That's good to know for the Trekker line. I had the "didn't fit the hood" experience with their Flipside 400 and 500 packs, and the 13x32 lens case and my 300 2.8neuroanatomist said:
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Things to get when you purchase a 600mm?
- Thread starter Morlin
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East Wind Photography said:
Yes I want a tripod that is flexible for landscape and other stuff also and as you mention uneven ground might need longer legs. I am 187cm. Not very long but not short either. Also a thought is that I sometimes photograph wild boars and they can be pretty angry so I prefer sitting on a stone or a tree branch and with the Gitzo XLS I can have the gear standing on the ground while I am a few feet up. Maybe sounds strange for you guys but at least that is one of my thoughts with the longer legs.
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I would also get one of don's lens caps, I dislike the canon ones. I second a heavy duty tall tripod, my largest lens now is the 300 is f2.8, but knowing I was going down that route I started with a manfroto 550, the sales guy wanted me to get a 190, but it only came up to the middle,of my chest where the 550 comes up to mu neck, and it it much heaver than the 190, it would have been,so shaky.
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Tripod if you want to use one. I use RRS 34L but I actually handhold the lens more often.
I use Jobu-Designs HD3/LD3 gimbal head, I can convert to full swing arm or lighter/compact side mount.
LensCoat: I used it without one for 8months but since I was always walking through bush, I decided to get it and protect from scratches.
If you get LensCoat then the included lens cap with the 600II doesn't fit very well so either a LensCoat Hoodie XXXX or a Don Zeck cap is in order. Without LensCoat the new markII caps work great and no need for an aftermarket one.
Replacement foot, I use RRS one now but have the 4th Gen convertible CRX-5 low mount one on the way (intended to use with my new 300II but I'm going to try it on the 600II also).
I have the Tamrac long lens bag if I just want to take out the 1DX and 600 with TCs. Otherwise I use Gura Gear Kiboko 30L for carrying more gear and the 600.
Hope this helps.
I use Jobu-Designs HD3/LD3 gimbal head, I can convert to full swing arm or lighter/compact side mount.
LensCoat: I used it without one for 8months but since I was always walking through bush, I decided to get it and protect from scratches.
If you get LensCoat then the included lens cap with the 600II doesn't fit very well so either a LensCoat Hoodie XXXX or a Don Zeck cap is in order. Without LensCoat the new markII caps work great and no need for an aftermarket one.
Replacement foot, I use RRS one now but have the 4th Gen convertible CRX-5 low mount one on the way (intended to use with my new 300II but I'm going to try it on the 600II also).
I have the Tamrac long lens bag if I just want to take out the 1DX and 600 with TCs. Otherwise I use Gura Gear Kiboko 30L for carrying more gear and the 600.
Hope this helps.
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After buying the 500mm v2 I was too cheap to buy a camo lens coat so bought a sheet of camo neoprene from here http://www.ewetsuits.com/acatalog/camouflage-neoprene-sheets-ukl.html and made my own. Use their Black Witch neoprene adhesive to bond the seams. The sheet is large enough that I made a coat for my 300mm IS v1 too and still have enough left over to make anther couple of coats. Overall saving was over £100 compared to the price of two "pro" lens coats. Okay, there's the time factor involved too but it was a reasonably straight forward process to make them.
Glad I made them as I was out last weekend when it was a bit cold (some ice on local lake) and the 500mm was fine to hold with my bare hands against the neoprene - I touched the metal body and was amazed at how cold it was! No way could you hold it without some protection....or maybe just a cheap pair of gloves!
One point though - the neoprene is about 3mm thick so neither Canon lens hood now fits and the 500mm won't fit in the flightcase. Ah, well.... Anyway, I use Optech Hood Hats for both as they're cheap and effective.
Also got the Lowepro Lens Trekker AW II - it's okay but I find the velcro collar which holds the lens in place is a bit of a hassle as one part of it seems too deep so that the lens isn't held vertically in the bag, it gets pushed away from vertical - attached pic doesn't show too well but you might get the idea.
Finally, in case you wonder why I got the 500mm rather than the 600mm - it was a mixture of cost, weight and range.
