experienced Onsen for the first time in my life and wearing a Yukata to dinner and Onsen! The buffet dinner was delicious and there was a widespread of local and international cuisines! I am grateful to Mr Kato-san for sharing with me how to wear a Yukata properly for the very first time!

My first ever Onsen, at Shiretoko Daiichi Hotel, was simply magical, the experience was unforgettable, therapeutic and relaxing! With the conclusion of my first ever Onsen experience, it also marked the end of Day 1 of our Hokkaido Photographer Invitation Program.

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