Any thing Shot with a 5ds/r

[Click]

Young Masai warrior, from Tarangire in Tanzania.

Shot with the 200-400 f4L IS 1.4x. Not your regular portrait setup

Very nice portrait.

 

[Eldar]

...
But did you see what you just did there? - that Safari ain't gonna cost me 30K DKK, but 230K DKK because I need to get the 200-400/4 and the 600/4 first :-[
Oh, what a cruel excuse to have to buy them both ;D

I assume you had all the lenses and bodies in your carry-on. Were you able to keep it within your own limit, or did you have to "borrow" from you wifes quota?

Then I am glad to help you a bit. If I had to go with just one long lens, it would have been the 200-400 f4L IS 1.4x. However, if I could have two, there are more options.

My combo was: 11-24 f4L, 24-70 f2.8L II, 70-200 f2.8L IS II, 200-400 f4L IS 1.4x and 600 f4L IS II, + the 1.4xIII and 2xIII extenders. The 11-24 was hardly used, just like when I was in Zimbabwe last year. Next time it stays home.

An alternative package is 24-70 (or the new 24-105, for landscapes and to document the trip, a 100-400 f4.5-5.6L IS II and the 600. That is a light, flexible and very high quality package. My wife used the 100-400 on a 7DII and brought loads of high quality images home. Add a 1DX-II and a 5DSR (or similar size) and you are good to go.

Put the hood of the 600 in your checked luggage and then you can pack all of that into a F-stop XL Pro ICU, which you can carry by itself or in a light cordura (or similar) duffel bag (I use one from Epic). Total weight is below 11kg and it is within the physical measures of a carry-on. You can have a small extra bag, which I use for charger, memory cards & reader, cables and PC.

 

[Jack Douglas]

Leopard from Serengeti.

600mm f4L IS II, cropped a lot.

Lovely. Looks like you were swapping that lens quite a lot.

Jack

I am very glad I brought that lens. About 30% of my images was shot with the 600, primarily with the 1.4xIII extender attached, compared to about 50% with the 200-400 f4L IS 1.4x. The remaining 20% was split between the 24-70 f2.8L II and the 70-200 f2.8L IS II. I did bring the 11-24 also, but I shot less than 10 images with it.

You really brought that image to life with the processing, Eldar.

But did you see what you just did there? - that Safari ain't gonna cost me 30K DKK, but 230K DKK because I need to get the 200-400/4 and the 600/4 first :-[
Oh, what a cruel excuse to have to buy them both ;D

I assume you had all the lenses and bodies in your carry-on. Were you able to keep it within your own limit, or did you have to "borrow" from you wifes quota?

Eldar, I guess in seriousness what is happening here is that on this trip anyway, the wildlife is a bit further away and the reach is needed more than the intermediate zoom. I assume also that there was a situation conducive to handling the big 600 - some kind of support available. Am I right?

I'd also assume there was so much wildlife that that kind of took precedence over the more landscape oriented opportunities and decreased the importance of 11-24.

Jack

 

[Eldar]

Leopard from Serengeti.

600mm f4L IS II, cropped a lot.

Lovely. Looks like you were swapping that lens quite a lot.

Jack

I am very glad I brought that lens. About 30% of my images was shot with the 600, primarily with the 1.4xIII extender attached, compared to about 50% with the 200-400 f4L IS 1.4x. The remaining 20% was split between the 24-70 f2.8L II and the 70-200 f2.8L IS II. I did bring the 11-24 also, but I shot less than 10 images with it.

You really brought that image to life with the processing, Eldar.

But did you see what you just did there? - that Safari ain't gonna cost me 30K DKK, but 230K DKK because I need to get the 200-400/4 and the 600/4 first :-[
Oh, what a cruel excuse to have to buy them both ;D

I assume you had all the lenses and bodies in your carry-on. Were you able to keep it within your own limit, or did you have to "borrow" from you wifes quota?

Eldar, I guess in seriousness what is happening here is that on this trip anyway, the wildlife is a bit further away and the reach is needed more than the intermediate zoom. I assume also that there was a situation conducive to handling the big 600 - some kind of support available. Am I right?

I'd also assume there was so much wildlife that that kind of took precedence over the more landscape oriented opportunities and decreased the importance of 11-24.

Jack

In these parks you are stuck in the safari vehicle, which makes it difficult to use a lens like the 11-24. For support on the vehicle, you use a bean bag. We ordered several kilo of soya beans in advance and filled the bags when we got there. You place them on top of the vehicle and they provide excellent support.

As for reach, I will always be in a position to want reach. Even in Mana Pools, which is primarily forrest, I missed it. When I shoot birds I miss it. When I want closeup of heads I miss it. So I believe I will always bring the 600 along. The benefit of the 100-400 over the 200-400 is size, weight and manoeuvrability. You gain the 100-200 range, but lose the 400-560, but if I combine it with a 5DSR or maybe a 5DIV, I have enough cropping capability to make it work.

 

[Jack Douglas]

Eldar, thanks for that!

