*OFFICIAL* Snapshot of the Day (one image per post please) #2

[MaximusJ]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

that was too many brain cells ago.

It gives me an idea still.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by M_Six

^^^Whoa, that's wild on the eyes.

Hey Dave, was that snowed-upon owl shot with your 500? How much crop?

Yes, that's the 500mm and around an 80% crop judging from the file size. A friend, standing next to me, took almost the same shot but showed the whole nest, with little crop. I preferred mine, showing snow detail and the eyes.

I should have thrown the 1.4X TC on the camera to achieve 700mm, given 20-20 hindsight.

Dave

[dcstep]

Dedicated runner in snow storm by dcstep, on Flickr

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Yes, that's the 500mm and around an 80% crop judging from the file size. A friend, standing next to me, took almost the same shot but showed the whole nest, with little crop. I preferred mine, showing snow detail and the eyes.

I should have thrown the 1.4X TC on the camera to achieve 700mm, given 20-20 hindsight.

Dave

That's pretty nice looking for such a huge crop. Do you find the 1.4x TC still leaves acceptable IQ when cropping to that extent? If Canon does indeed give the 6D f8 AF, I'm thinking of getting a 1.4x TC III for the 400 5.6

[Rowdy]

Originally Posted by The1

Thanks mark. They are actually all stationary ships, they are from Asia and are there fishing. They will stay until they are full and then leave. They all "rent" a designated spot in the bay, and if they stray from the spot, they get some massive fines. (So I'm told)

p

They are not fishing. Those are Tankers and freighters awaiting entry to the port of vancouver! Once through the appropriate customs and inspections they will be loaded or offload in the inner harbour. You can see in my pic of the inner harbour that there is a sulphur pile, coal, oil, sugar, wheat and of course many container yards.

There is very little fishing going on in these waters. Most will happen Off the west coast of vancouver island (halibut) up up the straights quite a few miles and by much much smaller vessels. (prawns, salmon, cod and scallops) We frequently get chartered to pick up loads from the prawn boats!



Heres a shot up Toba inlet.. on my way to do a crew change for one of the hydroelectric projects

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by M_Six

That's pretty nice looking for such a huge crop. Do you find the 1.4x TC still leaves acceptable IQ when cropping to that extent? If Canon does indeed give the 6D f8 AF, I'm thinking of getting a 1.4x TC III for the 400 5.6

I use the EF 1.4X TC-II and the reviews of the Series III show it to be even better. Keep in mind, if you crop, most of the problem areas with even the worst TC are going to be out in the corners, which you crop off.

I hope that the 6D gets f/8 AF, but I wouldn't hold my breath. The AF system is clearly different from the 5D3 and the 1DX. They've never provided f/8 AF for the 7D. I think that the 6D is one of their price-point cameras and firmware updates will likely only fix problems, if any.

Here's about a 50-60% crop with my 500mm on the 5D3 with the 1.4X TC, hand held:


American kestrel in flight. by dcstep, on Flickr

The wing blur is due to the high speed of kestrels, not OOF. This was shot at 1/1250-sec. so it would have taken around 1/2000-sec to freeze the wing tips.

[MaximusJ]

Originally Posted by dcstep

I hope that the 6D gets f/8 AF, but I wouldn't hold my breath. The AF system is clearly different from the 5D3 and the 1DX. They've never provided f/8 AF for the 7D. I think that the 6D is one of their price-point cameras and firmware updates will likely only fix problems, if any.

I dont know how a big company like Canon can get away with murder on this one.

A problem with one body could be at best; tolerable. But still no updates for all of them except 1Dx right?

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by MaximusJ

I dont know how a big company like Canon can get away with murder on this one.

A problem with one body could be at best; tolerable. But still no updates for all of them except 1Dx right?

Well, up until the 5D MkIII, only "pro" bodies would do f/8 AF. The hue and cry when the 1DX came out without it shook them up a little, I think.

Right now, the 1D MkIV and 1DX have f/8 AF and Canon has formally announced that a firmware update will be available for the 5D MkIII in April. I would think that Canon would realize that f/8 AF is good for TC sales, but maybe they prefer to sell more super-telephotos.

Dave

[Itsed65]

Great Kestral shot Dave. They are SO hard to get a clean shot of, being both very skittish and very fast.

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by dcstep

I use the EF 1.4X TC-II and the reviews of the Series III show it to be even better. Keep in mind, if you crop, most of the problem areas with even the worst TC are going to be out in the corners, which you crop off.

