BIRD IN FLIGHT ONLY -- share your BIF photos here

Cog

Dec 6, 2013
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Very nice shot Cog! Is it a Curlew or a Whimbrel, with my limited skills identification is failing...
Btw. long time since you were here before but you're back with a whole set of excellent pic's (both Bird portraits & BiF...)!
W.
Thank you, Nat_WA! It's a curlew (to the best of my knowledge). And yes, it's been a long hiatus for various personal reasons. But I plan to do some bird photography in the spring.
 
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Jack Douglas

CR for the Humour
Apr 10, 2013
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Beautiful series, GMCPhotographics. I really like the second one.

+1 Some nice angles.

And since I'm contemplating buying an R and in some situations using it with the 70-200 II, I've wondered how it would be with X1.4 and X2. Because I previously owned the 300 2.8 II, I have never tried those combinations out but if I am using the 1DX2 with my 400 and one converter my daughter could be using my 70-200 with the other converter on the R (we'll be on holiday together).

So if you have any thoughts about your use scenario I'd be pleased to hear them.

Jack
 
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+1 Some nice angles.

And since I'm contemplating buying an R and in some situations using it with the 70-200 II, I've wondered how it would be with X1.4 and X2. Because I previously owned the 300 2.8 II, I have never tried those combinations out but if I am using the 1DX2 with my 400 and one converter my daughter could be using my 70-200 with the other converter on the R (we'll be on holiday together).

So if you have any thoughts about your use scenario I'd be pleased to hear them.

Jack

I can't comment on the Eos R with a 70-200 2.8 LIS II as I've not tried that combo. But I can comment on the lens. It's simply an amazing optic. It takes a 1.4x tc very well. So well that it's nearly as sharp wide open and the native lens. It takes a 2x but not quite as sharp (no surprise) and the AF is a little slower. It becomes quite a large lens to handle with a 2x and the balance is off too. If you drop a 1/3 stop to f6.3 it seems to sharpen up really well and takes up any IQ slack. As a combo (2x) it's not quite as good as a native 100-400 II but it's not far behind optically and mechanically.
 
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Jack Douglas

CR for the Humour
Apr 10, 2013
6,980
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Alberta, Canada
I can't comment on the Eos R with a 70-200 2.8 LIS II as I've not tried that combo. But I can comment on the lens. It's simply an amazing optic. It takes a 1.4x tc very well. So well that it's nearly as sharp wide open and the native lens. It takes a 2x but not quite as sharp (no surprise) and the AF is a little slower. It becomes quite a large lens to handle with a 2x and the balance is off too. If you drop a 1/3 stop to f6.3 it seems to sharpen up really well and takes up any IQ slack. As a combo (2x) it's not quite as good as a native 100-400 II but it's not far behind optically and mechanically.

Thanks for this. Comments I remember about 70-200 X2 were quite negative but stopped down it sounds decent. My use of it was typically when I needed closer focus than the 300 2.8 II would give in a blind. Now, I'm even worse off with the 400 DO II not having close focus. The 300 was much better for butterflies etc., but I couldn't justify owning both so sold it.

Jack
 
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ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
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Thank you, Nat_WA! It's a curlew (to the best of my knowledge). And yes, it's been a long hiatus for various personal reasons. But I plan to do some bird photography in the spring.
Nice shot Cog! I also think it's the Eurasian Curlew: lacking the clearer supercillum and eye-strip of the Whimbrel. The Far Eastern Curlew has more buffy underparts and no white rump, otherwise very similar.
 
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Between the rain storms and marathons/bike races/etc, the local island near me that is usually good for some raptors hasn't been as accessible this month, at least not during most of the mornings. Still, the sun is still low enough in the southern sky not to be excessively harsh and enabling me to get some flight shots(primarily takeoff/landing) of the American Kestrels that seem to call it home. Here is one that I misjudged the takeoff direction and ended up loping off a wing, but I really like the straight on, in your face approach so I cropped accordingly.
SDR62004-X3.jpg

1DX MK II 600 f/4L II w/ 1.4X 1/2500 : f/7.1 : ISO 1000
 
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Between the rain storms and marathons/bike races/etc, the local island near me that is usually good for some raptors hasn't been as accessible this month, at least not during most of the mornings. Still, the sun is still low enough in the southern sky not to be excessively harsh and enabling me to get some flight shots(primarily takeoff/landing) of the American Kestrels that seem to call it home. Here is one that I misjudged the takeoff direction and ended up loping off a wing, but I really like the straight on, in your face approach so I cropped accordingly.
SDR62004-X3.jpg

1DX MK II 600 f/4L II w/ 1.4X 1/2500 : f/7.1 : ISO 1000
Gorgeous shot!
 
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ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
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Apr 30, 2017
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I am trying to track chickadees in flight. They move so fast that I am not having much luck, this shot went spectacularly wrong.....View attachment 183134
:D:D! C'mon Don - it's just hiding from you? I think that buddy knows what it's doing (well, may be not...). Any way: do I want to get similar picture? - Yes, especially if the focus is on the wings! It may not be my favorite photo but it will remind me that there is a fun behind most of the pics I use to take...
 
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ISv

"The equipment that matters, is you"
CR Pro
Apr 30, 2017
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7,452
Between the rain storms and marathons/bike races/etc, the local island near me that is usually good for some raptors hasn't been as accessible this month, at least not during most of the mornings. Still, the sun is still low enough in the southern sky not to be excessively harsh and enabling me to get some flight shots(primarily takeoff/landing) of the American Kestrels that seem to call it home. Here is one that I misjudged the takeoff direction and ended up loping off a wing, but I really like the straight on, in your face approach so I cropped accordingly.
SDR62004-X3.jpg

1DX MK II 600 f/4L II w/ 1.4X 1/2500 : f/7.1 : ISO 1000
Impressive! And I just like Falcons!
 
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