[John Bennett]

If budget is a concern and you have a trip coming to Alaska have a look at Sigma’s 50-500mm or Tamrons 200-500mm. The Tammy in particular is quite nice. They might be “slow” but offer great reach, at reasonable prices for someone desiring a long lens but not the budget for a Nikon or Canon big top quality lens.

Ive seen the Tamron offered for $800-900ish used. Failing that Sigma has a few options that can get you to 300+ at realistic levels.

edit add.
Both Nikons and Canons 300mm f4 prime are popular and great lenses. Used, they to can be had for a great price. Add a TC and your over 400mm

[John Bennett]

That shot maybe 30 feet. I had gone into the back country camping on a Moose photography workshop type thing. I borrowed a friends 70-200 f4 IS and I had my 400mm with me. Most of my Moose images were taken with the 400mm. I got within 20 feet a couple times when the wind would blow me and I was shooting. So while its possible to get close to them, it’s not recomended for safety reasons. I would generalise most of the Moose images I took were taken at 50 feet +

For Alaska, Id want atleast 300mm. Bottom line is most wildlife its tough to get close, nor is it usually wise. Myself I’d bring my 500mm but if I had nothing I might look at the 100-400 L, simply for it’s versatility.

[John Bennett]

Lol yep.
Each major purchase for me is a headache that usually takes a few months to come to a decision.

[John Bennett]

Lol when I answer that question for myself I’ll let you know. I have 2 more lens purchases I want to make that I know of today. One of those being one of the 4 70-200s. I am a big fan of fast glass, however I also beleive in spend where you have to and save where you can.

70-200 just isn’t a focal range I find myself wanting to be in very much. I tend to want to shoot 20-80 or 300+. I have fast glass in the 24-70 f2.8, the 85mm, the 180 f3.5 macro and the 500 f4. So wanting desiring to spend that much more for a f2.8 70-200 makes little sense.
So Im 98% sure I’ll be getting one of the F4 versions when its time to add the range.

IS vs non IS.
Spend where you have to/Save where you can.

Even with my long lenses both the 400 and 500 I dont as a general rule rely or feel the need for IS. Every now and then when opening up, or bumping ISO isnt possible yeah, its nice to have but my hand holding technique is solid and so I may not *value* IS as much as the next guy.

Im getting the 1DMKIV next week. An acquaintence in Australia picked one up 2 weeks ago and the images Im seeing at high ISOs are phenominal for a sensor that size ( not FF). Even upto ISO 12,000 they are usuable and below 6000 very clean.

Further reducing *my* need for IS.

Keep in mind alot of what I like to shoot is action oriented..Be it wildlife, or anglers….IS does jack squat for that.

So all that said I’m currently leaning towards the non IS and save myself $700.00. If Im in a situation and I need fast glass I have 3 other options..all of which I use more than 70-200 to begin with or if I need to avoid shake due to low SS and dim light I can bump ISO or use my pod if I dont feel I can get away with handholding. So paying the IS premium and almost doubling the cost of the exact same lens……..

I retain the right to change my leanings once I start seriously considering adding a 70-200. I have another pricey lens Id like to add before the spring/summer seasons arrive and will look at that gap next year.

J

[John Bennett]

Few things.
At these dimensions its impossible to judge whether the photos sharp or not. Not really meterial here, lets just assume they arent.

At those shutter speeds your camera has to be rock. Hand held and braced at 8/10s of a second, be happy with anything serviceable. Its doable I’ve done it myself.

1 second

But I dont sweat any deletes, in other words images that turn out are just pure gravy.

cheap tripod.
Again anything approaching those SSs mirror slap alone can knee cap your image ( use mirror lock up to avoid slap). Winds (stream current) anything that might cause a tremor through the legs can impact your image.

If these are the types of images that are bothering you (night shooting). Invest in a better pod, head and cable release, start using mirror lock up when that low. Your results *will* improve.

