Can the Canon EOS R3 keep up with the tiny and lightning-fast Kentish plover?

On the sandy Adriatic shores of the Abruzzo region in Italy, a 40g bird small enough to fit in the palm of your hand darts at lightning pace between beachgoers. The Kentish plover is a familiar sight for locals, but what many might not know is just how quickly its numbers are declining. Unchecked urban development, together with a relentless exploitation of sand beaches for tourism, have significantly impacted the shorebird's natural habitat, threatening its nesting sites. Renowned wildlife photographer and passionate ornithologist Bruno D'Amicis aims to change that, equipped with the Canon EOS R3 and a Canon RF 600mm F4L IS USM lens.

The Canon Ambassador is well known for documenting endangered species in his native Italy with his Canon EOS-1D X Mark III – from wildcats and Orsini's vipers to griffon vultures. He believes photography can play a crucial role in raising awareness, serving as a common language that can draw attention to the plight of the natural world, as well as those making efforts to preserve it.

Thankfully, this time Bruno was armed with the latest generation features of the Canon EOS R3, including 30fps continuous shooting, advanced AF modes, an improved EVF experience and in-body image stabilisation (IBIS).

Bruno obtained permission to photograph the protected species through the WWF, who assisted him on preliminary site visits to determine the most suitable nesting site for the shoot. These visits also gave Bruno an idea of the birds' behaviour and an opportunity to observe and document the wider conservation work.

On the day of the shoot, Bruno, kitted out in camouflage, crawled like a marine to a safe distance from the nests and settled belly-down, the weather-sealed camera and lens at sand level to convey the perspective of the nimble shorebirds. Once the light was right, the backlit shot he dreamt of would be possible.

With such skittish and erratic subjects, Bruno needed to be patient and unobtrusive to get close enough to the birds without disturbing them. "Kentish plover chicks are extremely small and very fast, and their parents often keep them safely away from humans. In order to keep my distance and take pictures without interfering with them, I used a Canon Extender RF 2x mounted behind the Canon RF 600mm F4L IS USM lens," he explains.

A tripod would not have worked here. With a fixed camera point it would have been impossible to keep track of the subjects as they darted across and out of frame. For flexibility and ease of movement, the only option was to shoot handheld, relying on the image stabilisation in the EOS R3 and his lens for steady, blur-free shots.

Although smaller and lighter than many DSLRs, the EOS R3's weather-sealed magnesium alloy body provides high impact resistance and durability, making it just as tough as Bruno's previous camera, the Canon EOS-1D X Mark III. "The EOS R3 is a perfect size and grip, with great battery life," he says. "Ergonomically, it reminded me of my Canon EOS 3 analogue camera. For me, that extra sturdiness makes it the ideal camera – even over my Canon EOS R5."

Even at a distance from the birds, it was crucial to make as little noise as possible and to stay very still. "I've taken shots before using a mechanical shutter, and the birds jump up at the sharp noise. The silent electronic shutter in the EOS R3 was crucial for getting the shots I hoped for," Bruno says.

The EVF, which applies your exposure settings to preview exactly how shots will turn out, also helped Bruno to remain completely still. "Even small movements, such as lowering the camera to check an image on the rear LCD screen, can be enough to scare the birds," he explains. Thanks to these features, Bruno was able to get just three metres away from his subjects without startling them.

The EOS R3's EVF also proved to be a revelation for panning movements and in low light. "It's so fast in frequency and so incredibly bright that it's almost indistinguishable from an optical viewfinder," says Bruno. "There's no lag, even in really low light. It didn't feel like I was working with a mirrorless camera."

Positioning the EOS R3 at sand level to achieve the same perspective as the birds was a real test of the camera's capabilities. "These birds are very small and extremely fast, and they quickly disappear among the sand ripples, providing a real challenge for the photographer who has to lie on the beach and handhold both a camera and a large super-telephoto lens," says Bruno.

The EOS R3 features Animal AF which includes an algorithm specially to recognise and track birds, and this can be paired with a new Flexi Zone AF which enables you to adjust the size and shape of the autofocus area. This flexibility is particularly useful for small subjects such as the Kentish plover. "Once the Animal AF is locked, nothing gets in the way. Dunes, vegetation – I never lost the subject," says Bruno.

The greatest test was Bruno's dream shot. Would the birds outperform his kit this time around? Having observed the Kentish plovers' behaviour all day, honing his technique to capture the split-second action, Bruno was ready. And, when the moment came, the speed of the bird was matched by the 30fps electronic shutter of the EOS R3. "Thanks to the fast shutter and the incredible AF of the EOS R3, I could focus on composition rather than technique," says Bruno. "I was blown away when I finally captured the magic moment – a male came directly towards me in wonderful sunset light, with the sand glittering all around it."

The ability to focus in light as low as -7.5 EV meant the EOS R3 was perfect for taking shots of the chicks late in the day, when most beachgoers had left. Bruno again used the Canon Extender RF 2x with the Canon RF 600mm F4L IS USM lens to effectively create a 1200mm f/8 lens – a real test of focusing power and accuracy in low light.

"I was amazed to see how well the image stabilisation and the AF of the EOS R3 performed in tracking the running chicks despite the low light conditions," he says. "The images at ISO6400 were super sharp."

All of Bruno's images were shot handheld, and the improved IS of up to 5.5 stops made for consistently blur-free images – and even steady video clips. "I took around 12,000 pictures on the day, and they were nearly all sharp. This gave me a nice problem: just so many images to choose from."

Many locals have an affection for the Kentish plover, and Bruno believes it can be a great ambassador for these threatened shoreline habitats. Working with local conservation groups, he is piecing together a book about the impact of human behaviour on the region's wildlife, and plans to exhibit his work on these scenic shores.