(In the pic below of the two lenses together, the 500mm also has the 1.4x mk3 attached)
Glad I made them as I was out last weekend when it was a bit cold (some ice on local lake) and the 500mm was fine to hold with my bare hands against the neoprene - I touched the metal body and was amazed at how cold it was! No way could you hold it without some protection....or maybe just a cheap pair of gloves!
One point though - the neoprene is about 3mm thick so neither Canon lens hood now fits and the 500mm won't fit in the flightcase. Ah, well.... Anyway, I use Optech Hood Hats for both as they're cheap and effective.
Also got the Lowepro Lens Trekker AW II - it's okay but I find the velcro collar which holds the lens in place is a bit of a hassle as one part of it seems too deep so that the lens isn't held vertically in the bag, it gets pushed away from vertical - attached pic doesn't show too well but you might get the idea.
Finally, in case you wonder why I got the 500mm rather than the 600mm - it was a mixture of cost, weight and range.
(In the pic below of the two lenses together, the 500mm also has the 1.4x mk3 attached)
Attachments
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arbitrage said:
+1 For a lenscoat for scratch protection. You can get plain ones, they don't have to be camoflage. I cut the transparent plastic off to give me access to the controls
+1 For the LensCoat Hoodies for when you have a lenscoat on
+1 For the CRX-5, I'm using it on a 500mm
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I don't have the 600mm, but I do have the 500mm v1.
I can echo similar requirements to buy as others have here. I bought the Gitzo 3541XLS because I got tired of bending down to look through the viewfinder when shooting landscapes. It's also a pain shooting up into trees at birds if you cannot get high enough to allow for the camera body dropping below your shoulders. The 3541XLS solved that problem. Is it a pain to pack...yep, but I manage.
Just recently purchased the Canon 52mm drop in circular polarizer for shooting birds and whatnot in, around and on the water. I can't believe I waited so long to get one. It just works.
Wimberly II Gimbal...heavy, but works great. Had a sidekick. Movement in the Gimbal is so much more natural.
Lenscoat...get it. My tripod head fell off because I didn't check the set screw on my tripod head on a regular basis. There was a warning on it about 4 years ago. Everything hit the gravel trail, breaking my Canon 1.4x vII extender in two pieces. One piece stayed with the Canon 1DX, the other on the 500mm lens mount with the Wimberley. Not one scratch on the lens exterior. Can't say the same for the meniscus glass element in the front. The coating got dinged by all the gravel that bounced up into it. At least it's replaceable. The newer 500mm and 600mm Canon lenses don't have it. That's one way they lightened them up.
Insurance...see above.
I purchased the Lenscoat hood cover to replace the bulky one from Canon. Like someone mentioned (maybe Neuro) it's a pain to slip on without dang near pulling your tripod and gear over onto you or the ground. Something with a velcro strap would be better.
Canon 1.4x III extender is imperative to have.
The Canon 25mm Extension tube + the Canon 12mm extension tube are nice additions to the toolbox. I shoot a lot of small critters with these attached. They help get a larger image size by getting in closer to your subject. One caveat when using them...loss of infinity focus. If you are staying with closeup stuff, no biggie. If you go back to shooting birds in flight or wildlife, remember to take them off.
Leg wraps...purchased or made. I made mine with camo tape and pipe insulation. Not so much for the cold; more for padding against my sore shoulder.
I can echo similar requirements to buy as others have here. I bought the Gitzo 3541XLS because I got tired of bending down to look through the viewfinder when shooting landscapes. It's also a pain shooting up into trees at birds if you cannot get high enough to allow for the camera body dropping below your shoulders. The 3541XLS solved that problem. Is it a pain to pack...yep, but I manage.
Just recently purchased the Canon 52mm drop in circular polarizer for shooting birds and whatnot in, around and on the water. I can't believe I waited so long to get one. It just works.
Wimberly II Gimbal...heavy, but works great. Had a sidekick. Movement in the Gimbal is so much more natural.
Lenscoat...get it. My tripod head fell off because I didn't check the set screw on my tripod head on a regular basis. There was a warning on it about 4 years ago. Everything hit the gravel trail, breaking my Canon 1.4x vII extender in two pieces. One piece stayed with the Canon 1DX, the other on the 500mm lens mount with the Wimberley. Not one scratch on the lens exterior. Can't say the same for the meniscus glass element in the front. The coating got dinged by all the gravel that bounced up into it. At least it's replaceable. The newer 500mm and 600mm Canon lenses don't have it. That's one way they lightened them up.
