All the bird people I know who take good bird pictures use very long lenses. Its not an easy task to get halfway up a tall tree to take a picture of an eagle or an owl. They tend to bugger off pretty fast when people approach and start crashing about in the branches. Also the bird watching platforms are not easy to move. Its no simple task to swim half way across a lake holding a camera over your head so you can take a picture of a rare aquatic bird with your 400 mm lens. Boats don't help much either.
D _______________ Dr E D F Williams http://personal.inet.fi/cool/don.williams Author's Web Site and Photo Gallery Updated: March 30, 2002 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Paul Stenquist" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Tuesday, March 11, 2003 8:31 AM Subject: Re: Long lenses handheld? > I have found that it's very difficult to shoot birds in the wild with > anything less than an 800. Sure, at a backyard bird feeder, you can get > closer. But pictures of birds at the feeder get tedious in a hurry. I > frequently shoot birds in wooded areas where some of the best shots find > them high off the ground on tree branches. I use an 800 and monopod, so > that I can quickly aim up into the branches. > Paul Stenquist > > [EMAIL PROTECTED] wrote: > > > > Not really sure about this comment, but it is always better to use a shorter > > lens and find a way to move in closer than stick a big long lens on and stay > > far away. Atmospheric haze, slower lens, camera shake all conspire against > > the users of very long lenses. This person wants to shoot birds. Find a place > > where they hang out ( a feeder or nesting area) and work them from in close. > > Eventually they get used to you and you should be able to get them with a 300 > > or 400... > > Vic > > > > In a message dated 3/10/03 11:47:24 PM, [EMAIL PROTECTED] writes: > > > > >I love this. "I have no idea what you're trying to do, but I'm going to > > > > > > > > >tell you to do it differently." > > > > > > >
