Panning With The 200-400mm Lens...
A couple of weeks ago I went to the lake in Boiling Springs to get some panning practice with the 200-400mm lens. From what I read about the lens before I purchased it many referred to the lens as a hand held unit. That may be true and these were taken hand held, but you do not do it for very long before needing a break. I guess if I use it long enough I will get some guns for arms for the first time in my life. I would like to hear from any one else that has this lens and has used it for flying birds but here is my take on it. It does bring the subject closer and that is what a big lens is for, with the f4 it allows me to get my shutter speed up without increasing the ISO to high. But I felt that it was harder to pick the bird up initially and slower to focus on the subject and keep the focus like the 70-200 f2.8. Now this was only the first time I used this lens for this type of photography. To be honest I would like to shoot it for about a year before I really make my final decision on the lens.
A couple of weeks ago I went to the lake in Boiling Springs to get some panning practice with the 200-400mm lens. From what I read about the lens before I purchased it many referred to the lens as a hand held unit. That may be true and these were taken hand held, but you do not do it for very long before needing a break. I guess if I use it long enough I will get some guns for arms for the first time in my life. I would like to hear from any one else that has this lens and has used it for flying birds but here is my take on it. It does bring the subject closer and that is what a big lens is for, with the f4 it allows me to get my shutter speed up without increasing the ISO to high. But I felt that it was harder to pick the bird up initially and slower to focus on the subject and keep the focus like the 70-200 f2.8. Now this was only the first time I used this lens for this type of photography. To be honest I would like to shoot it for about a year before I really make my final decision on the lens.
5 comments:
I think both pictures are awesome with the lens...
Good shots Brad. That's a lot of lens to manhandle!
I do a lot of my waterfowl flight/takeoff shots with the 100-400 handheld, in fact all of my boat shots are hand held. It is difficult to get on and stay on target but the extra mm pays off in the image, but then again the canon 1-400 is not nearly a large of lens as the nikon 2-400,
Nice shots Brad, especially the Widgeon.
No matter what the weight, personally would use a tripod on anything in the super telephoto category. A gimbel head like the Wimberly makes using big glass incredibly easy for panning.
Nice to shake your hand. Blue Skies.
Nice shots, Brad. I know that learning to use a new and different lens is not always easy. I will stay tuned to hear of your future outings and to hear how you like this lens.
BRad
I have had a love/hate relationship with that lens. I use a Gitzo 3541XLS tripod with Wimberley II on top and use "long Lens Technique". The lens is slow to pick up and lock on flying birds. It is also soft beyond 50 feet or so. I have a library of great images with it and some poor and no so great. The great ones are birds and animals up close where the lens is superior.
Sold one this weekend and i am moving on to 600 f4 for flying birds and distant wildlife.
Your panned birds here were good
Jim
Post a Comment