[John Bennett]

Benjamin there are a dozen or more reasons why some images might not be turning out the way you want or expect. It would really help us to help you if you were to post an image sometime by way of example and include the exif.

Possible causes and possible solutions
Mirror Slap…..mirror lock up
Shake…higher SS, better technique, open the lens, tripods etc
AA filter ( The AA fliter in the 7D is strong) this requires more capture sharpening.
User error/ camera error. As good as the 7D is, you might be asking too much of it
etc
etc

[John Bennett]

Not with TCs no.
Friends of mine have and they dont mind it.

If you want to shoot sports, especially sports that dont get alot of light, then yeah the f2.8 would be my choice but imo, thats the only real upside over the F4 versions.

70-200 F4 L IS
ISO 400 at f4.5 1/125th

If anyone eversuggested thats not tack sharp id ask what they are smoking

[John Bennett]

The f4 versions of the 70-200 are widely regarded as two of Canons sharpest zoom lenses and both sharper than the f2.8s. Many feel and Ive seen enough images to back it up that the 70-200s while fantastic lenses are a bit soft wide open ( A common problem with almost all lenses). So its not that they are bad (they arent) they just arent tack sharp opened up.

Take a pic at F4 to f8 with any of them and I doubt many people would see any difference.

but I also hear that shooting speeds faster than 1/250 are not going to be good with the f/4 due to the smaller aperture.

Absolute hogwash.
If you mean that acheiving 1/250th (or higher) is tough at f4 I wouldnt say so, you need to be in pretty dim low light not to get 1/250th at f4 and iso 800. Just for illustrative purposes.

As you can see its snowing hard, that shot is at iso 800 and f6.3 1/500th.

is it possible to get solid shots of say jumping fish with the f/4. Virtually all of my shooting would be in daylight hours

That is more a function of your body, and while you need a lens thats capable of fast focusing as well, at the end of the day its more about your body than lens. The better your body, the more likely to outcome. Which is to say a 70-200 F4 L used to try and get fish in the air depends on whether its on say an XTI or 1D, not the lens.

[John Bennett]

I wouldn’t be bummed.

The only people this may really impact is anyone who was about

[John Bennett]

I cant say for sure Matt because I use 1D bodies, however the software to do it is included on the same CD as DPP etc that comes with the body…Off the top of my head its called EOS Utilities. Check the CD installation options.

I think with the Pro sumers bodies you have to use a USB connection, where as with 1D bodies you can use firewire but to the best of my knowledge and I admit I could be wrong on this, thats the only difference.

[John Bennett]

Grats Kendal

[John Bennett]

Nice Michael, one of my favorite subjects.

[John Bennett]

Grats Corey. Make sure you get an extra copy, frame and hang it.

[John Bennett]

I have had dogs and cats die during a routine anesthetic procedure, thankfully I can count on my fingers the few times it has happened in all these years but that is a hard phone call to make.  Sounds like the practice owner handled things like I do, I don’t accept payment on such incidents even though we didn’t do anything wrong.  The employed vet that day probably didn’t feel he had the authority to refund the charges or was just in shock.  I have always disagreed with some of the advice from our malpractice insurance companies and their lawyers.  I have attended talks where they tell us not to refund because it may be interpreted as admission of wrongdoing.  Hogwash.

Wish there were more vets like you.

Between the cost of a procedure, subsequent bloodwork to find out why he was having seizures once back home and finally putting him down, I once paid a vet over $600.00 to “kill my pet”.

What galled me wasn’t the fact something went wrong. It was the fact he

A) Charged full fee for the procedure
B) Charged me full rates for lab work to determine why the seizures started after leaving their care
C) Suggested I leave him in their care ($70 per night, not including medications) and *hopefully* they could save him
D) Charged me full rates for the shot and “removal” fees.

Had the vet simply expressed some regret that he had a reaction to the anesthetics, and offered to waive or reduce the fee for the labs and euthasia I wouldnt have batted an eye lash.