I hope that the 6D gets f/8 AF, but I wouldn't hold my breath. The AF system is clearly different from the 5D3 and the 1DX. They've never provided f/8 AF for the 7D. I think that the 6D is one of their price-point cameras and firmware updates will likely only fix problems, if any.

Here's about a 50-60% crop with my 500mm on the 5D3 with the 1.4X TC, hand held:



The wing blur is due to the high speed of kestrels, not OOF. This was shot at 1/1250-sec. so it would have taken around 1/2000-sec to freeze the wing tips.

Nice shot. No easy task aiming that rig, I'd bet. And to catch a kestral while doing so is impressive.

I'm not betting on an f8 fix for the 6D. Canon Rumors is often out there with, well...rumors. That's why I won't invest in a Canon 1.4x TC until I see it happen.

That said, I was out today testing the 400 5.6 with the Kenko 2x TC. Pretty sharp images. Handheld manual focusing 800mm with no IS is a bear, though. The 400+2x TC combo will have to be for sitting birds only.

[triton3k]

Originally Posted by MaximusJ

Nice Denn; I hope you will print a 365 pages book out of that project!

Lenny: Sick point of view. I'm curious... What were you shooting with in 1996?

Thanks so much and I definitely am. I'm actually gonna print up some small pictures from PostalPix until the year is up then i'll do the book.

Lenny thats a sick sick shot.


71/365 Throggs Neck Bridge

365 PROJECT DAY 71 by Denn-Ice, on Flickr

[Itsed65]

^^^I love night time bridge shots! I have to get to the bay bridge while they have the light show up on it.

I was chasing birds around my local park last weekend, when I noticed this muskrat quietly making his way down the creek...

20130309-AQ4E2160 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[Weebl]

score with the giant rat. I didn't know that they were around.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by M_Six

Nice shot. No easy task aiming that rig, I'd bet. And to catch a kestral while doing so is impressive.

I'm not betting on an f8 fix for the 6D. Canon Rumors is often out there with, well...rumors. That's why I won't invest in a Canon 1.4x TC until I see it happen.

That said, I was out today testing the 400 5.6 with the Kenko 2x TC. Pretty sharp images. Handheld manual focusing 800mm with no IS is a bear, though. The 400+2x TC combo will have to be for sitting birds only.

Yes, sitting birds only and maybe with a tripod. The tripod really helps you to manage the MF. Don't forget, a 2.0x TC and a 25mm ET make for a great macro rig, depending on the minimum focus distance of your super-tele. I seem to recall that the 400/5.6 had a bit of a long MFD, but it's worth a try.

Dave

[M_Six]

Originally Posted by dcstep

Yes, sitting birds only and maybe with a tripod. The tripod really helps you to manage the MF. Don't forget, a 2.0x TC and a 25mm ET make for a great macro rig, depending on the minimum focus distance of your super-tele. I seem to recall that the 400/5.6 had a bit of a long MFD, but it's worth a try.

Dave

I was thinking of that. The MFD on the 400 5.6 is 11.5 feet. With my 12mm ET attached, it's about 8 or 9ft. I just bought a 25mm ET to use with other lenses as a poor man's macro. I'll see what that does to the 400 5.6. Using both ETs should prove interesting.

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by M_Six

I was thinking of that. The MFD on the 400 5.6 is 11.5 feet. With my 12mm ET attached, it's about 8 or 9ft. I just bought a 25mm ET to use with other lenses as a poor man's macro. I'll see what that does to the 400 5.6. Using both ETs should prove interesting.

Yeah, stack the ETs and experiment with the TC between the ETs and the lens and between the ETs and the camera. If you start to get vignetting, then plan to crop that out.

I think of it as the "sophisticated man's macro" not "poor man's".

That MFD isn't particularly outstanding (my 500mm is about 12-ft) but with stacked ETs and a 2.0x TC, it might work pretty well. You'll need a well lit subject and pump the ISO to 800.

Dave

[MaximusJ]

funny subject this morning. I tried that thing yesterday.

I tried 105mm macro + 2X TC + 36mm ET; I think that was extreme :P Will try that outside since the indoor light was limited. But interesting results

[Itsed65]

Great Egret

20130311-AQ4E2492 by lennycarl08, on Flickr

[triton3k]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

^^^I love night time bridge shots! I have to get to the bay bridge while they have the light show up on it.

Thanks

72/365 Late Night

365 PROJECT DAY 72 by Denn-Ice, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Bald eagle relaxing after a fish dinner by dcstep, on Flickr

[dcstep]

Originally Posted by Itsed65

Great Egret

Nice flight shot with a classic pose.

Dave

[Itsed65]

Thanks! I'm so jealous of you guys that get to photograph eagles!