Ducks, Geese, and New Lens
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I ended up picking up a Canon 70-200 f/2.8 L this weekend, and went down to a local park pond that waterfowl frequent. I am really excited about the new lens, and can’t wait to get out and use it more. These pics were from some test images I was shooting, so need to go back and spend more time really looking for some action type images of these birds, but thought I would throw these up and see what y’all thought? Thoughs or advice?
Grats on the new lens John. I think the last shot is the best out of the series.
In the first shot, it would have been nice to see the entire ring on the ripple. It is clipped in either side. Get the entire reflection.
Second shot, lighting is a huge factor when shooting Mallards. Without good light it is hard to capture the iradescent greens from the Drakes. The colors in the shot do not stand out making it hard to see the eyes of the birds.
Third shot, Try getting lower to the subject. If possible kneeling down or getting at eye level with the bird will create a better feel to the image and draw the viewer into the subject.
4th Image, Nice clarity, but the reflection of the birds head is chopped off at the bottom of the photo. When you compose these type of shots, try and capture the entire reflection.
Last shot. By far the best image out of the series. However, again…get eye level and draw the viewer into the subject. This shots looks like you were shooting downward onto the “Egyptian”.
Birding is tough. I have learned so much the past couple of years by practicing and also improving upon some of the things mentioned. You will find as you shoot more waterfowl that the real secret to success is “Lighting”.
It will be exciting to see your images on the new lens! Take care.
Well, here are the reworked images after I cut out the cropping on some of them:
No Crop – more ripples, but still not the entire circle of ripples as pointed out above
I like this version better than the first.
Nice shots.
All I would say by way of advice is that I find the blacks a little dense on my screen and the blue a little over saturated.
(showing my age no doubt.. 😉 :D)www.dsaphoto.com
A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.
Thanks Kendal.
How is that South Texas shoot for the Valley Land Fund Photo Contest (isn’t this the contest you are doing?) going? I have read about it and talked to the guy that started it at a photog meet here in Austin. It sounds like a really cool contest.
For those who haven’t heard, the Valley Fund Contest http://www.valleylandfund.com/ pairs up ranches in South Texas with photographers, and has what I believe is the largest nature photo contest in the world (and best prize money if I remember correctly). The goal is to protect and promote bird/wildlife habitat in the Rio Grande Valley as it gives the ranchers a reason to value and set aside parcels of land for the contest to protect wildlife. And of course, in the contest, the team of the photographer/ranch they are assigned to are represented and share in the prize money.
John,
Beautiful shots. I’m shopping for a my first good tele lens and have been advised that the 70-200 IS F/2.8 is a great lens. I would want/need to use a 1.4x or 2x converter for wildlife like deer and bear. Or, fork out more money for 70-300 but a lot slower lens which would preclude using the converters in morning and evening light.
What was the distance to your ducks? Any thoughts on my quandry?
Thanks!
Thanks Michael.
As best I can remember, these ducks were anywhere from about 1 yard for the close up on the goose’s head, to about 8 yards on the two geese, to about 12 yards to the mallard preening, to about maybe 17 or 18 yards to the three ducks swimming together. Might have been a little further.
As far as tele lenses, there are other guys on here that know much, much more than me. I and some others have been picking their brains about lenses on some of the other threads here lately, so check those out if you haven’t already.
I will say that a lens test site that I think David? recommended to me as having accurate test data, and being a good reference, is called http://www.photozone.de/reviews
I was kind of in the same boat as you, and personally decided to go with the 70-200 2.8L and then opt for a 1.4 TC as well – my thinking being that this will get me the most bang for my buck. I will have L glass, the 70-200 which I can use by itself in low light, for portraits, indoors, etc, and cover the 70-200 range. Then coupled with the 1.4 TC, I can reach out to 448mm on my 1.6 crop camera. I would like to have more reach than that, as it only almost gets me to the 480mm I had with my 75-300 EF f/4.5-5.6, but with MUCH BETTER and FASTER glass. With the tele, I will be at 448mm at f/4 as opposed f5.6 with the 75-300.