Any surgical procedure carries a risk, Id have never thought to “blame” the vet.. Things happen

As is, anytime anyone mentions taking their pet to him, or that they are looking for a vet I have nothing good to say about him and have probably cost him, more than he made…..which is all that seemed to matter to him.

Still remember the look on his face when I insisted on being in the room and holding him while the shot was administered.

Case of a vet in it for other things than than the welfare of pets imo

[John Bennett]

Like Rods, theres a jacket/vest for different applications. Finding one to do it all is……………

Warmth.
Primaloft (yes its synthetic) doesn’t stand up to good down with a fill power of say 500 to 700. However, it packs better but more importantly (to me anyways) is that it layers better. I have a primaloft jacket by Merril that I wear as an outer layer or mid layer. And yeah, if you get down wet………………………………

Fleece.
Not as good as primaloft if you ask me.

Which to get?
All of them.

mix and layer as needed.

If Im going to be sitting still potentially for an hour its base layer, fleece, primaloft, heavy shell. If Im going to be active I tend towards a base layer, fleece hoodie, primaloft outer.

There are dozens of good manufactorers out there, my advice is don’t get stuck on those known for their angling gear.

Underarmor
Merrill
Arcteryx
plus so many more (north face, OR, and on, and on)

I have all the above, fleece windstopers and primaloft. Just bought an UA Ronin as a heavy outshell to replace my old one. LOVE the cuffs (wish a fly making would copy them) and pockets.

[John Bennett]

Jay I think theres a Sigma 10-22 or 12-24 type lens that gets good reviews.

Re “crop factors”
Brutal term that misleads so many people. This may be unneccessary, but whats really happening is your field of view is reduced.Thats it.
http://www.kenrockwell.com/tech/crop-factor.htm

That said if your looking for a nice landscape lens in the 400-500 range used I’d look really hard at the Canon 17-40 L.

Take what ever it is your using now and then take two shots for comparative purposes. First shot at is widest setting (say 18mm) and then a second shot just 5mm “narrower” (23mm).

That wee difference is worth spending the extra coin on a 12-xx to 10-22?

The one area it may be worth it is if you do alot of “grip/grin” shots from within boats. Otherwise if landscapes are your thing Id get the best glass I could and in your budget the 17-40 L is right up your alley.
In Canada new it retails for about 800. So in the US its got to be a fair bit cheaper new and Ive seen them offered used around your budget
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/846334

Sigman 12-24
http://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/844150

Just me but for the same $$ Id opt for the 17-40 L

[John Bennett]

Don’t disagree at all and I knew it was tongue in cheek :), mine was to sort of.

That said given the right conditions I can see where fur could win a tourney… By day 3 alot of bass have been stung plastics, crank baits, top water buzz and plugs..

A 5 inch bunny leech could put the winning bass in your boat

[John Bennett]

Yeah, I really don’t think it has anything to do with some kind of prejudice against “flys” an fly rods and wanting to bar fly anglers 🙂

Bass T’s are all about covering water. For every cast/retreive with a fly rod, I can cover 5 to 10 times the amount of water with spnning rod. Fish all day ripping plastics through slop and your arms tired, I cant imagine T angling with an 8 wt for 3 days. My arms would fall off after 1 day. Speed of retreive? If thats what Bass are keying on and its buzz baits (or similiar)………………

If I were a T angler and my competition started showing up with a plethora of fly rods I’d smile.

At some point way back, as Shannon said, it must have been perceived that long rods enabled something organisors/sponsors didn’t want and if you don’t draw the line somewhere…where’s it end?

[John Bennett]

And that is why they are affectionately known as rocket scientist and not the people who design, manufactor, or assemble the rockets. It’s the people that engineer the “mathematics” that drive the rockets.

[John Bennett]

I’ll add a few more samples to include with the ones above.

[Author]

Posts