Originally posted by Lowell Goudge look into a "better beamer" flash extender or using a "snoot" to get more distance, also consider upping the ISO.
I have the 360 and am very happy with it. I have found it to be very powerful and very good to say 50-70 feet and thats pretty good, however, I am talking 50-70 yards...In which case cranking the ISO works well.
Quote: the photo of the chickadee is about a 10% crop (i.e. the image is 90% of origonal) I was pretty close when you consider magnification ratio and object size. probably 20 feet as a guess. I have done lots from 30-50 feet as well and used 400 ISO and flash extenders to get the light out that far with no problem, Remember many times there is no issue of ambient light because it is either too early in the morning, or you are under the cover of the forest.
That is an impressive shot...
Quote: I will, with this last comment toss another stone into the pond to see where the ripples lead to. I think earlier in this thread, I demonstrated that you could get great shots with a 28-105 and some luck. If you look at the chickadee, you can see that there is no substitute for getting close and patience, as it is not really significantly cropped. I guess the real point is when birding, and as my life list is approaching 300 species, I can make this observation, I believe there are two types of photos,
Yes, I read that earlier..In fact even though I don't comment on all your posts, I try and read as many of them as possible as you always offer great advice..Certainly I have learned from much from you. I totally agree on the luck part..Patience is very crucial...I usually will sit and wait in the same spot for hours on end...Relaxing and usually reading or simply pondering things...
Quote: - one is simply for the purpose of identification, where you see something, it is far far away, and you can only get a couple of shots of it before it is gone.
This is always a tough call...I am getting to a point where unless I take a good picture, I would rather not take it..I would rather continue the hunt...A few weeks back, I took a cool picture of a red bird and another of a blue bird and both where pretty blurry...They where simply to far away and I was really taxing the and asking the equipement to do to much. Thats when I decided to buy that 500F/4.5 and hopefully will be able to salvage a few more shots..Out here, we really do not have woods, but allot of open area. As a result we need to shoot at a distance so we do not scare off the birds..
Quote: - the other is one where you take the time, get in close, and get really good shots that yoou would print. These shots may be really niocely posed, display some unusual behavior, or a really characteristic position, like the chickadee upside down as I took it.
The two are quite different.
I agree and these are the Type I am after..Need luck with these. Zoo shots don't count..
Quote: I try, but am not always successful, as you have also indicated because you simply can't get close enough. BUT, I will also comment that even if you had a 1000mm lens the possibility to get a useable shot. Life is like that. Normally when I go out, it is with my 70-200 F2.8 and 2xTC. That by itself is quite imposing, and for last minute shots or spur of the moment type shots works well.
Agreed.
Quote: If you are going to go out with any longer combination, and I do have a 1000mm F11 spotting scope with T mount as well, you are in to taking a tripod along and it is much more deliberate to take photos. In fact, I usually have one body on teh mirror, and another still set up with either my 400mm equivelent combo or my 500mm equivelent combo just in case something interesting floats by.
I have not been using a tripod and with the new lens, I will have no choice in the matter. Maybe a good mono pod?