I was able to find an amazing deal and buy my lens from a friend of a photog friend of mine, and got it for $800. He was the origional owner and had kept it in the closet most of the time he had it and taken excellent care of it. Right now new, it is $1300 and the IS version new right now is $1799 I think. I opted for the non IS and saved a ton of money, which down the road I may use on something like the 300mm f.4 prime that the other guys were reccomending – if I find myself really needing extra reach.
Everyone says that you will take a small hit in sharpness when using a 1.4 TC, and a lot of pros say they won’t use them on a zoom, just a prime. The Photo Zone review I read said that the 70-200 2.8L rivals the primes in its range and has excellent sharpness levels. So far, I am very impressed with it. I ordered the 1.4 TC, but it has not arrived yet so don’t have any experience with it combined with this lens. I do remember the Photo Zone review saying that the non IS version was sharper than the IS version on the 70-200. I am sure they are both great lenses though.
John,
Beautiful shots. I’m shopping for a my first good tele lens and have been advised that the 70-200 IS F/2.8 is a great lens. I would want/need to use a 1.4x or 2x converter for wildlife like deer and bear
Hi John, there’s a new model 70-200 2.8 IS L lens coming (or now out) from Canon that may be worth a look, but the previous model was left wanting a bit on the new high rez bodies in terms of sharpness.
I sold mine recently, but still use a 70-200 F4 IS L because it’s sharper.
That said, the 2.8 is faster and can crack focus very quickly even in very low light.
Both are ok with a 1.4 converter, but will suffer with the 2x – though sometimes A shot is better than nothing.Most of Canons recent lens updates have been much sharper than the model they replace in my experience.
Edit –
I should add, that I’m a fussy bastard about sharpness.www.dsaphoto.com
A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.
Thanks David. I recalibrated and then lightened and desaturated just a bit. Let me know if the versions below look any better on your screen:
They look awesome – I really like the sliver of DOF on the first – works great with the ripples.
www.dsaphoto.com
A picture is thousand words that takes less than a second while a thousand words is a picture that takes a month.
Thanks Kendal.
How is that South Texas shoot for the Valley Land Fund Photo Contest (isn’t this the contest you are doing?) going? I have read about it and talked to the guy that started it at a photog meet here in Austin. It sounds like a really cool contest.
For those who haven’t heard, the Valley Fund Contest http://www.valleylandfund.com/ pairs up ranches in South Texas with photographers, and has what I believe is the largest nature photo contest in the world (and best prize money if I remember correctly). The goal is to protect and promote bird/wildlife habitat in the Rio Grande Valley as it gives the ranchers a reason to value and set aside parcels of land for the contest to protect wildlife. And of course, in the contest, the team of the photographer/ranch they are assigned to are represented and share in the prize money.
I wish I’d have been able to enter this year, but I didn’t. I’m hoping next though.
That’s a tremendous contest – and the cause is just as they say.
No – I was shooting whooping cranes for the Nature Conservancy this past week. Finally got the buggers, but I am dissatisfied with the behavior captured, and will be going back towards the end of March, when they’re more engaged in mating dances, territorial disputes, and the like.
I bet your meeting with the guy who started that contest was really interesting! Lucky you.
John Michael –
Very interesting about the group that meets there. I’d spoken in the past with Kevin, but he’d left the magazine before I got the chance to get up to Austin to review my portfolio with him. Seems a good guy.
I’ll have to try to make my way up there one meeting and sit in.
Look forward to the shots Kendal.
The next meeting of the Gathering is Tuesday, March 2 at the Alpha & Omega Gallery http://www.photogallerytexas.com/pages/main.htm which is at 507 San Jacinto – just south of 6th Street. Dinner/social starts at 6pm. Usually runs till about 9:30 or so.
Give me a heads up whenever you plan to attend. I look forward to meeting you in person sometime at one of the Gatherings.
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