Jack

 

[kaihp]

Then I am glad to help you a bit. If I had to go with just one long lens, it would have been the 200-400 f4L IS 1.4x. However, if I could have two, there are more options.

My combo was: 11-24 f4L, 24-70 f2.8L II, 70-200 f2.8L IS II, 200-400 f4L IS 1.4x and 600 f4L IS II, + the 1.4xIII and 2xIII extenders. The 11-24 was hardly used, just like when I was in Zimbabwe last year. Next time it stays home.

Great info, Eldar.

If I had to buy one of those two whites, I would most likely choose the 200-400/4 due to it's versatility. Alternatively (read: realistically) the 100-400II.

I would probably bring the 24-70II, 70-200II as well as the extenders, and leave the 300/2.8II in favor of a 200-400/4 or 600. I would take the 1Dx and the 5D3 as the backup body. I probably need a few more CF cards, though.

So I'm not that far away actually

 

[Vern]

a couple of Matterhorn pics from a hiking trip early this month

5DSR, HDR, f8, ISO100, 70-200 2.8 II at 165mm (no TC) and 240 mm (1.4X III), B&W CP.

screen shot of second shot section at 200%.

 

[Click]

Great shot, Vern.

 

[Vern]

Great shot, Vern.

compliments just get you more pics, screenshot shows the detail in the hires version

 

[Jack Douglas]

Vern, that must be a lovely hike!

Jack

 

[meywd]

Amazing shots Vern

Vern, that must be a lovely hike!

Jack

Indeed

 

[Vern]

Vern, that must be a lovely hike!

Jack

If you visit Zermatt, take the funicular to Sunnega and then hike to the Stillesee. Takes about 4h round trip if you are stopping to take pics (and are slow like me). Some elevation gain, but not a tough hike. IMO best lake for reflections of the Matterhorn.

 

[Vern]

Vern, that must be a lovely hike!

Jack

If you visit Zermatt, take the funicular to Sunnega and then hike to the Stillesee. Takes about 4h round trip if you are stopping to take pics (and are slow like me). Some elevation gain, but not a tough hike. IMO best lake for reflections of the Matterhorn.

 

[Click]

Lovely shots, Vern. 8) Well done.

 

[Jack Douglas]

Lovely shots, Vern. 8) Well done.

+1 What time of year and what temperatures? Much wildlife?

Jack

 

[Maiaibing]

Vern, that must be a lovely hike!

Jack

If you visit Zermatt, take the funicular to Sunnega and then hike to the Stillesee. Takes about 4h round trip if you are stopping to take pics (and are slow like me). Some elevation gain, but not a tough hike. IMO best lake for reflections of the Matterhorn.

You hike all that way - you deserve such a great result!

 

[Vern]

Lovely shots, Vern. 8) Well done.

+1 What time of year and what temperatures? Much wildlife?

Jack

Hi Jack,

These pics were from October 14-16 this year. Essentially no wildlife, but we didn't get up the mountain in time to see much anyway. The alps are heavily populated, and I've only seen Ibex and Chamois from a distance while on a train - even when I lived in Switzerland in graduate school. Marmots are easier to spot, but saw none this time. I think you'd have to make a special effort and the landscape possibilities are endless, so I didn't even try this time.

I was making prints this weekend and realized I hadn't posted my favorite Matterhorn shot yet. This was from the patio outside the breakfast area of our hotel - easy enough hike! (70-200II, f8, 155mm, ISO 100, HDR processed in Photomatix)

 

[Vern]

Lovely shots, Vern. 8) Well done.

+1 What time of year and what temperatures? Much wildlife?

Jack

temps = ~freezing overnight, ~50-60F during the day. This is the off season, too late for summer hiking, too early for most skiing (except on the very high glaciers). Downside is some lifts are closed and we were lucky to get there the last weekend before many closed for a few weeks for maintenance.

Hi Jack,

These pics were from October 14-16 this year. Essentially no wildlife, but we didn't get up the mountain in time to see much anyway. The alps are heavily populated, and I've only seen Ibex and Chamois from a distance while on a train - even when I lived in Switzerland in graduate school. Marmots are easier to spot, but saw none this time. I think you'd have to make a special effort and the landscape possibilities are endless, so I didn't even try this time.

I was making prints this weekend and realized I hadn't posted my favorite Matterhorn shot yet. This was from the patio outside the breakfast area of our hotel - easy enough hike! (70-200II, f8, 155mm, ISO 100, HDR processed in Photomatix)

 

[Click]

I was making prints this weekend and realized I hadn't posted my favorite Matterhorn shot yet. This was from the patio outside the breakfast area of our hotel - easy enough hike! (70-200II, f8, 155mm, ISO 100, HDR processed in Photomatix)

I really like this picture. Great shot, Vern. 8)

 

[Jack Douglas]

I was making prints this weekend and realized I hadn't posted my favorite Matterhorn shot yet. This was from the patio outside the breakfast area of our hotel - easy enough hike! (70-200II, f8, 155mm, ISO 100, HDR processed in Photomatix)

I really like this picture. Great shot, Vern. 8)

Thanks Vern - takes one's breath away!

Jack