What I find baffling at times is the "need" to constantly change and upgrade gear.
TH has or had a Canon 5D Mark IV. Then goes and invests in a Canon EOS-R. I have to sit and ask myself why on earth anyone who has the 5D Mark IV would go and get the EOS-R. They are practically the same camera; hardly any real difference in weight and mirrorless can't hold a candle to regular mirrored cameras when in comes to weight. Back up, yes? Replacement, no.
Firstly, wow!
As has been said, he borrowed the EOS R and said he was hoping to blag other gear to try.
Is it down to clickbait? Only he can answer that and he isn't likely to. Look at it like this though.
Yep, only he can say, but my imho it was not aimed as click bait, just telling people what is going on in his photography life. And the camera is an important part, not the most important obviously, but the decision to change a camera, and the knock on effects that could have, should be mentioned on a vlog about him and his photography.
With his large YouTube following he is a marketing departments dream. They don't have to pay him anything and if he says a product is good or bad then the people will follow and it costs them zilch. It's the same with all of us who have a good following. We are giving companies free airtime by mentioning their product and it costs them zilch.
We all use products, and those that post YT vids show themselves using things. What's the point, because as he is not being paid to use things, he can also say negative things about stuff, which I assume would not be as dreamy for marketing departments.
I used to use a Canon 5D Mark II until late August when I switched for a 5D Mark IV. I switched because the time had come, technology had moved on and there were things such as the 4K video that had huge appeal. Yes, there is a crop factor on that camera and it is annoying BUT it is still usable.
By you!
But what if some doesn't think that. Not saying this in TH's case, as he has another Canon for his videos, but just pointing out that what works for you, may not work for others. That is why there is not just one camera.
As was mentioned earlier it is NOT the gear at work but YOU behind the camera.
Why did you change from the 5DII for the 5DIV?
I don't think anyone, nevermind Thomas Heaton himself, has ever said that the camera is more important than the person behind the camera, but technology moves on, for him, for you, for me, and it TH's case, what and how you uses a camera may change too. The 5DIV is not the only tool available, and it is definitely not the pinnacle of what is available for some people atm too. If it works for you, great, but other people can have different opinions
There is also an element then of post-production skills that too will have a hand in the final product. Speaking of which, when he mentioned recently about his lack of knowledge of PS etc then it's a trap I suspect he will fall into quite quickly. Go off and learn about luminosity masks without ever really understanding the inner workings of PS. Something not just he but a lot of others fall into. Honestly folks, go and tell yourselves you know absolutely nothing about PS. Pick up the Adobe book about PS then sit down with Deke McLelland on Lynda.com then watch how you fly with Photoshop. You will be glad you did.
Someone has seen that they may be lacking in an aspect of their work, and that they plan to improve, and you are already predicting negativity.
Not everyone needs to know the inner workings of Photoshop to use it effectively. Yes, it would probably help to know how and why something is having an effect in PS, but lets wait and see what he does with Photoshop eh!
If he is really after the ultimate landscape photography set-up then there are two options. One is to use large format and then scan the images. Or he uses a set-up akin to Joe Cornish whereby he has a Phase One back and a Linhof Techno. Are Phase One likely to treat TH as they do JC? Personally, they are not in the same league at all no matter how many of you may disagree that. And by the way, do you notice Joe's social media presence???
In your opinion as to what the 'ultimate landscape photography set-up' is. Again what may work for you may not work for someone else.
Has Thomas Heaton ever made claims to be in any way compared to any other photographer!
Because I haven't.
Where has anyone here, or anywhere else, said he was the greatest landscape photographer!
You have to remember that just because someone has a large social media following it doesn't mean that what they are doing is actually cracked up to be the same thing. Greg Whitton doesn't have the same following on YouTube but I think that Greg produces far superior images to what TH does. Is that right and proper? There are also many other people out there who are complete unknowns and again they are producing high quality work that puts TH's to shame. I had a gentleman on a workshop earlier this year who was a hill walker and opportunist photographer as he called himself. No social media presence. Doesn't sell his work etc BUT what he showed blew away TH. Yes, TH does some nice work BUT is it really that defining?
Defining!
A lot of people like a photography vlogger more than some other photographer vlogger and you ask 'is that right and proper?'
It is just the way it is. If you want to highlight other vloggers you may deem worthy of more exposure, make a thread about them rather than having digs at someone else at the same time.
Thomas Heaton must be doing something better than others not as successful on YT. As for some random someone having better pics than a Pro, I could say the same about some of your work if I were to have cheap digs of someone on internet. You seem to be doing OK for yourself, as does Thomas Heaton.
What TH does is that he gets people out and that can't be denied. But I personally don't understand this hero worship that he is afforded. Is that and other comments above going to cause stern comments. Yep but honestly I think people need to take a step back here and not get caught up in this social media crazy world.
Hero worship! Who is doing that?
He seems like a nice chap who takes good pics, and has entertaining videos. I don't understand this vitriol you seem to have against him and his success.
Edit. Forgot. Uploading two videos a week. Honestly I think at times he struggles with material. It's a lot easier for someone like Brendan van Son to produce new material every day as he is constantly on the go. TH isn't. But that goes not just for him but for others too.
How do you know how busy Thomas Heaton is or isn't! I'm sure he doesn't document everything he does, unlike it seems, Brendan van Son. Different types of vloggers doing different things.
I was totally bemused the other day when I saw one YouTuber upload a near 10 minute about......a notepad. Yes, you read that right a notepad.
Another YouTuber who has a large following has 6 vlogs on composition. Does it really take that many or is it simply regurgitating material?
Surprise, there is a load of **** on YT!
It is one of the known factors that to build your subscriber base frequent and regular uploads are a good factor in getting you in front of people. Same time every week just like your favourite TV program. Because people know they can tune in on that day at that time to see their program.
And do you know why people keep coming back and watching! It is not because it is on every week (or twice a week in this case), it is because they are entertained on a regular basis. If he was not good at what he was doing, and as you insinuate, posting too frequently so as to have the quality suffer, his viewing numbers would go down.
Btw, I'm very surprised you watch his vids, and it seems continue to watch them, because you sound like you have a low a opinion of him and his work, be that photography or the quality of his videos.
I'm sure a lot of work goes in to making it look so easy, and I appreciate the effort he puts in. If you are going to use drones, and a showing yourself in a scene, do you smile and wave at the camera? That's probably what I would do, but I think it would get irritating very quickly. 
