Nature Eagles

Eagles · 08:20 AM

A few eagle shots taken around Christmas, all handheld with a Tair 3M-5CA 500mm f8 mirror lens on a Pentax K-x.

Spenz · 01-07-2012, 04:12 PM

Excellent hand held work at 500mm! Particularly like #3.

**Bruce Clark** · 01-07-2012, 04:20 PM

#3 excellent. #2 missed by a half head. Good shot of trailing bird though.

**paulh** · 01-07-2012, 04:35 PM

Nice captures - in shot #2, is that a fish in the talons of the first bird?

SteveM · 01-07-2012, 05:06 PM

That 3rd shot is terrific!

**Jacquot** · 01-07-2012, 05:11 PM

Yes it is a fish, and it gives a sense of the interaction amongst these birds. When you see that kind of thing happening with 20, 30 or more eagles, what a sight. When one gets a catch, they go after it. The photograph gives a sense of that. Good work, and keep at it. Here when the lakes start icing over and the winter ducks concentrate it gets pretty intense, and that would be a duck in his talons. Magnificent creatures, and we're all lucky to be able to see them in numbers again, and photograph them!

GibbyTheMole · 01-07-2012, 05:48 PM

Thanks, guys.

These birds can sure move! It's a challenge to get them when they're zipping by at that speed, but I think my skills improve a little more each time I go out. I remember not so long ago if you were lucky enough to see one it was a very rare experience. Now they're pretty commonplace, which is awesome.

When I shot these there was a guy nearby who looked the business. He and his camera were in full camo, & he was using a rather massive & expensive looking tripod. He had an impressive looking Nikon rig with a 600mm lens roughly the size of a baseball bat. I imagine he could easily have had $10k worth of stuff there, and me with my diminutive little Pentax & mirror lens, derpy-derp.

Cheers,
Bobbo :-)

**crewl1** · 01-07-2012, 11:38 PM

Those are fantastic shots!

GibbyTheMole · 01-08-2012, 10:00 AM

Thanks much, crewl1!

zman · 01-08-2012, 10:59 AM

Great shots. I enjoy using my Tokina mirror but the images always seemed a bit soft no matter what I tried. I researched other mirror lenses on PF and picked up a
3M-5CA based partly on your recommendation. I couldn't be happier with it, and the slightly longer length of this lens helps me to hold the camera steadier.

GibbyTheMole · 01-08-2012, 11:06 AM

Originally posted by zman

I researched other mirror lenses on PF and picked up a
3M-5CA based partly on your recommendation. I couldn't be happier with it, and the slightly longer length of this lens helps me to hold the camera steadier.

Yeah, I was about to give up on mirror lenses when I got the 3M-5CA. It has become my "go to" long tele & it's one of my favorite lenses & I no longer lust after a Bigma. It's a great lens, for sure. :-)

8540tomg · 01-08-2012, 12:06 PM

Impressive,

Tom G

callten061 · 08-01-2012, 03:57 AM

nice shots

daacon · 08-01-2012, 06:57 AM

This is one of my holy grails the eagle - well done.

slowpez · 08-01-2012, 07:48 AM

Beautiful birds. Who can't love the eagle? Looks like you have quite a population of them in Iowa.

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01-07-2012, 04:12 PM	#2
Spenz Forum Member Join Date: Nov 2011 Location: Seattle Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 76	Excellent hand held work at 500mm! Particularly like #3.

01-07-2012, 04:20 PM	#3
Bruce Clark Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Ocean Grove, Victoria Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 4,458	#3 excellent. #2 missed by a half head. Good shot of trailing bird though.

01-07-2012, 04:35 PM	#4
paulh Site Supporter Join Date: Sep 2010 Location: DFW Texas/Ventura County, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 33,268	Nice captures - in shot #2, is that a fish in the talons of the first bird?

01-07-2012, 05:06 PM	#5
SteveM Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2009 Location: Vancouver Island, BC, Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 3,294	That 3rd shot is terrific!

01-07-2012, 05:11 PM	#6
Jacquot Loyal Site Supporter Join Date: May 2008 Location: Sun City Center, FL Photos: Gallery Posts: 2,544	Yes it is a fish, and it gives a sense of the interaction amongst these birds. When you see that kind of thing happening with 20, 30 or more eagles, what a sight. When one gets a catch, they go after it. The photograph gives a sense of that. Good work, and keep at it. Here when the lakes start icing over and the winter ducks concentrate it gets pretty intense, and that would be a duck in his talons. Magnificent creatures, and we're all lucky to be able to see them in numbers again, and photograph them!

01-07-2012, 05:48 PM	#7
GibbyTheMole Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 2,275 Original Poster	Thanks, guys. These birds can sure move! It's a challenge to get them when they're zipping by at that speed, but I think my skills improve a little more each time I go out. I remember not so long ago if you were lucky enough to see one it was a very rare experience. Now they're pretty commonplace, which is awesome. When I shot these there was a guy nearby who looked the business. He and his camera were in full camo, & he was using a rather massive & expensive looking tripod. He had an impressive looking Nikon rig with a 600mm lens roughly the size of a baseball bat. I imagine he could easily have had $10k worth of stuff there, and me with my diminutive little Pentax & mirror lens, derpy-derp. Cheers, Bobbo :-)

01-07-2012, 11:38 PM	#8
crewl1 Site Supporter Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Los Angeles, CA Photos: Gallery \| Albums Posts: 9,807	Those are fantastic shots!

01-08-2012, 10:00 AM	#9
GibbyTheMole Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 2,275 Original Poster	Thanks much, crewl1!

01-08-2012, 10:59 AM	#10
zman Pentaxian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Western NY Photos: Albums Posts: 515	Great shots. I enjoy using my Tokina mirror but the images always seemed a bit soft no matter what I tried. I researched other mirror lenses on PF and picked up a 3M-5CA based partly on your recommendation. I couldn't be happier with it, and the slightly longer length of this lens helps me to hold the camera steadier.

01-08-2012, 11:06 AM	#11
GibbyTheMole Veteran Member Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Iowa Photos: Albums Posts: 2,275 Original Poster	Originally posted by zman I researched other mirror lenses on PF and picked up a 3M-5CA based partly on your recommendation. I couldn't be happier with it, and the slightly longer length of this lens helps me to hold the camera steadier. Yeah, I was about to give up on mirror lenses when I got the 3M-5CA. It has become my "go to" long tele & it's one of my favorite lenses & I no longer lust after a Bigma. It's a great lens, for sure. :-)

01-08-2012, 12:06 PM	#12
8540tomg Veteran Member Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Waterloo, Ontario Photos: Gallery Posts: 4,461	Impressive, Tom G

08-01-2012, 03:57 AM	#13
callten061 New Member Join Date: Jul 2012 Posts: 5	nice shots

08-01-2012, 06:57 AM	#14
daacon Veteran Member Join Date: Mar 2007 Location: Alberta,Canada Photos: Gallery Posts: 20,914	This is one of my holy grails the eagle - well done.

08-01-2012, 07:48 AM	#15
slowpez Veteran Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: South Carolina, USA Photos: Gallery Posts: 18,462	Beautiful birds. Who can't love the eagle? Looks like you have quite a population of them in Iowa.