Insurance...see above.
I purchased the Lenscoat hood cover to replace the bulky one from Canon. Like someone mentioned (maybe Neuro) it's a pain to slip on without dang near pulling your tripod and gear over onto you or the ground. Something with a velcro strap would be better.
Canon 1.4x III extender is imperative to have.
The Canon 25mm Extension tube + the Canon 12mm extension tube are nice additions to the toolbox. I shoot a lot of small critters with these attached. They help get a larger image size by getting in closer to your subject. One caveat when using them...loss of infinity focus. If you are staying with closeup stuff, no biggie. If you go back to shooting birds in flight or wildlife, remember to take them off.
Leg wraps...purchased or made. I made mine with camo tape and pipe insulation. Not so much for the cold; more for padding against my sore shoulder.
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Some people have reported difficulty getting the 600 in and out of the lowepro with lens coat on the hood and the hood reversed for storage. Often the lenscoat will roll back or cause difficulty getting the lens into the case. I solved that issue by slipping a plastic shopping bag over the end of the lens. It slips right in and storage seems faster regardless as there is nothing to get hung up on the case.
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I have heard so many good things about stuff from RRS. To make a long story short. My father has a friend who has a son who lives in the US. So with other words I don´t know him that well but according to my father he is a good guy and likes to help Swedish friends. He might be able to help me getting stuff to Sweden.
Is it worth it?
If I only pay the full price for a TVC-34L Versa Series 3 Tripod or another one that you recommend and transport costs it will actually be less expensive than a Gitzo Systematic Series 3 XLS. If I add the extra costs by shipping regular way directly from RRS it would cost a lot more. Maybe the wrong forum for a question like this and might seem wrong to do so but the prices in Sweden and most of all the accessibility of RRS gear really makes it hard to get those. I could pay more for better gear but everything has a limit and when it´s even hard to get it also makes me consider the easier access of Gitzo.
Is it worth it?
If I only pay the full price for a TVC-34L Versa Series 3 Tripod or another one that you recommend and transport costs it will actually be less expensive than a Gitzo Systematic Series 3 XLS. If I add the extra costs by shipping regular way directly from RRS it would cost a lot more. Maybe the wrong forum for a question like this and might seem wrong to do so but the prices in Sweden and most of all the accessibility of RRS gear really makes it hard to get those. I could pay more for better gear but everything has a limit and when it´s even hard to get it also makes me consider the easier access of Gitzo.
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I've heard some good stuff about Don Zeck Lens Cap for telephoto lenses. I'm actually planning to get one for my 200/2.0. I've never used such a big telephoto lenses, but I guess it may be useful for your 600mm as well.
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Morlin said:
No doubt in my mind, I'll not go into the equipment list, Neuro and others have covered it to perfection.
I used Gitzo some years back, good gear mostly, but about 3 years ago I switched totally to RRS for Tripod, monopod, safari clamps, replacement foot on all my whites, Gimble head, Ball head, etc etc.
I live in Singapore so I order the gear direct with RRS & ship Fed Ex cheapest Air to Singapore.
Costs for shipping have been between USD$60 to USD$100 per order, the most expensive shipping was when I ordered the 34L tripod & pano head plus bits, that was USD$109 shipping US to Singapore on an order that totalled $1,800.
Singapore also has GST add on, they may or may not be more reasonable than Sweden, cost is generally 7% of Order cost excluding Shipping & Insurance costs. But in Singapore if your Non Citizen (I'm a Resident), you can claim the GST back less Fee when you next leave Singapore, that may not be an option in Sweden.
RRS will either handle payment with a Telegraphic Transfer (they charge a Fee for this but waive the Fee for orders over $1,000 so bite the bullet and get as much gear as you can in the one order, I think the Fee is $35, or waived if more than 1K). I do my order payment now via PayPal to RRS, save Transfer fees and hassle, but of course PayPal have built in Fees as well.
I have had absolutely first class service from RRS, I deal direct with the owners wife with all my orders, so you get spot on service, in this day and age that's simply worth money to me. I could get Gitzo/Arca/Wimberley etc (and still have some of this gear laying about) here in Singapore, but I'm Happy to pay the premium to get the RRS equipment, it is engineered to perfection and being an Engineer I appreciate it when i can see gear made this way.
