[NZ_Ross]

o sorry to hear of your loss. We celebrated my oldest son's 20th birthday last night, what you must be going through is unimaginable.
As an aside, as a radiographer of 30 years+ I have a reasonable knowledge of the ins and outs of the medical system, so anything I can offer at any point, don't hesitate to ask.

Thanks for your kind thoughts, and the offer of help. I may take you up on it yet.

We will celebrate Matthews life on Saturday, and turn our minds to the issue of the Coroners Inquiry, what happened, and the sequence of events next week.

[MarkJerling]

Thanks Awa, really appreciative that you took the time and had a look for me.

It gave me the confidence from your feedback to bid to that level on the lens.

I would like to say I am happy, but it's not really an emotion I have any of at the moment.

It is very nice to win the auction, and I plan to use the lens to take some images of birds and other nature, and remember Matthew while I am doing it.

Matthew was a very talented cameraman. He was also the life and soul of every party going. You always knew when he was in a room. This short video is of Matt breaking every part of the cameraman's code about being invisible. Just down the road from you at Mystery Creek at the Parachute Music Festival a few years ago. That was Matt though, full of fun and life, and not too worried about what anyone else thought.

Thank you everyone for your very kind wishes and thoughts. Hilary and I are surrounded by lots of family, friends, love and kindness from the various communities we are involved with, including this one.

We are celebrating Matthew's life on Saturday, which will be a really good thing.

There will be lots of tears, and lots of laughs - as there have been all week. Matthew was one of life's true characters, and in 24 short years had touched an amazing amount of peoples lives.

Thanks again.

Ross

p.s. I will be happy share the 250-600 around this community. It is sort of going to be my memory of Matthew lens, and I will be happy to share that memory with you all too.

Thank you for sharing that video Ross. You and your family have been in our thoughts since we have found out of your loss.
It will be a long road before some normality returns for you. Thinking of you.

I see you had one other who tried for that lens. Happy for you that you got it.

[GUB]

I see you had one other who tried for that lens. Happy for you that you got it.

Yeah but there was at least 4 that went as far as $2000.
Quite proud of my $1 bid
You did well Ross - left a good margin for the gamble of issues with it.
A fellow C club member spent $2800 on a niknon 80 -200 2.8. I know which one I would prefer to have especially when you dial in depreciation on a new lens.
But then i don't do zooms.

[NZ_Ross]

Yeah but there was at least 4 that went as far as $2000.
Quite proud of my $1 bid
You did well Ross - left a good margin for the gamble of issues with it.
A fellow C club member spent $2800 on a niknon 80 -200 2.8. I know which one I would prefer to have especially when you dial in depreciation on a new lens.
But then i don't do zooms.

I am a prime guy too - but what a zoom mate

---------- Post added 25-08-17 at 01:59 PM ----------

Quite proud of my $1 bid

It nearly got you there too

[awa355]

Have been asked to take some photos at the juniors soccer tomorrow. I might take the Sigma 28-105 along with the 2x tc to give it a go. The combo does auto focus quite well, and I will have my regular lens to fall back on.

[NZ_Ross]

Have been asked to take some photos at the juniors soccer tomorrow. I might take the Sigma 28-105 along with the 2x tc to give it a go. The combo does auto focus quite well, and I will have my regular lens to fall back on.

Mate, if you have a strong enough tripod, I paid for a lens today that I would be very happy for you to lend . I hear it is quite close and sitting around doing nothing at the moment....

[Transit]

And a gimbal by all accounts !

[NZ_Ross]

And a gimbal by all accounts !

I would say given the lens weighs 5 and a half kg

[awa355]

I would far sooner drop MY own lens thank you. Anyway I have flagged the idea of playing with the tc. I have lenses that cover that range and don't lose image quality.

Perhaps I could send you the teleconverter, You could try it on the big eye,,, 1200mm

[NZ_Ross]

I would far sooner drop MY own lens thank you. Anyway I have flagged the idea of playing with the tc. I have lenses that cover that range and don't lose image quality.

Perhaps I could send you the teleconverter, You could try it on the big eye,,, 1200mm

Thanks, I know what you are saying. I have a 1.4, 1.7AF and 2x teleconverters, but not the new HD 1.4. I think learning to use a lens that long will be a good enough challenge, even without teleconverters being added

Enjoy photographing the game.

[zkarj]

Perhaps I could send you the teleconverter, You could try it on the big eye,,, 1200mm

Pretty sure Ross is still rocking an APS-C model, so 1800mm equivalent!

I tried using my Kepcor 2X on the DA55-300 the other day. Actually quite workable if the subjects will play ball. (The birds on Pauatahanui inlet. They didn't. )

[Transit]

I am a prime guy too - but what a zoom mate

It is also several primes too

---------- Post added 26th Aug 2017 at 12:07 PM ----------

Thinking of you today Ross

[awa355]

I did try the 2x tc on the 50-200 DA lens. The soccer photo is at the far end of the pitch. Only tried it for a few shots before removing it. The birds were in a tree at the sports grounds. Trying to find a bird stay still long enough to get focus was more interesting than the game. The camera was left in Tv for the bird photos.

[NZ_Ross]

Thinking of you today Ross

Thanks Pete, we have given Matt a really good send off today - it all went well.

He loved dancing, so there is a rave tonight in his memory.

[awa355]

Forgot, this is the teleconveter with the 55-300 lens. It looks like an ' almost big ' lens.