If you would like the contact details of the lady I deal with at RRS please message me direct & I'll pass the contact details onto you.
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Morlin said:
The RRS has many fans, many own it and it is good equipment.
I own Gitzo legs and they are rock solid and I find no fault in them. I see now real advantage with RRS over legs I have no fault with.
I also use the Wimberly II and it is balanced and works great. Not once have I found a fault with the equipment. I have looked closely at the RRS options and possibly if I did Pano's it might be usefull but probably not for me. I have done Pano's with the long lenses with the Wimbrely and it did fine. RRS might be more compact but broken down I find the Wimberly easy to transport in the backpack I use.
Since you are in Sweden I am not sure it is worth the extra effort you are describing. The positives I see are small.
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the single greatest thing about RRS tripods when they came out, that I noticed, was that the leg angle lock is spring loaded. No more forgetting to push in the lock to stop the legs from splaying out, it is click-stop loaded. Paying attention to your tripod when you are setting up in a hurry in the dark in the cold, that is easily missed...
I've dealt with Gitzo service department, and it is definitely a case of wing and a prayer: they say send it in and we will fix it, and they did, but don't expect to talk to anyone about your repair. They charge your card and send it back, and you don't know what was done until you receive it.
I've dealt with Gitzo service department, and it is definitely a case of wing and a prayer: they say send it in and we will fix it, and they did, but don't expect to talk to anyone about your repair. They charge your card and send it back, and you don't know what was done until you receive it.
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I don't have the 600, but I am going to get the 3002.8 II soon.
I use a WH-200 Gimbal Tripod Head II with Quick Release Base (not the sidekick). You will need an Arca Swiss type plate not a proprietary type (like Benro, etc.) to mount to. You will love both. There are other gimbal heads, but don't go cheap on this or the plate.
I use lenscoat to protect the legs from scratches while going through woods, no other reason.
That's all I can contribute.
Best.
sek
I use a WH-200 Gimbal Tripod Head II with Quick Release Base (not the sidekick). You will need an Arca Swiss type plate not a proprietary type (like Benro, etc.) to mount to. You will love both. There are other gimbal heads, but don't go cheap on this or the plate.
I use lenscoat to protect the legs from scratches while going through woods, no other reason.
That's all I can contribute.
Best.
sek
Morlin said:
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Hi Morlin,
Just wanted to chime in regarding buying RRS in Europe. I live in Denmark and have bought various stuff including the LCF-53 replacement foot for my Canon 200-400 which I am really satisfied with btw. I went with a German based dealer which has pretty much all the accessories you can think of getting for wildlife and nature photograhy. They are not cheap, but I recommend them highly for fast delivery and restocking of soldout items. Check them out for yourself: http://www.augenblicke-eingefangen.de/catalog/index.php
Just wanted to chime in regarding buying RRS in Europe. I live in Denmark and have bought various stuff including the LCF-53 replacement foot for my Canon 200-400 which I am really satisfied with btw. I went with a German based dealer which has pretty much all the accessories you can think of getting for wildlife and nature photograhy. They are not cheap, but I recommend them highly for fast delivery and restocking of soldout items. Check them out for yourself: http://www.augenblicke-eingefangen.de/catalog/index.php
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Hi,
I know this is not exactly what you've been asking for but i just wanted to mention that I got the 500II in March and my only accessory to the lens until now was the Lowepro 500AW backpack (and the mark II extenders). I'm not using a tri- or monopod. The 500II is perfect for handheld work -> I can use it all day long without problems, which is a great advantage when it comes to mobility in the field (not having to haul a tripod around).
This will not work with the 600II though, I suppose.
Have fun with an unbelievably awesome lens!
Greetings
I know this is not exactly what you've been asking for but i just wanted to mention that I got the 500II in March and my only accessory to the lens until now was the Lowepro 500AW backpack (and the mark II extenders). I'm not using a tri- or monopod. The 500II is perfect for handheld work -> I can use it all day long without problems, which is a great advantage when it comes to mobility in the field (not having to haul a tripod around).
This will not work with the 600II though, I suppose.
Have fun with an unbelievably awesome lens!
Greetings
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